Walk of the Town
Walk of the Town
5
Historical & Heritage ToursWalking ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate Tours
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Walk of The Town is D.C.'s most memorable walking tour! Explore Washington D.C. the way it was meant to be seen: on foot! let superb storyteller, retired teacher, lifelong Washington Metropolitan Area resident and licensed D.C. tour guide Tim lead you on a walking tour of some of the areas most iconic Memorials, Monuments and sites.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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5.0
1,501 reviews
Excellent
1,464
Very good
30
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
1
Mary-Gilbert P
Salt Lake City, UT14 contributions
Oct 2021
Tim's tour is fantastic. He will give you a well informed tour that will fit any pace and interest level. Not only does he know his material but he has a true love and respect for the lives and deeply held beliefs that each aspect of the Washington mall represents. More than that he is great at knowing his audience and is aware of each members limitations and any special needs that a participant may have. Perfect level of knowledge and pace.
Written November 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Perry I
9 contributions
Apr 2022
Tim is simply remarkable. We contacted Tim and he became our new best friend. He alerted us before we even met that the WH gardens were open that Sunday, a rare event. The following day, he toured us (2 parents, 3 teenagers and 2 grandparents) for several hours to many monuments and memorials, all the time telling stories and giving us all information that was simply not otherwise available. He has a great way with the teenagers, as he is a retired HS teacher and counselor. You cannot go wrong with Tim, a rare bird. No canned tour for sure.
Written April 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luisa P
8 contributions
Mar 2022
We took a tour with Tim in March on a blustery, cold day and he made the time fly by. His depth of knowledge and obvious passion for the subject made for a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable tour. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone wanting an in depth and educational tour of the Washington D.C. area.
Written September 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Randy H
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Family
We brought our 11 year old daughter who is getting ready to start 6th grade. Instantly, we learn Tim was a former 6th grade teacher.
Instantly they hit it off. His delivery was phenomenal. He had my 11 year old daughter hanging on unique stories of Reagan, Lincoln, and the Secret Service.
Tim’s tour of the monuments was so fun, it’s all my daughter talked about for hours.
Tim— thanks so much for your generosity and patience. Couldn’t have picked a better way to spend our first day in DC.
-Randy, Lauren, Reese, and MaryWare
Instantly they hit it off. His delivery was phenomenal. He had my 11 year old daughter hanging on unique stories of Reagan, Lincoln, and the Secret Service.
Tim’s tour of the monuments was so fun, it’s all my daughter talked about for hours.
Tim— thanks so much for your generosity and patience. Couldn’t have picked a better way to spend our first day in DC.
-Randy, Lauren, Reese, and MaryWare
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark T
Morganton, NC3 contributions
Sep 2022
Tim's background as a teacher helps make this tour not only educational but interactive. He speaks very passionately about the history, locations and past events in DC. Tim gives a very human voice to the tour around our nation's capitol. I would highly recommend as your first tour of the city and would do the same tour again to learn even more from Tim.
Written September 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shanenchar
Boyers, PA29 contributions
Jun 2012 • Family
We really don't have much good to say about this tour. We are a family of 5 with a 9 year old, 3 year old and 1 year old. Tim was not accomodating at all for such a young family. He walked at a pace that we could not keep up considering we had to push a stroller on uneven terrain and had to carry our children at times. We found ourselves at the end of the line 99% of the time and could not hear what he was saying. He also was not considerate of a toddler needing to use the restroom and did not stop for a restroom break!! Halfway through the tour, he walked (very briskly) by a restroom. We absolutely had to stop and unfortunately had to wait in line and by the time we were done, we lost him and could not find him. Our tour was over, but we found ourselves actually thankful as it was EXTREMELY stressful trying to keep up with him. Also, when we could hear him, we found him boring, especially for a 9 year old, and so we would not recommend this tour for a family!! We homeschool and so this tour was a field trip for my son. We will need to do this again for our girls when they are older and will definitely not do "The Walk of he Town Tour!!"
Written June 11, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
First, I would like to sincerely apologize that your experience was not an enjoyable one. I was truly saddened by your remarks because I strive to make the tours memorable for each and every customer, pay close attention to all reviews and feedback, and make improvements whenever possible. I have also been so appreciative of the great number of positive reviews, comments, and personal emails that I have received from others, including many families with children.
I try to make a point of becoming a little familiar with my audience at the beginning of each tour and make accommodations accordingly. I hand out snacks to everyone following the bathroom break at the Lincoln Memorial and gear the trivia questions to the makeup of the group on a given day. I also do my best to adjust the pace according to the group and make frequent stops, about once every 100 yards, for presentations of varying length.
