Old Town Trolley Tours Washington DC — Local services in Washington

We booked a tour for 12 people, which included 7 high school students. This was the first time visiting DC for many of the folks in our group, so we were excited to embark on this tour of the Capitol. We stood in line, as directed, and waited to be called to board a bus. The on-site operator, Smiley, asked for the number of people in our group, and I gave him the number (12). Most importantly, we were the only group of Black people in the line and we were all dressed in the same shirt. It was clear to everyone that we were a group.

When the first bus arrived, there was room for our group on the bus. However, Smiley approached a white family (8 people) and two groups of two, and directed them to board the bus. Both of these groups were in line behind us. When we asked why we were skipped, Smiley laughed and stated that there wasn’t enough room on the bus for us. Last time I checked, 8 + 4= 12.

When the second bus arrived, Smiley told us not to get on the bus. Instead, he directed white groups to board first. When I asked why we were being skipped again, Smiley laughed and said “Y’all can just get in the back of the bus.” Is it a company policy or practice to use Jim Crow tactics with Black passengers?!

By the time the final bus arrived, there was a white couple that spoke up and said it was time for him (Smiley) to make sure we got on the bus first. It was only because that couple spoke up that he decided to allow us to board the bus. We are appreciative of those allies who refused to engage in Smiley’s anti-Black racism. Before we departed, Smiley got back on the bus, got in my face, and said, “Are you happy now?” I directed him to leave me alone and not to speak to me again.

Because of this experience prior to the tour, our students were emotionally wrecked by the anti-Black racism we experienced at the hands of Smiley. And to be clear: It is possible for Black people to engage in anti-Black racism. We walked away from this experience feeling that your company actively engages in and encourages anti-Black racism. My money is just as good as anyone else’s money and to be treated in this manner in absolutely disgusting.

I sent an email to the manager, Eric Holmes, who never replied, but refunded our money. I guess our money isn’t good enough.

UPDATE 6/21/23: The General Manager only reached out after seeing this review. He claimed that he hadn’t seen my email, and yet he reached out to my via email.

One of those groups arrived after we did, which explains why they were behind us in the line.

It’s really sad that this is how Black folks treat other Black folks in an attempt to placate white people.

Nice try with the gaslighting, though. You really should’ve left this at the abysmal phone...

We took an on/off monument tour through this company several years ago and were very satisfied with the experience, so I felt confident when I recently booked a similar on/off monument tour experience with them. This experience was not nearly as high-quality as the first time. Their website needs to provide more specific information about where to catch shuttles/buses & while there are some FAQs that are helpful, there needs to be more info provided. I used the chat feature & made 2 calls to get clarification on procedures that weren't clear. Both chat & phone calls quickly helped resolve my question msg. The bright spot of the actual tour was Maria, the shuttle driver between Arlington National Cemetery (where we parked) & the Lincoln Memorial (where our tour began). She was very friendly, patient & gave us some great advice on how to navigate through the very busy Cherry blossom festival experience. She actually drove us both ways & I would have been ecstatic to have had her for our tour guide instead of the 2 people we did have. I do not remember the first tour guide's name. He was a solid 4/5, but did talk a little too much about his own personal experiences for my liking. We were then transferred to a different bus/tour guide. His name was Phillip (2/5) & he told us it was only his 4th day driving after finishing training. He was enthusiastic, but his driving was too aggressive for someone with that little experience & frankly, he misspoke (pronunciation/usage) of so many words, I stopped listening to him. I also felt he let his personal biases show through during his patter. We missed a couple of stops due to how busy they were for cherry blossom time (company decision, not tour guide). Because it was so busy & traffic was horrendous, I didn't take away another star. I will seek a different tour company the next time we're in DC. I felt like this company has seriously gone downhill since our...

We had the regular daytime tour. We had a fantastic experience with Old Town Trolley in DC 2 years ago and since we were returning with different family members we hoped to have the same experience-including great tour guides with folks like King James (Our kids still remember him 2 years later.) This time there was a major event in DC that weekend which we did not know when we booked. The morning of the tour we got an email explaining that because of that event half of the stops would be avoided and no discount or refund was offered or given. I can understand rerouting but we had paid for the full experience and were not warned before that day. We had a good experience with guide Sunshine in fact, she recognized us when we boarded again later in the day. But the other guides were not great. In fact one guide commented as much on the other drivers and their driving as he did on giving any commentary on the route. The drivers were trying the be accommodating with the closures and did clearly explain which stops were closed and if they dropped guests off at different spots they clearly explained they could not be picked up there. But the day ended poorly when we were at Lincoln Memorial and a couple family members were still walking over from the Korean Memorial. The bus driver said there was still one bus out and we could catch that one. However, after over 30 min of waiting no bus came. We called the phone number on the brochure which was actually a central call center for all Old Town Trolley Tours including other cities. That person just said all buses were done for the day in DC. So we began the 35 min walk back to where we parked near one of the stops. It was a frustrating end to a disappointing day with Old...