What began in 2004 with a Civil War historian’s obsession with Lincoln’s story has grown into one of Washington, DC’s most successful tour companies. Today, DC by Foot welcomes up to 90,000 visitors annually who rave about their signature Capitol Hill tours and haunted Georgetown walks.
But America’s most iconic buildings and monuments aren’t enough — what sets them apart is their commitment to authentic storytelling and insider access.
“The key thing that drives us is our passion for history and showing something authentic and real,” says Pri Zielinski, the CEO of Tours by Foot, the parent company now operating in 30 locations, from DC to Dubai.
“Even as business owners, we still guide tours ourselves every week or month. It keeps us humble, grounded, and fully in touch.” Here, Pri shares how the company maintains its dedication to authenticity as it expands and how partnering with GetYourGuide has aided its success.
How did DC by Foot begin?
“My husband, Richard Zielinski, and his business partner, Steve Pickard, founded the company in 2004, and I came on board in 2014 as head of finance and am now CEO. Richard is a Civil War historian and loves Lincoln, so it all began with the Lincoln Assassination tour, which explores the few hours leading up to Lincoln being shot in Ford’s Theatre and grew from there.
Every city has historic tours, art tours, food tours, and architecture tours. We try to keep them as authentic as possible, focusing on hidden gems and true history.”
What’s your most popular tour in DC now?
“The Lincoln tour is still a hit, but Our Capitol Hill and Library of Congress tour is the blockbuster. Everyone who comes to Washington wants to visit Capitol Hill, hear the fun stories, and maybe spot senators and governors.
But navigating the ticketing system can be overwhelming, so we remove all that hassle with skip-the-line insider access. We run it several times a day because demand is so high.”
How do you maintain such consistently high ratings?
“It all boils down to the guides. Our DC guides have been with us for over 10 years. They’re highly educated, many are published authors, and their ability to engage with guests is exceptional. We don’t easily bring on new guides; they undergo extensive training and shadow multiple tours before handling real guests.
Even for something like our Ghost of Georgetown tour, you’d shadow five or six guides to understand different styles and nail the content and delivery.”
How do you create new tours that stand out?
“It comes from genuine passion. Our DC-based business partner, Canden, is a published historian who writes about the women of Washington. She’s curated fascinating tours in Georgetown that do better than typical tourist routes because visitors want authentic stories and guides with real personalities. Take our food tours — we’re expanding into DC’s revival food scene but tying it to authenticity and history, exploring important cultural foods in various communities. Every tour needs to tell a story that matters.”
When did you partner with GetYourGuide, and what impact has it had?
“That was 2020, mid-pandemic, when we were reevaluating our business model. GetYourGuide’s marketing reach and resources were incredible for us as a small business. Our revenue has grown substantially, and we’re seeing many more European visitors through this partnership, especially from Germany and the UK.”
How do you use GetYourGuide’s platform to manage growth?
“Their API connection makes availability management seamless, and we get instant notifications when we receive reviews. The dashboard is incredibly user-friendly — I’m an admin, so I can easily track bookings, reviews, and payouts across all our tours in each of our cities. It helps us stay on top of things and be responsive to customer feedback.”
How do you balance growth with profitability?
“We stay lean and focused. Our administrative costs are minimal, and we do much of the work ourselves. Instead of worrying about competition, we invest in what matters most: business development, professional photography, and tour promotion. We’re ambitious but cautious.”
Does working with OTAs help or hinder that?
“Overall, the commission we pay GetYourGuide is well-deserved — it lets us focus on delivering quality experiences while they handle marketing and admin, which is ideal for us.”
How important is visual content in attracting customers through GetYourGuide?
“Guests often make decisions based on a single thumbnail image, so it’s crucial. We do professional photoshoots for all our cities, hiring professional photographers and models to ensure high-quality photos and make our tours clickable.”
How do you approach launching tours in a new city?
“We look at what makes each place unique beyond the typical tourist hotspots. Even in cities like Dubai, we focus on walkable districts with rich stories to tell. Yes, we’ll visit the Burj Khalifa, but we’re more interested in the nuances of its architecture and the story behind it than just how tall it is.”
Do you see different types of visitors in other cities?
“Definitely. DC attracts many American tourists because they come to see the history and politics of the city. They want those insider stories about Capitol Hill and the tales of past presidents. In New York, our audience is vastly international, and reaching more European audiences has been vital.”
What’s your advice for tour companies who want to increase bookings and replicate your success?
“Availability is everything. Offer tours every day, multiple times if possible, with a short cutoff time.
Guests book at the last minute, so you need to be ready and open. It’s an investment; you might lose money initially, but consistency builds visibility over time.
Key Takeaways
- DC by Foot has seen remarkable growth through GetYourGuide, joining in 2020 and achieving revenue of around $200,000 in 2024.
- The company successfully attracts both domestic and international visitors with increasing OTA bookings from key European markets: Germany, France, and the UK.
- A lean operational model, focusing investment on tour quality and content while leveraging GetYourGuide’s marketing reach, has proven highly successful.
- DC by Foot demonstrates that consistent availability and last-minute booking options are key to success in the tours and activities sector.
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