We've created a guide to making your own free Washington, DC, bus tours using the Circulator National Mall Route because we use this bus route on our National Mall tours daily.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We are sad about this too, but the Circulator no longer operates in DC. We'll be keeping this page up in hopes it returns but as of 2025, you cannot take a free bus tour in DC anymore.
We use the Circulator so much that the Washington Post interviewed one of our guides, Wesley, about how the 2025 proposal to end the bus route would affect us.
Despite the proposal to end the route next year, this is still our suggested bus route for 2025 as the best option to get around the National Mall (other than our walking tours, of course!)
Hop on Hop off Washington DC Tour
Don't worry about the hassle of waiting in line behind other tourists for the next Hop on Hop off Bus Tour?
This self-guided option below does not include a tour guide or narration, as you will be using public transportation!
However, we offer a small group National Mall tour utilizing the Circulator!
TIPS FOR USING THE DC CIRCULATOR
1. Get a SmarTrip card
Since you'll hop on and off at various stops, we recommend getting a SmarTrip card rather than paying the fare each time.
Circulator Fares are $1 regardless of the time of day or how long you ride, but with a SmarTrip, you touch in and grab a seat!
For more, read our post on which Metro card to buy in DC.
TIP: Riders who pay using a SmarTrip card can re-board the Circulator for free within two hours of boarding the bus. Paying in cash means you have to pay each time.
2. Know your Route
The Circulator runs the circumference of the National Mall, using the inner roads for the museums and the outer roads for the memorials.
The buses come every 10 minutes, but during normal rush hours, expect a bit of a delay.
CIRCULATOR SCHEDULE
Summer (April 1 – September 30)
7 am – 8 pm (weekdays), 9 am – 8 pm (weekends)
Winter (October 1 – March 31)
7 am – 7 pm (weekdays), 9 am – 7 pm (weekends)
Download a print-ready version of the National Mall Service map here.
Self-Guided Washington DC Bus Tour of the National Mall
Stop 1: Union Station
This is a great place to begin, but you can hop on the bus anywhere.
There is a parking garage at Union Station as well as MARC/Amtrak trains, interstate buses, and lots of restaurants.
It's an easy walk to the US Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and Library of Congress from here as well.
Stop 2-4: Smithsonian Museums
Suppose you visit any of the Museums on the National Mall (National Gallery of Art, Air & Space, Natural History, American History) or near the Mall (National Archives). In that case, you can hop off one of these stops.
Though the Air & Space is on the other side of the mall, it is much faster to hop off and walk across the Mall than ride the bus the entire way around!
Stop 5: Washington Monument
You can either hop off here to try to get tickets to the top or view it from the bus as you drive by.
At 555.5' tall, you can see this memorial to George Washington from almost anywhere!
Stop 6: Holocaust Memorial Museum
You can hop off here to visit the Holocaust Memorial Museum (find out how to get tickets here). The public entrance is on the other side of the building.
So, when you cross the street, you'll see the Group Entrance. Walk around the left-hand side of the building through the alley to get to the front.
Stop 7: Thomas Jefferson Memorial: This memorial is one of the farther ones to get to on foot, so the Circulator stop here will be popular!
On the south side of the Tidal Basin, you can hop off and visit the memorial up close. There is a small refreshment stand near the bus stop and restrooms in the basement of the memorial.
Use our self-guided tour of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial for more information about this magnificent building.
Get back on the Circulator for a drive around the Tidal Basin. As you cross over the bridge right after you make the right onto Ohio Drive, you'll see a great view of the DC skyline on your right and the Pentagon across the river on your left.
Stop 8: Martin Luther King, Jr. & Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
These two memorials are next to each other, so the stop services both. Though the MLK Memorial Bookstore sells bottled water, both have restrooms, but no refreshment stands.
Use our guide to the MLK and FDR Memorials for more information.
Hop on the next bus for a quick drive to the "Big Three."
Stop 9: Lincoln/Korean War Veterans/Vietnam Veterans Memorials
These three memorials are known as "The Big Three" because of their popularity and closeness. When you exit the bus, you should visit them in order.
The Korean War Veterans Memorial is first across the street in the trees. You'll also find a refreshment stand with hot food on this side.
Then, visit the Lincoln Memorial and enjoy the view along the National Mall.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is in the trees on the north side of the Mall.
Once you visit this, you can continue to Constitution Ave to hop back on the Circulator here instead of walking back to where you were dropped off if you don't want to visit the WWII Memorial. If you do, we suggest walking.
WWII Memorial: This beautiful structure is in the center of the mall, so the bus does not drop off in front of it. It will be less walking to walk straight here than back to a bus stop. You can follow the well-marked path through Constitution Gardens to find the memorial.
After WWII, you can go through Constitution Gardens to Constitution Ave and 18th Street NW to get back on the Circulator. Back on the bus, try to grab a seat on the left side of the bus. As you drive along Constitution Ave NW, you'll see the South Lawn of the White House on your left.
Stops 13-15: After your memorial tour, you can visit any of the Smithsonian Museums by hopping off at one of these stops. Again, it is faster to walk across the National Mall than wait for the bus to circle around and drop you right in front.
And now you're back at Union Station to grab your car, train, or lunch!
Tips from Locals and Travelers
We chat about the Circulator regularly in our 75K Member Facebook Group! Since it's a bit different from the DC Metro, it can cause some confusion, but it is very simple to use.
One of the main ways the Circulator differs from other bus routes is that sometimes you must signal that you want to get off.
You can also find advice on paying the fare - as you'll see many of our group members recommend using a SmartTrip card to get the discounted fare for transfers.
In some cases, you may want to hop on and ride around without getting off the bus.
Circulator Bus Tour of the National Mall
This name-your-own-price tour allows visitors to explore the National Mall via the popular Circulator bus. Uncover the history of our capital city from George Washington’s vision and Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan to the improvements implemented in the MacMillan plan and into the present day.
With your guide, you’ll learn how to navigate the Circulator bus system, familiarize yourself with the layout of the National Mall, explore sculpture gardens, and discover some of the famous museums and memorials the city offers.
This tour will last three hours and involve about one mile of walking and riding the Circulator Bus. Guests must have a SmarTrip card with at least $2 fare to ride the bus. SmarTrip cards should be purchased before arriving at the tour starting location. Restrooms will be available at the memorial stops.
Major stops would include:
- Union Station
- a view of the west side of the Capitol Building (site of the inauguration),
- the exterior of the Smithsonian Castle
- and views of the Washington Monument
- Jefferson Memorial
- FDR Memorial
- MLK Memorial
- and Lincoln Memorial & Reflecting Pool.
