My sister and I were in Washington, DC last year and had an awful time with the Big Red Bus double decker hop on hop off. I have issues with walking distances and the stops were not very convenient to the monuments. It was 90 degrees in Washington and we waited over 40 minutes for a bus at one stop and finally gave up. Saw several buses go a different way, one didn't stop because it was full, another let some people waiting on but then was full and no further bus came. I would never recommend this. Rating should be zero. read more

Is it weird I didn't hate this experience as much as I thought I would? Is it weird that I've done this before with different groups and relatives? If you're judging me right now, fear not, I'm also judging me. Yet, I'm still surprised because I clearly kind of liked everything I did. As someone who frequently ignores the tourist buses in NYC, I found it rather ironic that I'd be doing the same thing in DC. I have numerous family and friends throughout the area, yet none have ever bothered to take me on the kind of joyride that Doubledecker Tours has. After multiple trips to the DMV (#1) I've only had a chance to see the touristy sites with other out of towners. The ride was always relatively comfortable and it totally beats having to drive myself to any / all of these places. Hopping and off is the real sell in my opinion. It's one thing to listen to the spiel of the driver / host, but it's another to actually get off and explore the actual site. Just remember that taking pictures from the bus vs the actual location. Taking pictures from the bus is nothing close to doing it in person (#2) But of course, there are some things that aren't so great. Seats aren't exactly comfortable and taking pics is a real pain when the car is in motion. During peak months / travel times, the buses can get crazy crowded. It's also not exactly cheap, I think I paid $70 in my last day pass. I am sure the price is different for seniors and children. One last tip: Always check the weather the day of -- there's a chance it could rain and no one likes being subjected to a shower while on a bus. They may provide rain ponchos, but don't count on it. When it does rain folks tend to pack the lower level and it gets really stuffy and uncomfortable quick. ___________ (#1) DC, Maryland, Virginia. Yes, really. (#2) If this isn't obvious to you, stay on the bus. Don't ever get off. read more

Not the best but does the job. The buses are not new, some chairs falling apart and no airconditioning which can be a problem during summer but was just fine in April. They have three tours- yellow to Georgetown/uptown, red- main tour around the mall, and blue- to arlington cementary in VA. The ticket also includes a night tour which is nice and the main reason why we bought the tickets. Night tours begin at Union station are on continuous so you can not hop on hop off. Good for those that are tired of walking and you will be because the mall is LOOONG. Make sure you dont lose your receipt though! P.S. Grayline also has a double decker bus called Open Top Sightseeing that is outfitted with nicer, newer buses with air conditioning for the summer months. read more

This was a very disappointing investment of vacation money and time. The buses were run down, and I have a memory of their garbage bag flying/attacking my friend while were driving on the highway. While the buses have 3 routes, the buses were not well marked. We waited for one bus for 30 minutes. The fumes of the the idle bus was sickening. The employees tried to be helpful, but I got the sense that they were burned out with the company as well. I was disappointed by the recorded guide that was never in sync with the sites. I can see the benefits of this type of touring. I would recommend the other company (trolley who has a live guide) if you need a motorized tour, but I would highly recommend the bike tour as an alternative. read more

Doubledecker Tours - Tours Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had some friends in from out of town who had purchased passes for this line. We took the the Yellow Line tour which was great. Your ticket is valid for 24 hours! If you pay attention, you will find a sign at each place the bus stops. During the week it's much easier as there is not a lot of traffic. You get a great view of the National Cathedral and Embassy Row. When you go through the Georgetown neighborhood, watch your head if you are on the top deck...lots of tree branches! read more

The WORST company to deal with EVER. I purchased a hop on hop off ticket at 6 am to start THE FOLLOWING DAY. I was instructed I had to go pick up the voucher across the Potomac river, and had to pay almost the cost of the stupid ticket to to get over there via UBER. Once I got there, the bus company said there WAS NO VOUCHER and I would have to COME BACK THE DAY I WANTED TO USE THE TICKET! I went back to the hotel and IMMEDIATELY called "Get your guide" who said it was less than 24 hours before the event was to start so they would need approval. I PURCHASED THE ITEM AT 6 AM FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. I CALLED TO CANCEL THE MINUTE I FOUND OUT THEY HAD GIVEN ME INCORRECT INFO. I received an email saying they would get back to me within 2 days with the status and THEY NEVER REVERSED THE CHARGE AND NEVER GOT BACK TO ME WITH ANY CORRESPONDENCE. I will NEVER use this shoddy company again no matter what state I am in. THEY ARE AWFUL. I had to dispute my credit card. read more

