Arlington Tours

Tickets are available in a variety of ways. Buy online at arlingtontours.com, visit an Old Town Trolley DC ticketing location or visit the Arlington National Cemetery Welcome Center at the front gate.

Yes! The Arlington National Cemetery tour is open on all holidays and holiday weekends, including Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. The cemetery is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm, 364 days a year. The cemetery closes 1 day per year around December 16th for Wreaths Across America.

The guided tram tours depart every 30 minutes. The tours run throughout the day, with the first tour departing at 9:00am and the last tour departing at 4:00pm.

During the week, the tour stops at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the President John F. Kennedy Gravesite, Arlington House, and the Pershing Gravesite. On the weekends, the tour adds three additional stops: Sections 55 & 59, the Columbarium and Niche Wall, and the Pentagon Group Burial Marker/911 Memorial. You’ll have the opportunity to disembark and explore at your own pace. Hop on the next trolley and continue to be transported to notable graves and memorials.

On the tour, you will visit the graves of President John F. Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and his brothers Robert and Edward Kennedy. You will also visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which honors those who have died in service to their country. Additionally, you will be able to pay your respects to the graves of General John J. Pershing, General George C. Marshall, and General Omar Bradley. Finally, you will be able to visit the graves of the astronauts who died in the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters.

The most famous person buried in Arlington National Cemetery is undoubtedly John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States. JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas in 1963 and was laid to rest in the cemetery in a state funeral. His grave is marked by an eternal flame, which has become a symbol of his legacy and a reminder of his life and service to the nation.

The cemetery is also the final resting place of many other notable figures, including General John J. Pershing, the first American to be promoted to the rank of General of the Armies, and General Omar Bradley, the last surviving five-star general of World War II. Other famous people buried in the cemetery include Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, astronaut and Senator John Glenn, and civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

The oldest grave at Arlington National Cemetery is that of William Henry Christman, a private in the Union Army during the Civil War. Born in 1843, Christman was only 19 years old when he enlisted in the 67th Pennsylvania Infantry in April of 1861. He served with distinction until his death on May 11, 1864, from wounds he received in the Battle of the Wilderness. Christman was buried in the cemetery on May 15, 1864, making him the first soldier to be interred at Arlington .His grave is located in Section 27, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Changing of the Guard at Arlington National Cemetery takes place every hour on the hour from October 1st to March 31st, and every half hour from April 1st to September 30th. The ceremony begins with the guard marching from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the Tomb of the Unknowns, where they will stand watch for the next hour.

The ceremony itself is a brief but powerful display of respect and reverence, lasting about 30 minutes. The ceremony begins with the Old Guard marching from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the Memorial Amphitheater. The Old Guard is accompanied by a band playing a slow, somber tune. Once the Old Guard arrives at the amphitheater, they are joined by the New Guard, who march in from the opposite direction. The two guards then stand at attention and salute the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Yes, each weekday there are between 27 to 30 services, and Saturdays have four to five services. Arlington National Cemetery serves as a distinguished cemetery, deeply committed to honoring our nation’s heroes. In consideration of those being laid to rest and their loved ones, Arlington National Cemetery Tours Inc. tries to avoid scheduling tours during funerals. Please understand that funerals, events, ceremonies, and groups may occasionally cause delays or disruptions during your narrated tram tour.