April 13, 2025 · 4 min read
Arlington, Virginia
By the Credence Charter Bus team
Arlington National Cemetery holds more than 400,000 graves across 639 acres directly across the Potomac from Washington. It is a working cemetery with military funerals most weekdays, and it is visited by around three million people a year. A charter bus to Arlington, Virginia is how most school, veterans' and civic groups get there, because the site has strict rules about vehicles and the surrounding traffic is unforgiving.
Private vehicles cannot drive through the cemetery
This surprises people every year. Visitors arrive at the Welcome Center, and from there the cemetery is covered either on foot or on the ANC Tours tram, which stops at the main sites. There is no driving yourself between graves, and a coach cannot circulate inside the grounds.
For a group this means one drop-off at the Welcome Center, a confirmed collection time, and a decision in advance about walking versus the tram. The distances are substantial and the terrain is hilly — the walk from the Welcome Center up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is uphill the whole way, and for a senior group the tram is not a luxury.
What to see, and how to time it
- The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Changing of the Guard: every half hour in summer, every hour in winter, and guarded continuously since 1937. This is the fixed point the rest of the visit should be planned around.
- The Kennedy gravesite and eternal flame, on the slope below Arlington House.
- Arlington House, the Robert E. Lee Memorial, at the top of the hill with the best view over Washington.
- The Memorial Amphitheater, beside the Tomb.
- The USS Maine Mast Memorial and the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia memorials.
Allow two and a half to three hours minimum. Groups that budget ninety minutes end up choosing between the Tomb and the Kennedy grave.
Preparing a group, especially students
Arlington asks visitors to conduct themselves as they would at any funeral, because on most weekdays there is one taking place. Phones silent, no eating or drinking in the grounds, and quiet near a service. The Changing of the Guard in particular is conducted in silence and the sentinel will stop and address a crowd that is not.
A five-minute briefing on the coach before arrival does more than anything else to make the visit land properly, particularly for students who have never been anywhere like it.
The other Arlington memorials
Just outside the cemetery walls, the Marine Corps War Memorial — the Iwo Jima flag raising, cast at more than three times life size — sits in its own park with coach access. The Air Force Memorial's three stainless spires are a few minutes south, and the Pentagon Memorial commemorates the 184 people killed there on 11 September 2001 with a bench for each.
All three are free, outdoors, quick, and easy for a coach to reach. Together they turn a cemetery visit into a full morning without adding meaningful drive time.
Which charter bus suits the visit
- Forty to fifty-six: a full-size charter bus is the standard vehicle for school and veterans' groups, and the Welcome Center has coach drop-off provision.
- Twenty to thirty-two: a mini bus is easier in Arlington and DC traffic and better for a smaller civic group.
- Ten to fourteen: a sprinter van suits a family visiting a specific grave or a small delegation.
Our school trip transportation quotes include the insurance documentation districts require, and we handle a steady volume of veterans' organization travel to Arlington each year.
Pairing Arlington with Washington
The cemetery sits directly across Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, which makes a combined Arlington and National Mall day the obvious itinerary. A coach can drop at Arlington in the morning, collect at the Welcome Center, and be at the Mall in ten minutes.
Washington's own coach parking is limited and heavily regulated, so this is a day that rewards an operator who knows the district. Groups searching for charter bus rental near me for a DC and Arlington trip should confirm the driver has run the area — the loading restrictions around the Mall are not something to work out on the day.
Getting there
Arlington is directly across the river from Washington, about fifteen minutes from downtown outside rush hour. Alexandria is ten minutes south, Baltimore around an hour, and Richmond roughly two hours.
When to go
April through June and September through November are the most comfortable, with spring bringing the cherry blossom crowds across the river. Summer is hot and humid and the walking is exposed. Memorial Day and Veterans Day are the most meaningful dates and by far the busiest — book months ahead and expect access restrictions.
Booking the trip
Send your date, headcount and pickup point, and tell us whether the group needs the tram — it changes the timing of the whole visit. Request an all-in quote and you will usually have an itemized price back the same day.