GUIDED HISTORY BASED TOURS of RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Greetings. We are the RICHMOND TOUR GUYS. Established in 2014, we have evolved from a one‐man “show”  presenting “Tip‐based, Free tours” to a highly regarded tour company whose guides enjoy telling the Richmond story, one tour at a me. We continue to reimagine, enhance and improve our tours, presenting Public and a broad selection of Private tours in Virginia’s most historic city and are proud to offer the original and most popular City Center Downtown Tour as our singular Public Tour.

You will be captivated by the colorful stories of Richmond’s past and marvel at the hip city it has become. Our tours are acclaimed by locals and visitors alike who discover fun, history‐based stories and embrace ways to experience the River City like never before. The RICHMOND TOUR GUYS are the perfect way to discover why Frommer’s said “While you weren’t looking, Richmond got cool,” and why Richmond was named the No.1 “America’s Best Town to Visit” for 2024 by CNN.

Explore the Capital City of Virginia, America’s Mother Colony with the Richmond Tour Guys guided tours, each distinct and filled with stories, anecdotes based on historic fact and at times, popular fables and yarns. All are woven together to entertain and enlighten.

Two-Day Civil War Driving Tour

Civil War Richmond

Having lost a day and a night to airline trouble on my flights from England, I was eager to see as much as possible of Civil War Richmond in just two days. I was fortunate to have Ray Kaufman as a guide. We not only covered the historic city to its full extent, but also drove out to three battlefields of the 1862 and 1864 campaigns. I greatly appreciated Ray and Jim’s detailed information even where no physical relics of the period have survived. In a historical field so contested as the 1861-65 war, Ray is a man without bias or prejudice. And he is good company.

Overview Tour with personal car

Fabulous car tour of historic Richmond.

We took a fabulous 2-hour driving tour of historic Richmond, led by our host Ray. He was incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining. He provides a lot of historical information and puts it into a modern context. If you are interested in learning about the role Richmond played in US history, as well as the role of the people that led it, then this tour is for you.

Original Richmond Downtown Walking Tour

Lots of history, lots of fun with Jason

Informative and fun tour led by our guide Jason. He was terrific, gave us lots of history in a very entertaining way and took care of us like we were family (brought bottled water for us, found us rest rooms, etc.) It was so generous of him to give us extra time to do the tour, which stretched, due to all our questions. Jason’s knowledgeable, funny, and may remind you of someone famous!

Original Richmond Downtown Walking Tour

Nuance and Backstory beyond the Basics of Richmond’s History

We did this tour on a Friday am so it was quite nice, small group with opportunity to ask questions of our tour guide. Emily brought a rich history to the walk, in that she had three generations of family in the area, and she was a social studies teacher. I loved the stories and details that brought a city with such an important role in so many aspects of our nation’s history to life. I would highly recommend this tour not only to those visiting the area, but to residents who may not have been here their whole life. It is a cultural experience not to be missed.

Private Church Hill Walking Tour

Exactly What We Wanted and Needed to See and Hear!

Kathy was a great tour guide she provided a great mix of the good, bad and the ugly of Richmond’s checkered past, and since we wanted to know about the African American history too, she made sure to highlight their accomplishments and contributions to the city’s growth and prosperity. We had our four-year-old daughter, and we appreciated her patience as she can be a handful, especially in the heat. This tour really did help us understand the history and see firsthand how Richmond became the Richmond we see today. Thank you and I highly recommend her and the tour.

Ultimate Overview Tour with 14 passenger Transit Hi-Top van

Ray Has Storytelling Chops!

Ray — funny, knowledgeable, organized, punctual, and outgoing — gave 13 college friends an amazing tour of RVA via van! We viewed historic Jackson Ward, known as “Black Wall Street”; the houses of John Marshall, Mann Valentine, and Jefferson Davis; MCV and Monumental Church; St. John’s Church, where we walked around the graveyard; and many other interesting sites. Thank you, Ray, for all the interesting stories! I’ll be back with more friends!

Original Richmond Downtown Walking Tour

Excellent learning experience

Erin was our tour guide and was great. She was very knowledgeable and friendly. We took the downtown tour. The pace was just right, and we got to see and hear about Richmond’s history. The tour ended right at the Capitol building which was great because we were planning on touring the Capitol next anyway. This is definitely a tour that needs to be taken whether you are from out of town or live in the city.

Expanded Overview Tour with personal car

Ray makes Richmond’s history come alive with fascinating details

After reading reviews, and talking to the concierge at the Jefferson Hotel, we called the Richmond Tour Guys.
There is a reason why they have earned so many five star reviews and have such a great reputation – They are Excellent.

Our guide for a fabulous three hours was Ray. Ray makes the history of Richmond come alive, he has the ability to share the fascinating stories that make each location come alive with interesting details.