I wish that I had been made aware that your one-year-old needed to use the restroom. I would have gladly added a stop. I have a bathroom stop built into the tour at the Lincoln Memorial. Perhaps I can make a point of mentioning that at the beginning of the tour so customers will know in advance.
My primary motivation and satisfaction in leading these free (tips only) tours for individuals, couples, and families is the hope that I can provide a unique and enjoyable touring experience for all, so I truly regret that your experience was less than that. I can only take heart in all of my previous reviews and offer again my sincerest apologies for your personal experience.
Sincerely,
Tim
Written June 12, 2012
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kemp674
Charleston, SC57 contributions
Jan 2012
If you are going to Washington DC, you absolutely must take this tour. It is a walking tour, that yes, can be considered a bit long at 3 plus hours, but I assure you it is 100% worth every second.
The tour guide who runs Walk of the Town is named Tim and he is a retired schoolteacher from Maryland who operates the tours to keep himself busy. He is a wealth of knowledge and offers up a perfect blend of story, fact, and humor as the tour meanders through the monument area of DC. He is funny without being corny, utilizes the history of DC without being dry and redundant, informative without being pejorative as some tour guides can be, avoids the seemingly inevitable DC political commentary, and is a wealth of knowledge with anecdotes and facts that no one could learn from simply visiting the same monuments on their own. Honestly, the guy is a real-life walking history textbook with a penchant for a bit of comedy along the way.
The path the tour follows is pretty simple---you start near the White House and follow that towards the monuments (World War II, Vietnam, Lincoln, Korean) and even an extra stop at the MLK Memorial if you're lucky (as we were since it was MLK Jr. Weekend). The Saturday morning we went in January was quite cold and despite the tours length and being outside for all that time no one seemed to care because Tim had everybody's full attention. That being said, if you are a little sensitive to cold, or heat, or rain, then take a look at the forecast and plan the best day to take this leisurely stroll for a few hours around DC.
Oh and the kicker to all of this is that the tour is completely free! Sure Tim does comment that he collects tips at the end (which everyone gladly gives him because the tour is exceptional). But the best part about this is that he mentions it once at the outset and never says one word about it again, not even at the conclusion of the tour. I've been on a few tours before where it is mentioned frequently and it gets very irritating and uncomfortable, so this was a welcome change.
Even if you've been to the monuments and by the White House before this is a must do in DC. You'll be absolutely floored at how much history you've been missing out on!
The tour guide who runs Walk of the Town is named Tim and he is a retired schoolteacher from Maryland who operates the tours to keep himself busy. He is a wealth of knowledge and offers up a perfect blend of story, fact, and humor as the tour meanders through the monument area of DC. He is funny without being corny, utilizes the history of DC without being dry and redundant, informative without being pejorative as some tour guides can be, avoids the seemingly inevitable DC political commentary, and is a wealth of knowledge with anecdotes and facts that no one could learn from simply visiting the same monuments on their own. Honestly, the guy is a real-life walking history textbook with a penchant for a bit of comedy along the way.
The path the tour follows is pretty simple---you start near the White House and follow that towards the monuments (World War II, Vietnam, Lincoln, Korean) and even an extra stop at the MLK Memorial if you're lucky (as we were since it was MLK Jr. Weekend). The Saturday morning we went in January was quite cold and despite the tours length and being outside for all that time no one seemed to care because Tim had everybody's full attention. That being said, if you are a little sensitive to cold, or heat, or rain, then take a look at the forecast and plan the best day to take this leisurely stroll for a few hours around DC.
Oh and the kicker to all of this is that the tour is completely free! Sure Tim does comment that he collects tips at the end (which everyone gladly gives him because the tour is exceptional). But the best part about this is that he mentions it once at the outset and never says one word about it again, not even at the conclusion of the tour. I've been on a few tours before where it is mentioned frequently and it gets very irritating and uncomfortable, so this was a welcome change.
Even if you've been to the monuments and by the White House before this is a must do in DC. You'll be absolutely floored at how much history you've been missing out on!
Written January 21, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Soonersports
Edmond, OK68 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
Tim is a masterful storyteller and has obviously done his homework. You'll learn more from him on a tour than you ever would on your own. It helps that he's a retired teacher.
We did the monumental sTOURies tour w/ our daughter and my father. The tour was about 4.5hrs long as we strolled through the National Mall visiting the sites. Tim is a wealth of information and so much fun. At times, our daughter got a little bored by some of the details, but she sure enjoyed Tim as he went above/beyond making sure everyone was included.
