mt vernon cruise washington dc

Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC.

From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Spend the day with us!

Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen".

The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858.

Need primary and secondary sources, videos, or interactives? Explore our Education Pages!

The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only.

Visit Mount Vernon by Boat

Travel down the Potomac River by boat to Mount Vernon.

Take a three-hour round-trip cruise to George Washington's estate (one-way cruises also available).

Listen to a narrated riverfront tour as you pass historic and modern landmarks, including the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol.

Departs from  Washington, D.C.

• Alexandria, VA
• National Harbor

Includes general admission to Mount Vernon. 

Learn More & Book a Cruise

Take a Historic Journey

Throughout the 19th century, the Potomac River teemed with ships bringing both local residents and out-of-town visitors to George Washington’s historic estate.

A Royal Dedication

In 1991, Queen Elizabeth II dedicated the newly restored Mount Vernon wharf.

Tour the Mansion

Entry to the Mansion requires a tour time.

To reserve a Mansion tour, call (703) 780-2000 in advance of your visit. There is a $2 fee per tour.

You can also request a tour time at the ticket office after your arrival. However, there are a limited number of Mansion tours available, and tour tickets sell out early in the day.

Advance reservations are strongly recommended.

"A Lovely Trip"

We had just the right amount of time to see everything.

A great day out and one to remember!

– TripAdvisor Review , July 2019

Cruise to Mount Vernon

From D.C., Alexandria or National Harbor

Cruises from Washington, D.C.

Take a three-hour round-trip cruise aboard the Spirit of Mount Vernon from Washington, D.C.

Depart from the SW Waterfront and listen to a narrated riverfront tour as you pass historic and modern landmarks, including Old Town Alexandria, Ronald Reagan airport, and Fort Washington.

Breakfast, lunch, and various treats and beverages are available while on board.

This tour includes general admission to Mount Vernon with a prearranged Mansion tour. One-way cruises are also available.

Take a three-hour round-trip cruise aboard the Spirit of Mount Vernon from Washington, D.C. Depart from the SW Waterfront and listen to a narrated riverfront tour as you pass historic and modern landmarks, including Old Town Alexandria, Ronald Reagan airport, and Fort Washington. Breakfast, lunch, and various treats and beverages are available while on board.

Cruising Schedule

Depart for mount vernon, depart for the wharf, sw waterfront, cruises from alexandria & national harbor.

Cruise down the Potomac from the Alexandria City Marina or National Harbor, MD, and take in spectacular views with onboard narration while on your way to Mount Vernon.

The three-hour round trip includes general admission to the estate, where you can spend four hours exploring the estate and enjoying a Mansion tour.

View highlights of Spirit of Mount Vernon Cruises

Already at Mount Vernon?

Take a 45-minute narrated cruise on the Potomac and experience George Washington's Mount Vernon from a different perspective.

Available seasonally.

• Wharf Policy
• Vessel Docking Agreement

Mount Vernon is located in northern Virginia, just a short drive from Washington, D.C.

For more information about things to do in Virginia, visit  Virginia.org , the official tourism website for the state of Virginia. You’ll find an overview of each region in Virginia, as well as information about cultural attractions, upcoming events, and where to stay. You can also purchase merchandise featuring the official Virginia slogan, “Virginia is for Lovers.”

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Spirit of Mount Vernon is not currently available.

Cruise round-trip from Washington, D.C to Mount Vernon on select dates from March through October. Once at the elegant Mount Vernon estate, guests have three hours to roam the grounds and gardens. In addition, your cruise includes a narrated riverfront tour including landmarks such as the Ronald Reagan airport, Fort Washington, and more. Breakfast and lunch are available for purchase onboard. 1 or more people

Good To Know

• The round-trip cruise is approximately 3 hours long.
• Guests have 3 hours to explore Mount Vernon estate.
• Food and beverages are not included in your tour price but are available for purchase onboard.
• Tours begin boarding at 8:00 am at the SW Waterfront.