The company is one that everyone should stay away from. Their customer service lacks the basics, always overbooked (could be a good/bad thing) so the wait is EXTREMEMLY long. There was a voice telling you what you saw and it was clearly prerecorded since it was off sync to what we were actually passing. Big waste of the day. i would have jumped off the thing if i could. read more

Horrible time on this bus We decided on hop on hop off because of the double decker bus, but missed out on a live guide. Its an automated tour which really didnt have anything interesting to say. The biggest problem was it was such a waste of a day. Everytime we got off and tried to get back on it would take 30 minutes to and hour. It was ridiculous at the end of the day we ended up just walking from georgetown to our hotel room and made if faster than the bus Would recommend staying away from this company they do not have busses every 15 minutes read more

Poor. Really Poor. This is a company that defines the term tourist trap; get your money, provide the minimum, don't worry they are leaving town tomorrow. The tour is a recorded tape that is controlled by really poor quality GPS, which means it will interrupt it's self to tell you a story from a different part of the tour, at least 3 or 4 times in an hour. The big selling point is that you can have 3 tours and a night tour. The 2nd and 3rd tour routes contain almost nothing (other than Arlington) that you would bother to see. We waited an hour in line for the he night tour which basically repeats the commentary from earlier in the day - so you just hear the same voice over but it's dark. The bus didn't stop long enough to get any pics at any point. Finally, in an effort to keep costs low, the driver is the only member of staff so he collects fares at every stop, delaying the tour by 5 mins at every stop. read more

We got the 2 day pass. We traveled on three of the four tours offered. Convenient pick up location near our hotel in Dupont Circle. The buses hit the tourism hot spots. Only one bus during our two days of hopping on and off had a live person narrating which was great because the pre-recorded stuff skipped a lot of the sites and monuments/statues. The live person could give extra detail. The pre-recorded stuff is either played over the speakers or into headphones they hand out. It was very difficult to hear on the headphones even with the volume turned up. Some buses had an attendant that helps people pay for their tickets but many times they are younger employees that listen to their music on the tour and don't help out much. Some buses only had the driver and they have to stop the tour while the driver deals with credit cards and printing tickets etc. We got passed by 2 other buses while our driver checked in a group of 10. The final thing that made us mad is that half the time they do not check tickets. At one stop we picked up a group of 50 (no kidding, I heard their chaperones say they had 50 kids) onto the bus without checking tickets. Many people enter the bus through the back exit doors. It was worth it though to get to see all the sites. read more

This is not the double deck bus tours ran by Gray Line Tours. This is the "OTHER" tour that drives old, smelly crowded double deck buses.

There are a few hop-on/hop-off bus tour options in DC. Stay away from the "Double Decker Tours" company in Union Station. It's the open-air one without a live tour guide (they play a recording). Our drivers were kinda aggro, honked a lot at other cars, and didn't stop where they were supposed to. We ended up taking a cab because the experience sucked so bad. If you go with a $40+/day company, it is a nice way to get introduced to the city. If you find one with a live tour guide, you should be safe... and it is worth the extra few bucks. read more

We tried this service Oct 4 & 5, 2010, and sadly have to agree with the other reviews in that the busses are few and far between. Once we realized how very long it could take to get another bus, we just stayed on for the whole tour (which was OK, but the CD skipped repeatedly in some parts). If I had it to do over again, I can't say I'd chose to pay $75 for what we experienced... but if we'd chosen to do the night tour (my kids were too tired), it would have been worth the $$$. The drivers were nice enough, and we did see things that we would not have seen if we'd just taxi'd it around (like the Einstein monument). read more

