Did the Capitol Hill tour with [adult] family today. Christine was fantastic - really engaging, knowledgeable, and fun. Not dry at all. We learned a lot and had a great time. HIGHLY recommend! read more

We had a great time with Carolyn during our Off the Beaten Path tour. It was a great combination of driving and walking including history, architecture, and some story telling. Carolyn is someone you will just like immediately. I wish we had more time with her! And Rida, her driver, navigated us flawlessly and seemed just like a great guy. read more

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Just came back from a delightful tour of the DuPont Circle Embassy Row tour hosted by Miss Natalie. We were a group of 5 who do live in MD but a few of us had never had the opportunity to see these beautiful homes/embassies up close . Usually it would be a quick drive by going somewhere else. Natalie was our guide and had a pretty large group to guide but kept things moving, spoke loud enough for us to hear and inserted her own small bits of information and humor. It was quite interesting to learn more about the lives and personalities of the original owners of these grand homes before they were converted as embassies. We saw a good mix of architectural styles and I was amazed there were so many. The display and reasons for the number of statues, water fountains and courtyards we saw was very insightful and helped me to see a very different side of Washington D.C. I appreciated the heads up on how to prepare for our tour day and to bring water, comfortable walking shoes and appropriate attire because it did become very windy that day. There is no opportunity to take restroom breaks so that was also included in her instructions. It was a full and enjoyable day with a lovely and knowledgeable young hostess. read more

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I took the Rock Creek Park tour on Labor Day -- it was my third tour with this organization and I hope to eventually take all of them. It was fun, enlightening, and an absolutely GREAT experience! read more

DC Design Tours - This is from DC Design Tours' escapade in Rock Creek Park -- history, discovery, nature, and a bit of exercise (walking)! - Architectural Tours Near Me

I've taken five walking tours with DC Design Tours, and each one has been outstanding. They blend history and architecture in a way that's engaging, insightful, and refreshingly different from the usual museum experience. Whenever I have guests in town, this is my go-to recommendation--they always love it, and it's consistently a highlight of their trip. Highly recommended! read more

DC Design Tours - Architectural Tours Near Me

Interesting and fun, full of curious facts and intriguing details! Our tour of Georgetown yesterday was a true pleasure. We saw several buildings that are off-the-beaten-path, and our guide, Sam, was full of great context, historic and architectural details, and good humor. Highly recommend! read more

Went solo and was happy. 60 years old and found Pace perfect. Learned so much about the areas history in addition to its architecture. Our guide was nice and eager to listen and answer questions. I received enough information to encourage me to return to places like The Wilson museum when I have time to take a deeper dive . If I enjoyed it on a cold mid-February morning you will like it too!! read more

We took the Georgetown tour with Sam yesterday as a family (ages ranging from 9-74) and all really enjoyed it. We learned a ton... about the architecture, the history of Georgetown, the dubious nature of historic landmark plaques, current local scandals, and how racial politics shaped neighborhoods. He made us laugh, taught us a ton, and even recommended great lunch places when the tour was over. Great addition to our trip! read more

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Great history of Washington told through architecture. Knowledgeable and entertaining guide, a good variety of building styles. The two hours was a perfect length of time for our group, easy walking and reasonable pace. Even the teenagers enjoyed the tour and were engaged the whole time, inspiring them to return to the neighborhood to explore other buildings, and to seek out other DC museums with artifacts and paintings connected to the people described. read more

Sam did a super job guiding the Embassy Row / Dupont Circle Tour. He covered a wealth of information seamlessly, & answered questions while guiding us through vehicle and pedestrian traffic - and never missed a beat! I found this architectural / cultural / historical tour of the Embassy Row area very interesting and would take a tour with DC Design again in a heartbeat. A nice touch was a text from Ben prior to the tour with his contact info should it be needed. read more

Carolyn is warm and personable. She told stories about the monuments that were full of interesting tidbits. Her iPad was full of great historical photos that helped us understand the origins of many of the monuments. We all loved it (5 of us aged 2 years to 68 years). Bring your walking shoes and water ... we had a stroller, too. There's no way we would have learned as much or had so much fun without Carolyn's great tour! read more

DC Design Tours - My family and I loved Carolyn's tour. She's so great on architecture but her stories and knowledge are good for everyone., - Architectural Tours Near Me

