Journeyscape, which specialises in tailor‑made holidays across North America, has partnered with Destination DC on a collection of new Washington, DC experiences that invite travellers to explore the capital through art, food, culture and community.
Rather than focusing solely on traditional historic narratives, the experiences highlight the diverse voices, neighbourhoods and stories that shape the city today.
“Washington, DC is more than monuments,” said Dominique Kotsias, Product Manager for Journeyscape.
“The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence offers a moment to reflect on the country’s past while celebrating the creativity and cultural vibrancy that define its present.
“We’re thrilled to partner with small local businesses passionate about showcasing to visitors a deeper, more human connection to the city.”
Several options are available. The Blue Fern Travel Tours itinerary is described as a “delicious journey through DC’s most dynamic neighbourhoods”. These include Georgetown, U Street and Old Town Alexandria — all just minutes away from DC across the river in Virginia — spotlighting immigrant‑owned eateries, local artisans and the flavours that tell the story of the city’s evolving identity. Guests enjoy curated tastings from pastries to pizza while learning about the communities that shaped them.
The Black Broadway U Street Tour traces the area’s evolution from the Jazz Age to today through its street art, architecture, and some of the city’s most iconic dishes.
Across the river, the Old Town Alexandria tour brings you through a charming waterfront city rich with stories from the Civil War to Civil Rights. You’ll taste the flavours that shaped Alexandria’s history and set the backdrop for its evolution.
Every booking also makes a real impact. Blue Fern Travel donates a portion of each ticket to Bread for the City, providing three full meals to a DC resident in need for every tour purchased. Since launching, they’ve donated more than 40,000 meals.
On the DC Mural Tour, a guided exploration of Washington’s celebrated street art scene led by Jason Bowers, art curator, gallerist and assistant director of DC Walls, the city’s international mural festival, travellers discover large‑scale murals, hidden gems and the artists behind them, gaining insight into the social movements, cultural histories and creative expressions that colour the city’s most eclectic and historic neighbourhoods.
Having spent nearly two decades watching DC’s street art scene evolve, and having helped bring many of the murals you’ll see to life, Jason offers a depth of knowledge that no general city tour can come close to.
Two neighbourhood tours are available. The NoMa/Union Market tour covers more than 20 murals across one of DC’s most rapidly changing areas over two hours, ending at the Union Market food hall. The Adams Morgan tour takes 90 minutes through one of DC’s most eclectic and historic neighbourhoods, with around 20 murals ranging from modern street art to culturally significant works.
The A Tour of Her Own experience highlights the contributions of women — famous and unsung — whose stories are woven into the fabric of the nation’s capital. The tour is offered by the first tourism company in DC dedicated to women’s history.
A Journeyscape spokesperson said the tour is a “powerful complement to the 250th anniversary’s themes of reflection and progress”.
Routes cover everything from the women’s suffrage movement and the Civil War-era Treasury girls to the Black feminist leaders who shaped the city and the country.
A 15-day Classic Capitol Region self-drive holiday including the Blue Fern Food Tour, DC Mural Tour and A Tour of Her Own Tour in Washington, DC, costs from £3,690pp.
The price includes hire car, good-quality hotels including the Fairmont Washington DC and the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and excursions. International flights are extra.