While on the tour, I had mixed feelings about this company, but for $35 for 48 hours of rides around the city, and a night tour, I guess you cant really go wrong. I was in DC on 9/9-9/13, and my friend and I took this tour on Friday and Saturday. We boarded at Union Station, and sat on the bus for about half an hour before finally departing. Yes, the narration is pre-recorded and sometimes doesnt match what you are seeing (and sometimes the cd skips), but it gives you a basic idea of what you are looking at and a brief history. The buses do not come every half an hour like they say. We would get off at a stop to take a few quick pictures, and be back at the stop within 20 mins to make it to the next bus, but would end up waiting 45 mins anyway. I'd say a more accurate time frame would be one bus every hour for the blue and yellow routes, and one bus every 45 mins for the red route. The waiting was irritating, because it felt like I could be seeing so much more, but after 2 days, I felt like I actually saw most of what I wanted to see. The night tour was nice, but chilly. The driver made every attempt he could to stop so that people could take pictures. He would even stop in the middle of the road if nobody was behind us. Overall: If you dont mind long waits, this is a cheap and effective way to tour DC. Ps. bring sunblock for daytime and bug/mosquito repellent for night tours! read more

I also have no idea why others are being so critical. First off we got a two day pass for 2 adults and two children (15 and under) for $117. This included a night tour (which was great) and a cruise down the Potomac River). I added on another 2 days for $12.50 for all of us so the entire 4 days was $130 for four people, can't be beat. The Red Line was crowded and sometimes buses were very crowded but in a couple of minutes another one rolled up. The drivers were very informative and to tell the truth I rather not have a live person give me the details. Only one time did I have to wait for a long period to catch a bus back to my hotel. It's a real double decker they used in London so no A/C but fun. I liked it alot so did my family. read more

We travel a lot and frequently start a new city with a hop on, hop off type bus tour to get the lay of the land. This is without a doubt the worst of these types of tours I have ever taken. The people that run it, all the way from the ticket sellers through the drivers could care less about their customers. The tour has minimal recorded information rather than a live narration. We happened to be visiting DC on a very hot and humid day. Waiting over an hour for the bus that is supposed to run every 20 minutes was not fun. The agent at the stop insisted that the buses run every 20 minutes. Even after we were there waiting for 45 minutes, we overheard her tell others that the bus would be there in 20-25 minutes. With buses running so infrequently you were assured of having an overflowing bus with some passengers standing. Skip this outfit. There are many other options. read more

My wife and I booked the two day tour package. I booked the tour bus as a means for getting around DC and seeing the major sites. I wasn't interested in a guided tour. The Hop On Hop Off bus was perfect for our needs. I cannot comment on the Blue of Yellow lines, as we stayed mainly on the Red line. We also passed on the river cruise as there were too many other sites on our list. We just didn't have enough time. One pleasant surprise was that they have free shuttles that stop at the main hotels north of the tour routes, so you don't have to walk down to the nearest bus route stop or make your way all the way to Union Station. The shuttle buses don't have air conditioning, but all of the buses on the Red line did have air. I assume most of the buses have the pre-recorded tour guide, which was fine as far as I was concerned, but we did hit a couple of buses on the Red line that did have a live tour guide and they were entertaining. There were many Red line buses and we never had to wait more than 10 or 15 minutes for the next one to come around. All of the employees were very polite and helpful. I asked many questions and they were informative and the information was correct. A word of warning, it can get very hot up on the top and the seats can be very hot when you first sit down. Although the top front seats look inviting, there is no breeze as you're sitting behind a large windshield. I would recommend sitting further back to get a nice breeze. You also you get the best pictures from the top of the bus. We never had a problem getting a seat on any of the buses, but sometimes you had to sit up top as the lower section was filled. We traveled during a heat wave, it was 90-100 every day so those lower level air conditioned seats filled up fast. The only problem that we encountered was on the 2nd day. We were waiting for the shuttle back to the hotel and the employee at the stop informed us that a shuttle broke down and was delayed. We decided to take the 1/2 mile walk back to the hotel rather than wait around. P.S. - The hotel shuttles do not run as frequently as the tour buses. They only run on the hour so you have to time your departures accordingly. All and all, we were satisfied with the bus tour and would recommend it as a great way to get around DC and see all of the major sites. read more

