Private Tours

Can't make it to a public tour?  Or maybe you want a tour just for the people in your group?

I am happy to take you on a private tour if my schedule permits.  Private tours are generally offered Sunday through Friday morning.

Private tours are NOT available on Saturdays!  Please consider joining me on one of the public tours that are offered on most Saturdays.   Private tours are also not available on many Friday afternoons and evenings, especially in September and October.  

Please email me at raleighwalkingtours@gmail.com with your preferred date and time for a private tour.  

You must submit your request at least 72 hours in advance for a private tour!  Because I have a second job that I work at, I absolutely cannot consider requests that provide fewer than 3 days advance notice.  Thank you for your understanding!

All initial inquiries for private tours must be made by email.  Making detailed arrangements by phone may occasionally be necessary for larger groups of 10 or more, but the initial inquiry must still be made by email.  Due to the nature of the tour business, please understand that it is difficult for me to receive or make phone calls during normal business hours. 

Unlike my public tours, I do charge an upfront fee for private tours.  The base price for groups consisting of 1 to 5 people is $100.  For groups of 6 people to 15 people, add an additional $20 per person.  So the price for 6 people is $120; for 7 people, the price is $140, etc. 

I accept CASH only for smaller groups of 6 or less.  For groups of more than 6, we can arrange for payment by invoice or by credit card via Square if you prefer not to pay in cash.

If you can guarantee that your group will consist of more than 15 people, please contact me for special private tour pricing.  

Tips at the end of private tours are very much appreciated but not expected.  As much as I would like to offer all of my tours on a pay-what-you-want basis, I also need to support myself.  The balance that I have struck in order to make a living is to charge a specific fee for private tours.

All tours take place in the core of downtown Raleigh.  Here is a summary of the private tour routes that are currently being offered:

(1)   Historic Oakwood Tour:  This neighborhood is just slightly north of the downtown.  This tour focuses on the diverse architectural styles of the private residences in the neighborhood and on the stories of the people who built the houses.  It’s definitely more interesting than it sounds in this short blurb! :)

(2)   Combo Tour:  This tour combines a little bit of each of these three areas -- the historic Oakwood neighborhood; Blount St. (the Governor's Mansion and other historic homes); and the downtown (focusing mainly on the Capitol grounds).

(3)   Haunted History Tour:  This downtown ghost tour is a perfect combination of haunts and history!  There are several stops on the route, including the Governor's Mansion, Haywood Hall, the Capitol building, and the Legislative Building/museum complex.  At each stop, I talk about the actual history of the site, and then I also tell a ghost story at each site.  There will also be one stop where you will hear a bonus ghost story!  This tour is not recommended for children under the age of 10 due to the graphic nature of one of the stories. 

(4)   True Crime & Curious Tales Tour:  This tour will take you on a journey back in time to Raleigh’s most interesting true crime stories and other quirky tales!  The stories on the True Crime tour are historical stories that involve crimes, so they are meant to be unique and entertaining stories rather than stories involving crime solving or forensic science.  This tour is not recommended for children under the age of 16 due to the adult nature of a couple of the stories. 

(5)   Murals & Public Art Tours:  These downtown tours take you off the beaten path and show you some of Raleigh’s best and most vibrant large scale art works!  I have 3 different art tour routes that I run, and I can work with you to choose the option that would work best for your group!  

(6)   Love Stories & Broken Hearts Tour:  On this unique tour, you will hear some interesting local historic stories of true love and broken hearts!  This tour is a little shorter than the others and lasts approximately an hour and 15 minutes.  A great tour length for very cold or very hot weather!  This tour is not recommended for children under the age of 16 due to the adult nature of several of the stories. PLEASE NOTE: This tour is not always available!  If you are interested in this route, please ask me about availability.  

(7)   Fayetteville St. History & Public Art Tour:  The first half of this tour focuses mainly on Raleigh's "main" street in the heart of the downtown.  You will learn about the historic buildings on Fayetteville St. and the State Capitol building.  The second half of the tour focuses on Raleigh's vibrant public art scene.  PLEASE NOTE: This tour is not always available!  If you are interested in this route, please ask me about availability.  

All of the above tours other than the Love Stories tour last between 1 hour and 30 minutes and 1 hour 45 minutes depending on the exact route chosen and the speed of the group.  The tours are generally between 1 and 1.5 miles long.

It is possible to reduce the time of some tours (mainly the murals and public art tours) down to 1 hour.   Please inquire if you have questions about a particular route.  If you choose an hour-long route, I will provide you with a discount on the price unless your group consists of 5 people or fewer.  My minimum private tour price is $100 regardless of the length of the tour. 

I hope to see you on a tour soon!