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Glitz, Glam, and Gossip

Quick Details

  • Duration: 2.5 hours
  • Distance: Approximately 3 miles
  • Private Tours offered
Adult (12 & Up)
$49
Children (Under 12)
$44
Military (Active & Veterans)
$44

About the DC Glitz, Glam, and Gossip Tour

By the turn of the 19th century, Dupont Circle had transformed from a no-man’s land into Washington’s most exclusive address. The wealthiest (and most attention-seeking) elites of the 19th century called Dupont Circle home. They played the most epic game of “keeping up with the Joneses” in DC history, leaving behind glamorous mansions, an array of jaw-dropping architecture, and gripping tales of eccentric glitterati, from Thomas Edison’s arch rival George Westinghouse to Evelyn Walsh, the last private owner of the world famous Hope Diamond.

After party-loving heirs and heiresses squandered their fortunes away, most of these mansions were sold for pennies on the dollar to foreign countries, resulting in Embassy Row as we know it today. As you walk by flag after flag on this DC walking tour, you can see the mark that the embassies have had on the neighborhood. The statue of Ghandi outside the Indian Embassy is merely one example of the international imprint on Dupont Circle your guide points out on this tour.

The only neighborhood that can rival Dupont’s legacy of star power and wealth is Georgetown. It is also easily the most beautiful neighborhood in DC, and the crème de la crème of American politics, like Thomas Jefferson and John F. Kennedy, have left their mark on Georgetown. Stories of espionage, romance, and even mythical rabbit-beasts abound in the oldest neighborhood in the District. You also see a fence made of remnants of the Mexican-American War and even some award-winning Swedish architecture.

As we conclude our DC tour at Washington Harbor, a great spot on the Potomac River, you see with your own eyes the spots Captain James Smith wrote about on his travels from Great Britain. With several patio restaurants and bars to choose from, you can pull up a seat, grab a cold drink and wind down while enjoying looking out at the Virginia skyline – a perfect way to cap off an unforgettable experience.

So if you can relate to Alice Roosevelt’s famous quote, “If you don’t have anything nice to say about anyone, come sit next to me,” then this is your tour. Our tales leave you laughing, gasping, and laughing again in disbelief.