White House
White House Group Tour Procedure:
Requests may be submitted to our office as early as seven months in advance. In the past, groups who have submitted tour requests at least six months in advance have had the most success receiving tours. We suggest you work with our office as soon as you begin making your plans. The more notice our office has of your trip, the more we will be able to arrange the appropriate tours.
Groups of 10 or more people may request to tour the White House. There is no maximum number; however, during peak tourist seasons, smaller groups may have an easier time getting their request honored.
Once a request is filed with the White House, the number of persons listed on the request may not be changed to accommodate more guests.
As in the past, security information, regardless of age, must be submitted for each person on the tour. Security information must be filled out using the White House security template. All templates must be completed in the PC version of Microsoft Excel (Apple computer templates are not compatible). Templates not submitted in the proper format in the proper program will not be accepted. The security template is due one month before the White House tour.
Tours are scheduled Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. one month prior to the requested date. Groups are scheduled according to the date the request was received and according to how many tours our office has been allotted for the year. The group may select a date(s) for consideration. However, the White House schedules the tour and the tour time. Our office merely acts as a liason between you and your White House tour. Tours may be denied due to the overwhelming number of requests the White House receives.
Occasionally, due to official events taking place at the White House, it will be necessary for scheduled tours to deviate from their regularly scheduled times.
All White House tours are self-guided; tour officers are positioned throughout the White House to help with questions.
Capitol Tour Procedure:
Tours of the Capitol are scheduled three months prior to the requested date. Groups should provide their top three preferred dates and times for the Capitol Tour in the event their first choice is not available. Tours are handled on a first come-first served basis.
Only groups of 40 may tour the Capitol. If your group contains significantly more than 40 people, we will divide the group and try to schedule smaller tour groups as closely together as possible.
Capitol tours take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and last approximately 60 minutes.
*For both White House and Capitol tours you must submit a DC Tour Request Form. After filling out this form please fax it Alec Fritchie at 202-225-4381.
Please contact my Washington office at (202) 225-2571 if you have any questions. We look forward to working with you and seeing your group this year.
