Important Information About Requesting White House Tours

*Please Read As The White House Visitors Office Has Made Changes To The White House Tour Request Process*

White House tours are scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis with no way to prioritize requests.  Unfortunately, submitting a White House tour request does not guarantee a tour request will be approved due to the inability of the White House Visitors Office to accommodate the high volume of requests received every day from across the nation.

The White House tour is not a guided tour and generally takes no more than 45 minutes.  Following the tour, groups are welcome to visit the White House Visitors Center, located across the street in the Commerce building at 15th and E Streets, NW. Wheelchairs are available upon request.  Please specify in your request if someone in your group may need a wheelchair during the tour to ensure one is available upon arrival.  If you are requesting a tour for a school group, please be sure to read the special notes for school groups at the bottom of the instructions.

Tours are typically scheduled Tuesday to Thursday from 7:30a.m – 11a.m and Friday to Saturday from 7:30a.m – 1:30 p.m.

How To Submit a White House Tour Request

STEP ONE:                         

Submit a tour request through this web site by completing the online Tour Request Form. Please make sure you click Submit.  When filling out the Dates field on the Tour Request Form, please include three dates, in order of preference. Keep in mind that White House tours occur sometime Tuesday – Saturday between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.  If you cannot make it to the White House before a certain time of day, please indicate that in your request.  Having less date and time flexibility in your request, may decrease the likelihood the White House Visitors Office is able to accommodate your request.  If the White House Visitors Office assigns your group a tour date and time, you cannot reschedule.

Note Regarding Group Size: you may request a tour for up to 100 guests. The group size requested must include every child and adult over the age of six months old.  You will not be able to add at a later date more people to your group than the number you submit in your request.   The larger your group size, the harder it will be for the White House Visitors Office to accommodate the number of spaces requested.

Note Regarding Planning Ahead: Tour requests cannot be transmitted to the White House Visitors Office if the requested date is less than a month away.  Similarly, our office is unable to transmit your request to the White House Visitors Office if the dates requested are more than six months away.  Tours may be submitted 3 months in advance and no later than 3 weeks before.

School Groups

If you are requesting a tour for a school group, there are some things you should know:

• The White House Visitors Office schedules tours Tuesday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 11am and Friday-Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  If your school group cannot make it to the White House prior to a given time, please indicate that when you request your tour.
   
• White House tours are usually not confirmed more than two weeks out from the requested date.  For some school districts, this makes it hard to plan for transportation and gain approval from the school district for the trip.  Unfortunately, this is something that cannot be changed.
   
• No bags are allowed in the White House, nor are food or drink.  There are no lockers or storage spaces for people to stow their belongings while they are on the tour. 

STEP TWO:                        

All guests who plan to visit the White House must provide the following information to the Secret Service: Full Name, Date of Birth, Social Security Number (U.S Citizens 18 and older only), country of birth, gender, and city and state of residence. Guests are responsible for submitting this information online via the secure RSVP form generated by the White House Tours Application.  All RSVPs must be submitted before the RSVP deadline.  Tour capacity will adjust after the deadline based on RSVPs (i.e. if you request a tour for 5 and only 4 guests RSVP by the deadline, the tour will now auto-adjust to a reservation of 4).

After Submitting A Tour Request:

You will be notified by Congressman Hoyer’s office when the request is received and has been submitted to the White House. If the request is approved and a tour is scheduled by the White House Visitors Office you will be notified of the assigned tour time. We strongly recommended downloading your confirmation page (emailed) and reading the White House Tour Information Documents provided. Parking and metro information is available here. You should hear back approximately 14 days prior to the date of the requested tour.

White House Links

General White House Tour and Event Information for Visitors
White House History
White House Historical Society
White House's Media Center - Slideshows, Video, and Live Streams
White House 101: Fun Facts
Map of the White House

Information About Other Visitor Events at the White House:

White House Easter Egg Roll

For the most up-to-date information for other public events at the White House, please call the Visitors Office 24-hour information line at (202) 456-7041. The Visitors Office TDD (telephone device for the deaf) number is 202-456-2121.