On June 14, the U.S. Army will turn 250 years old. Its birth during the beginning of the Revolutionary War is one stop along the road to America's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Since then, it has played a vital role in every major conflict to modern-day operations worldwide. To commemorate this historic milestone, my partner and I decided on a bus tour to the US Military Academy at West Point, which is the oldest war fort and military base in the US, sitting on the west bank of the Hudson River, 40 miles north of NYC. Reservations as well as security clearance were easily made via the website on the same day, with the extended tour lasting 2 hours to include the cemetery and chapel. West Point Tours provides a great experience to see and understand the US Military Academy's place in history and the future. Although established in 1802, the Academy was vital in the American Revolutionary War. Washington considered the location critical and had additional fortifications designed. Everywhere the bus traveled, we saw signs that read "Beat Navy!" This, of course, refers to the great rivalry the two military academies have enjoyed for decades. By far, the most magnificent and historic building is Cadet Chapel, which has dominated the landscape for more than 100 years. Reflecting the Gothic architecture of the late 14th century in England, it is constructed from granite quarried at West Point. Our tour guide, Chandrinka, was highly knowledgeable and took the time to really bring the history with her 17 years of experience. For visitors like us seeking a blend of scenic beauty, historical significance, and cultural enrichment, we can highly recommend as it was a truly educational and enlightening experience. read more

West Point Tours - The plains - Historical Tours Near Me - Highland Falls, New York

Frederic Malek visitor center- Where you get bus tours or asks information, they accept cash only! They instruct you where the atm is. Clean restroom, spacious lobby, beautiful vista on hudson lake. See images for reference. read more

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Tour guide Joe was entertaining and knowledgeable. Bus was warm and comfy. Sites were very interesting. Makes you want to go back to explore more on your own. read more

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West Point Bus Tours is a good way to see what the US Military Academy is all about, with an exception or two, which we'll note later. A couple of basics first: reservations are required, but depending on the time of year not a lot of advance notice is required. An ID like your drivers license is required, and so is a mask when you're on the bus. And for heaven's sake, get to the bus on time; departures are apparently pretty strict (it's the military atmosphere, you know). We took the hour and 15 minute tour ($18) -- there may be other options, but we didn't find them. The tour seems to cover the lovely campus pretty thoroughly with two important and unhurried stops: one at the majestic nondenominational chapel and the other at the Plains, where cadets march in formation with a background of barracks and the chapel. The views there are embracing and include a look out to the meandering Hudson River. Our guide provided a useful narration along the way and was open to questions. (The guide and bus driver do accept tips, by the way, so you might want to bring a few bills.) All fine. But what's missing is a close-up look at any of the building interiors besides the chapel. At the US Naval Academy we were able to go inside some educational service buildings, and it added much to that visit. Maybe there are prohibitions from the government; we don't know. And we missed seeing cadets (though we could hear some) because plebes had not yet arrived to begin their military experience. Anyhow, the bus tour begins and ends at the West Point Museum, which is free and open to the public and well worth seeing. We're glad we went. read more

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I had a great experience using West Point Tours. You currently reserve and book a date and time online...I was able to book the night before, so they don't really need much advance notice. You will need an official ID (i.e. - Driver's License) to make the reservation....since this is an official military campus, they are rightfully strict in who can and cannot visit so be sure to read all of the restrictions before reserving. You arrive at the visitor's center where there is a large parking lot. 2107 New South Post Road - Highland Falls, NY 10928. Both the Visitor's Center and Museum are absolutely free as you do NOT need to pay admission or even book a tour in order to access either. I suggest you arrive early and get in as much of these as you can before the tour...you are also welcome to stick around after the tour to visit the buildings. About 10-15 minutes before the start time of your reserved tour, they start loading up the bus in the parking lot. You will need to have your ticket (the QR code either printed or on your phone) and the ID you used to make the reservation. The tour guide was great offering lots of information throughout the ride. The bus slows down at certain spots so you can see clearly or take photos. The bus also makes two stops where you exit the bus: the cadet chapel where you get to go into, and the eating hall/Hudson river overlook. There is minimal walking done during the 1:15 tour. Currently, masks are require while on the bus and in all indoor areas (Chapel, Visitor's Center, Museum). Photos are allowed at almost all time during the tour...except before reaching and at the front gates. But, the tour guide will tell you when it is okay to take photos. You are finally brought back to the original bus loading point. I learned a lot and really enjoyed myself during the tour. The driver DOES accept tips, so its a good idea to have a few dollars on hand when you exit...if you were satisfied with the service of course. - read more

