Our favorite place to go here in Virginia! So many beautiful and historic buildings. The food and…read moreshops are fantastic. We always bring family here when they visit us. Favorite things in CW: - Walking down the historic downtown - Seeing the gardens and horses - Visiting the shops - Lunch at the cheese shop - The liberty lounge - Soups and snacks at the bakery (raleigh tavern i believe at the end of the street)

Planned my return visibased on my experience 20+years ago. What a disappointment. Many places were…read moreclosed, only a few had tours and some artisan works. Instead of artisan wares many shops sold kichy stuff. SerI woukd rather oay mk eynfor authentic stuff than mass produced junk. No reenactment, there were some some speeches, which were very good. It really just felt dull and ghosttown vibes. Seriously CW go back to how you were. This was just like walking down a street in an old town, nothing exciting

Great tour guides friendly and personal great deals. They know what their talking about with the…read morehistory of Williamsburg enjoyed my self and the ghost tours and staff tremendously

We went on this tour last night and had an awesome time! Witch Gracie and Mr Pirate were…read moreoutstanding tour guides! If you're in the area and haven't gone, what are you waiting for?

We booked a custom private tour with Trish and had a great time. She has a ton of historical…read moreknowledge on everything from Thomas Jefferson's experience at William & Mary to how different bricks were made in the Colonial era. If you want something more in depth than the standard Colonial Williamsburg script, this is it!

Thoroughly enjoyed our walking tour. We learned so much. This was an efficient way for us to visit…read moreWilliamsburg and learn by a local expert who obviously loves Williamsburg, loves history and loves to educate. Highly recommend.

Austin was an excellent tour guide and as a history and theater major - had skills in the delivery…read moreof an excellently narrated tour. We learned a lot of the local lore and sightings of the paranormal in the Colonial Williamsburg area. It was a very entertaining and fun evening! We will do this tour again the next time we are here!

I purchased two tickets. My child and I were going to do the WE SHALL OVERCOME TOUR today 12/30/25…read more My child was running a fever the night before so I took them to the nearest hospital. Of course we wouldn't be able to do the tour today as my child is ill. I reached out via email to the company. They informed me no refund would be given per their policy (even with sickness). I even inquired about a partial refund, being it was a last minute cancellation, although sickness is never planned. I let them know I can send them hospital records for proof and reference it was still a NO. They even had the nerve to inform me they can reschedule the tour to a later date for a $10 charge. Moving forward I will NEVER purchase anything from this company again. If you choose to please beware of their CANCELLATION POLICY, AND TRY NOT TO GET SICK .

Colonial Williamsburg is the perfect place to relive history. Don't worry about what time of year…read moreyou go ... there will always be plenty of people there to share your stay with! The docents in their historic garb doing things we don't do anymore will absolutely blow you away! Don't wait ... go now!

Let's bring this one up to the current:…read more Since my last drivel about the CW Brickyard a lot has changed. First and foremost is their location. Until two years ago they were preverbally down in the hole off of Nicholson Street over by the Cabinetmaker. Now, they are off of Botetourt Street next to the Carpenter (who has only been there a few years from when they got moved due to the closing of Great Hopes Plantation). Why the visit and what's the big deal? It's all about the kiln baby. Why is it worth seeing? Because you simply cannot see bricks fired this way in this country anywhere else except here at this time. Normally once a year, in certain years they have done it twice and at different times but this is normally the pattern, in mid-November they fire up the kiln that they spent approximately five weeks building to solidify the bricks which were made from late-spring to early-autumn. This year, depending on which person you talk to, they're firing around 18-19K. A few thousand will be used at The Magazine for part of a new outer wall they'll do next year (The Magazine is currently closed until '25 for archeology/renovation work), most will be used for the rebuilding of the First Baptist Church - www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/research-and-education/archaeology/first-baptist-church/. Fwiw, if you got the dough, the bricks can flow. Part of the total are 800 for a private individual that is doing an outdoor hearth. Pricing is $5.25 per brick (faint). Also neat is that while all of the CW trades close for the day at 5pm, a random one or two at 4:30pm, during the kiln firing the brickyard stays open until 10pm. Yes, at 10 they very politely ask you to leave and yes, several staff members from different trades stay out all night long for the five days it takes the process to unfold. The staff that work here are arguably the best CW has to offer. Whether it's answering the same question for the millionth time or answering a very technical question from someone who knows something about bricks, they handle it professionally and some with a good sense of smart-ass humor. The rest of the year the brickyard open Wednesday-Sunday from 9am-5pm but if you can swing it, usually, the second week of November for a visit, it will be worth your time. (They also once every so often fire up the oyster shells they have on the property which are then used as mortar for in between the bricks once they're melted down. One of the guys said it was coming "soon" but I forgot to ask when "soon" is.)

