Few people know that historic canals were critical to the growth of Washington D.C. in the early 19th century. These canals include the Washington City Canal, the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal and the Alexandria Canal. This bike/scooter tour explores the historic canals, canal boats, locks, and lockkeeper houses - and the people who built and used this incredible transportation infrastructure.
Bring your own bike/scooter - safety helmets are required. If you choose to rent a bike, there is a Capital Bikeshare docking station at our meeting point (more info about Capital Bikeshare in the FAQ section below). The ride is about 7 miles (11 kilometers) on flat ground and takes about 2 hours.
Here are the highlights of our tour:
From our meeting point, it is a very short ride to the 
Navy Yard Terminus
 of the historic 
Washington City Canal
. From there we proceed as closely as possible along the path of the historic canal. We stop at 
Canal Park
, a three-block stretch of 2nd St. SE which has several interpretive signs and historic photographs. From Canal Park, we ride around a section of the original path of the historic canal which was overtaken by what is now the Southeast Freeway (Interstate 695) and CSX railway. Along this detour we make a 
surprise stop
 at a place that predates the historic canal. Back on our bikes/scooters, we return to the historic path of the Washington City Canal on what is now Canal St. SE and ride to the 
Lockkeepers House.
 Along the way, we see the Washington City Canal memorialized at 
Freedom Plaza
. Then we make a brief stop to see artifacts of the historic Washington City Canal discovered when the National Museum of African American History was under construction. At the Lockkeeper's House you will learn the history of the house as well as the massive project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to create West Potomac Park and East Potomac Park. After departing the Lockkeeper's House, we ride along a route approximating the path of the 
C&O Canal Extension
 to 
C&O Canal Mile 0
, a stone marker at the C&O Canal's southeastern terminus. Here we see the ruins of 
Tide Lock A
 that connected the C&O Canal to the Potomac River. From there the final leg of our ride takes us to 
C&O Canal Lock 4
. There we will see a 
working lift lock
, where a 
canal packet boat
 will be docked near the National Park Service's Visitor Center in Georgetown.
Legal Disclaimer:
 By participating in this tour, you agree to:
Provide your own bicycle or scooter in good mechanical condition and safety helmet.
Obey all traffic laws.
Hereby unconditionally RELEASE, WAIVE, and AGREE NOT TO SUE TommyToursDC or any of its employees.
Information Source: TommyToursDC | eventbrite

Washington D.C.

United States

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Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C.

Near Georgetown|Georgetown, Washington D.C.

Luxury Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

United States Capitol

Historic buildings

生长在海边的果果

The Capitol building needs to make an appointment to buy tickets in advance to visit. Arrive on time according to the requirements. There are many people. Be sure to have an advance amount to not affect the itinerary. You can make an appointment for a Chinese tour in advance. Although it is a Chinese tour, it is also a foreigner tour guide who speaks English and uses a translator to translate it into Chinese to play it for us. It is very interesting. The interior of the Capitol is also very good from the perspective of the building itself. You must explain it when you go in and visit.

National Mall

The National Mall is a must-check-in place for Washington tourism. One is the Lincoln Memorial and the other is the Washington Monument. There is a pool of water between them and green spaces on both sides. There are monuments such as the Victory Memorial of World War II, the Vietnam War and other monuments, and the Jefferson Memorial. The beautiful cherry blossoms of the annual Washington Cherry Blossom Festival are also in full bloom around this area. We arrived in Washington at the end of April. It is a pity that the cherry blossoms have been lost and have not left a trace. I can only imagine that the scene of blooming must be beautiful.

Waldorf Astoria Washington DC

Near The White House|The Mall, Washington D.C.

Rosewood Washington DC

Park Hyatt Washington DC

Near The White House|West End, Washington D.C.

The White House

泰迪小熊

Came on September 22, 2017. I heard that the White House has not been open to the public since 911, and we can only look far outside the fence when we go, so the White House has become a boring landmark, taking a photo of the tourists who &ldquo;come here&rdquo; to check in. There is a big pine tree on the south side of the White House, and I didn&rsquo;t expect it to be a &ldquo;landmark&rdquo; and a &ldquo;national Christmas tree&rdquo;... Well, it seems that you should pick Christmas to visit.

Lincoln Memorial

Night view

_We***42

[Value for money] It is open 24 hours a day and is free. Although we went there at 6 o&#39;clock, it gets dark early in winter. But the momentum is still there.

But why do I feel that the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei is so similar to the Lincoln Memorial!

[Scenery] It is magnificent! Facing the Washington Monument! At this moment, I suddenly remembered Chairman Mao&#39;s poem &quot;The country is so beautiful, attracting countless heroes to compete for it!

Washington Monument

铨上风满楼

Washington DC monument is one of the landmark buildings in Washington DC... It was built to commemorate the first president of the United States, George Washington. This stone monument was once the tallest building in the world... Today, it is still the tallest stone obelisk in the world...

Time:	Jun 14, 2025 (UTC-4) ENDED
Location:	1201 New Jersey Ave SE

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Lincoln Memorial

Washington Monument

Explore historic canals of Washington D.C. by bike/scooter | 1201 New Jersey Ave SE

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