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Veteran-Led Arlington National Cemetery Walking Tour Vigilance Tours
5.0
14 Ratings
Arlington
Experience an interactive and personalized tour of Arlington National Cemetery with Vigilance Tours. Led by a retired Lt Col, this tour goes beyond facts and figures to explore the stories and significance behind them.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Military Women’s Memorial - The leading memorial and education center honoring the commitment, contributions and experiences of Servicewoman.
- John F. Kennedy Grave Site - The gravesite of the 35th President of the United States
- Arlington House - The Robert E. Lee Memorial - A place of study and contemplation of the meaning of some of the most difficult aspects of American history
- Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial - Memorial to all seven crew members lost to an explosion on January 28, 1986 — including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had been selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to become the first teacher in space.
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Changing of the Guard
What's Included
- All fees and taxes included
Additional Information
Vigilance Tours presents a unique tour experience unlike other mainstream tours.
Our guide, Eric (Lt Col, USAF (retired)), has an impressive 25-year background in narrating the rich histories of landmarks like the Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, Congress, and Washington, DC. Unlike other guides, Eric provides not just the raw data but also delves into the compelling narratives behind these key facts.
The tour is designed to be highly interactive – Eric personalizes the tour based on your interests while preserving the solemnity of the Arlington National Cemetery.
To foster a more engaging experience, we cap our tour groups at a maximum of 12 visitors, facilitating more intimate interactions.
Nothing is completely off the table – Eric is equipped to discuss a range of topics (history, politics, military strategies, veteran matters, and so on), shaping our understanding of those who rest in the Arlington National Cemetery.
The tour is paced comfortably; we allot a minimum of 3 hours to ensure a unrushed experience. If you are constrained by your schedule, we recommend shorter tours offered by other tour companies.
- 3 hour walking tour covering 3 miles
- Small group tour not to exceed 12 guests
- Not recommended for visitors unable to walk 3 miles in 3 hours
Location
1 Memorial Ave
Memorial Avenue
All tours meet at the MILITARY WOMAN'S MEMORIAL located inside Arlington National Cemetery - 200 yards west of the Arlington National Cemetery Visitor Center.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(14 Ratings)
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Dallas_h
Aug 19, 2024
Don’t hesitate to book with Eric!! - Eric is the perfect guide! Extremely knowledgeable, told us many stories, always asked if we had any questions, and was so considerate of how we were doing physically. It is a lot of walking and he matched our pace. Flexibility on his time is something you won’t find in larger guided tours.
Review provided by Viator
Kristi_l
Jul 30, 2024
Amazing tour of Arlington - My family and I had a fantastic tour with Eric yesterday. He’s extremely personable as a guide and amazingly knowledgeable about Arlington’s history, grounds, and those who are interred or memorialized there.
I was especially grateful to him for allowing extra time for me to visit my own family buried there. A very meaningful experience for my family.
There were also active funerals taking place on the grounds during our tour and Eric provided information about those being laid to rest, including details about the service (canon salute, jet flyover).
A genuine highlight of our first trip to the DC area. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Rhonda_z
Jul 14, 2024
One of the best historical tours - Eric from Vigilance Tours gave a fantastic tour of Arlington National Cemetery! I go on a lot of historical tours and this was one of the best I've ever been on. His experience as a veteran who has worked at Arlington Cemetery and the Pentagon gave him insight that really helped bring this historical site to life. He told stories of prominent people we've all heard of, but also told stories of others often overlooked in history. He was personable and professional. This tour is highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Stacie_s
Jul 12, 2024
BEST HISTORY LESSON- BEST TOUR - This tour was by far the BEST tour I have EVER DONE…and I’ve been many places and done so many tours, so this is saying A LOT.
Eric was the absolute most knowledgeable, most personable tour guide you could ever hope for. With his many years of service, and many years of different experiences (such as having had service at Arlington, working on Capitol Hill, Congress, Pentagon and in the Cemetary), his wealth of inside knowledge and stories brought this tour alive. He spent extra time with me, and made sure all my questions were answered and taught me things no history book could teach.
I give this way more than 5 stars! Everyone going to Arlington should do a tour with Eric!
Review provided by Viator
Ryan_j
Jun 30, 2024
Great tour and experience - Changing of the guards, learning the history of Arlington, thinking about all the history. Eric was awesome, very knowledgeable, would definitely recommend
Review provided by Viator
Brandi_a
Jun 27, 2024
5/5 would highly recommend - Eric was a superb and very learned tour guide. He made the tour of Arlington come to life with personal stories, wealthy and vast historical knowledge, as well as in-depth knowledge of Arlington and its interred. I highly recommend his walking tour for a unique and personal guide to Arlington.
Review provided by Viator
Kira_r
Jun 26, 2024
History at its best! Told by one who has lived it! 🇺🇸 - What a moving, historical, and truly enjoyable experience we had on our tour with Eric. Not only was it interesting and engaging, it was an honor to spend time with him. A veteran who has served in multiple facets of the military and the government. Such service has given him unique and balanced insight. He was both knowledgeable, and extremely entertaining. It was truly our pleasure to spend time with him. He is the embodiment of both an officer and a gentleman.
Thank you Eric!
Review provided by Viator
Roselyn_g
Jun 26, 2024
Best tour ever - Eric was great to spend time with and gave a great tour of Arlington. His sharing of personal experiences and thoughts provided for great conversations, and the time flew by. We were fortunate to be just the 2 of us in the tour, so that made it even more enjoyable. Don't pass up the chance to take this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Rose_g
Jun 9, 2024
We learned so much! - Spent an amazing learning day with Eric at Arlington. His background and knowledge base made our tour something special. We would not have seen anywhere near as many interesting sights nor learned so much “behind the scenes” information without Eric. We never felt rushed. This is not a place to rush, but to remember. Eric will take great care of you, and you will leave the tour knowing so much more about the history of this hallowed ground. Book Eric’s tour….best choice we made!
Review provided by Viator
Elizabeth_b
Apr 24, 2024
Highly recommend this tour - Eric was an amazing tour guide, telling so many great stories and pointing out many extras in addition to all of the regular Arlington Cemetery highlights. Our 3 hour tour ended up lasting an extra 45 minutes, and we could have kept going if our schedule allowed. We highly recommend his tour to anyone looking for a more personalized and private visit.
Review provided by Viator