We’re history lovers, and part of the family lives just north of Richmond; yet we learned so much. Ray is a fascinating guide who loves to share the history that you don’t always find in books, or on the net.

A wonderful afternoon with Ray, we came away a much richer appreciation of the history of Richmond.

And, yes, we are already planning our next visit to Richmond, and of course, we will book another tour with Ray.

Original Richmond Downtown Walking Tour

Great overview of Downtown Richmond

I traveled to Richmond with my teenage daughter and we both enjoyed this tour. It provided a nice overview of the history and development of downtown Richmond. As a Richmond native, our tour guide also shared interesting personal stories that were a nice addition.

Two-Day Custom Driving Tour

Go to the experts at The Richmond Tour Guys and watch the city of Richmond and the Civil War display their long past.

A close friend planned to visit us to do research for his next novel. He had only a limited time to stay and we were nervous. We didn’t know where to begin. We turned to The Richmond Tour Guys, with Ray Kaufman at the helm. They revealed a Richmond we had barely noticed and brought to life the history of the region that lay hidden across the wide fields of an early Virginia spring. It was a sobering experience, a joyful journey of discovery with Mr. Kaufman and his team of experts. Of all the tours in all the world, we walked into the right one. John C.

Original Richmond Downtown Walking Tour

Great walking tour with Doug

Enjoyed my walking tour with Doug. It was a leisurely walk around downtown with a headset. He provided quite a bit of information about the city’s history and how it became the city it is today. With added interesting tidbits along the way, it was a wonderful introduction to Richmond. Highly recommend!

Original Richmond Downtown Walking Tour

A Must-Do for Locals and Visitors Alike!

I recently booked the Richmond Downtown Walking Tour for myself and my sister-in-law, who was visiting from out of town. Although I’ve lived in Richmond for two years, I was blown away by how much I learned during this tour.

Our guide, Emily, was amazing—so informative and passionate about the history of Richmond. The tour is a leisurely stroll through downtown, and Emily brought the layers of history around us to life. She expertly connected the dots between Richmond’s roles in the Revolution, the Civil War, and other key moments in history.

Whether you’re new to the area or have been here for years, this tour is a fantastic way to deepen your appreciation for Richmond’s rich past. Highly recommended!

Explore Richmond while walking it’s streets, sidewalks, cobblestoned alleyway’s and mews to discover first‐hand the variety of neighborhoods, their distinctive buildings and hear the stories that make up the fabric of one of America’s most historic city’s. Join a Richmond Tour Guys’ guide for the Original Public Downtown Walking Tour or on an expanded Private Walking Tour, in one of four distinct neighborhoods; Downtown, Church Hill, Shockoe Bottom and Canals and the exclusive Capitol and Capitol Square.

PUBLIC WALKING TOUR

The Original Public
DOWNTOWN
WALKING
TOUR

A 100 minute stroll along the historic streets of Downtown Richmond. You’ll walk in the foot‐steps of the Founding Fathers. Beginning at the Convention Center on 3rd Street in Jackson Ward, you’ll start on a stroll in the heart of the city to see and hear about over 50 points‐of‐interest. Highlights include John Marshall’s house, The White House of the Confederacy, Valentine Museum, the Egyptian Building, Monumental Church and beautiful Capitol Square, home to the Thomas Jefferson designed Capitol building, ending at St. Paul’s Church.

Cost: Adults $37.50, Child under 10 $15

Duration: 100 Minutes

NOTE: Please arrive 15 minutes prior to departure time.

Parking: Free Parking is available in the Visitor’s Center “20 Minute” spaces north, up 3rd St. past entrance

Departs: From Downtown Visitor Center on 3rd St. between Marshall and Clay Streets

Concludes: At St. Paul’s Church, Grace St at 9th

When: Public Tour Season, Mid‐March thru Nov. 30th, Thursday thru Sunday, at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm

Original Public Downtown Walking Tour Policies:

Ticket purchase is required. A minimum of 2 Adults is necessary to conduct the tour. Please arrive no later
than 15 minutes prior to the tour to check in, receive your radio and personal earbuds and gather your group
(if this applies.) Please keep in mind the travel Ɵme from where you are to the meet‐up point, parking and
walking to find your guide. Adding that buffer is always a good idea.

We use a ticketless reservation system and all you’ll need is your name at check in. If guests are late to the
beginning of the tour, their place may be released and given to another party at time of departure.

Regarding pets: We love pets. Unfortunately, many guests do not, and many pets may not like the group of
strangers around them. Please, do not bring pets on the Original Public Downtown Walking Tour. We do offer
Private Tours where pets may be accommodated. Registered Service Animals are allowed on the tours if documentation can be provided.

Our Original Public Walking Downtown Tour is 100 minutes and the tour is relatively flat with one short uphill
grade. You may reach your steps goal, but we’re not looking to wear you out.

