3-Hour Night Bike Tour

Washington DC Sites at Night Guided Bicycle Tour runs through Unlimited Biking (formerly Bike and Roll DC). Rated 4.7 across 569 reviews. Runs 3 hours. From $65.

Overview

This three hour guided ride sets off from the Unlimited Biking shop on D Street NW, near the US Navy Memorial Plaza, and rolls out to the National Mall once the sun has gone down. Riders get a bike, a mandatory helmet, safety lights and a reflective vest, then follow a guide past the Washington Monument, the White House exterior and a long string of memorials, stopping at each one to walk around and hear the history. The whole route covers roughly 5 miles at a pace the listing describes as suitable for a casual exerciser.

The stops come thick and fast: the WWII Memorial, Constitution Gardens, the Vietnam Veterans and Vietnam Women's Memorials, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Tidal Basin, the FDR Memorial and finally the Jefferson Memorial. Groups are capped at 15 travellers, and the tour ends back at the starting point.

It suits families especially well. The operator carries equipment for kids of all sizes and ages, including trailer carriages and trailer tandems for children too young to ride their own bike, and one reviewer's family with children aged 4 to 15 all managed the flat route happily. Anyone comfortable on a bike and free of serious back or heart problems should be fine; the tour is not wheelchair accessible.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at D Street NWCheck in at 701 D St NW, by the US Navy Memorial Plaza, 15 minutes before departure to collect bikes, helmets, lights and vests.
2. Washington DC startThe tour spends 20 minutes getting set and rolling out toward the Mall.
3. Washington Monument and White HouseA 5 minute stop at the Washington Monument, then 15 minutes at the White House, where admission is not included and viewing is from outside.
4. WWII Memorial and Constitution Gardens10 minutes at the National World War II Memorial followed by 15 minutes in Constitution Gardens.
5. Vietnam and Lincoln Memorials15 minutes at the Vietnam Women's Memorial, 7 minutes at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, then 10 minutes at the Lincoln Memorial.
6. Korean War and MLK Memorials7 minutes at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, then 7 minutes at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
7. Tidal Basin loop15 minutes along the Tidal Basin, with 15 minutes at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and 7 minutes at the Jefferson Memorial.
8. Return to startThe ride finishes with 15 minutes back to the meeting point, where the tour ends.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will make the evening go smoothly, based on the listing and on what past riders have said.

• Eat beforehand. The tour runs a full three hours with no food stop mentioned. One reviewer who brought five kids advised eating before you set out, and that is sound advice for adults too.
• Easy pace. The listing calls the roughly 5 mile route appropriate for a casual exerciser, and several reviewers agreed the route is flat and easy. One said no riding experience is needed because the bike paths are so good.
• Kids welcome. Trailer carriages and trailer tandems are available for children not old enough or comfortable on their own bike. A child in a trailer must be able to hold their head up and wear a helmet. Reviewers with children as young as 4 reported the whole family enjoyed it.
• Arrive early. Check in 15 minutes before departure. The operator states tours begin on time and late arrivals cannot be guaranteed a spot.
• E-bike orientation. E-bikes are available, and reviewers who had never ridden one said the instructions were clear. One reviewer, though, reported the equipment team did not orient their group and the guide had to step in, so it helps to ask for a walkthrough if you are unsure.
• Photos after dark. Reviewers repeatedly mention the monuments lit up at night as the highlight of the ride. Stops at several memorials run under 10 minutes each, so plan to make the most of the time the guide allows at each one.

Common issues. The tour is not wheelchair accessible and is not recommended for travellers with back problems or serious heart conditions. Tours may be canceled if weather makes riding dangerous, in which case a different date or a full refund is offered. One reviewer reported a bike with faulty gear shifting, and another complained about being the only riders on e-bikes in a group on regular bikes, which made pacing awkward.

What To Work Out Before Booking