Richmond History Tour: From Tobacco Town to Civil Rights

Embark on a captivating 2-hour walking tour of Richmond Downtown and uncover the city’s fascinating history, from its humble beginnings as a tobacco town to its pivotal role in the Revolution, Civil War, and Civil Rights movement. Gain a comprehensive understanding of Richmond and discover the must-see attractions for your next visit to RVA.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Jackson Ward - We begin in historic Jackson Ward known as The Harlem of the South and the Black Wall Street of the SOuth
What's Included
  • Safe distancing with provided headsets
Additional Information

Embark on a captivating 100-minute walking tour that traces Richmond’s transformation from a modest tobacco town to the capital of the Commonwealth. Discover Richmond’s significant involvement in the Civil War and its pivotal role in the Civil Rights movement. Every participant will gain a thorough understanding of the city, along with recommendations on what to explore and experience next in RVA.

Location
403 N 3rd St
North 3rd Street
We meet at the turn-in on N 3rd Street between Marshall and Clay Streets
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(178 Ratings)
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Tricia_k
Jul 18, 2025
Downtown Richmond historical tour - Our tour guide Will was very knowledgeable about the area and even gave us suggestions of other things us to go and see in the area after the tour. He gave us good restaurant recommendations as well. He was friendly too!
Review provided by Viator
Watth2025
Jul 7, 2025
Excellent Tour - As a Richmonder, I wanted to immerse myself in the story of the city I love, and this tour really delivered! Richmond has over 400 years of history, so it can’t be easy to distill into two hours of walking but Kathy with the Richmond Tour Guys hit all the highlights in an engaging way — from John Smith and Christopher Newport’s first voyage up the James River to the falls in 1607, through the colonial and revolutionary period, to the Civil War; from the dark shadow of slavery to the heyday of Jackson Ward; to the many facets of modern Richmond. I highly recommend this tour to locals and visitors alike. Thank you Kathy and the Richmond Tour Guys!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
1968lesleym
Jun 24, 2025
Great walking tour. - Great little walking tour of downtown Richmond. I had no clue what was in Richmond and our guide was able to give us a great overview along with some history. Wear your comfy shoes!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lovingnewadventures
Jun 23, 2025
Kathy is a great tour guide! - We loved Kathy’s interesting facts and stories about the buildings on our tour. We saw things we would not have noticed on our own. She was conscious of keeping us in the shade on a hot dY. Highly recommend taking her tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steven
Jun 13, 2025
Great tour of Downtown Richmond - This was a very interesting and informative tour - good presenter with knowledge and entertaining style, and a really nice area
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marc
Jun 10, 2025
Well informed and easy going - Will was a delight. Just two of us so lots of good conversation. Will was fun, flexible, insightful and very thoughtful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour34438164952
Jun 7, 2025
Excellent tour - Jason was an excellent guide giving a lot of information. He was very knowledgeable and answered all questions. We had several young children in our group that Jason made sure to keep them engaged.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_r
Jul 5, 2025
Great intro to Richmonds history - Informative and friendly tour of historic downtown. Kathy was knowledgeable with interesting anecdotes. Would recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Michaelwy6639rr
Jun 9, 2025
A lovely old city with lots of history. - Good opportunity to learn about the history of the city and its famous inhabitants. Our guide was knowledgable, friendly and well spoken. We did go on a Sunday which was good because the streets were quiet but bad because some buildings you could normally enter were closed. Also they supplied us with earbuds so we could better hear the guide and found that a helpful feature.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Douglascourter
Jun 15, 2025
No tour, but owner was great to work with. - We ended up not taking the tour, but I wanted to explain why. The pickup location is correct, meaning that the tour does begin at the stated address, however the Visitor's Center isn't housed there anymore, which my wife & I discovered after walking around the entire convention center in the 90+ heat for almost an hour. When we finally got in touch with the owner of the tour, he was very apologetic and even worked out a 50% refund, even though we were past the refund window. I think the tour would have been good, but maybe for another time for us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $38
up to 14 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).