My Boyfriend and I were part of a private tour of restaurants/tastings at a number of…read moreWilliamsburg's places. Our first stop was The SPICE AND TEA EXCHANGE OF WILLIAMSBURG. They had an assortment of Teas and spices to select from. What a treat! The aroma was delightful. We purchased a few things there. Teas and Spices. The next stop was to The Hound's Tale pub. This was nice, we tried their Brussel Sprouts. The portion was generous. Our next stop was to say hello to Chef's Kitchen and we were able to speak with Chef John Gonzales. He had some wonderful suggestions for pairing wines. The nice thing is all of his wines were only $10 and they had been for many years. We can wait until he reopens his kitchen again. On to PAUL'S Deli, WOW!!!!!!!!!! The PIZZA and the Holly SUB was amazing and very tasty. We tried a variety of local beers and ciders. TOTALLY suggestions trying PAULS Deli. Thank goodness this was a walking tour. I was stuffed however we still had more to see. Next stop Blue Talon Bistro for Mac and Cheese. NICE again generous portions for tasting. Then we went to Kilwins for Ice cream and Fudge tasting, WOW they were so nice and very welcoming. The ice cream was very creamy and a lot of favors to taste. Next was a small PEANUT SHOP, they too were nice and gave us samples of peanuts to try. Last was the WYTHE CANDY Shop....Did I say I was STUFFED? YES We had plans to go to a nice dinner but I couldn't eat anything else. Our tour guide, APRIL, She was knowledgeable, humorous, and attentive. She kept us engaged with food and restaurant information as well as sharing some of her experiences and insights. She gave us a history lessons and went above and beyond to make sure our needs were taken great care of. She was very friendly and always offered to take photos. We were extremely pleased with her tour and this experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a day in Williamsburg area. Thank you for the unforgettable experience, April

This was a complete waste of $60. I see why we were the only ones to go on the tour. …read more. Tour guide Emily. FIRST STOP: They give you samples of peanuts which you can go into the store and receive for free yourself. SECOND STOP: Spices and teas with some ounces of sugars cheapest $4.00 so that is $64.00 for a pound of sugar??? THIRD STOP: A slice of regular doughy pizza ($3.00) FORTH STOP: A forth of a Hot Holly sandwich because they cut it up into 4 pieces ($2.50). FIFTH STOP: Next you get 3 samples of beer which equal (7.50). SIXTH STOP: You than get a forth of an ice cream sandwich (2.00). SEVENTH STOP: Than you get an appetizer of regular not gourmet mac n cheese TO SHARE with 4 people again (2.50). EIGTH STOP: You than go to a fudge store (free samples) and a goody bag with a small pretzel ($2) NINTH STOP: Candy store where (free samples) and you get a coupon for 10% and a good bag with 2 small chocolates ($2) you can buy at your local store. Very very disappointing tour and than our tour guide waiting at the end for a tip ($20) which I was dumb enough to give and tells us to leave a review on Yelp so she can get more money on top. The overall value is like $25 for food and you are paying $60????? Plus tip OMGGGGG. This is highway robbery and you are way better off just going to the individual stops yourself listed on the website.

If you haven't been to Colonial Williamsburg, you need to drop everything and go. So rich in our…read morehistory, and so entertaining. And in the fall they often run specials allowing you a membership for little more than the cost of an activity. I purchased the membership allowing us unrestricted access and a carriage ride where we were given the roles of the richest people in town! Ate in a local pub...that was interesting. Food was "authentic" and ale was good. There are many little stores interspersed in the town where we got some interesting period pieces. Even Orange Blossom water, which the food network site told me how to use! I could have spent a week here, but we had limited time. Someday I will get back and allowed a full week to satisfy my curiosity!

I have lived in Virginia for about 6 years and I passed by Williamsburg. I have seen the signs, but…read moreI have never really taken the time to visit Williamsburg My fiancée is a civil war fanatic so we always try to find a place to go to satisfy his need to history. So he can have more historical fun facts to share with friends at game night gatherings. Haha. This place was very pleasant. We walk thru the Williamsburg old town and it was for sure and amazing adventure. The employee walk around with outfits from the 1800 and all the old buildings and history. It's a small town and each little building has a background and a story. They have backyard gardens that look fruitful and just stunning. Then they had a little park with bond fires. It great to a nice end while it being cold.