I call this travel service the quantity not quality tour mobile! They have a lot of buses, they stop at all the tourist spots (almost), and they never sell out (because they will just keep packing them in). Overall I liked the concept. I paid for 48 hours so had service starting at 3pm on a Thursday through 3pm on Saturday. Thursday was wonderful and had no problems. Friday the bus broke down and we eventually chose to disembark after a delay of 1 hour. Saturday the driver was new and took a wrong turn after waiting in traffic around the tidal basin and she just kept on taking wrong turns and eventually she was in tears...again elected to disembark around the White House visitor center. Again as I say quantity, not quality service. read more

Car travel in DC is never a good idea. So unless you want to try and get a cab to everything, you must find another way around town to do the touristy stuff. We chose this tour service because the yellow line was close to our hotel and it went all over the city. I figure for the $45 we spent on a 24 hour pass we spent about as much as we would have for cabs to all the locations we wanted to go. So the cost wasn't too bad. It would have been nice if you could use their 48 hour ticket on non consecutive days. But they don't offer that and they don't run 24 hours a day. So we basically got 6 hours use of our 24 hour ticket since we had plans on day 2 of our visit. You can buy your tickets from the driver at any stop. So just try and find one and get on. Don't lose your little paper reciept they give you! If you do you gotta pay all over again. Even though I'm not sure how they check to make sure everyone has it because people just rush the doors to get on as soon as they open. Pros: They go about everywhere around DC (not to the Supreme Court or Library of Congress) and stop at nearly every monument or museum you could want to see. That's all we really wanted. We didn't need a tour guide. If we did, we would have hired a private or better tour service. So if transportation is all you need, it's perfect. Cons: Where the heck are the signs that tell you where the stupid bus stops? We just looked for the big group of people at a corner who looked upset they were still standing around and figured that was where we should be, The more popular lines (red) busses at some of the more popular stops (Lincoln Memorial/White House) were often full and we had to wait for a couple buses to come and go before we could get on one. There wasn't always any narration about what we were passing when we were in route to another stop. And any description beyong "there's the Department of the Interior" was non existant. The bus drivers are people too, we get that. But a couple of them were just non verbal and rude. The first gal who we bought our tickets from got frustrated with a lady who spoke little English and treated her very poorly. I should have stepped in but she rushed us through and told us we needed to sit down because she was getting behind schedule. With so many cons, why 3 stars? Again, all we wanted was transportation from one place to another. Next time I think we'll splurge like we do when we go birding and hire a private guide. read more

Once again, yelp's ratings were dead on. I'm normally skeptical of businesses that live off of tourists, but public transportation in DC is not very good considering how spread out all the points of interest are. So we had little choice but to choose one of the two hop on alternatives. The best thing that can be said was that the buses were clean and the ride uneventful. Most of our time was spent waiting for buses that were very late or waiting while the bus was waiting for more passengers to show up. The recorded "tour guide" was a joke, and was screaming some lines for comedic effect. read more

We got the two-day pass and her t was perfect for us with 4 kids to hop on and off! Loved our tour guide ralph! He made our trip! read more

Doubledecker Tours - Great tour of DC today thanks to Ralph! - Tours Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Listen to the previous reviews- fumes are HORRIBLE both inside and atop the bus. Seats on top were wet and we asked the driver for something to wipe them off. He did not have a paper towel -at all, which made me wonder what one would do if they became sick from the fumes... He suggested asking for a towel at the next ticket station, which I did to no avail. Did I mention that there is absolutely NO HEAT inside the bus? - cold, cold! Poor customer service - save your money - opt for another way to sight see... You'll be glad you did. (The park service tour busses have heat and return every 15 minutes - a better deal in my humble opinion). read more

This bus tour constantly waits for ages at each stop while the driver sells tickets. You literally sit there waiting for 10 minutes at many stops. Wasting so much tim. They should have a second person taking payments for the tours, not the driver Just today we got on the line to go one stop and get off at the Lincoln memorial. However we went right by it and the bus didn't stop. i asked the driver why we didn't stop at our next stop and he said "i stopped for 10 seconds, I did not see any one wanting to get off". I said "you did not open the door and so we thought we were not at the stop were just stopping in traffic, and what about people up top" . In the end he just said alright alright but did not apologize. Another issue is Although they have a recorded audio guide. It constantly repeats, stops and restarts. I went down to see what was happening as i thought it would be gps controlled. But its just the driver skipping a cd track. You'd hear the same intro like "is part of Washington" then it would suddenly stop and then replay another 5 times. These guys dont know how to run bus tours Try the other one at the same stop near the Willard. The red bus with American flag on it, they look like newer bus as well read more

