White House Tour

The White House is probably the most iconic government building in the world.  When visiting Washington, DC, a visit is on most people's list.  However, in order to be able to tour the building, you need to do some planning.  For American citizens, you must contact your congressman/congresswoman and request a spot on a tour.  You can either call their office for information on how to do this, or go to their website and follow the instructions for requesting a tour.  The process may vary by congressional district.  You should also do this far in advance (at least a few months) to give the congressional office time to process the paperwork on your behalf.  If you try to just show up at the White House without doing this, you will be denied entry.  For people who are citizens of other countries, you'll need to contact your country's embassy to determine how to get access to view the White House.

Once you have a tour scheduled, you'll still need to wait online for about an hour to get into the house and go through multiple Secret Service security checkpoints.  They are very strict about the ID you need and what you can/cannot bring with you, so please make sure you follow the instructions you receive when you get your tour confirmation.

Once inside, the tour is self guided.  You'll walk through only one floor's worth of rooms, but in each room is a Secret Service agent who is there to answer any questions you may have.  You'll see some great decor, architecture and portraits during your walk through, and also be given a recipe created by the White House chef upon your exit.

This is definitely a tour we recommend for anyone visiting DC, but please make sure you do the proper planning first to avoid disappointment.