Certified Guide Tours
“I have already recommended the tour to about a half dozen people who are interested in the civil rights movement. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable about a diverse range of topics - including civil war battle strategies, civil rights history, and even geological characteristics of the region. On top of that, he was a fabulous storyteller keeping all of us engaged in the tour. His tour was the highlight of our trip!” - January 2024
"A MUST FOR ANYONE WITH LIMITED TIME TO SEE THE PARK" - October 2023
It’s one thing to read history, or look at a picture.
It’s another thing to walk it.
Harpers Ferry is a place where two great rivers run together. It is also a place where great stories collide: George Washington’s vision for industry. Thomas Jefferson’s love of nature. Meriwether Lewis’ dream of discovery. Abolitionist John Brown’s enduring controversy. Stonewall Jackson’s largest capture. Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, and their struggle for equality. These are just a few of the tales time has woven together in Harpers Ferry, which you are invited to discover.
Taste the rush of wind atop the Bolivar Heights battlefield. Hear the drumming rapids that fueled the early gun factories of the United States. Run your fingers along bricks that sheltered desperate abolitionists. You can discover the gamut of Harpers Ferry history, covering civil war, civil rights, industry, invention, and nature’s role as a helper and destroyer.
Explore Harpers Ferry. Find the Harpers Ferry story that speaks to you.
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About Our Tours
Guided Harpers Ferry Tour
The standard tour is 2.5 hours in length and includes visits to significant historic locations that tell the story of geography and natural history, the John Brown Raid and Civil War, Meriwether Lewis at Harpers Ferry, Storer College, the Niagara Movement, transportation, waterpower and industry.
Your guide will meet you at the Park Visitor Center, located at 171 Shoreline Drive. They will direct you to several areas of interest of the park where you will exit the vehicle and walk. Your tour ends with a walk covering several blocks in the Lower Town. Once your Harpers Ferry Tour has concluded, you are free to explore on your own and visit the museums and Bookshop.
*Please note that this is a walking tour and some areas of the Park will have paths or uneven surfaces at times. Proper footwear is recommended.
New Tour: 19th Century Virginius Island
This tour is for those interested in the industrial and waterpower history of Virginius Island-–including historic floods-–or for those who have taken the 2.5 hour standard tour and want to expand their Harpers Ferry knowledge. You’ll visit the ruins of factories and dwellings, and learn how the island—now consumed by nature-–was once a thriving industrial and residential tract. The Virginius Island tour is 2.5 hours in length over dirt paths and uneven terrain and approximately 2 miles round trip.
IMPORTANT: when completing your reservation form, please indicate Virginius Island in the Special Interests section. Call 304-535-6881 for more information.
Rates & Information
Rates*:
1 - 6 guests: $80
7 - 20 guests: $130
21-40 guests: $180
41+ guests: $225
Prices are subject to change without notice.
*Please Note: Prices do not include the National Park Entrance Fee!
Commercial/Group Tours: Large buses will not be allowed to caravan to the different areas of the park. You will have to reserve one guide per tour bus. A limit of three cars may caravan to each location per guide.
*Please note that guides are not scheduled daily. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance. Pre-registration and payment are required.
Cancellation & Inclement Weather Policy
Tours will be conducted as scheduled rain or shine. Cancellations by the visitor can be refunded minus a 20% administrative fee. In the event that the National Park closes due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, tours will be refunded. Tours may be rescheduled based on the availability of the guide.
