Alexandria is utterly charming and incredibly fascinating. We’ll be there as it celebrates America 250, and Halloween!
Alexandria is, beyond all comparison, the handsomest town in Virginia, and indeed, is among the finest in the United States.
-Anonymous 18th-century author of Travels in Virginia
October 16-19, 2026.
$1015 per person with a roommate. For your own room, add $350.
Includes:
- Hotel in the heart of historic Alexandria, three nights October 16, 17, and 18
- Breakfasts
- Katie & Olivia as your guides
- Tickets to everything on the itinerary:
- Special women’s history tour at Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden
- + join an episode interview with Jenny Waters, Manager at Lee-Fendall House, about suffragist Mai Downham who lived in the house
- A walking tour of Alexandria bedecked in Halloween glory! Katie will be your guide including:
- Captain’s Row
- Historic Christ Church (Martha Washington’s church)
- The famed Spite House
- The statue commemorating sisters who attempted to escape slavery aboard The Pearl (America’s largest slavery escape attempt, as told in our episode THE ONE WHO STAYED)
- Experience America’s oldest farmers’ market in the historic market square
- Gadsby’s Tavern – historic tavern and museum, famed haunt of founding fathers + a wonderful lady ghost
- Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum – 1792 Apothecary with 15,000 artifacts frozen in time
- Carlyle House Historic Park – Georgian mansion and real-life location of the Civil War hospital featured in the PBS series Mercy Street
- Alexandria’s moody historic cemeteries with a special visit to the grave of the Female Stranger
- Alexandria Ghost Tour by lantern light
- Potomac Riverfront walk, art galleries and Archaeology Museum at the Torpedo Center
- A pilgrimage to beautiful and poignant Arlington National Cemetery in vibrant Fall color. Women buried here include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Maureen O’Hara, Grace Hopper, Seraph Young (first to vote in US), the women of the Six-Triple-Eight and many more. We’ll bring fresh flowers to place on graves of your choice
- Special women’s history tour at Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden
- Alexandria city tax
- Ground transportation to/from Arlington National Cemetery (everything else is walking distance from hotel)
- Peak October vibes everywhere 🍁 🍃 🍂
- A happy tribe of fellow Nameiacs to explore with – priceless!
Doesn’t include:
- Transportation to and from Alexandria. It’s quick and easy to get to Alexandria by train from Ronald Reagan airport (DCA)
- Lunches and dinners (breakfasts at the hotel are included)
- Shopping/optional activities
Note:
- If you like, you can use your pass from our tour to get 40% off at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, in case you want to extend your trip for a visit there (it’s 8 miles from Alexandria).
- If you like, you can use your pass from our tour to get 40% off a round-trip Potomac Taxi to Georgetown, in case you want to extend your trip into Washington D.C.
Most folks start to imagine moving there … once they’ve strolled the red-brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries.
-Conde Nast Magazine, naming Alexandria one of America’s Best Cities, 2025
What to expect:
After you register, you’ll get an invoice via email to pay your nonrefundable $300 deposit to secure your spot!
This is not your typical tourist tour…NOTHING like it, really! These tours are personally curated by us, and we’ll be by your side. We never use travel agents, instead making all the arrangements ourselves. That way we can ensure authentic, eco-friendly, whimsical travel that takes us off the beaten track and deep into women’s history! Time to soak up a place and to connect with real people is paramount.
There will be lots and lots of walking. You can also expect to do a lot of laughing, standing in awe, and tasting wonderful things.
What’sHerName Tours build welcoming tribes where you are free to be yourself! We all abide by Rule #1: Do What You Want. That means you can always opt out of anything without judgement, and catch up with the group later.
Most folks come solo, so go for it! This is the happy tribe you’ve been looking for. After all, they’re all Nameiacs too!
FAQs
OK, I’m searching flights. What info do I need to know?
You’ll want to arrive at Ronald Reagan (DCA) airport by 3pm on October 16 (our first gathering will be at 4:00pm, to head for our first adventure!). Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get out of the airport, and to the hotel. You can depart anytime on October 19. It’s a quick and easy train ride from DCA to Alexandria, and the hotel is walking distance from the train station.
Tell me more about the roomie situation.
Most folks come solo, so go for it! We’ll match you with another Nameiac. When you fill out the registration form, you can list your roomie preferences (gender etc) which we always do our best to meet. You’ll have separate beds, just share the same room and bathroom. Many a strong friendship has been forged this way! If you’d prefer your own room, just select that option and pay the additional $350.
I live nearby. could i join in the fun without the hotel?
Absolutely, we’d love to have you! You’d join in all the weekend activities, and still be part of the Nameiac Travel Family, just meeting us at our hotel each morning. We’ve created this option on the registration form: “I’m local and want to commute.” The sans-hotel price is $685. We can guarantee a glorious time, but do acknowledge that the price might feel a bit steep for what may feel like a Staycation. Consider adding the hotel and going all in!
I LIVE NEARBY. could i join for just one day, or part of a day?
Love that you’re wanting to join! These tours have some kind of magic. Somehow, groups of strangers turn into a tightly bonded travel family, and we want to honor that by keeping one steady group for the duration. We hope you’ll join for the whole thing!
How much should I budget for spending money and meals?
It’s so hard to say. The range of options for meals can suit all budgets and tastes – from street food to fine dining. Same goes for shopping. You know you best! A typical business travel per diem is around $55/day, if that helps.
What if the trip gets canceled?
If we cancel the trip, you’ll get a full refund. If you have to cancel, you’ll forfeit your $300 deposit, to help cover the expenses we’ve already paid in your name. If you’re worried about having to cancel, you should pay for the trip in full, and then get travel insurance.
How does payment work?
After you register, you’ll receive an invoice via email to pay your $300 deposit with a card. You’ll pay the remainder in two more payments, evenly spaced out between your time of registration and October. You could also choose to pay in full anytime you want. The full amount must be paid before departure, of course.
I want to go for it – but I’m a little nervous. Is this a crazy thing to do?
This is a great way to try out What’sHerName tours – low risk, one weekend, so so much fun! Go for it!
“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” – Anais Nin
