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.
Reserve a Tour of Harpers Ferry Here
Standard Guided Harpers Ferry Tour | 2.5 Hours
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 certified guide will meet you at the Park Visitor Center, located at 171 Shoreline Drive. They will direct you to three areas of interest in the park where you will exit the vehicle and walk. Your tour concludes with a walk that covers 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 the Park Bookshop.
Please note: Tours are primarily walking, with some driving between locations. Guide reservations are for personal tours conducted caravan-style in your vehicle. Some areas of the park have uneven paths or surfaces, so proper footwear is recommended. From early spring - late summer, it is recommended to bring bug spray.
19th Century Virginius Island | 2.5 Hours
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 knowledge of Harpers Ferry. 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.
Current Tour Rates & Information
Guides are not on-site and are available by reservation only. Reservations for guide services must be made at least 48 hours in advance. You may check at the Park Bookshop or Visitor Center to see if a guide is currently in town and available for a private guided tour.
When you 'reserve' a guide, you are REQUESTING a date and time to do the tour. This is not a confirmed booking until a guide has been assigned to your tour, and you receive a confirmation email from the Harpers Ferry Park Association.
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.
Tour Rates Effective for Bookings as of November 1, 2025
1 - 6 Guests: $100.00
7 - 20 Guests: $150.00
21-40 Guests: $200.00
41+ Guests: $255.00**
*Prices are subject to change without notice.
**This rate applies to our largest tour groups. Depending on the size, some groups may require additional guides to ensure a safe and high-quality tour. When multiple guides are assigned, the tour cost is based on the number of guests per guide.
***Please Note: The national park entrance fee is not included in these prices! For information regarding Harpers Ferry National Historical Park entrance fees and recreation passes, visit the park's website for more details.
Cancellation and Inclement Weather Policy
Tours will be conducted as scheduled, rain or shine. If Harpers Ferry National Historical Park closes due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, tours will be refunded or rescheduled based on the availability of the guide.
Tour cancellations made by the visitor with more than 48 hours' notice before a scheduled tour can be rescheduled or refunded – minus a 20% administrative fee. Cancellations made within 48 hours of a scheduled tour date may be rescheduled but are non-refundable. Tours may be rescheduled based on the availability of the guide.
If a guide is on-site and prepared to lead their tour as scheduled, but the group does not show up or make contact, the guide will still be compensated for their time. In these cases, the tour may be rescheduled; however, a new payment will be required to confirm the rescheduled booking.
Reserve a Tour of Harpers Ferry Here
Information about National Park Service operations can be found at www.nps.gov/hafe.