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Outstanding tour. Knowledgeable and friendly, Sam (our tour guide) did an amazing job. Highly recommend to anyone visiting DC or locals that live here like me. You will learn something new and interesting. read more

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We really enjoyed our DuPont Circle - Embassy Row tour with Sam. Personable and knowledgeable, Sam peppered in lots of interesting historical tidbits while explaining the architectural styles of the neighborhood. The tour was a good pace and Sam was easily heard by our whole group. Bonus - Sam has great restaurant recommendations. read more

I've taken two tours with this organization, and both of them have been interesting and educational. The guides have been really friendly, and I learned a lot, and they're wonderful storytellers. read more

Our guide was knowledgeable and friendly. He told great stories. Highly recommend to both visitors to DC and locals.

Wonderful experience! We took the Georgetown tour with Sam. Our family is a mix of out-of-towners and resident, with varying levels of interest in architecture, yet we all thoroughly enjoyed the tour! Sam was a great guide, keeping us engaged with fascinating stories and history; his knowledge and enthusiasm for the area and topic was evident with the tour stops and whenever he answered our questions. The pace was great, and we all appreciated that he thoughtfully picked shady spots to gather on this hot August day. read more

This is my second DC Design tour. The guides each time have been informative and interesting, and I learned some little known facts and seen things I had not seen and also looked at familiar things in a new way. They are the best. read more

We did the Cherry Blossom walking tour and throughly enjoyed it. Our guide, Sam, was very knowledgeable about the history of the monuments, cherry blossoms, and the area. It was a delightful easy walk loaded with interesting history. read more

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My wife and I have lived in DC for ten years and have joined a number of tours and this one is by far the best. We joined that Dupont Circle waking tour on a Saturday at 1PM. Our tour guide was named Kelly and she was the perfect blend of funny, real, and knew really interesting facts about the neighborhood and design. She was able to break down design using fashion metaphors that made it more accessible. The Dupont Circle tour started by the Dupont Circle Metro. We walked past the Philips Collection up the Spanish Steps into Kalorama. You pass many embassies, the Woodrow Wilson House and to the Anderson House. It ends at the Dupont Circle Fountain. It lasted 1.5 hours. If you're a tourist or a resident, this tour is a must do! read more

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We took DC Design's National Cathedral tour and were blown away! Carolyn gave an interesting, engaging, and informative tour of the National Cathedral and Cleveland Park neighborhood. We've taken many tours throughout DC and found this one to be one of the best and most interesting! We can't wait to take another one of DC Design's tours. You won't be disappointed read more

DC Design Tours - Front of National Cathedral - Architectural Tours Near Me

Loved our Dupont Circle and Embassy Row tour. Natalie Walsh gave a great mix of historical background of the home s and neighborhoods as well as what we were looking at from an architectural perspective. With me being a realtor and my wife an interior designer, this tour was right in our wheelhouse! read more

Participated on the Anacostia walking tour which was well-paced and fun. Carolyn was a terrific guide offering both historical context and architectural highlights. The tour includes the commercial strips, residential neighborhood, and local institutions. read more

Had a fabulous tour of the Architecture of Historical Anacostia with Carolyn. She was an incredibly knowledgeable guide and just fun to spend time with. I would highly recommend her tours. read more

My family and I had such a fun and enjoyable time with Carolyn as we walked and she shared some of Georgetown's rich and fascinating history. She was so friendly, personable, and made us feel safe and comfortable the entire time we were together. I highly recommend taking her guided tour if your in the DC area. read more

DC Design Tours - Architectural Tours Near Me

Our guide was very pleasant and accommodating. I learned a lot of history about a part of DC of which I had little experience, even though I've lived in the area all my life read more

Excellent tour of Dupont circle and Embassy Row, the guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about history and architecture.

