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National Museum Tour: Exclusive 2-Hour Guided Experience
5.0
427 Ratings
Washington
Take part in a 2-hour privileged guided journey around the National Museum of Natural History, showcasing unique wonders from across the globe. The tour will take you through the rocks, mammals, and mummies that have been captivating visitors for more than a hundred years.
Take part in a 2-hour privileged guided journey around the National Museum of Natural History, showcasing unique wonders from across the globe. The tour will take you through the rocks, mammals, and mummies that have been captivating visitors for more than a hundred years.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Your guide will take you to visit the highlights of the collection, housed in a massive building that covers the area of 18 football fields. Gaze into the world-famous Hope Diamond, whose brilliant blue sparkle, and immodest size at 46 karats, captured the attention of former owner Marie Antoinette….
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Your guide will take you to visit the highlights of the collection, housed in a massive building that covers the area of 18 football fields. Gaze into the world-famous Hope Diamond, whose brilliant blue sparkle, and immodest size at 46 karats, captured the attention of former owner Marie Antoinette. Wander through the displays of gems and minerals, including the Dom Pedro Aquamarine, the world’s largest gem of its type, which glows brilliantly from within. Travel back in time to learn about death rituals while exploring real mummies from Ancient Egypt. Then step out of the past into the wild, exploring the mighty polar bears, elephants, and giraffes that roam across earth’s surface. From the land, jump into the sea at the Ocean Hall, where you’ll discover a live coral reef exhibit as well as a 45-ton whale, Phoenix, which is a replica of a real living what that the museum tracks. By the end, you’ll understand why so many people come to visit the 126.5 million artefacts housed at the National Museum of Natural History.
What's Included
- Duration: 2-hour exclusive tour
- Personal tour guide included
- Wheelchair accessible (limitations apply)
- Educational guided museum tour
- Duration: 2-hour exclusive tour
- Personal tour guide included
- Wheelchair accessible (limitations apply)
- Educational guided museum tour
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information
- It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
- Notes: Natural History Museum and other attractions or museums in DC may be subjected to occasional closures without previous warning from the museum management. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an appropriate alternative if the museum opening…
- It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
- Notes: Natural History Museum and other attractions or museums in DC may be subjected to occasional closures without previous warning from the museum management. When this occurs, we will provide guests with an appropriate alternative if the museum opening time is delayed more than 1h from the tour starting time. In these cases we are unable to provide refunds or discounts. Appropriate dress is required for entry into some sites on this tour. No large bags or suitcases are allowed inside the museum, only handbags or small thin bag packs are allowed through security. Due to increased security measures at many attractions some lines may form on tours with ‘Skip the Line’ or ‘No Wait’ access. Some specific rooms inside the museum are subjected to a very quiet or restricted right to speak inside, in this cases your guide will provide the information about this places before entering the specific rooms where this rule applies. Some collections may vary along the year.
Location
1010 Madison Dr NW
Madison Drive Northwest
Meet your guide on the large stairs at the Madison Drive NW entrance of the Museum of Natural History, facing the lawn of the National Mall.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(427 Ratings)
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Sarah_l
Jul 17, 2025
Must do Smithsonian tour - Christopher was wonderful. I learned so much and the 2 1/2 hour tour went very quickly. I would love to repeat this tour or book him for other museums as he is a wealth of knowledge. Learned much more from him pointing out specific/special exhibits/information that I ever could’ve done on my own.
Review provided by Viator
Randy_r
Jul 16, 2025
Meghan the entertainer tour guide - Meghan was very informative and truly knows her job. She is funny and very creative and entertaining in delivering information. She fully focused on just us even when people were asking questions. She made us feel special and showed us that we are her priority. She engaged in our questions even if it’s outside the realm of the tour. I highly recommend her
Review provided by Viator
Lance_d
Jul 12, 2025
Ryan was a great tour... - Ryan was a great tour guide. Knowledgeable and friendly! He had engaging stories to share with us. Thanks!
