Quick Details
In this two-hour architectural history tour, we’ll stroll along DC’s Embassy Row to see the city’s most impressive properties, spanning the architectural gamut from Neoclassical to Beaux-Arts to Queen Anne. Starting at the eponymous Dupont Circle Fountain on Massachusetts Avenue, we’ll discuss how this once-rural part of Washington took shape in the late 1800s. Walking along Embassy Row, we’ll see the imposing Blaine Mansion, the impressive Embassy of Indonesia (once home to the Hope Diamond), and the aptly named Anderson Mansion. Then we’ll wind onto S Street NW, stopping at the Woodrow Wilson House and the Spanish Steps, before making our way past the “Hobbit House” to the Phillips Collection, the first modern art museum in the United States. Along the way, our expert guides will share stories about the politicians, society ladies, diplomats, and captains of industry that shaped this grand boulevard—featuring characters like the scandalous Alice Roosevelt Longworth (the oldest child of Teddy Roosevelt) avant-garde artist Alice Pike Barney, and former DC governor Alexander “Boss” Shepherd.
Additional booking times are available as a private tour. Please visit the private bookings calendar to take a look!
For large groups, driving tours, or custom itineraries, please contact us to book.
This tour route has one moderate hill and a set of steps that can be circumnavigated if needed, covering approximately 1.5 miles over the course of two hours. The route is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.
We recommend bringing bottled water and wearing sturdy walking shoes and comfortable clothes. There are plenty of great restaurants for a snack before or after the tour, and our guides are happy to offer some recommendations!
There are no bathroom breaks on the tour, but the neighborhood has plenty of cafes and restaurants to take advantage of before or after.
The tour begins at the Dupont Circle Fountain in the center of Dupont Circle (GPS Address: 1 Dupont Cir NW, Washington, DC 20036) and ends in front of the Phillips Collection at 1600 21st St NW.