Refund Policy:

You MUST cancel at least 24 hours before the tour to receive a full refund. NO REFUNDS are available on the
day of the tour.

Cancellation Policies:

If we have only 1 adult registered for a tour, we may cancel. We try to make this decision at least 2 hours
before departure time. All guests will be notified of any cancellations via text and/or phone. For this reason,
please make sure that you have provided us with a phone number to reach you on the day of your tour.

Weather: Our tours happen rain or shine. Please dress accordingly, wearing comfortable walking shoes, sun‐
screen and other sun protection during the dog days of summer. When rain is forecast, rain gear and umbrellas
are helpful. If we encounter extreme conditions and are forced to cancel the tour, you may reschedule for a
later tour or receive a full refund.

PRIVATE WALKING TOURS

The Expanded Private
DOWNTOWN
WALKING
TOUR

On this 2.5 hr. tour, we begin in historic Jackson Ward, the “Harlem of the South,” and continue along Broad Street, the city’s original thoroughfare and downtown’s cultural center. We next stop in the Court End section to see John Marshall’s house, and then on to Clay St., home to the largest extant antebellum collection of houses downtown, the Valentine Museum, and the White House of the Confederacy. We visit Richmond’s first medical school, the ca 1845 Egyptian Building, still in use today; Monumental Church, the site of one of Richmond’s greatest tragedies; explore Capitol Square and the Thomas Jefferson designed Capitol building, the first neo‐classical building in America. St. Paul’s and St. Peters churches, the Federal Reserve Bank and the expanded Carpenter Theatre at nearly 100 years old followed by dining.

Cost: 1‐4 Adults $195 Each Additional Adult $35

Duration: 2 1/2 hrs.

Parking: Free Parking is available in the Visitor’s Center “20 Minute” spaces north, up 3rd St. past entrance

Departs: From Downtown Visitor Center on 3rd St. between Marshall and Clay Streets

Concludes: At Starting point

When: As a Private tour, please call or text to discuss your choice.

Expanded Private Downtown Walking Tour Policies:

Refund Policy:

You MUST cancel at least 48 hours before the tour to receive a full refund. NO REFUNDS are available on the day of the tour.

Cancellation Policies:

All guests will be notified of any cancellations via text and/or phone. For this reason, please make sure that you have provided us with a phone number to reach you on the day of your tour.

Weather: Our tours happen rain or shine. Please dress accordingly, wearing comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and other sun protection during the dog days of summer. If we encounter extreme conditions and are forced to cancel the tour, you may reschedule for a later tour or receive a full refund.

The Private
CHURCH HILL
WALKING
TOUR

Meet Richmond’s birthplace and what some call Original Richmond as it was here that William Byrd II laid out the original city, the first cemetery and the site for Henrico Parish’s new church that a scant, 34 years later became the important meeting place for a secret gathering resulting in a resolution that is said to have “Lit the candle of the Revolutionary War.” You’ll meander cobblestone streets and alleys on this private, guide lead tour, wending through more than two centuries of architecture and rich stories in the River City’s oldest residential neighborhood, the first historic district called the Old and Historic St. John’s historic district filled with early American history.

 

Cost: 1-4 Adults $195     Each Additional Adult $35

Duration: 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.

Parking: Plentiful On-Street non-metered parking is available near the starting point of the tour

Departs: From In front of the St. John’s Church Steps at 24th and Broad Sts.

Concludes: At Starting point

When: As a Private tour, please call or text to discuss your choice.

Add-Ons may be available to tour the interior of the church. Please call or text to possibly include these elements.

5 minute pop-in      $5 per person

30 minute talk         $10 per person

 

Private Church Hill Walking Tour Policies:

Refund Policy:

You MUST cancel at least 48 hours before the tour to receive a full refund. NO REFUNDS are available on the day of the tour.

Cancellation Policies: 

All guests will be notified of any cancellations via text and/or phone. For this reason, please make sure that you have provided us with a phone number to reach you on the day of your tour.

Weather: Our tours happen rain or shine. Please dress accordingly, wearing comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and other sun protection during the dog days of summer. If we encounter extreme conditions and are forced to cancel the tour, you may reschedule for a later tour or receive a full refund.

The Private
CAPITOL &
CAPITOL SQUARE
WALKING
TOUR

In 1780, with the Revolutionary War still very active, The Virginia Capitol moved a second time from Williamsburg to Richmond and temporary quarters. Three years later, Attache to France Thomas Jefferson and a Parisian architect drew up the plans, created a model and shipped them to Richmond to build the first neo‐classical, Roman styled “Temple on the Hill,” today’s greatly enlarged edifice still purpose‐used to this day. On this 2‐to‐2.5‐hour tour, you will discover how this building was created, saved from destruction, and greatly expanded not once, but twice.

