Where to See the Colonial Past: the 11 Best Colonial History Tours

1.Vung Tau Essential: Beach, Christ Statue & Colonial Heritage

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 284 reviews · from $41Our pick

Travel from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau in an air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Climb to the Christ Statue, see White Palace and Whale Temple, enjoy lunch, and get roughly 35 to 40 minutes at the beach. Guides may include Nikki, Heidi, or Thuyen.

“Nothing Dirty beach and sites where boring Don’t waste your day. Also three hrs driving to and theee hrs back.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Full-Day Ho Chi Minh City Tour with Colonial Heritage & Chinatown

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 246 reviews · from $47

Spend 8 to 9 hours seeing Ho Chi Minh City by air-conditioned vehicle and water bus. Visit the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum, Central Post Office, Cho Lon, Thien Hau Temple, and Binh Tay Market, with lunch, coffee, tickets, and an English-speaking guide included.

“Lovely first day in Vietnam with Thuyen! Picked me up promptly and great communication before the tour even started to coordinate for the day. Sights were exactly as advertised and Thuyen added excellent information and insight.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Colonial Zone: Historical Tour with a visit to the Columbus Lighthouse and Tres Ojos Park

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 157 reviews · 2 - 9 hours · from $5Best value

Visit Los Tres Ojos caves, the Columbus Lighthouse, and Santo Domingo’s Colonial Zone with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide. Walk Calle Las Damas, see the First Cathedral, and explore major monuments. Pickup is available from many Punta Cana and Bávaro hotels.

“Exploring the Colonial Zone was like stepping into the living pages of history. Walking through its centuries-old streets, surrounded by colonial architecture and iconic landmarks, gave me a deep appreciation for the origins of the city. Our guide shared fascinating stories and details that brought each site to life, making the experience both educational and enjoyable. It was a perfect blend of culture, history, and authentic local atmosphere. A truly memorable tour for anyone interested in the roots of Santo Domingo.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Colonial History Tour in Williamsburg Virginia

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 97 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $25

Walk through Colonial Williamsburg with guides such as Elizabeth, Tom, Lisa, or Patrick, hearing stories about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and daily colonial life. This $25 tour covers major sights from the Capitol area to Bruton Parish Church, but building entry requires a separate ticket.

“Well worth the price of the tour. Elizabeth was informative, interactive, and energetic. We learned a lot and saw Colonial Williamsburg through an expert’s eyes.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Colonial Williamsburg: Colonial History Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 83 reviews · 1h 45m · from $25

Join an English-speaking guide for a 105-minute walk through Colonial Williamsburg. Starting at the Capitol, you’ll see Raleigh Tavern and other historic sites, hear stories beyond Washington and Jefferson, and explore the move from royal government to elected rule. Guides have included Elizabeth, Tom Williams, and Lexi.

“Elizabeth did a phenomenal job with our tour of Colonial Williamsburg! She was very knowledgeable and did a great job of interacting with the group. We definitely enjoyed the tour and our time either way Elizabeth.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Discover Santo Domingo: Colonial History, Monuments & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 73 reviews · 11 hours · from $81

Travel from Punta Cana to Santo Domingo by air-conditioned coach for an 11-hour day of caves, colonial streets, monuments, and Dominican lunch. You will see Diego Columbus’s Palace, Calle Las Damas, the National Pantheon, the first cathedral in the Americas, and the Three Eyes caves.

“We got picked up late from our meeting point. Thank God that the customer service in whatsApp is very fast to respond eventhought it says that they are closed. I booked for english language but Spanish was the main language that was used. We were the only english speaking family on this tour. The first part of our tour went great. The 3 eyes park was beautiful, PASSEDBY Columbus monument. Lunch was okay. However, the afternoon part of our tour was a disaster. It rained that day and we did not know what the instructions were because it was relayed in Spanish, we got lost not knowing where the other…”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Ho Chi Minh City Tour with Colonial Heritage and Chinatown

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 48 reviews · from $44

Spend a full day with an English-speaking guide visiting Independence Palace, French colonial landmarks, the War Remnants Museum, Cho Lon, and Thien Hau Pagoda. Lunch, air-conditioned transport, and a round-trip Waterbus ride past Landmark 81 are included.

“Excellent tour with Anthony. It was great to see and experience Saigon with him. He was extremely knowledgeable and made it a very interesting tour. I am extremely glad to have taken the tour and see and experience Ho Chi Minh City in ways that would have been difficult on my own.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Arequipa, Historic and Colonial City and Santa Catalina Monastery

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 42 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $61

Begin at Carmen Alto and Yanahuara for volcano views and sillar architecture, then walk through Santa Catalina Monastery, Arequipa’s Cathedral, and the Jesuit cloisters. A guide such as Charo, Jeymi, or Sline adds local context while air-conditioned transport saves time.

“We really enjoyed the tour. We learned a ton of interesting information and saw a beautiful part of Arequipa history”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Shimla: Guided Walk Tour-Heritage, Culture & Colonial Trail

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 28 reviews · 2 hours · from $16

Join a private two-hour walk from Christ Church to the Indian Institute of Advanced Study with guides such as Preeti, Pawan, Raghav, or Sunny. Hear British-era stories, local gossip, and practical Shimla tips while passing the Ridge, Scandal Point, Gorton Castle, Kali Bari Temple, and Viceregal Lodge.

“We had a good time learning about the colonial history of the town as well as of the architectural history of Shimla, and got some nice pictures too. Pawan is very knowledgeable, was very patient as I struggled to walk uphill and let me take breaks as I needed. He also gave us some great tips for museums and shopping. Glad to have taken the trip!”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.La Paz Tour, Historical City, Beach, Colonial and Beautiful scenery on the way!

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $149

Travel from Cabo San Lucas to La Paz and Todos Santos with a bilingual guide, stopping at beaches, the Malecon, a colonial mission, Hotel California, mining towns, and Pacific-side viewpoints. Groups are capped at 10, lunch, drinks, water, and hotel pickup are included.

“We had a tour scheduled today for “ La Paz historical tour” that was set to leave at 7:30am and the driver, whose name is Uriel Castaño, did not wait for us in the lobby and left us all together. We were never given a pickup time but since the voucher stated 7:30am we decided to come down early. We were our way down and according to security here at our hotel, because we spoke with them, the driver entered the hotel to pick us up at 6:59am and had left the hotel by 7:06am. At 7:08am when we arrived at the lobby, The bell desk informed us that the…”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Newport: Colonial History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 24 reviews · 1h 15m · from $20

Meet at the Museum of Newport History & Shop, then trace Newport’s settlement from the pre-colonial era through its colonial landmarks. The 75-minute English tour includes the Old Colony House and stops at the Great Friends Meeting House, Touro Synagogue, City Hall, and Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House. Guide Patsy has earned special praise for her engaging delivery.

“Excellent tour!! Our guide gave us a lot of interesting information about colonial Newport. Highly recommended if you love history!”

Check availability →Read our full review