We did the private tour of DuPont Circle and Embassy Row with Carolyn. It was amazing. She's very knowledgeable and did an excellent mix of history and architecture. I wish I could do a tour with her everyday of my trip. I will be using DC Design Tours anytime I'm back in DC. read more

Loved the tours we did with dc design tours, both guides were so knowledgeable and I loved their story telling skills! Brings life to a walking tour! Highly recommend! read more

Had my first tour but certainly not my last. Our guide had a wealth of fun knowledge about the area. She was prompt, nice, energetic and entertaining. Never got bored, our group immediately started talking dates to do it again. read more

DC Design's Caroline told us amazing tidbits about DC and its history on this hot June tour! She kept us going - stopping in the shade wherever possible and going off script to address with candor our many questions that weren't part of the actual tour. The Presidential Neighborhood tour was a splendid overview of the downtown area - and is a terrific lead in to taking additional tours for more detailed information. Info disseminated in DC Design Tours goes above and beyond the typical patois from other companies (not that other tours aren't also good). I will research other tours offered by DC Design Tours because they are Just. That. Well done! read more

My friends and I were in DC for the evening, and we wanted to see as much as possible. Our guide Sam was very kind and personable. I could immediately tell that history was his passion. He was very knowledgeable about everything he showed us. I thoroughly enjoyed going to the places I've dreamt of. Sam made the experience even better with his extra insight. I would recommend Sam to anybody looking for a guide in DC. read more

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We were looking for something fun to do with visiting family members and, inspired by a recent walking tour in NYC, we decided to take our families on a similar excursion in DC. We were not disappointed! We booked a private tour of Dupont Circle--great bang for buck--for 8 people on a Saturday morning at 10am. Carolyn was informative and passionate. (Makings for the absolute best kind of tour guide!) She took all of our questions, even extending the tour a bit beyond the anticipated time just to tell us more about some of the buildings on our return leg. We're planning to take other tours in the future. For our upcoming wedding, we will almost certainly recommend DC Design Tours to our out-of-town guests. Thanks, Carolyn! read more

I really enjoyed this cherry blossom season walking tour of the National Cathedral and surrounding neighborhood of Cleveland Park. Carolyn was a friendly and informed host, and the pace and length of the tour was great. Carolyn offered plenty of interesting information about the history, architecture, and community of the neighborhood. read more

DC Design Tours is perfect for tourists and residents! Carolyn was our tour guide for the Dupont Circle & Embassy Row Tour and we had a fabulous time. Great conversation, and we learned a ton about the Dupont Circle area and its numerous embassies. Highly recommended! read more

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This was a very interesting tour with Carolyn. She is enthusiastic, nice and knowledgeable and we learned a lot about Georgetown. We will be back to do other tours! read more

We had a fantastic Cleveland Park walking tour with Carolyn, the owner of the company! Her tour was a great mix of architecture and history and she was super engaging! She made sure to ask everyone where they were from and made connections throughout the tour. Highly recommend and will definitely be back! read more

History is so damn cool. I've been trying and failing to take a tour with Carolyn ever since a couple of friends did one with her last summer. I cannot believe it took me so long to do this 2 hour tour. I'm hooked! We chose the Dupont tour because it's so obviously full of interesting history and architecture but, because of all of the embassies and private residences, pretty exclusive -- or so we thought. We wandered the backstreets of Dupont, stopping at buildings, homes, embassies, parks and more to discuss what was going on inside. I had no idea such a small patch of DC could be so rich in history. As a DC native I figured I knew a fair amount about my city, but almost all of the info was new to me. As a matter of fact, most of the stops are places I pass every day on foot or in a car and never thought twice about. And that was just the Dupont Tour. Carolyn was a fantastic, fun, personable, knowledgable guide. Her background in architecture made for a tour filled with interesting information and her obvious personal curiosity means she knows so much and, if she doesn't, she'll look it up. I asked about a building that wasn't on the tour and she took the time to research it and get back to me within 24 hours. Amazing! Suggested for: - Tourists to DC interested to know more about DC's underbelly - History Buffs and Gossips who want to learn more about the DC Elite - Architecture Lovers - DC Newbies who want to know more about the city (go with visiting friends!) Absolutely cannot wait to do more tours with Carolyn! That Georgetown one is calling my name... read more

DC Design Tours - Architectural Tours Near Me

Carolyn is very knowledgeable and we loved the information she shared regarding the architecture of the buildings. She also had captivating background stories as well. We will definitely book a tour again next time we are in town. read more

We had a fantastic private tour of Adams Morgan. Carolyn is engaging and knowledgeable -- we thought we knew the area well but learned a lot. Can't wait to book another tour! read more

Carolyn has been my tour guide for five years now with my group of fifth graders I bring to DC every Spring Break. She has always done an outstanding job. Super knowledgeable and does so well with the students. My own family returned to DC one summer and toured with her. She never disappoints. Best Guide Ever!!! read more