U.S. Capitol
U.S. Capitol
4.5
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
About
Please note that tour reservations are required for entry. The Capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. The Senate and the House of Representatives have met here for more than two centuries. Begun in 1793, the Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended, and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Capitol South • 7 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
  • Lynn S
    League City, Texas619 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful building every American should see
    This was my 3rd time to tour the US Capitol. This time we did a tour through the Capitol Visitors Center. I wish the tour were more extensive. I don't know if that's due to 9/11 or to January 6, or both. But it is sad that a U.S. citizen cannot even step foot into our U.S. Capitol without first booking a tour. Everyone should at the least be able to go into the Capitol Rotunda. The tour guide had only been working a couple of weeks so even though she was nice, there were questions she could not answer and she wasn't very confident. I felt like we got a better tour when we did a tour with a Congressional staff. I wish they would let you go to both the U.S. House and Senate chambers. There was also one place (old Supreme Court meeting place) which we toured on the Congressional tour but not on this one. You have to reserve a time in advance (for free online).
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 27, 2023
  • Passport53
    Oxford, Alabama160 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Call your Representative before going!
    My wife contacted our House Rep.'s office prior to us leaving. They had a staff member lead us on a private tour, which was amazing. We were able to visit areas of the Capital Building that larger, private tour groups don't get to go to. Visit your reps website and look for "Constituent Services" or the like. Your rep may also be able to set up a tour of the White House but this is much more difficult to accomplish. Make to sure to contact them well before your trip as it can takes weeks for preparations to be made.
    Visited March 2023
    Written April 11, 2023
  • teknoge3k
    Rocky Mount, Virginia1,573 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Capitol is beautiful!
    We had timed tickets to visit the Capitol and it was very organized. There were a TON of people however. You need to wear the headphones the tour guide gives you otherwise you cannot hear anything. You see the crypt, the rotunda and the statue room. It's a fantastic building and you learn a lot from the free tours they offer. I highly recommend this!
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 19, 2023
  • Samantha M
    Sacramento, California57 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Crowded but we’ll organized. Learned a ton of history!
    I’m so glad I booked a free tour months ago. It was crowded but organized. The tour guides give their groups headsets tuned in to their specific frequency, so we could hear our specific guide without their needing to shout over the din. My kids had a few things they were searching for, from their scavenger hunt book, so that kept them engaged. We loved finding and identifying specific state statues. And when they couldn’t find a particular one, any staff in a red sweater could help them either by memory or by consulting the pocket guide that they call carry. I was very impressed by how the plentiful, warm, knowledgeable staff managed the chaos of tourists!!!!
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written May 28, 2023
  • mabjohnson
    Albuquerque, New Mexico18 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    get tickets for a tour
    We were able to get 11 tickets for a Capitol tour from our NM Congresswoman (there are limited tickets available at the entrance). We were impressed to see the Rotunda. If you want to see the actual Senate and House chambers you need to get special passes from a Congressperson.
    Visited May 2023
    Written June 1, 2023
  • Jessica K
    Tarpon Springs, Florida278 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    US Capitol
    Any visit to DC must have a Capital visit. Although free to visit, there is time stamped “tickets” and reservations are a good idea. Very informative tour guides take each group through different areas of the Capitol. The statues and artwork are really grand. Always crowded and a bit noisy, but worth it. Although there are elevators, most of this tour was staircase access.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 25, 2023
  • justalittlebitocd
    Melbourne, Australia410 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    If you visit Washington you must visit the Capitol
    as with all places if you are travelling from overseas I highly recommend pre booking tickets ​​ ​​We booked for the 9am session. We arrived at the line up approximately 8.50. Once the doors open you get straight in. First we saw an information video and then sort you into groups for a tour ​​ ​​You will see the crypt, rotunda and statue room ​​ ​​All up it took exactly one hour ​​ ​​We then went to the house and senate info desks with our license and got tickets to see both of these areas which in our opinion was worth it . We wish they did tours of these areas versus just us looking in. If you do this add another 30 mins to your planned time
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 28, 2023
  • Brian
    Lewisburg, Pennsylvania21 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing
    We had an amazing experience! There is a huge difference between booking a tour with your Congressman and the general tour. We contacted our Congressman about 60 days prior. We had a private tour with someone from his office... they showed us around for nearly 2 hours, bypassing a lot of lines. We even got to go into the Galleries. Our children (11, 7, 4) felt comfortable asking staff questions and had a great time too. The general tour is with a group of 30-50 people. They give you headphones to hear your tour guide. I am so thankful Our Representative's office was able to give us a personal tour. And it was free!
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 28, 2023
  • Bob Kramer
    Ankeny, Iowa243 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Free Tours - put this on your bucket list!
    TAKE THE TIME to visit the United States Capitol building while in D.C. Such a beautiful building, and while walking through we were in awe. Guided tours are available and we highly recommend making your reservations well in advance. And, the tours are free of charge.
    Visited February 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 2, 2023
  • Fleckney
    Fleckney, United Kingdom447 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much to see - and it is free.
    We booked our free tour online about a month before our visit and found that everything was extremely well organised and strictly by time of booked visit. The guided tour was brilliant and very informative and we managed to get tickets to visit both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Senate was in session and we were able to sit in the room and listen to the debate - which we had not expected. An extremely informative half day visit
    Visited June 2023
    Written July 6, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles7,136 reviews
Excellent
4,770
Very good
1,687
Average
503
Poor
121
Terrible
55

karis777
Chattanooga, TN10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We did the guided tour and loved it! Our guide was so informative and I know we got so much more information than if we just walked around ourselves. The tour is fairly quick, but you can go back and take a longer look at things after its over. We also ate there and thought the food was really good, the staff was super friendly and the prices were very reasonable. We waited in a line for about 30 mins to get in, which isn't terrible, but we learned later that the Library of Congress is attached to the Capitol by a tunnel. So, once you enter either one, you can access the other without going through security again. When we left through the LOC, I noticed that there was no line to get in. My tip would be to maybe see if you can get in quicker through the LOC, then walk over to the Capitol, especially if you have a tour booked in advance and are in a time crunch or if the weather is bad (it rained on us).
Written January 6, 2020
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.