Review provided by Viator
Yongtaek_b
Jul 3, 2025
The Best Tour Guide Experience of My Life – Thank You, Leigh! - I recently had the incredible opportunity to tour the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History with a guide, and I have to say—Leigh was, without a doubt, the best tour guide I’ve encountered in my 50 years of life.
Just a week prior, I had visited the American Museum of Natural History in New York without a guide. While that visit was enjoyable, my experience at the Smithsonian in D.C. with Leigh was on an entirely different level.
Leigh didn’t just provide facts—she wove a captivating narrative that turned the entire tour into a seamless journey through time. Starting from gemstones and ending with the mighty Megalodon, the tour felt like stepping into a well-crafted story. Each exhibit was thoughtfully connected, drawing us deeper into a rich, educational adventure that was both fascinating and easy to follow.
Highlights from her storytelling included:
• The tale of the $500 million Indian blue diamond, filled with history and intrigue.
• The astonishing transformation of a caterpillar into a moth—how its body completely liquefies, yet retains memory at the cellular (possibly even epigenetic) level, suggesting that ancestral experiences and trauma may be passed down through generations.
• A deeper look into ancient Egypt—not as a single static image of pyramids and mummies, but as a civilization that thrived for over 3,000 years. Leigh explained how Egyptians believed the soul’s journey after death depended on preserving the physical vessel, offering insight into their elaborate burial practices.
• The surprising fact that the Tyrannosaurus rex lived during the late Cretaceous period—closer in time to us than to the Jurassic dinosaurs.
• And that dinosaurs are not extinct reptiles (as I was taught when I was young), but rather the ancestors of modern birds.
• She also explained how the asteroid impact 66 million years ago caused a mass extinction that wiped out 75% of life on Earth within just three weeks—a chilling but fascinating reminder of Earth’s fragility.
Leigh’s passion, knowledge, and storytelling ability made this one of the most memorable museum experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve since learned that she also guides at other museums, and I would absolutely jump at the chance to join her again when I revisit D.C.
I cannot recommend Leigh highly enough. If you have the opportunity to tour with her, do not miss it!
Review provided by Viator
Donna_m
Jun 26, 2025
Must see - It’s amazing the history just in this one museum. We learned so much Christopher hit all the major highlights with great stories. He interacts with everyone to make sure that they are enjoying their tour. This a must to see.
Review provided by Viator
Daps023
Jun 23, 2025
Great tour ! Ryan awesome - Ryan awesome !!! Very informative
Had so much detail . His knowledge was outstanding. Narrowed down the key areas from such a large exhibition - could not imagine doing this by ourselves. Sent a WA message with a link to the exact meeting point which was helpful. Try and ask for Ryan if you book this tour
Highly recommended 👍🏽
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebecca_b
Jun 18, 2025
The museum has a lot of... - The museum has a lot of interesting exhibits. Our tour guide, Brenda did an amazing job walking us thru the geology and gems, mummies, dinosaurs and mammal sections. She was very knowledgeable and helped us maximize our experience by navigating the crowds.
Really appreciated her communication prior to the tour with the google map link to our exact meeting location and how to recognize her.
Review provided by Viator
Andreacbrown153
Jun 18, 2025
I’ll take a tour with Christopher again - Christopher was knowledgeable, entertaining, and moved things along well. I would take another tour with him again (I believe he leads tours elsewhere as well).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cindy_i
Jun 15, 2025
Our guide Tim was very... - Our guide Tim was very fun, knowledgeable, and gave us a great experience and detailed information at the Natural History Museum. We loved meeting Henry the elephant and the Magladon. Thank you!
Review provided by Viator
Dave
Jun 14, 2025
Smithsonian Tour - Brenda, our guide, was very accommodating in showing us the areas we wanted to see. She was very informed and gave us amazing information we were not aware of.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
