White House Tours - A Step By Step Guide

Planning White House tours may not be one of the easiest things to do.

Unlike the past when such tours could be easily planned and executed, today, the trip warrants detailed and meticulous planning. But, at the end of it all, it's surely worth the effort. The experience of walking through one of the most coveted and powerful historical structures of the world cannot be paralleled by any other. The only prerequisite you will be requiring is plenty of time. You need to allow sufficient time to make the most of this historic tour to figure out all that you've ever wanted to about this world-famous iconic monument. Not only do you need enough time for savoring this experience, the planning also needs to be done well in advance.

White House Tours - The Planning Sequence

A well-informed sequential planning is required to make your White House tour a grand success. Executing it step by step will ensure that you have a full-proof plan in place, within the given time frame. The essential steps would include the following.

* If you are planning to visit in a group, jot down the names and take a head count. If the number of heads is ten, the group can plan for a separate trip. If the number is less than ten, your group may be clubbed with any of the other smaller groups who have planned a visit on the same day.

* Next, you need to send a request for a public tour to the representative or senator of your area at least six months prior to the date of visit.

* Along with the request, you also need to provide relevant details of all the group members. You would be required to provide information about his name, age, nationality, and social security number. This clause is only applicable for the group members who are above 14 years of age.

* Once the details have been verified and cleared, you need to make a reservation for your visit with the office of the congressman. You can avail of tours from Tuesday morning to Thursday morning, till noon on Fridays and up to early afte
oon in Saturdays. Sundays and Federal holidays are closed for public tours. Select a suitable date and time as per the given norms.

* If you have members in your party who would be requiring special assistance in the form of hearing aids, wheelchairs, and the likes, seek prior permission.

* Check on the morning prior to the date of the tour regarding cancellations. Public White House tours are cancelled without prior notice.

* It's better to use public transport on White House tours. If you travel by a private vehicle, parking could pose a huge problem as no public vehicle is allowed to be parked around this iconic structure.

* All party members need to carry photo identification with them. These are thoroughly checked at the entrance. Nobody is allowed entry without valid photo identification. But, you would not be requiring one if you are below the age of 14.