The 12 Best Ghost Tours in Washington DC

1.Ghosts of Georgetown & The Exorcist Steps Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 610 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $39Our pick

Meet your licensed guide at Georgetown’s Old Stone House for a 90-minute evening walk through haunted homes, churches, alleys, and Civil War-era stories. Guides such as Wayne, Trevor, Sonia, and Ingeborg mix local history with ghost tales, ending at the famous Exorcist Steps.

“I loved this walking tour! The neighborhood is amazing and our guide Trevor was awesome, funny, and knowledgeable. The highlight was where we ended the tour at the Exorcist staircase.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Dreaded Dead Descent of the District: DC Ghost Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 446 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $32

Join guides such as Tony, Doug, John, or Elias for a one-hour evening walk around Lafayette Square and the White House. You’ll hear local ghost stories, see eight historic sites, ask questions, and get a healthy dose of Washington history for $32 per person.

“I was very disappointed. The tour was over $80 for our family of 4, but was probably only worth about $20 in total. It did last for an hour, but we only walked about 1/4 of a mile. Our guide was enthusiastic, but mostly talked about injustice against various populations including indigenous people, women, slaves, etc. While these are important topics they had NOTHING to do with ghosts. He shared a few fun ghost stories, but they got lost in all his rhetoric. At the end he mentioned that there was an extended tour that we could pay another $7 per person ($28) to join. Most of the tour, including…”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Ghosts of D.C. – Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 344 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $29

Start at the U.S. Supreme Court at 9 p.m. for a 90-minute walk through Capitol Hill. Guides such as Chris, Richard, Allegra, and Mike blend ghost stories with overlooked history at the Capitol and Folger Shakespeare Library. The group is small, the route is family-friendly, and the walk covers about a mile.

“We took a group of 8th graders on the tour and they all really enjoyed it. They learned some history while hearing the ghost stories. It was great!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Haunted DC Night-Time Walking Tour on Capitol Hill

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 172 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $25Best value

Walk Capitol Hill from 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. with a theatrical guide such as Davy Crockett, Mary Surratt, or Anna Seurat. Expect spooky stories, presidential lore, views of the Capitol, Supreme Court, and Senate, plus plenty of history. The tone is family-friendly rather than frightening.

“Funny, engaging, full of great history. Wish it started a little earlier because after a full day of walking/sightseeing, we were beat by 9:30.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Ghosts and Spirits Haunted Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 170 reviews · from $27

Walk around the White House, President’s Park, St. John’s Episcopal Church, the Octagon Building, and the Treasury area with a lantern-carrying US Ghost Adventures guide. Expect eight nearby stops, grisly history, local ghost tales, and a manageable 1 to 1.5-mile route.

“Excellent!! Fun for our entire family- tour guide very knowledgeable and well paced”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Ghosts of Georgetown Haunted History Nighttime Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 80 reviews · from $39

Join a licensed English-speaking guide for a 90-minute, family-friendly walk through Georgetown after dark. Hear stories tied to the Old Stone House, Civil War hospitals, haunted homes, Martin’s Tavern, and the Exorcist Steps. Guides such as Sonia, Amelia, Trevor, and Sarah bring the tales to life with humor and drama.

“Sonia was great, from start to finish. Super personality. Well done.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 73 reviews · 2 hours · from $30

Walk through central Washington with an English-speaking guide in a black US Ghost Adventures shirt and lantern. Visit eight haunted sites, including four pubs, hear tales of Grant, bootleggers, and politicians, then buy your own cocktails or mocktails along the way.

“Anton is great and fun guide, showed me the haunted and also alternative spots. Ghost stories about politicians and big people in DC were so fun. Got educated a lot.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.DC Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl By US Ghost Adventures

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 57 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $36

Start at Old Ebbitt Grill at 6 pm for a small-group walk through Washington DC’s haunted past. Hear stories tied to Mark Twain, President Grant, the National Theatre, and Prohibition, then finish at The Hamilton. Drinks cost extra.

“We learned a lot of history on this tour. There maybe wasn’t as much ghost stories as we’d hoped, but it was an enjoyable time with Anton and we are glad we did it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Haunted Washington D.C. Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 55 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $34

Join a costumed Nightly Spirits guide at 7:30 pm for a 2.5-hour, 21-plus walking tour through Lafayette Square and historic Washington bars. Guides such as Katie, Stephen, Elizabeth, and Captain Kirk mix White House ghost stories, local history, and drinks at two or three pubs.

“An absolutely wonderful tour! We had an amazing time and our guide was wonderful. Would definitely recommend.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Dark Nights in D.C. Ghost Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 33 reviews · 1h 30m · from $34

Follow an English-speaking guide through haunted Washington, D.C., beginning at the Octagon Museum and passing the White House, Lafayette Square, Decatur House, and other historic sites. Expect murder stories, tragic deaths, presidential legends, and a rain-or-shine walk for adults.

“Mike was an incredible guide would recommend to anyone”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.DC Ghosts Ultimate Dead of Night Haunted Ghost Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $37

Join a professional English-speaking guide at 10 p.m. for a two-hour walk through central Washington. You’ll hear ghost tales at the White House, Blair House, the Octagon Museum, and more, ending at Haupt Fountains. The group can include up to 35 people.

“Adding on the EMF reader and seeing it light up reading energy. Was s beautiful night and not too much walking so enjoyed everything”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Dark History: Scandals of Capitol Hill Evening Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59

Walk Capitol Hill at night with guides such as James, Shane, or Andrew, hearing PG-13 stories of scandal, death, false imprisonment, smuggling, and political deals. The 90-minute outdoor tour visits the Library of Congress, Supreme Court, U.S. Capitol, and office buildings.

“This evening walking tour was perfect for our group after a long day of sitting in work meetings. We had time to change and grab a bite to eat before heading to the starting point. Easy to get close via Capitol South Metro stop. Our guide, Andrew, was very knowledgeable, engaging, and walked at a pace that was easy for all participants. The stories he related at each location were told with good detail and were supplemented with additional images of sketches and photos he shared on the tablet he carried. We had a group of maybe 8 people so everyone was able to see and hear easily as we…”

Check availability →Read our full review