Description

Spirit of Mount Vernon Reviews

Spirit of Mount Vernon is located at 600 Water Street SW • Washington , DC 20024

Nearby Things to Do

• Spirit of Washington DC Dinner Cruise
• Washington DC Premier Dinner Cruise
• Odyssey Washington DC Premier Lunch Cruise
• Spirit of Washington DC Signature Lunch Cruise
• Washington DC Premier Brunch Cruise

Nearby Hotels & Lodging

• Cambria Hotel Washington D.C. Capitol Riverfront
• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Washington, DC/Downtown
• DoubleTree by Hilton Washington DC - Crystal City
• Club Quarters Hotel, Washington DC, White House
• Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC/US Capitol

Frequently Asked Questions about Spirit of Mount Vernon

• SW Waterfront Boarding Time : 8:00 am | Departure : 8:30 am
• Arrival at Mount Vernon : 10:00 am
• Return Boarding : 1:15 pm | Departure : 1:30 pm
• Arrival at SW Waterfront : 3:00 pm
• All bags/containers larger than 16x16x8 inches are strictly prohibited from the property.
• All bags/containers will be searched upon arrival.
• The following items are prohibited:
• Weapons/firearms not in compliance with Virginia law
• Knives/blades longer than 3.5 inches
• Flammable liquids, gases, and aerosols
• Fireworks and related materials
• Other items deemed dangerous or suspicious
• Food and beverages, except water

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• Frequently Asked Questions

Useful Links

• Washington D.C. Sitemap
• Map of Washington D.C.

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Call and Book Your Next Trip Today!

1-800-590-8125.

We accept a variety of payment methods for your convenience:

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Don’t take any chances with your trip. Whether you need assistance booking, helpful details for you to be prepared, or need to make a change, our knowledgeable and helpful customer support team is prepared to assist you.

Meet the only line that cruises from Washington, DC. Here’s where it’ll take you

Picture cruises from Washington, D.C., and you'll likely envision a behemoth like Royal Caribbean 's Icon of the Seas clogging up the Potomac River. Fortunately, that's not the case with the only ship to sail voyages from the U.S. capital.

American Cruise Lines — the largest river cruise line in the U.S., which operates small-ship voyages exclusively on U.S. rivers and coasts — has positioned two of its vessels, fittingly named American Constitution and American Glory, at The Wharf along D.C.'s southeast waterfront.

As the first ships in more than 60 years to sail round trip from that location, they take passengers along the Potomac and York rivers and into the Chesapeake Bay. Here's a rundown of when the cruises depart, how much they cost and where you'll stop along the way.

For more cruise guides, news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

When you can cruise from Washington, DC

These voyages, dubbed American Revolution itineraries, operate in the spring and fall, with the first voyage of 2024 setting sail on March 26, just in time for passengers to enjoy the area's famed cherry blossoms .

Sailings on both 100-passenger American Glory and 170-passenger ship American Constitution run on a regular 10-night rotation through early June and pick up again from early October to early November.

Where you can cruise from Washington, DC

If you're a history buff, you'll salivate over the places this itinerary will visit.

Your trip will begin with a pre-cruise package that includes a stay at the Four Seasons in Washington, D.C., where you can tour the Capitol Building and spend time at the Smithsonian museums.

After departing the capital, you'll stop in Annapolis, Maryland, home of the Naval Academy and a charming downtown area. Follow that up with highlights in Norfolk, Williamsburg and Yorktown, Virginia, where the Revolutionary War came to an end.

Finish off the trip with a call on Alexandria, Virginia, where you can spend a day exploring the historic old town, and a visit to Mount Vernon, the former home of George Washington.

How much are cruises from Washington, DC?

Prices start from $5,275 per person for a cabin with a window as part of a promotion the line is running, which includes fare discounts and free round-trip airfare if you're not someone who lives within driving distance of The Wharf. You can check more prices on the American Cruise Lines website .

Other cruise ports to consider

If you'd prefer a sailing on a larger oceangoing ship, the closest big-ship embarkation ports within a reasonable driving distance are Baltimore and Bayonne, New Jersey.

A variety of ships depart from those locations, including Carnival Cruise Line 's Carnival Legend and Carnival Pride and Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas from Baltimore. Liberty of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas, as well as Celebrity Cruises ' Celebrity Eclipse, depart from Bayonne.

Norfolk, Virginia, is also a drive-to port for the D.C. area, but no large ships are scheduled to depart from there in 2024. Look for cruises on Carnival Sunshine in 2025.

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Mount Vernon Cruise - City Experiences By Hornblower

• United States    
• District of Columbia (DC)    
• Washington DC    
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• City Experiences By Hornblower

Mount Vernon Cruise

Here are the essential facts: The boat leaves the dock promptly at 8:30am. The boat arrives at Mount Vernon at 10am. Mount Vernon site tickets are included, as are reserved time tickets to walk through the mansion. The boat leaves Mount Vernon promptly at 1:30 and has you back in DC at the dock by 3pm. The crew is friendly. There is no food worth eating or coffee worth drinking, so plan accordingly. The boat itself is cleanish but no frills. On the whole, a reasonable cost for the experience. Whether or not you want to spend that much time on travel to this site (90 minutes each way) is your key decision. The scenery from the boat is what one would expect. Mount Vernon itself is a five star experience and well worth three hours spent on the site.