Again, the tour is 4.5hrs long and a LOT of walking. Bring extra water, snacks, and comfy shoes. About half way through the tour you'll have a chance to stop at a concession stand and use the restroom. You'll be tired afterwards, but won't be disappointed. I'd recommend not taking kids under 10.
Please be kind to Tim and tip him well. He obviously loves giving these tours and relies on tips only. I can assure you from eavesdropping on some of the other tour guides, Tim is far & away the best!!!
We did the monumental sTOURies tour w/ our daughter and my father. The tour was about 4.5hrs long as we strolled through the National Mall visiting the sites. Tim is a wealth of information and so much fun. At times, our daughter got a little bored by some of the details, but she sure enjoyed Tim as he went above/beyond making sure everyone was included.
Again, the tour is 4.5hrs long and a LOT of walking. Bring extra water, snacks, and comfy shoes. About half way through the tour you'll have a chance to stop at a concession stand and use the restroom. You'll be tired afterwards, but won't be disappointed. I'd recommend not taking kids under 10.
Please be kind to Tim and tip him well. He obviously loves giving these tours and relies on tips only. I can assure you from eavesdropping on some of the other tour guides, Tim is far & away the best!!!
Written June 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joni B
Broomfield, CO6 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
Tim's Walk of the Town tour is without exception the best tour I have ever taken. He is engaging, informative and insightful. His knowledge about the history of these famous monuments and the key people involved in their development provides for an entertaining and awe-inspiring day. I've taken a vow: all my future visits to Washington will include a day where I will take any tour Tim is offering - I know it will be an exceptional experience! I recommend you do the same. You won't be disappointed.
Written March 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mrdarko
Houston, TX2 contributions
Oct 2015 • Solo
If you love history, this is the tour for you. Tim has a wealth of knowledge about the city, the monuments, the history of the United States, and the leaders of the country both past and present. The tour can be lengthy (3+ hours), but every second is filled with interesting, and thought provoking information. Bring a comfortable pair of walking shoes and be prepared to take a trip through history.
Written November 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How do I book a tour with Tim? Please give contact information.
Written July 15, 2018
The tours aren’t booked in advance. Read the Walk of the Town website for guidance.
Written July 16, 2018
I want to take this tour tomorrow, friday, June 22 how do i sign up and what time do i meet the tour and where?
thank you so much!
Written June 21, 2018
Sorry, there is no tour on Friday June 22. All tour information including my schedule of tours, starting time and starting location details are posted 2 months in advance on my website , Walk of the town , DC.
Written June 22, 2018
Hello,
I want to take this tour tomorrow, friday, June 22 how do i sign up and what time do i meet the tour and where?
thank you so much!
Written June 21, 2018
We will be in Washington from 28th Dec to 1st January. is this or any walking tour available in this time frame?
Written July 11, 2016
I would certainly think so but to confirm you can email Tim directly from his website as he's very responsive.
Written July 11, 2016
mindyski
Petersburg, Michigan
I am interested in your tours, but need to know if they are wheelchair-accessible. I can walk, but not long distances, will have others with me to push my wheelchair.
Written June 20, 2016
This a fairly considerable walk and also lots of standing. The tour takes a minimum of 3 hours . If there is anyway you can do it it's highly recommended but I suggest a fold up chair/ stick
Written June 21, 2016
All of the information about his tours - schedule, specific tour dates, starting times, starting locations, the sights you see (plus more) can be found on his website WALK OF THE TOWN DC. Trip Advisor does not allow me to link it but just google "WALK OF THE TOWN DC" and it should be the first site.
Written January 11, 2016
How do I reserve a spot for the tour?
Written August 2, 2015
As it says on several pages on Tim's site at Walk of the Town DC, his tours are intended for individuals, couples, and families as well as small parties no larger than 7.
If your party is more than 7, Tim asks that you contact him in advance to discuss options for your party.
Contact info is on his site.
Written August 2, 2015
If you check out other DC tours, they run between $45-$65. The point of this free tour is that you don't have to pay so much as that, but he does do a good job, take you around for 4 hours. If you enjoyed it, pay him what you think it's worth. I agree with the other reviewer that tipping is a personal thing, but I did give him $30, and I saw others give him $20, so you have a point of reference.
Written August 2, 2015
Yes it would be fine and others on the tour are sure to help you if required. Make sure you take lots of food/drink/activities to keep your toddler/baby content as it is a long time for a child to be kept in the stroller.
Written August 3, 2015
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