Big Bus Tours Washington DC Reviews 2,681

TrustScore 1 out of 5

1.1

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Purchased a 2 day pass. Observed the following: very old and ill repaired buses, such as leaking windows, mostly nonoperational headphone plug-in(s), dirty cracked seats and stained ceilings below,... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not waste your money. Tour bus stopped at Lincoln memorial for 15 minutes and that’s it!!! We drove by Martin Luther King memorial and Black Lives Matter plaza and the audio recording never mentio... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible service, avoid Big Bus Tours Washington. Several buses never turned up after waiting hours at stops in freezing cold conditions. Calling the company only resulted in recorded messages and we... See more

Company replied

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Would not allow collapsible (size of stroller) small wheeled seated walker on bus. Waited another half hour for promised alternate transportation only to be refused access again. Told to wait another... See more

Company details

  1. Travel Agency
  2. Tour Operator

Information provided by various external sources

Big Bus Washington DC is proud to be an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service and the National Mall & Memorial Parks, providing the official tour of the National Mall. Our tours are carefully designed to offer you the best sightseeing experience showing you the monument and memorials that are most meaningful to you.


Contact info

1.1

Bad

TrustScore 1 out of 5

3K reviews

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Hasn’t replied to negative reviews

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent tour of Washington DC

Excellent tour of Washington DC. My bus driver, Benjamin was very safe in roads that did not seem safe at all. The bus was never jerky or made sudden stops. He got us in and out of very tight places with ease. My tour guide Alicia was knowledgeable about the places we were seeing and spoke clearly. She could easily be heard and understood over the earbuds provided by the company.

The tour loops around a route in Washington DC where one can get off - see the sight (like the Air and Space Museam) then get back on a bus from the same company (they come every 20 minutes). I took the entire route then on the next go round hopped off to see sights. To get a full feel of DC (or as full as a tour can give you) I suggest doing the full route first.

The busses were clean and the speaker system (though the earbuds) worked well.

4 September 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Evening Stephie,

This is the type of review we love to hear! I will gladly forward this review to our management team so that Benjamin and Alicia can get the proper recognition he deserves. Hold on to your tickets for future discounts with Big Bus Tours.

Regards,
Marcale

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Trevonn and Tony were excellent tour…

Trevonn and Tony were excellent tour guides. They were funny and kept the crowd interacting. I would absolutely recommend taking this tour.

2 September 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Evening Jackie,


I am glad to hear that you enjoyed our Night Tour. I will forward this review to management so that Trevon and Toney can get the recognition that they deserve. Please hold on to your tickets for future discounts on our tours.

Regards,
Marcale

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Took a night time tour!!!

Took a night time tour with a very pleasant Chris and his girlfriend -er I mean water bottle jana. We had a save ride thanks to our drive Nick. 10/10 would do again :)

18 August 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hey Karina,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington D.C. I am very pleased to hear that you enjoyed our Night Tour. I will forward this review to management so that Chris and Nick can get the recognition that they deserve. Please hold on to your tickets for future discounts on our tours.

Kind Regards,
Marcale B

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

NY and Philly definitely WAY better than DC

Took the Big Bus in NY and Philly. Service was great and the staff were fun and professional. However, DC was POOR. The only positive comments include: great customer service by Gregory at the Union Station and nice evening tour with Sam (guide - extremely knowledgeable) and Gloria (driver - always smiling).

Don't usually read comments but after scrolling through some, I could agree with them. First bus at Arlington is noted for 9:37am on the brochure. App shows 9:31am. We just missed it at 9:33am.

First bus broke down but a replacement bus was there within 10 minutes. Definitely not clean buses in DC and without AC for sure.

16 August 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Morning Anu,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington D.C. , I would like to apologize for the inconvenience you've endured while touring with us. I would like for you to contact us directly at infodc@bigbustours.com so that we can rectify the situation.