My husband and I took the dinner cruise last night. We had prepaid for our drinks and a bottle of wine. After being seated, we waited approx. 1/2 hour for service. I finally called the bus boy over who said he'd get us our waitress. She came over very shortly, but apologized that she was busy serving others, that she'd be with us shortly. About 15 minutes later she finally came and took our drink order (45 minutes into a 3 hour tour). Then the dinner. I guess I should have known this but didn't, it was a buffet. By the time they called our table to go up to serve ourselves the first thing I noticed was that the salad bowls were empty. One of the servers was standing near me, so I asked if he could refill the salad, which he did. The remaining food was also running very low, so we got the bottom of the barrel so to speak. I have to say the food was very good, kudos to the chef. The service was really bad, however. They didn't offer us coffee so once again we had to ask. Would probably not take this dinner cruise again. If it weren't for the quality of the food, I would have given a lower rating,

Hi there - While we're glad you enjoyed the food, we are very sorry that you didn't have that same experience with the service. We would really like the opportunity to discuss some of the missteps in our service with you so we can address them with our team. Please reach out to David at [email protected] to discuss. Thank you.

We took a large group of students on the cruise last week and had an absolute blast! From the time we arrived to the time we left, the staff there made us feel very special and they were very attentive. Andrew the supervisor went above and beyond to ensure everyone on board that night had a great night. The buffet was excellent including some salads, oven baked chicken and unlimited sodas. The DJ did a great job keeping the students dancing all night and the views from the Potomac were breathtaking. An absolute must do while in DC!

My girlfriend and I were set for a cruise on the spirit today for valentines day. unfortunately we never made it. We plugged the directions straight into our GPS from the map and address provided from the website that lead us to a dirt road. We called customer service but unfortunately for us again the Representative was in Chicago and had no idea how to get to the pier nor was he able to provide us with an accurate address. We were told "sixth street sw." After crusing all over sixth street we were able to find the location by that time the boat had already departed. Our only options were to reschedule for a later date at an extra $25 per ticket. $100+ down the drain, not sure if I'd ever be interested in doing another cruise, not a good customer experience.

Hi - We're very sorry that we weren't able to provide better directions for you while you were trying to locate our ship. We have addressed this issue with our Reservation Center and can assure you that future guests will not experience the same thing. We'd really like an opportunity to chat with you about your trouble via phone. Please reach out to David at [email protected] to discuss. Thank you for your review.

My husband and I went on a free dinner cruise around the Potomac. Seeing how it was free...the bar was set really low to make us happy and still...this experience didn't meet it. Except for the mashed potatoes which were decent, the food in general was bland. The staff was nice but in general really slow and would forget to come back to us when they said they would. The bar was also really slow and expensive. Overall, if I wanted to cruise around on the Potomac again, I'd find some other boat and spend my money elsewhere.

Hi - We're so sorry to hear about your experience with us. We apologize for the slow service and the lackluster food. We never want our guests to leave on such a sour note. We'd really like to take some time to talk to you and gather more details about your specific cruise so we can address that with our audience. We'd also like to host you aboard our more elegant vessel, Odyssey, so you can enjoy all the wonders of a dinner cruise on the Potomac. Please don't hesitate to reach out to David at [email protected] to discuss. Thank you for your feedback.

I was totally disappointed with the cruise on the Spirit of Washington. The food on the buffet was average (no meat selection - only fish, chicken and pasta). Bar service was painfully slow. But what really made me feel that I had wasted my money was the highly choreographed entertainment. The cruise director' talked the entire time leading the audience in conga lines and silly line dances. I would have much preferred enjoying the view and my husband's company dancing to good music instead of feeling like I was forced to participate at a junior high dance. If high school kitsch is what you're into - go for it - but for intelligent adults looking for something a bit different - absolutely not where you should be spending your money.

Hi - We are so sorry about your recent experience aboard Spirit of Washington. We absolutely understand your frustrations with the buffet selection and entertainment. We strive to create unforgettable memories and we clearly let you down. We would really like to talk with you about your experience in greater detail so we can improve. If interested, please reach out to our General Manager, Dan, at [email protected]. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us so we can apologize. Thank you for your review.