2027067 Inside the Embassies

Inside the Embassies Featuring the Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart!

04/30/2027 - 05/02/2027 Fri-Sat Trip# 2027067

Inside the Embassies Featuring the Washington National Cathedral Flower Mart!

Unlike any other event in Washington, DC – and perhaps in the world—Embassies open their doors on a grand scale. On two days in May, the Around the World Embassy Tour allows domestic and international visitors experience the countries and cultures of the world. Remember, upon stepping foot on Embassy grounds, you have officially left United States soil. Along with this fabulous experience you will also visit Hillwood Museum, the National Cathedral's annual flower mart and an Illuminated monument driving tour. Visit the NEW National Geographic Museum of Exporation, the Mansion on O Street plus visit the Artechouse. Includes 2 nights accomodations, baggage handling, 2 breakfasts, 2 dinners, admissions and guide service.

*This tour requires some walking, please review itinerary*

*Please consider your mobility level before booking this trip*

Day 1

Friday, April 30, 2027
11:30am Arrive in DC for free time to shop and lunch on your own at The Wharf. The Wharf reestablished Washington, DC, as a waterfront city and destination. This remarkable, mile-long stretch along the Potomac River comes to life with restaurants, retailers, residences, and businesses all complemented by monumental views and a vibrant culture.
1:30pm Meet your DC GUIDE. Return to the motorcoach and depart:
Drive Embassy Row. After the Civil War, the powerful and socially elite built large mansions along Massachusetts Ave. After the Great Depression, many of the families who built these homes went broke. Today, the area is known as Embassy Row. Embassies, associations, foundations, and clubs have claimed and restored these lovely homes.
Drive by the Washington National Cathedral. In a city of impressive monuments, memorials, and historic sites, the National Cathedral is unique. Standing higher than the Washington Monument, it is the sixth largest church in the world. This 14th-Century-style Gothic wonder is situated on 57 acres and took 83 years to build. Helen Keller and Woodrow Wilson, the only President buried within Washington, DC, are interred here. It is a living symbol of our country’s heritage of faith and religious freedom.
2:00pm Visit the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens. Enjoy free time to explore the gardens before regrouping for a guided mansion tour. The mansion is the former home of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and features one of the most comprehensive collections of eighteenth and nineteenth-century Russian Imperial art outside of Russia, as well as an extensive collection of eighteenth-century French decorative arts. Highlights include a diamond crown worn by Empress Alexandra at her marriage to Nicholas II; Beauvais tapestries designed by François Boucher; two Imperial Easter eggs by Carl Fabergé; La Nuit by William-Adolphe Bouguereau; and a collection of costumes and accessories worn by Mrs. Post or her family. The greenhouse and formal gardens are set among 25 acres of wooded hillsides located in the heart of Washington, D.C.
3:30pm Guided Mansion tour begins.
4:30pm Tour ends.
5:00pm Board and depart
5:30pm Enjoy an included dinner at Old Europe. Enjoy authentically German food! Customers are greeted and served by waitresses dressed in traditional German Dirndls. Menu: TBD
7:00pm Board and depart
7:30pm Check in to Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park
Baggage handling is included.

Day 2

Saturday, May 1, 2027
7:00am Breakfast included at the hotel.
8:30am Meet your GUIDE in the hotel lobby and depart
9:15am Line up at your choice of Dupont area Embassies to beat the lines that occur here later in the day. Discover the secrets and unique cultural traditions inside DC’s Embassies.
Lunch on own at the GUIDE’s discretion today.
3:00pm Stop at the Washington National Cathedral to explore the All Hallows Guild’s Annual Flower Mart, one of the biggest yearly events held at the Cathedral. There’s something for everyone!
Inside the Cathedral:
Check out the International Floral Display that highlights national and cultural heritage
Explore the Cathedral LEGO® exhibit
See the new Now and Forever windows
Outside the Cathedral:
Explore booths with garden plants, flowers, antiques, books, artisan-crafted merchandise, and more
Browse the Flower District and speak with expert Cathedral horticulture staff
Enjoy free entertainment – talented singers, dancers, musicians, and choral groups on the Main Stage
Eat fantastic food everything from barbecue and smoothies to funnel cakes, crepes, artisan pizza and more
5:00pm Board and depart
5:45pm Enjoy an included dinner at The Point. Perfectly situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, the contemporary design with live green walls, tranquil open-air patio and fire pits, compliment the picturesque and panoramic views. Menu: TBD
7:15pm Depart and continue on an Illuminated Monument Driving Tour. Washington’s grand buildings, memorials, and monuments sparkle and are impressive during the day but in the evenings they are illuminated, soft, and brilliant. Fountains and water features shimmer in reflection, shadows darken highlighting the floodlit detail. Impressive during the day stunning at night!
Stop at The National World War II Memorial. This memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world.
Drive by the various monuments and memorials brilliantly illuminated against the night’s sky.
8:15pm Depart
8:45pm Return to the hotel for the evening.

B, D

Day 3

Saturday May 2, 2027
7:00am Breakfast included at the hotel prior to checking out.
Baggage handling is included.
8:00am Board and depart
8:30am Pick up your local GUIDE
9:00am Visit the NEW National Geographic Museum of Exploration. Enjoy a guided tour followed by free time to explore on your own. For more than a century, National Geographic Explorers have embarked on daring expeditions, made groundbreaking discoveries, pushed the boundaries of what’s possible and shared these incredible stories with the world. Now, the invite you to be part of the experience with the National Geographic Museum of Exploration. Experience the world like never before through museum exhibits and immersive experiences that reveal the wildlife, landscapes, communities and cultures that make up our incredible planet.
Enjoy lunch on own while visiting.
1:00pm Board and depart
1:30pm Explore The Mansion on O Street’s. 100 rooms and 70 secret doors. Tour includes an introduction and Q&A about the Mansion. Be sure to pay special attention to spot a secret door or two. Continue with a self-guided journey through the uniquely themed rooms and secret doors.
3:00pm Board and depart
3:30pm Visit Artechouse, an American innovative art space and destination for immersive and interactive art exhibitions. It showcases experiential and technology driven works by artists who are forerunners of the new age in arts and technology.
4:30pm Depart for home.