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Great tour of West Point! We took the one hour, fifteen minute tour. It included two stops, one at the chapel and another at the parade grounds/view of the Hudson. Our guide, Shari, was very knowledgeable and kept us on schedule. The driver, Sandy, seemed angry. I tried my best to engage her in conversation but to no avail. But I can't say that ruined the tour. Just odd. The chapel is both beautiful and historic. The view of the Hudson was quite beautiful. All along Shari gave historical facts that were interesting. I asked several questions which she answered enthusiastically. The price for two adults and two kids was $60. Seemed a little high to me but, at the same time, I enjoyed the tour. I'd recommend for anyone traveling nearby. We owe our freedoms to those who began their military careers here. read more

West Point Tours - Hudson River - Historical Tours Near Me - Highland Falls, New York

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I went on this tour a couple of weeks ago on a weekday as the only visitor. The docent was knowledgeable and did a good job explaining things along with the bus driver. I was surprised that we only went inside one building (Protestant chapel) which was beautiful. Other than that it was all outside and which is also beautiful next to the Hudson River but we stayed distant from other buildings and cadets. For example we were able to see the Patton, MacArtur and Eisenhower statues from about 250 yards away. The tour starts and ends at the visitor center which also has a free walk thru museum of cadet life that takes about 30 minutes along with a short movie. Gift shop inside. FYI. I have now visited the USMA, USNA and USAFA academies. This tour (USMA) is by far the worst with what you actually get to see. The Navy and Air Force tours allowed me to go inside some of the cadet used buildings and see much more of the campus which made them superior to visit. read more

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Really enjoyed working with West Point Tours for our wedding transportation! They really came through for me for their willingness to shuttle our guests from one location to another that is 40 minutes away. Michele is very easy to work with and prompt in responding. She is also quick to resolve issues or schedule changes and was flexible in responding and working with us when there was a potential same day location change (which thankfully did not end up materializing). All our drivers were prompt and courteous - no issues or delays!! read more

Very informative tour. Well worth the money. Much history given by a very entertaining guide. Beautiful scenery.

We booked WPT for our wedding transportation and were so pleased with how it all turned out! Planning with Michele was super easy and she was very flexible as we tweaked the plan. Never any stress. Day of service was flawless and everything came and went on time! Would absolutely recommend! read more

Had a great first time experience with this tour company. They were on time and reasonably priced. In addition when our group was dropped off the bus stayed for over an hour until the rain stopped so that the passengers luggage wouldn't get drenched. Thank you West Point. We will use you again next year! read more

If you are an educational military institution fan, then you'll enjoy this tour. Clean and air conditioned tour buses make the tour enjoyable. The tour guide did a great job! This is our second tour in 4 years. We'll definitely be back. read more

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Booked the two hour tour that goes through the cemetery and into the old cadet chapel there. Marty, tour guide, infused the tour with her own personal stories, which was good. I learned a few new things on this tour. I've been there a few times but never had the chance to take an official tour, so I just did it! I'd definitely take the longer tour, the shorter tour really can't get into much detail at all and it'll leave you wanting more. There's soooo much history at the Academy. I'd definitely recommend to try to come back and go to Trophy Point, take the time to read everything. Walk around campus. This tour is very good compared to some other tours. read more

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Went on this tour during my visit to New York. Print out your confirmation letter and check in at the tour office in the West Point Visitor's Center at least 15 minutes prior. We didn't and it took some last minute phone calls prior to the tour to ensure we were good to go. Approximately 90 minute tour, you mostly stayed on the bus. There was one fairly lengthly dismounted portion where you could walk Thayer point overlooking the Hudson, that made West Point such a strategic location. We also sat in the bleachers overlooking the parade field and had the nearby buildings and statues pointed out. Good basic overview of the installation, definitely recommended for anyone visiting! read more

West Point Tours - Thayer Point, overlooking Hudson River - Historical Tours Near Me - Highland Falls, New York

I would say 3.25 stars, really. Nice tour guide... Our group was very small and it felt like a private tour on a giant bus. This was a benefit. Yet, when we might've taken time to go up-close to see a statue or monument or both, the tour guide escorted us through the area to get all our viewing completed. Maybe setting a time limit and being able to walk at your own pace, to read the information posted, might have been a better tactic for such a small group. I felt I delayed the group by taking a selfie with my touring friend. Maybe it would have been nice to have a more historically infused tour -- say about the fine rituals and experiences of the "old" West Point cadet's to the present day cadet's experience. Maybe enhanced by an overview video of the 200+ years of history there. Our tour was a infused with many life details of the tour guide, rather than an interest in what brought the individuals of the group to the tour of the academy. We didn't hold back why we went there, but there was no unsolicited comment or suggestion to help us expand our tour experience. So, for $15, it wasn't bad and to get on campus, this is an okay introduction. read more