Kittygal 🇺🇦 🌻
Los Angeles, CA8,310 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
Just back from my second DC trip. In addition to the general tour of the capitol, I highly recommend the additional tours offered. I've done the Senate murals tour (last spring), which shows the opulent and colorful murals that grace the Senate chamber halls, and the new Votes for Women tour (last week), which focuses on the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Both tours were excellent. And they can be smaller and more personal, too. You can see what's being offered by checking the Visitor's Center calendar on its website. Tour tickets (free) are available at the info desk each morning. You can come by first thing and get a pass and then go do something else (I went to the Supreme Court for oral arguments last week and returned for my tour at 1:00). Or you can get a bite at the cafeteria (try the Senate bean soup!)
Written January 20, 2020
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.

LRosemary1
Long Beach, CA382 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Family
I’ve always been here in the summer and super crowded but there are no crowds in the winter. I was here with teens and they loved seeing all the hoopla with the impeachment. All they could see were cameras set up but it got them excited. Tour is informative enough to keep the teens engaged. It took an hour. By the time we left there were even less people in the lobby waiting for a tour. We made reservations but didn’t need them. We were there on a Friday at 8:30 for the 9 am tour. I mentioned the crowd situation during summer but she explained that spring break is the busiest time of the year for DC.
Written February 4, 2020
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.

TXMARTINS
Atlanta, GA3,461 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
Per the website we arrived for a family tour that occurs a few times a month. Sadly they decided to cancel these tours as it was more off season but didn’t update the website. We had a devastated daughter that had spent months building the Capitol out of legos & wanted to see it in person. Gallery passes usually require going through your representative. There are long lines with timed tours & passes as well but we spent so long trying to go eith staff to figure out what was going on with the family tour that we then did not have the bandwidth with kids to wait in a long line for a timed option. Sadly missed seeing much but it’s still a spectacular building.
Written January 16, 2020
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.

phinal99
Dayton, OH54 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I have traveled all over the world and currently reside in Germany, so I have seen some amazing architecture and taken some incredible tours. Seeing the US Capital today on a tour versus looking at it from the outside was so much more than I expected. The building speaks for itself but for me it was the docent who made the tour so very impressive. Mr. D. Wall is a credit to the staff and is a true ambassador of what this building represents to our nation. He is very well informed and knowledgable to an impressive level. His breath of experience with regard to US History was clearly evident throughout the tour. Mr. Wall's ability to tie in many aspects of history demonstrated a clear understanding of events and how then have helped to shaped this nation. Finally, his personal presentation style sets him above many other tour guides I have encountered during my travels. Thank you very much Mr. Wall for a great visit, I also sincerely enjoyed our chat when the tour concluded.
Written February 1, 2020
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.

travelwithkidsut
Kaysville, UT47 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
My guide was very knowledgeable and explained to symbolism and functionality of parts of the building. I was surprised to see that the interior is not as ornate as the LOC or White House. I do wish I could have seen Congress in action - so much going on in the country right now.
Written January 18, 2020
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.

J M
Falls Church, VA160 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Our tour would be considered 'Walking tour of US Capitol Interior.'

We were very fortunate we got tickets the same day (Tuesday July 5) whereas normally, this tour sells out prior. Anyway, upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by a couple of members of the tour staff who led us downstairs to get our actual tickets (a sticker we wore during our time).

After the introduction movie in the theatre (about 15 minutes), we got into Laura's line for the actual tour. We certainly picked the correct tour guide as she was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the Capitol. We also knew Laura was an excellent tour guide because the other two groups (from the total number of other visitors in the theatre with us) were finished long before we were!
Written July 6, 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.

edwinner25
Miami, FL77 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
Tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and included more than just the history of the building. You can hear the narration with headphones in a very good condition. Takes around 45 minutes; you can take pictures and videos. Highly recommended.
Written January 2, 2020
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.

mvtouring
Cape Town, South Africa466 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
My oh my, what an impressive building. The architecture is just beyond words. The Capitol is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. The Senate and the House of Representatives have met here for more than two centuries
Renovations were ongoing on the left wing, but you still had a magnificent view of the building.
Written January 19, 2020
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.

Hans-Olof H
Stockholm, Sweden942 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
The Capitolium building on top of its hill is really a sight. A visit to Capitolium must be planned well in advanced since you must book a slot several weeks ahead to be sure. The guided tour includes the crypta, that is the basement level just under the rotunda, the rotunda under the dome, the old session room for the Supreme Court and the statue room. And if you are lucky another one or two rooms. Before the tour an information film is shown. There are many different groups at the same time, and even if you hear your own guide well it is very high noise level from all the other groups in the background. The fact that almost all the rooms are just made of stone make them very beautiful but also very noisy. The rotunda was of course the highlight of the tour with all the very nice paintings of historic events. We liked the tour a lot. Be certain not to miss the cafeteria, the sweets are delicious especially the dome shaped white chocolate pastry.
Written August 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.

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U.S. Capitol, Washington DC

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