Kind Regards,
Marcale B

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Begine was the loveliest host

Begine was the loveliest host! Such a good experience and learned so much about the city on the night tour. Begine is the sweetest!

9 August 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington D.C. I pleased to hear that you enjoyed your touring experience with us, I will be sure to notify our Management Team of Behind exceptional Customer Service.

Best Regards,

Willis B

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

must do ! Worth the money !!

This was so unbelievably worth the money for the deluxe pass. The attendants (keyla in particular) were so very helpful and without there help I would have been aimlessly walking all over the city. Taking the bus tour allows you to see everything and take great pictures without walking to each location.

9 August 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hello,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington D.C., I would like to thank you for taking time out your day and writing this amazing review, also you can hold onto your tickets and whenever you happen to be visit Washington, D.C. you will receive 10% off your next visit.

Best Regards,

Willis B

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Big Bus won’t refund

Due to an accident in front of the garage in Washington DC, caused that the bus service was suspended. The Supervisor said, that we with no problems could get our money back by making a request through the website.
By now - more than 14 days after we send the application, The Big Bus Tours haven’t even made a reply !

7 August 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hey,

Thank you for contacting Big Bus Tours of Washington, D.C. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced while touring with us. Please feel free to contact us directly at infodc@bigbustours.com so we can rectify any issue that you had while touring with us.

Regards,

Willis B

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Bug Buses

Bug Buses, DC were so hot and not air conditioned. Sigh. Cassie was a great tour guide. She brought enthusiasm plus interesting history, museum tips and fascinating DC antidotes. Loved her...she was about the only nice component to this experience. She deserves an A+ and all the praise.

7 August 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington D.C., I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience due to the lack of Air Conditioning, but I'm the flipside I will forward this information directly to our Management Team so that Cassie can be acknowledged for her incredible review.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I so wish I read the reviews before…

I so wish I read the reviews before purchasing tickets. I experienced many of the issues posted in the reviews. Half of the top deck is encased in glass with NO air conditioning or circulation. People were profusely sweating and miserable; baking in the sun. When someone asked the guide if the air conditioning could be turned on, he made a sarcastic comment about there being a huge open hole at the back of the bus that air escapes from. We were so miserable from the heat ( mind you, I live in south Florida) after the first stop, we did not get back on the bus and finish the tour. Save your money and go elsewhere.

3 August 2019
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hello,


Thank you for sharing a review. We're sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. I reached out to you via. email to solve your issue. Your comments have been forwarded to our management team. Please get back with us at your earliest convenience. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,
Willis B

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

CASSIE IS THE G.O.A.T.!

The rating is so high because of Cassie — she’s the sweetest woman and has the brightest spirit. The bus itself needs to be cleaner, but Cassie made it worthwhile!

31 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Evening,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington D.C. I pleased to hear that you enjoyed your touring experience with us, I will be sure to notify our Management Team of Cassie exceptional tour experience.

Best Regards,

Willis B

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Cassie is amazing!

Cassie is an amazing knowledgeable woman. The reason Big Bus Tours DC is getting a 5 star rating because of Cassie! The buses need to be maintained better; air conditioner leaks everywhere, and one bus broke down in Georgetown and we had to walk to the metro to be transported back to DC.

28 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hello,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus of Washington D.C., I would like to thank you for taking time out your day and writing this amazing review. If you can hold on to your tickets then next time you choose to your again we can gladly give you 10% off your next tour.

Warmest Regards,

Willis B

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Warning would have been nice...

Bus spat water at me through the air conditioning.

28 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hello,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington, D.C., i would like to deeply apologize for the inconvenience you endured while touring with us. Please feel free to contact us directly at infodc@bigbustours.com so we can rectify the issue that occured.