West Point Tours - Great signs. :-( - Historical Tours Near Me - Highland Falls, New York

We went on a one-hour tour in West Point Academy. The guide used to be a history teacher in the academy, interesting and full of content. It got a million dollar view from Hudson River. Beautiful sight and pleasant read more

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If you're visiting West Point and/or have an appreciation of military history, this tour is a must. The tour guides are knowledgeable, professional, entertaining, and enthusiastic. Don't forget to tip them and the driver at the end! The tour is based out of the West Point Visitor's center, located in the village of Highland Falls. I highly recommend you take some time and check out both the visitor center AND the West Point Museum before or after your tour, because not only is admission free, but they both have interesting things to show. Also, the gift shop sometimes has sales and clearances and I scored some sweet West Point gear to take home as souvenirs for 50% off. Woot! read more

Book a tour in conjunction with a sporting event at West Point. Due to the weather the sporting event was canceled. Tried to call to see if we could reschedule and no answer, sent an email and received a response 2 days later. Saying sorry but tour went on as planned and your seats were held for you. Well I'm sure Feb 1st me may have been the only people on the tour. Very disappointed. Terrible customer service. read more

Awesome experience with West Point Tours for our wedding day transportation!!! Julie was amazing, professional, responsive and courteous throughout the whole planning process, and was extremely patient and helpful through all of the changes and questions we had for our transportation needs! We couldn't have asked for better service. She was also fantastic at communicating all of the information we needed -- including the day of information and who our drivers would be. On the day-of, all of the shuttles showed up very promptly and departed on time, and they were all clean and in great condition! We'd highly recommend booking West Point Tours for your wedding! read more

Overall, I was very disappointed. I don't feel like I received $14 worth of anything. The bus took us around the grounds, we got out for a while to look at the parade ground, a couple of stautes (which you couldn't see because they were so far away) and the view of the river, and that was it. We didn't see the inside of any buildings and about 40% of what the guide told us could have been learned from the displays in the Visitor's Center or Wikipedia...it was mostly statistics, qualifications for admission, and that sort of thing, with one really interesting story about the chain across the river. This tour is in stark contrast to the Naval Academy tour in Annapolis, where you get to go inside tons of buildings and the guide had tons of "inside info" (i.e. legendary stories of the cadets' antics, etc.). read more

We used WPT for our wedding round trip transportation between the venue and the hotels, as well as for my family going to and from the house and the venue. WPT was great to work with. I had a lot of changes in our itinerary with pickup times and number of passengers, and they were professional and understanding throughout all the changes. Julie was a pleasure! If you're marrying in the Hudson Valley, I highly recommend them! The drivers were all professional and friendly. read more

First of all, they could make it a little easier to check-in, since we had a lot of people from another country that kept cutting in line. My wife found out that going in thru the gift shop and talking directly to the lady at the desk worked much better. We were in line for almost 15 minutes , but the line barely moved because of "people" that felt they should push themselves in front of everyone else. Of course our bus was packed with this same group that didn't care about the tour and were there just to take a million selfies. The tour was good, but yes I agree it's mainly on the bus. We thought it was worth the $15 and if I was to advise something it would be to try and go on some other day besides Saturday. read more

Its worth the small fee to take the guided tour offered by this company. The bus was clean and cool - which was key on a 90-degree day. The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable - I forget his name, but he had a British accent. He really knows his history and pointed out many interesting points throughout the extended two hour tour. Go Army, Beat Navy!!! read more

Used them for transport for my wedding. It was nice because they have school buses available for an economical option. Responsive and easy to work with. read more

Phenomenal experience on our wedding day. We got married on Sunday, October 15, 2017 at Red Maple Vineyard in the Hudson Valley, and booked 2 school buses through Julie at West Point Tours to pick up our guests at Courtyard Poughkeepsie and Hampton Inn New Paltz, to transport them to and from Red Maple Vineyard. Julie was very helpful in assisting us figure out what times the buses needed to arrive and depart, and was very patient with how many changes I made to the schedule. We also mailed in 2 bus signs to be placed on both school buses to help guests find which bus to take. Julie sent us the names and cell phones of both drivers, which we gave to our bus captains. On the day of the wedding everything went so smoothly and as promised. The drivers were was on time, the signs were on the buses, and it was a terrific experience. We almost booked a transportation coordinator, and it saved us about $1,000 to just book the buses and create the schedule ourselves. So glad we did! The school buses worked great, but if you have a long ride, their coach buses were also quite affordable. Highly recommend Julie and West Point Tours! read more

