The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: History and How to Visit

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sits at the crest of a hill in Arlington National Cemetery, just across the Potomac River in Virginia, and it is one of the most moving stops anywhere in the Washington, DC area. To visit, ride the Metro Blue Line to the Arlington Cemetery station or join a guided tour, then walk up to the plaza beside the Memorial Amphitheater, where a single sentinel guards the tomb around the clock. If you do only one thing here, time your visit for the Changing of the Guard — the slow, exacting ceremony that takes place every hour, and every half hour in summer. It is the reason most people make the trip, and it is unforgettable.

This guide covers what the tomb is, the history behind it, how the guard ceremony works, the easiest ways to get there, and how to fold Arlington into a fuller day of sightseeing in DC. Whether you have a single morning or a long weekend, a little planning makes a meaningful difference at a place this solemn.

What You Are Looking At

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a simple, dignified block of white marble that looks out over the city of Washington across the river. It honors American service members who died in service and could not be identified — a single grave standing in for every soldier never named and never brought home. The face of the tomb carries the inscription, "Here rests in honored glory an American soldier known but to God."

What makes the site so powerful is the constant vigil. The tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by soldiers of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment — the unit known as "The Old Guard." Rain, snow, heat, holidays, the middle of the night: a sentinel is always walking the mat. That unbroken watch, kept for generations, is the heart of why visitors find Arlington so affecting.

A Short History

The tradition began after World War I. An unidentified American soldier was brought home from the battlefields of France and laid to rest here on November 11, 1921 — Armistice Day — as a symbol of all the war dead who were never identified. The marble tomb that crowns the site was completed and dedicated in the early 1930s.

Over the following decades, the tomb came to represent more than one war. Unknown service members from World War II and the Korean War were interred in 1958. A Vietnam War Unknown was added in 1984, but advances in DNA testing later allowed that soldier to be identified, and his remains were returned to his family in 1998. That crypt now stands empty and is dedicated to all of America's missing service members — a quietly profound chapter in the tomb's story.

The Changing of the Guard

The Changing of the Guard is the ceremony visitors travel to see, and it rewards a little patience. The relieving sentinel, the relief commander, and the soldier going off duty perform a precise, wordless ritual: an inspection of the weapon, a formal handoff, and the resumption of the walk. Every movement is deliberate and rehearsed to the second.

Watch the sentinel pace and you will notice the numbers built into the ceremony. The guard walks 21 steps down the mat, pauses for 21 seconds, turns, and pauses again — a nod to the 21-gun salute, the highest military honor. The ceremony takes place every hour on the hour, and every half hour during the summer months, so even a short visit can be planned around it. Arrive a few minutes early to find a spot, and remember that visitors are asked to stand and stay silent throughout, out of respect.

How to Get to Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery has its own Metro stop — Arlington Cemetery on the Blue Line — which puts you steps from the welcome center. From there it is an uphill walk through the grounds to reach the tomb, so wear comfortable shoes; the cemetery is large and the terrain rolls. Driving is possible too, with paid parking at the welcome center, though Metro is usually the simpler choice from anywhere on the National Mall.

If you would rather not navigate the hills and history on your own, a guided visit is worth considering. The Arlington Cemetery Guided Tour with Changing of the Guard, from $69.99 and running about 2 hours, takes you to the cemetery's key sites and times your arrival for the ceremony so you are not left checking your watch. A guide also fills in the stories behind the headstones — the Kennedy gravesites, the Memorial Amphitheater, and the rhythm of the watch — that are easy to miss on your own.

What to Know Before You Go

Arlington is an active military cemetery, not a tourist attraction in the usual sense, and the atmosphere reflects that. Funerals take place on the grounds throughout the day, so keep voices low, dress respectfully, and follow staff direction. Photography is allowed in most areas, but the plaza around the tomb calls for quiet and stillness, especially during the ceremony.

Give yourself more time than you expect. Between the walk uphill, the ceremony, and the other landmarks nearby, two hours is a reasonable minimum, and the Arlington Cemetery Guided Tour with Changing of the Guard is built around that window. Bring water in warm weather, since shade is limited along the hilltop, and check the welcome center for the day's information when you arrive.

Pairing Arlington With the Rest of DC

Because Arlington sits just across the river, it pairs naturally with a day on the National Mall, which runs roughly two miles from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. The Smithsonian museums lining the Mall are free, and the war and presidential memorials are open 24 hours and beautifully lit after dark. After the solemnity of the cemetery, many travelers like to cross back over and walk the memorials at a gentler pace.

A guided memorials walk is an easy way to connect the dots — the DC Memorials Walking Tour links the Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean War, and World War II memorials, which echo the themes you encounter at Arlington. If you are mapping out a multi-day trip and want help sequencing the Mall, Arlington, and the monuments, our trip planner can pull it together. And if you visit in spring, aim for late March to early April, when the cherry blossoms typically peak around the Tidal Basin and the whole city feels at its best.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier asks little of its visitors — just your time, your attention, and your silence — and it gives a great deal back. Stand on that hilltop, watch the guard turn at the end of the mat, and you understand why generation after generation has kept the watch unbroken. It is a fitting centerpiece for any DC trip, and a stop you will be glad you planned for.