Best Regards,

Willis B

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We took a “Moonlight Tour” with Nona as…

We took a “Moonlight Tour” with Nona as our tour guide and she did an excellent job. She was very knowledgeable (so much so that we asked about her education and learned she holds advanced degrees in education and political science). The night tour typically stops at the Lincoln and Vietnam memorials. Our bus driver and guide also squeezed in an additional stop at the MLK. We used the bus for daytime touring of the city (which offers many more chances to disembark than the moonlight tour) and had great experiences with Steve and Pam.

28 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hello,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington, DC, we appreciate you writing this wonderful review. i will be sure to notify our Management Team of Nona exceptional Tour she offered.

Warmest Regards,
Willis B

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great day

Arrived in DC and booked the bus. Cassie was an excellent tour guide !! She was knowledgeable and kept it very interesting. She took a great picture for me and my boyfriend.

24 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for choosing Big Bus Tours of Washington DC, we appreciate you writing this amazing review, also I will make sure our Management Team is aware of Cassie excellent job she has done.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The buses were ridiculously slow and…

The buses were ridiculously slow and they only had two buses running. It took me over 3 hours to get back to my hotel after being by the Washington mall. Not to mention the bus was hot, dirty, and the bus drivers were rude. This could not have been a bigger waste of money. You are much better off just spending the money on Uber’s to get around.

23 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hey,

I would like to offer my apologies for the circumstances that you have experienced while touring with us. please feel free to contact us directly here at infodc@bigbustours.com so that we can rectify any issue.

Warmest Regards,

Willis B

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do Not use Big Bus Washington DC

Worst Nightmare. Horrible Bus service! Extreme Heat in bus with A/C only blowing hot air. Everyone had to get off at the next stop because it was dangerously hot. Windows have no way to be opened! Interesting that when I went up to the driver to complain his area was blowing cold air!!!! Audio System did work. Customer Service does not exist... when you read how to complain or get a refund fund unless it is a Zombie Apocalypse they will not give you a one . I would rate them with zero star if possible. So disappointed....previously used this service but it is Horrible Now. Use a different tour service if you come to DC!!!! Wish I would have checked out all the other negative reviews that have been submitted concerning this company... NO ONE ever got back with me on my complaint either.

20 July 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

What an awful experience

What an awful experience.
Big Bus tour bus, AC wasnt working and people were so hot about to pass out . When we complain found out the drivers AC was on full blast working fine for him. Big Bus was crowded and no window were able to be opened . Trying to get money back .
He was unhelpful. Also the audio was non working either. They dont really care.

20 July 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! Paid for the 2 day tour & the 1st day the buses weren't running till later in the day so had to spend more money on the metro for transportation around DC. The 2nd day the buses were running all day & our 1st stop was to be at the Holocaust museum well it took us well over 2 hours because for some reason we had to keep making stops that had us sitting for at least 20 minutes each time in 100 degree weather & we were never told we would be sitting like that numerous times. We ended up getting off the bus & walked to our destination because it was a lot quicker. We no longer used the Big Bus tour after that because we found that you could take the metro anywhere for a a small fee or ride the Circulator bus for free which had AC & got you everywhere quickly. I would of saved myself about 80.00 if I didn't buy the Big Bus tour. Lessened learned never ever go through them again! I feel I deserve a refund of some sort but I'm sure they have a policy to cover themselves somehow. So until I get some kind of refund I will continue to post this same review anywhere & everywhere I can & gladly remove them all once I get a refund!

20 July 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful experience

Maria our tour guide was awesome! She provided an excellent commentary which was very engaging, informative and passionately delivered. One of the best city tour experiences! Wish more were like her, thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks a lot.

11 July 2019
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

DC Fun Night Tour

We went on a night tour of Washington DC and it was a lot of fun and we saw a lot of sites in 3 hours. Terri our driver was great and Alicia our speaker was insightful and hilarious! They were a joy to travel with on our 3 hour tour.

10 July 2019
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Washington DC logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Washington DC

Hey Crystal,

I am glad you enjoyed the Night Tour. I will be sure to share your review with Terri, Alicia, and the management team.

-Michael-Ann H

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