Highly recommend BWT! Everything about our Yorktown Tour experience was exceptional. Booking was…read moresimple, logistical communications were prompt and clear. Bambi picked us up at Williamsburg Inn, asked about our preferences and then filled the day with interesting historical references and stories. She used a voice amplifier to ensure all passengers could hear clearly along the route and offered us snacks and drinks. Bambi was very knowledgeable about all topics and complimentary of the interpreters from the sites we visited. She provided detail accounts on all aspects of the time from land formation, battles, troop movements and daily life. Her passion, breadth and depth of knowledge made for a very educational and enjoyable day. We highly recommend BWT!

From the owner: Best Williamsburg Tours brings past and present Virginia history to life through walking, driving…read moreand kayaking tours. Travel back in time to walk in the footsteps of American Indians and Colonists at Jamestown, raise our voices for liberty in Colonial Williamsburg and march into Historic Yorktown during the Revolutionary War. We offer private and group tours as well as step on and step off services for large groups. Our local, certified guides are in the top 2% and have our CUA permit for tours of Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield.

Awesome experience. Great date location. Would do it again. Make sure you bring your walking shoesread more

It was a really fun time, very informative!! Our guide was super nice as well. We did the boos and…read morebooze bar crawl.

When I saw on Taste Tidewater's Facebook post that there were only 3 spots left for their Oyster &…read moreWine tour, I reserved the same day! It is also my birthday month and have had my eye on this tour for awhile. It was fate! Not knowing what to expect, I jumped the gun and paid immediately. When Rex, the owner, sent the itinerary, I saw 3 local restaurants, Catch 31, Rockefeller's, & Tautogs. My first thoughts were, "I hope this isn't lame...", "I could go to these places myself..." The group met at Virginia Aquarium for an optional tour inside for the first 30mins. I arrived late. Now, I wish I made it on time to hear more about oysters. Rex tried finding the group for me & we walked all around the museum. It was way too crowded, I was late, & didn't mind waiting. Perhaps walkie talkies as a communication tool for the husband & wife team. Not just for late arrivals. :) Could be distracting too but, just a suggestion. The aquarium attendants had no idea who or where the group was. I did appreciate the effort. Not many would help me catch up with group especially, since I was late. Our first stop was Catch 31. Table was set and ready to go. We had three chefs(one including one of our guides, Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton) and the sommelier at our table. They educated us about the oysters & wine. They walked us through the various types of oysters & wine, regions, how to eat, & how to taste. We were served 4 oysters each from one of the 7 regions & two wine tastings. There were condiments and crackers on the table. I thought this was definitely the most informative restaurant out of the three. Next stop was Rockefeller's. Again, tables were set & wine was poured! No menu w/ descriptions. We had 2 raw oysters and 2 oysters rockefeller. Then, we were served hush puppies w/ pimento cheese which were amazing. Last, was coconut cake! This restaurant had more food offerings which was good because after several glasses of wine, I was hungry & others were too!! Last stop was Tautog's. They sat us outside & setup was more buffet style. Glasses of wine were on a table for us to pick up as we walked in. The presentation was beautifully prepared. They had 3 of their house sauces which were delicious! I thought the sauces were needed with these oysters. Others agreed. Didn't taste as fresh as the previous restaurants. I believe they were Lynnhaven and I've had Lynnhaven oysters before. So, not a reflection on the tour. There was also fresh cut fruit on the oyster platters. Only because TT asked, my recommendations would be: * Posting sample itineraries on social media * Clearer description of what to expect with regards to food so people know whether or not they should eat prior to the tour or pack a snack/sandwich. * Website shows they would be "happy to provide water and light snacks." None were offered. * Market/advertise the 10% off Yelp Check-in offer * Advise up front the 10% off Yelp Check-in is NOT valid for the Oyster & Wine tour. A portion of proceeds go towards non-profit which I totally understand & appreciate, just set the expectation. Overall, this was a lovely experience that one can comfortably do solo! I did and I truly enjoyed! Hands down. I am so happy to see a company like this on the East Coast and executing with such class. Please don't think this is a drunken wild party bus. It is a tasteful informative experience with subject matter experts who also enjoy partaking in libations while sharing their knowledge! :) I hope to see more food tours added to their current list. Rex, Lisa, & Chef Patrick were cordial, knowledgable, fun, and professional. Thank you so much for a memorable experience!

I went on the vineyard tour for a bachelorette party!! It was a fabulous time! Lisa, our tour…read moreguide, was knowledgeable, informative, and very hospitable!! Looking forward to the opportunity the either do a brewery tour or a different vineyard tour in the near future!!