Big Bus has much room for improvement. The Good: 1) They got us out to Arlington National Cemetery and the National Cathedral safely. 2) The narration was fun, when live. Made me laugh. The Bad: 1) The signage was awful (brown!), making it difficult to find the pick up spots. 2) The tickets themselves were receipts, making them easy to loose. 3) When the narration wasn't live, the music was irritating. 4) The employees seemed distracted (by their i-phones) and unhappy. 5) There was no way to tell when the bus might come. As passengers before stated, it was a mixed bag. $57 for 48 hours would be a good price if Big Bus could step up the service & signage and get coordinated. I would strongly recommend that management consider the use of technology. A bus tracker would be awesome. The yellow phones the employees had for bus to bus communication weren't cutting it (according to them). read more

I loved the tour! Yes, there is no on-board live guide, but the audio narrator gave plenty of information about each of the sites on the tour. The narrator even managed to crack a few jokes along the way. The bus I was on was very clean. The tour from start to finish was just over two-hours. We didn't get off because we used the tour simply to get a quick overview of the city's sites. There was no air conditioning, which could pose a bit of a problem for those who are sensitive to the heat. We were on the bus during an afternoon in late June and it was a bit warm, but not uncomfortable. Make sure you carry a bottle of water, wear some sunscreen and don a hat to keep the sun off your face. For the money, the tour was well-worth it. I paid $75 for the family (me, the wife, and two kids). Best, Len Len Penzo dot Com read more

Not clearly marked on where to hop on. Waited for an hour to catch the Arlington bus. They were unfamiliar with online reservations and almost wouldn't let us on with our "tickets". Drivers swore and checked email while driving. Try a different company! read more

I had some family come into town for the Cherry Blossom Festival and we decided to try this tour out, BAD IDEA. First, the buses were running way behind but they kept selling tickets so there were a ton of people just trying to get on one. We ended up boarding one after 45 minutes of waiting. We got off at the Air and Space assuming that we'd just spend an hour there and then hop on (they're supposed to be a hop on/ hop off tour) another bus and continue on our way. We ended up waiting 2 more hours at the poorly marked bus stop, 2 buses came (they're supposed to be running every 15 minutes) by but were completely full. We ended up walking to a metro station and just going home, $30 dollars/person for a 1/2 mile ride from Union Station to the Mall! Terrible! Don't use this tour!! read more

Don't waste your money. I can take the fact that the lower level is not air conditioned. I'm even fine with old buses and don't care too much about delayed narration. However, I do mind the extended stops where we were just sitting on the bus waiting to move again. What the hell? I didn't pay to sit around for up to ten minutes at a time. Go elsewhere. read more

The concept is a good one but the execution is deplorable. The main problem I had was that the buses, every one of them I encountered, had diesel exhaust that was so nasty, it made some people sick. It was especially bad when waiting for the bus but even when driving, it was horrible. I could still taste it after getting away from the bus and had a bit of a headache (though I couldn't say for sure the headache was from the bus). Other buses in the area, even those running on diesel, don't smell anything like that. There were other issues too - like not having a tour guide and having to wait a long time. But I could have dealt with those if they were the only problem - the exhaust from the bus really ruined the day and evening for us. I suggest Tourmobile, or a bike tour or the Segway tours. But not this one. read more

