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Smithsonian Natural History + Air and Space Museum Private Tour

About this experience

This 5.5 hour guided combo tour welcomes guests to experience the Smithsonian’s two most visited museums in Washington DC. This is your chance to experience the two most popular museums in Washington DC with the help of our expert guides navigating the crowds! Dinosaurs to diamonds, planes, planets and spacesuits; our guides have the stories to make them come alive.

Highlights often include (but are not limited to):
-Henry, the largest taxidermied elephant

-Hope Diamond

-The Nation’s T-Rex (Wankel’s T-Rex)
-Meteorites

-1903 Wright Flyer
-1909 Wright Military Flyer
-Spirit of St. Louis

-Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit

At a glance

  • Duration: 5 hr 30 min
  • Private experience

Choose your tour option

Select a date and travellers to compare current prices and departure times.

SEMI-PRIVATE 8ppl Max. English
Save money by booking a small group tour of 8 guests max. per guide

This option NOT FOR WHEELCHAIRS.
10:00am Private Museum Tour
Begins at 10:00am

Plan your experience

Time on the tour5 hr 30 min
Guide languagesEnglish (live guide)
Tour arrangementPrivate experience

Set aside 5 hr 30 min for the experience itself, with additional time to reach your meeting or pickup point.

Compare the available options before choosing: their itinerary, inclusions and pickup arrangements can differ. Check the price for your date and whole group.

Before you go

  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Notes: Natural History Museum, Air & Space 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.

Local guides to help you plan

What is included

  • Tour Guide Exclusively For You (Does NOT apply if you choose "SAVE! BOOK SEMI-PRIVATE" option)
  • Guided Combo Museum Tour
  • Lunch Break

Not included

  • Hotel pickup or drop-off
  • Gratuities
  • Lunch

Itinerary and highlights

This is your chance to experience the two most popular museums in Washington DC with the help of our expert guides navigating the crowds! Start your day with the largest Natural History collection in the world. Stones, bones, and bugs clamor for your attention at the Smithsonian Natural History museum as the largest taxidermied elephant in the world trumpets your welcome (his name is Henry!). From the most famous single artifact in the Smithsonian collection — the (supposedly) cursed Hope Diamond — to the recently revealed renovated Fossil Hall with Mastodon, T-Rex, and Diplodocus looming over the path, your inner child will remind you of how fascinating the natural world’s mysteries are.

After a break to recharge, cross the famous National Mall to the Smithsonian Air & Space museum. Currently undergoing its own renovation, there is still plenty to see! Starting with a family in Ohio solving a problem not even Leonardo DaVinci could. We speak, of course, of the Wright Brothers who launched the world to literal new heights. The original Wright Flyer from 1903 gets its own exhibition gallery to set the stage for what comes after. From the first military flyer in 1909 (also a Wright Bros. creation) to the golden age of setting records and commercial aviation, imagine the guts it took to trust your life to this novel technology. Then head to the even more intimidating exploits in the space exhibits. Where you view some of the actual artifacts man set out to conquer the vast unknown in an inhospitable environment and then back to Earth’s warm embrace. But the highest heights are those of imagination that inspire us to the risk so much.

Meeting and pickup information

  • 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.

Languages and tickets

  • English — Guide
  • Mobile Only

Tour operator

  • Babylon Tours DC

Accessibility and practical details

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • It is imperative that you provide us with guests MOBILE PHONE NUMBER (including country code)
  • Notes: Natural History Museum, Air & Space 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.

Cancellation policy

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

Questions about this experience

How long is this experience?
The supplier lists a duration of 5 hr 30 min. Check your chosen tour option for its specific itinerary.
Which guide languages are listed?
English (live guide).
What ticket format is listed?
Mobile ticket.
What ticket age bands are listed?
Child tickets: age 0–9; Youth tickets: age 10–17; Adult tickets: age 18+. Check the practical details for participation requirements.
What accessibility information is provided?
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
What is the cancellation policy?
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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