And, you’ll learn about the interior Capitol Building as guides create the backdrop of the Virginia Story that continues today.

The second half of the tour is on the grounds of Capitol Square, home to a collection of monuments and statuary including the magnificent George Washington Equestrian Monument.

Cost:    1‐4 Adults $195     Each Additional Adult $35

Duration: 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.

Parking: Garages and metered street parking are usually found nearby

Departs: From In front of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 9th and Grace Sts

Concludes: At Starting point

When: As a Private tour, please call or text to discuss your choice.

SPECIAL NOTE: The Capitol Grounds and Government offices are “Weapons Free Zones.” When entering the Capitol Building, there will be a security check point that all persons must pass through.

Private Capitol & Capitol Square Walking Tour Policies:

Refund Policy:

You MUST cancel at least 48 hours before the tour to receive a full refund. NO REFUNDS are available on the day of the tour.

Cancellation Policies:

All guests will be notified of any cancellations via text and/or phone. For this reason, please make sure that you have provided us with a phone number to reach you on the day of your tour.

Weather: Our tours happen rain or shine. Please dress accordingly, wearing comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and other sun protection during the dog days of summer. If we encounter extreme conditions and are forced to cancel the tour, you may reschedule for a later tour or receive a full refund.

The Private
SHOCKOE
& CANALS
WALKING
TOUR

On this Private tour of Shockoe & Canals, you visit Richmond’s historic commercial area that is now a dining and residential district surrounded by historic buildings, monuments and memorials and an area steeped in a rich
history. This leisurely tour takes you through the original business district and along Richmond’s one‐time tobacco row and warehouses, canals and millraces, fed by the James River that fueled commerce and helps in telling the industrial story of pre‐20th Century Richmond. You’ll learn about Richmond’s infamous domestic slave trade
market, the second largest in the country, and discover how the James made and reshaped The River City.

Cost:    1‐4 Adults $195      Each Additional Adult $35

Duration: 2 to 2 1/2 hrs.

Parking: Garages and metered street parking are usually found nearby

Departs: At corner of 14th and Cary Sts. at Religious Freedom monument

Concludes: At Main Street Station

When: As a Private tour, please call or text to discuss your choice.

Private Shockoe & Canals Walking Tour Policies:

Refund Policy:

You MUST cancel at least 48 hours before the tour to receive a full refund. NO REFUNDS are available on the day of the tour.

Cancellation Policies:

All guests will be notified of any cancellations via text and/or phone. For this reason, please make sure that you have provided us with a phone number to reach you on the day of your tour.

Weather: Our tours happen rain or shine. Please dress accordingly, wearing comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and other sun protection during the dog days of summer. If we encounter extreme conditions and are forced to cancel the tour, you may reschedule for a later tour or receive a full refund.

SPECIALTY WALKING TOURS

Hollywood Cemetery Tour

Join The Richmond Tour Guy’s “Local Expert” guide for an extensive 2‐hour Private Specialty Tour of Richmond’s famed Hollywood Cemetery, one of the country’s first urban‐garden style cemeteries designed in 1847 and best known as the final resting place for Presidents Monroe and Tyler and Richmond’s many notables

Cost: 1‐4 Adults $195 Each Additional Adult $40

This tour encounters several steep hills and some uneven surfaces.

Richmond Mural Tour

Beginning in 2012, Richmond’s mural culture, or street art, had been celebrated on an annual basis bringing
muralists from around the world to cover buildings, flood walls, silos and a baseball stadium. Today, there
are over 350 works on display.

The Richmond Tour Guys, have developed a nearly 2‐hour tour, centered in the Fan District to take patrons
on a journey to see some of the best works found in Richmond.

Cost: 1‐4 Adults $195 Each Additional Adult $40

Richmond’s Edgar Allan Poe Tour

Many know of Edgar Allan Poe’s Boston and Baltimore connections, but the originator of detective fiction always claimed Richmond as his hometown. On this special tour in Church Hill, on the streets walked by The Raven’s author, You’ll hear about his early life and the people that were important to him including his mother who died and is buried in St. John’s cemetery, his “adopted” family who provided his middle name and the story of his
twice loved and some say twice betrothed Sarah Elmira.

Cost:    1‐4 Adults $195    Each Additional Adult $40

Monument Avenue Tour

This grand boulevard was in the late 1800’s a fairly large farmstead inherited by Otway Allen. He had the brilliant
idea of donating a large circular piece of land to the state to locate a new statue, provided Richmond would allow
an extension of Franklin Street and thus a new housing development. The result is today’s grand street, Monument Avenue which has over the past 100 years evolved and evolved again.

On this tour, you’ll learn about the architects and mansions that replaced the orchards and created one of America’s grandest boulevards.

Cost:    1‐4 Adults $195    Each Additional Adult $40