This bus tour allows you to cover the most ground in DC possible. I agree with a previous reviewer that the 2-day unlimited deal is the best option. There are three different tours offered: red, yellow and blue. The unlimited tour also includes a free boat cruise starting April 15. We went before this date, so I can't comment on how the boat tour was. On the first day we took the entire red loop which centered around all of DC's monuments and the Mall. It was a beautiful day and the top of the bus was perfect for viewing all the sites. The tour is given by an audio recording. This is an area that they could definitely improve. I'm not sure who was responsible for playing the recordings, but oftentimes they were played after you passed the landmark or somewhat randomly. I think people would be more satisfied if the tour was given live. Regardless, we took the entire red loop tour, which took about 2 hours and stopped for lunch in Chinatown. On the second day, we took the yellow loop which went around Georgetown and the National Cathedral. Taking the bus was a great way to explore the area because there is no metro access out there and driving around there can be a huge headache. We stopped off an hung out in Georgetown for a few hours before hopping on again and finishing the tour. There are tons of these buses in DC. We never had to wait long for one and they allowed us to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. If you want a live tour, then I think the Duck Tour might be a better option, but I haven't tried it yet. read more

This bus tour was a joke. We've done these types of double-decker tours in London, Istanbul and New York, and the WDC bus was by far the worst experience ever. They say that busses come every 15 to 30 minutes - we waited nearly an hour for a yellow-line bus on our first day. The stops aren't clearly marked so you never really know where to wait and they don't have a schedule of when the next bus might be arriving. We bought tickets from my iPad, but couldn't present the e-ticket to the driver - they had to have a paper ticket for some reason, which is a huge hassle to tourists who don't bring a printer with them. On one trip, we got on a few stops before Union Station, but when the bus got to Union Station nobody told us that we'd be sitting there for 45 minutes. If they had announced that instead of talking (and swearing) amongst each other, we could have gone in for a drink or some shopping instead of sitting in the blazing sun thinking departure was imminent. I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1 because on one of trips there was an awesome guide who gave a great live tour instead of the pre-recorded crap that was on all the other busses (which never actually matched up to where we were). An elderly woman on our bus tripped on the stairs while she was trying to exit and couldn't get up and none of the employees on the bus stepped in to aid her - it was terrible. Thanks goodness for the passengers who helped this poor woman. We were sorely disappointed and ended up taking cabs most of the time because of the uncertainty of when a bus might show up. There were 4 of us, and taking cabs for three days would have been much cheaper than the 4 bus tickets. read more

I have done this in New York and Washington D.C. with my wife and kids and we absolutely loved it! It's a great way to get around and hear some facts. The two day ticket is the best deal. On the second day in DC we hopped on and off all day then just before sunset hopped on and toured the entire city without ever getting off all by ourselves. The DC lights and the sunset on the river is something we will always remember. When we went to get off at the end we gave the driver a heart attack. He had no idea we were on top the entire time. read more

Don't take the night tour. It should be called the nightmare tour. We have taken this twice with freinds. Both times we had to wait in line for 1.5 hours for the 7PM sign on time. Everyone has to line up on a narrow 2.5 foot wide traffic island surrounded by taxis and buses going by. The staff is hostile to questions about the wait. As the line gets close to the bus. You stand right next to the diesel exhaust for 10-15 minutes as the bus loads. Most people use sweaters or clothing items to cover their mouths and noses to prevent breathing in diesel fumes. Many left the line for their own health. Our bus ran a red light. Other than, losing 1.5 hours in a pointless line and health and safety issues it is a fun time. read more

The option to hop on and hop off the tour bus was very convenient, though like other reviewers mentioned the pick up stops aren't clearly marked. That was frustrating and nerve-wracking as I had decided to take a bus alone to a different location while my family stayed at the National Archives. The map they give is distorted and didn't accurately mark the distance between things. I preferred the recorded tour guide because on one ride a woman was narrating and used such a snotty tone of voice that I ended up blocking her out. At one point she began to shout into the microphone at a little boy who must have stood up on the top of the bus (I was packed into the bottom) and she nearly blew my eardrums out! Everyone on the lower level would wince whenever she would begin to talk. She was quite rude to the child too yelling "Little boy! Little boy! You must sit down! There's a little boy standing up! Little boy!" I also took the night tour which was fun. But in the beginning the tour guide scolded two women who were quietly talking behind him. I understand not wanting someone talking while you're trying to narrate but he was pretty harsh with them. They looked unhappy for the rest of the tour after his scolding. He also mentioned at the end that tips are welcome. That's no problem for me as I like to reward good service. But as we exited the bus and had to squeeze by him he had his baseball cap out like a panhandler. And we wouldn't have had to squeeze by him had he not had his hat out so prominently. That kind of tainted my attitude about it. The bus stopped at a few memorials for 20-30 minutes depending on the memorial and each time when it was time to leave we ended up having to sit and wait for a couple who returned at their leisure. I felt like if they're late they should be left behind. Why should (roughly) 73 other people have to sit for up to 10 minutes waiting for 2 inconsiderate people? Overall it was convenient and it was nice to see the memorials at night but they could definitely improve some things. read more

