Vigilance Tours Arlington National Cemetery -

Dareck Makowski

Eric was absolutely an amazing guide. The depth of knowledge and interesting fun facts kept us entertained the entire three hour tour, honestly I was worried about filling three hours at Arlington. Highly recommend Eric and the tour, would have not experienced the cemetery the same. Many historical facts were impressive.

MBeeBaker

My husband and I saw Arlington National Cemetery with Vigilance Tours back in early February of 2023 and it was absolutely fantastic! It was the best tour we have ever had, anywhere! Recently, I was recommending the tour to a friend and noticed that I could not find the original reviews we wrote about it. So, I decided to repost, because the tour was exceptional! Here is my attempt at recreating my original review from 2023 as well as a more recent update.

Due to the nature of our trip to D.C., we only had enough free time to see one historic place and my husband, and I decided it would be Arlington National Cemetery. Our plan was simply to walk and see as much of it as we could in the time we had. Through a series of unexpected events, we ended up meeting Eric and decided to go on a tour with him. Little did we know we were about to get a tour from someone who had not just read about Arlington, but who had been the Officer in Charge of the U.S. Air Force Ceremonies at Arlington. Someone who knew Arlington inside and out, not to mention had so many other fascinating stories to tell. He clearly has a deep knowledge, love, and respect for the service members, their families, and the story of each life commemorated at Arlington. This tour was perfect for us, because we enjoy getting off the beaten path and exploring a place on a more in-depth level. Eric is exceptionally professional, a fantastic storyteller, and fun to talk to. We greatly enjoyed spending time with him. We got so much out of our experience at Arlington. We give the highest recommendation to Vigilance Tours and Eric Hummel.

Eric, if you see this, thank you for your service and for the tour!

Update: On our tour, he mentioned to us that he was writing a book. We got our copy last week, “The Losing Game” was an excellent read.

Michelle C

I booked this tour for myself and my 10 year old grandson very reluctantly. It was myself who really wanted to see Arlington. As much as I knew he liked “cemeteries “ this was different. Well Eric made this very cold day awesome. He made it not only a knowledgeable for me. But made him really interested. We talked about it half the way home!! Thank you Eric. You’re the best. Next time I’ll come back for another tour for the other half.

Renata

I had the pleasure of taking the personalized tour of Arlington Cemetery with Eric on Memorial Day. What a memorable and impactful experience!!! Eric shared so many amazing stories that stuck with me. A truly personalized experience. I recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Cemetery. You will not be disappointed.

jaimie browne

Absolutely amazing tour!
We found Eric of Vigilance Tours LLC through the WestIn website. He came “Highly Recommended.” I have to say, Eric was the best tour guide for Arlington National Cemetery.
Eric Hommel, being a two service veteran, a combat veteran with multiple tours, and a private historian, made for a unique, personalized and exciting tour. Eric’s knowledge of history and the geopolitical spectrum surrounding our nation’s capital at the time of the cemetery’s inception was enlightening. He provided vast insight to the landscape, cemetery protocols and architectural symbolisms all the while engaging personally with us.
Being a veteran, I was grateful for Eric’s professional demeanor and his like minded reverence for our nation’s most sacred, hallowed grounds. Our three hour walking tour spanned the graves of American heroes, presidents, Chief Justices, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and many of my personal heroes. Eric provided great details regarding grave nuances and anecdotal back stories. We walked away in awe.
I cannot recommend Eric Hommel and Vigilance Tours LLC enough! “Highly recommend” is an understatement.

Jaimie Browne, Chief Warrant Officer Four, USA (Retired)

Karen Horstman

Best tour - Eric was so informative and personable. He was a wealth of cemetery, government and local history. 12 out of 10 times I would recommend to family and friends. Can’t wait to read his book as well.

Douglas K

For any American the Arlington National Cemetery is a must-see. And Eric is the premiere guide. Unlike most tour guides simply regurgitating a script Eric served in the armed forces as a liaison to the ANC including directing service member funerals. His knowledge about the ANC is unsurpassed. Listening to his stories I sometimes found myself laughing and sometimes crying. From the onset Eric made it clear that we had all day for the tour even though it was actually only scheduled for 3 hours. Eric was never in a hurry and made sure we stopped to rest. Karen and I aren't spring chickens anymore and found the pace quite comfortable. To you it may appear that I am leaving a review for a friend. That is a fact... Now.

InfernoGalore Art

I went into this knowing next to nothing about Arlington and its history and left with a wealth of knowledge bestowed by a fantastic guide who knows it as well as his own backyard. Eric is a veteran who knows his stuff and has something to share about everything you pass from past to present, has anecdotes and trivia as fun as they are emotional, and treats the area, other guests, and you with warmth and respect. The tour shows great views of downtown DC and encourages individual exploration as well for exhibits like the Kennedy Memorial and Arlington House at the top of the hill. There's no rush to hurry along and finish it, and he leads you into plenty of questions while encouraging you to ask your own about the history of DC, the cemetery, and more. Do yourself a favor if you love history and set aside some time to go!