When: September 27-30
Where: Washington DC
Trip Status: Full, sign up for our waitlist to receive a text when spots become available.
Join us in Washington DC and visit iconic landmarks such as the White House, US Capitol, Library of Congress, and the Pentagon. We’ll also dive into history at Ford’s Theater, enjoy a moonlight tour of monuments and memorials, pay our respects at Arlington National Cemetery, explore the secret world of espionage at the International Spy Museum, and tour FBI Headquarters!
This trip includes group tours and activities for ages 10 and up (age verification required). As always, government tours are not guaranteed due to factors beyond our control (government shutdown, security, or other factors), but we’ll have fun regardless.
Our itinerary will begin with a mandatory orientation at 5:30 pm on Sunday, September 27 and end on Wednesday, September 30 around 5:00 pm.
NOTE: I’ll have reserved tours for us, but White House, US Capitol, Library of Congress, Pentagon, and other government sites are not guaranteed and may be canceled at the last minute for security or other reasons. In addition to unforeseen cancellations, White House tours are especially limited right now. Unless something changes, we’re not likely to get a group tour. I have ideas of working around this, but if the White House is a deal-breaker, please don’t register for this trip.
ANOTHER NOTE: Since this trip is back-to-back with our Boston trip, families who register for both at (roughly) the same time will have priority.
Security Requirements
Due to security requirements for some tours, be prepared to provide social security numbers for everyone age 16 and older, date of birth, first and last name, country of birth, and current city/state of residence. If you don’t want to provide this information, you’ll have to skip the tours that require it.
Transportation
You’ll make your own travel arrangements to Washington DC. If you fly or take the train, there’s no need to rent a car (unless you extend your stay to take day trips). The city is easily accessible via public transportation whether you travel by train or air.
We’ll walk and use the metro to tour DC.
Lodging
You can stay at our group hotel for approximately $486/night, including tax. Or you can make your own plans. Group hotel details will be shared with travelers after the trip is confirmed, as well as location recommendations if you prefer to choose your own hotel.
Cost and What’s Included
The price is $388 per person and includes your registration fee, group tours and activities on our itinerary, and a pre-loaded metro card. It doesn’t include lodging, meals, and anything you do on your own.
Payment, Cancellation, and Refund Policy
Full payment is due upon registration and is payable through my online payment platform.
Your payment is refundable only if I have a family on my waiting list to replace yours by May 31, 2026, and a $125 per-person cancellation fee will be deducted from any refunds. Your spots aren’t transferable.
No replacements, changes, or refunds can be made after May 31 for any reason, so please register with this in mind. Your registration and payment acknowledge your understanding and agreement with my cancellation and refund policy.
This trip won’t be confirmed until we reach our minimum and most sites are confirmed. If we can’t confirm, you’ll get a full refund of payments made to me. Please wait to purchase non-refundable flights until I confirm the trip. I have no control over airline refund policies.
Important Things to Know
- Please read all the information on this page and the FAQs below before emailing questions.
- You can stay at our group hotel or arrange your own lodging for this trip.
- White House, US Capitol, Library of Congress, Pentagon, and other government sites are not guaranteed and may be canceled at the last minute for security or other reasons. In addition to unforeseen cancellations, White House tours are especially limited right now. Unless something changes, we’re not likely to get a group tour. I have ideas of working around this, but if the White House is a deal-breaker, please don’t register for this trip.
- Full payment will be required when you submit your registration. Due to the popularity of this trip and limited capacity, I can’t hold spots.
- I’ll use a text messaging system throughout our trip. A cellphone with unlimited texting and a portable charger (to carry with you) is required.
- We’ll rely on public transportation while touring. It’s well worth the experience, but it requires patience if there are delays.
- You’ll walk and stand a lot during this trip. If you have problems walking or standing for extended periods, please consider waiting until you’re more able. I don’t recommend this trip for people who require a wheelchair or scooter, or for senior citizens unless they’re very active and are accustomed to standing and walking for extended periods during the day. (Some seniors have difficulty with the amount of standing required, even if walking isn’t a problem.)
- Start a walking program before our travel dates if you don’t ordinarily do much walking. Be sure to walk in the (comfortable, closed-toe) shoes you’ll be using for the trip – don’t buy new shoes without breaking them in thoroughly. Trust me on this.
- This trip is limited to ages 10 and up. (Younger siblings can’t join us for any portion of the trip.)
- Due to site and tour limitations, adding extra people without my prior approval is not allowed.
- Security in DC is extreme. Be prepared to be security-scanned every site we visit.
- No replacements, changes, or refunds unless I can replace your spots by May 31, 2026. A $125 per-person cancellation fee is deducted from all refunds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this trip still open? Are any spots left? Do you have a waitlist? Is it first come, first serve?
I’ll update this page when we run out of spots. I can’t answer “are spots still available?” questions because I receive registrations continuously. What’s available when I get your “are spots still available?” email may not be available five minutes later when you try to register.
You can sign up for the waitlist if we’re full. Waitlist notifications go to everyone who signs up for the waitlist, and everyone has an equal chance of getting spots, regardless of when they signed up.
When the cancellation period for a trip closes, the waitlist also closes since we can no longer replace spots.
To increase your chance of getting spots from my waitlist, follow the instructions in the text you receive and provide the requested information.
Is the price per person? Is there a different price for students versus adults?
The price is per person. It’s the same for adults and students.
Why don’t you allow younger children on this trip?
Based on our experiences during previous trips to Washington DC, younger children have a harder time handling the physical aspects of the trip and aren’t as interested in the history/government focus.
This is a lot of money to pay to someone I don’t know. Can you provide references?
I could provide references from families who’ve traveled with me since I began doing these trips in 2006, but the references could be faked.
Instead, read my About page to find out more about me, then do a search of “Carolina Homeschooler trips” and “Traveling Homeschooler trips.” If I’ve cheated anyone, it’ll be all over the internet.
My “Traveling Homeschoolers” name is newer, created in 2016 to differentiate between my local member trips, and trips that are open to everyone, so search both names.
You can also get a sense of who I am and what I do if you follow me on Facebook and read comments and feedback from my 42,000+ followers. (Including the Featured post where many families have given “testimonials” of my trips.)
It’s too stressful to pay for one of my trips if you don’t trust me, so research before you register.
What’s our hotel? What’s our day-to-day itinerary?
I’ll share hotel details after I confirm the trip, but our group hotel is optional. You can arrange your own hotel (or rental or timeshare or campground or whatever) after our trip is confirmed.
Government tours take longer to confirm and may be canceled at any time, for any reason, so I won’t have a final itinerary until much closer to our travel dates.
What time should we be there on our arrival date? What time will we be finished on our departure date?
I recommend arriving no later than 2:00 pm on our arrival date. We’ll have a mandatory orientation at around 5:30 pm and a tour afterward, so you’ll need time to get settled into your lodging and eat before we meet.
We have a full day planned for our last tour day, so don’t plan to leave until after 5:00 pm, or the next day. If you’d like to visit other sites in the area, I recommend adding a few days to the end of our trip (if you’re not adding on our Boston trip).
Can we opt out of specific tours and activities?
You can opt out of any tour or group activity except for the mandatory orientation. No refunds will be issued for missed tours/activities.
Want to join us?
- We’re currently at our maximum. Sign up for our waitlist to receive a text when spots become available.
- Since this trip is back-to-back with our Boston trip, families who register for both at (roughly) the same time will have priority.
- If you don’t receive a confirmation within 5 days, please email me.
- And that’s it! Email me if you have any questions.