Worst tour I have ever taken. Very long wait for the next bus; I got off once then decided it was not worth the wait to get off again. I just sat on the bus while it RACED through the city. Before taking the tour, I had asked the ticket agent if the tour was narrated, and she said, "Yes." She did not mention that the guide was a recording that was not in-sync with any of the sites, including the very first one! In addition, the recorded narration gave such mundane information as "There is St. ?'s church. The Pope passed by here when he was in D.C. in 2008." I totally agree with Jules V--By all means, stay away from this scam outfit!! read more

Okay I am not sure what all these other reviewers are talking about or if they have ever been to D.C. before.....BUT being as someone who LIVES around D.C. and LOVES this service, I am pretty sure they don't know what they are missing. First off, if you have ever BEEN to D.C. you know that all the memorials are spread out! Which means it takes FOREVER to walk between them. With this bus tour, you can go to ALL of them in ONE day! PLUS hit up all the museums. Second, so what if the buses don't come EXACTLY every 30 mins. YOU ARE IN D.C. Stop and gaze around! Third, the night bus tour is worth it alone. No you don't get to stop at each monument for very long, but trust me by the time you have been on this tour all day, you have seen all the monuments enough! Sit back, relax, and enjoy your tour. Don't let the bad reviews sway you from using this great tour. It is relatively inexpensive for D.C. (AND you can park in Union Station if you are staying outside of D.C.) and you get a hop on hop off service for two days. If that is not enough for you, please rethink your trip in the first place! I have used this tour service three times and have been satisfied every time! read more

Were packed like sardines in this hot bus. PLEASE. This sucked. And we are all confused. Where do we pick up our bus anyways??? The map was terrible. We spent alll day asking other people questions and waiting for the red or blue bus. AND IT WAS ALWAYS LATE read more

We (my family of 5) were in DC on March 9th, 2010. I have two basic problems with the experience. 1. Once we paid for the tour ($75) we sat on the double decker bus by union station for 30 minutes before anyone came to drive the bus. No explanation was given. We only had that one day to see the city, so the delay was maddening. So when the brochure says "Frequent Departures" it is...untrue. 2. Eventually the bus began its route and it wasn't too bad. We rode it to the Lincoln memorial and got off, naively thinking that since the brochure also said "Hop on / Hop off ticket" that we might see the memorial and then hop on the next bus. This may have been theoretically possible, but we NEVER SAW another Doubledecker Tours bus again. We waited at the Lincoln memorial for an hour, and we even tried to sneak onto a competing company's bus, but were stopped. So..."Hop on / Hop off" is...untrue. We (my, wife, kids 8, 6, 4) eventually walked the miles back to union station and I ended the exhausting day with this comment to my wife: "We paid $75 for that bus, and for $35 we could have taken a taxi to all of the places we wanted to go, and had much more time to enjoy it all" Avoid Doubledecker Tours. read more

We purchased a two-day packaged from the hotel. The first day was okay (C-), in that we got an overview of the area. The second day was agonizing beyond description. We ended up getting off the bus and taking a taxi. Be aware that if you take this tour, you will spend hours upon hours trying to reach your destination--which may be a mile away. read more

We were visiting this past weekend and went to Union Station to find a tour bus of the city. The hop on hop off with the double decker sounded good so we spend $137 for the 5 of us. We got a ride to Arlington Cemetery and waited almost 2 hours for a bus once we were done, we were told it broke down but they would not take one off the red line. Hard to walk back with 70 year old and a young child along! Once back at the Lincoln Memorial the next bus on the red line that came was over full, we waited almost 40 minutes for the next one (so much for every 10 mins!!!) Pay the extra few bucks and go with ANY of the other companies there! Well worth not having to deal with the old buses that don't run on time, rude staff and drivers, and NO refunds even when their bus breaks down !!! read more