An almost laughably incompetent company. They came unbelievably close to ruining our wedding. We hired a wedding shuttle from West Point Tours in June. Our wedding was nearly ruined because half the guests were getting a surprise tour of the Hudson Valley. The driver had absolutely no idea where he was going. It happened like this. Our first guests were picked up at a Days Inn. The driver managed to get there on time, but he drove then to the wrong Marriott, a half hour away from the right Marriott. Then, running well behind schedule already, once all the guests were finally on the bus, the driver went wildly driving around back country roads, with no map or GPS, looking for the wedding venue. What should have been a twenty minute drive took over ninety minutes. The guests staying at the Day's Inn were on the bus for almost three hours. Had our friends not wised up to the driver's incompetence and directed him to the right place with their cell phones, they'd probably have missed the wedding. Hell they might still be roaming the Hudson Valley. I also have to mention that the driver also got lost on the drive back later that night. He still wouldn't take main roads, despite his passengers' protestations. I don't think I've ever in my life experienced such terrible service. I aged five years waiting for that shuttle to get to the wedding venue. read more

I can't say much as to the experience of the bus ride/service but none of my guests complained. They thought the school bus with AC was pretty cool/different (and obviously cheaper than a normal coach bus!) However, in terms of planning the multiple stops and times for pickups and dropoffs, they were very responsive! everyone got to their location and they were on time even though there was expected to be traffic due to multiple college graduations and it being memorial day! would highly recommend as they are fairly priced and reliable versus others in the area read more

Really great tour--we took the 2 hr. Ft. Putnam tour. Guide LaNon was very good and it was relatively inexpensive.

What a lousy tour. Two stops only for the 1hr 15min tour (cathedral and "million" $ view of the Hudson). Does not show cadet life. They should include dormitories and dining area. Not worth the bus ride. If you are a citizen just register through security and do the tour yourself, it is free. So is the Museum. You can google while you do the tour yourself, do not need a tour guide. Just be aware during events, registering through security can be brutal. Went on ring day and even parents of cadets had to wait 45 minutes. Also not sure if this was true, I was told foreign nationals could not visit without joining tour. I was able to bring in-laws from England into Annapolis without any issues (different academy policy)? Finally, the tour wacks you another $2.50 if you use a credit card. read more

I used West Point Tours for my shuttle on my wedding day in June. They were great! Buses were on time and clean. The people I dealt with to book it were informative and responded quickly. Some last minute changes the day or weren't a problem. I would definitely use them again. read more

We had a great experience with West Point Tours. I was actually shocked at how exactly on time the bus was. The first bus of guests arrived at 5 PM on the dot and the second did at 5:30 PM exactly. Moving 100 guests is not an easy task, but our driver managed to get everyone on and off the bus quickly and efficiently. Well done! Nice, clean bus and a sweet driver too. read more

I called to go over the details of what I needed for about 10 minutes with a woman who then tells me she needs 2 hours to figure out the number's. One month later, still no response. I also tried to make an online inquiry, still no response. read more

I just read Daniel S.'s review and am dumbfounded. Were we at the same place? This is not a college information tour for prospective students nor was it just built for people's entertainment. This is first and foremost a historical landmark dating back to 1778 and the Revolutionary War! The "grass field" is the Parade grounds where the Cadet reviews are held and which are flanked by the Barracks buildings, mess hall and Jefferson library. Also, the entire academic building area is not even 3 miles long so his perception of distance is way off!! There are statues of Patton, Eisenhower, George Washington, MacArthur and Sylvanus Thayer all within 50 yards of where we were sitting. This is a serious school, graduating our future military leaders, they are not animals in a zoo for us to peer at and the last thing they should have during their school day is a bunch of tourists gawking at them and distracting them! Again, this is not a college tour, it is a history tour which includes information about cadet life etc. West Point is so much more than just a college and every visitor, especially Americans, will appreciate the importance of the explanation of the Hudson River at Trophy point in relationship to us becoming a nation, the Great Chain, beautiful Battle Monument, the gorgeous Cadet Capel were military greats like MacArthur, Schwarzkopf, Eisenhower, etc have sat. If you want a college tour go to Princeton. If you want a tour of one of the most important landmarks in our country, that also happens to be a college, visit West Point. Our guide was phenomenal, knowledgeable, entertaining and also a 20+ year military wife who also dated her husband when he was a cadet so the stories and information were great. I came away with an even greater appreciation of our past and future Soldiers! read more