Press & Media

The company

DC by Foot is Washington DC’s premier walking tour company, founded in 2004 and operating as part of Tours by Foot — a multi-city tour operation now running in over 30 locations from Washington DC to Dubai. The company is woman-majority owned and led by CEO Priyanka Zielinski and COO Canden Arciniega.

By the numbers

Over 6 million guests guided since 2004. More than 100,000 five-star reviews across platforms. Up to 90,000 visitors annually in Washington DC alone. Over 100 tours covering history, neighborhoods, food, ghost stories, and more. Guides with an average tenure of over 10 years.

What makes us different

DC by Foot was built on authentic storytelling and insider access — not scripted performances. Our guides are licensed historians and educators, many with advanced degrees and published books. CEO and COO both lead tours personally alongside the team. The company has operated as a guide-first business since day one.

The New York Times

Featured in the New York Times travel section in a piece on Washington DC travel. Read the article →

Lonely Planet

Named by Lonely Planet as one of Washington DC’s most popular walking tour operators, with specific recognition for the themed tours including ghost tours and the Lincoln Assassination tour.

The Washington Post

COO Canden Arciniega featured in the Washington Post Going Out Guide. Read the feature →

Washingtonian Magazine

DC by Foot included in Washingtonian’s guide to cherry blossom tours in Washington DC. Read the article →

WTOP News

DC by Foot’s ghost tours featured on Washington’s leading news radio station. Read the feature →

GetYourGuide Spotlight

Featured as a GetYourGuide success story — profiling how DC by Foot grew from a Civil War historian’s passion for Lincoln into Washington DC’s leading walking tour company. Read the feature →

Contingent Magazine

COO Canden Arciniega profiled in Contingent Magazine’s “How I Do History” series — exploring her approach to public history, tour guiding, and making the past accessible to general audiences. Read the profile →

Women’s Insider

DC by Foot founders featured in Women’s Insider for redefining luxury travel through sustainable walking tours. Read the feature →

Canvas Rebel

COO Canden Arciniega featured in Canvas Rebel in a profile on her career, her books, and her approach to public history and education. Read the profile →

Women Also Know History

COO Canden Arciniega listed in the Women Also Know History database of women historians. View the listing →

BBC, NPR, Travel Channel and Discovery Family Channel

COO Canden Arciniega has been interviewed by the BBC, NPR, the Travel Channel, and the Discovery Family Channel on topics including DC history, ghost tours, and public history.

Washington.org

DC by Foot listed on the official Washington DC tourism website as one of the city’s top-rated walking tour companies.

Priyanka Zielinski — CEO

Pri founded DC by Foot in 2004 and has grown it from a single Washington DC walking tour into a multi-city operation running in over 30 locations worldwide. She speaks on topics including sustainable tourism, women-owned business, the touring industry, and scaling a hospitality company while maintaining authenticity. She continues to lead tours herself alongside the team.

Available for: Business and entrepreneurship features, sustainable travel, women in business, tourism industry commentary.

Canden Arciniega — COO and Historian

Canden is a historian, author, and educator who has led tours in Washington DC since 2011. She is the author of four published books on DC history — Wicked Georgetown, Wild Women of Washington, Images of America: Georgetown, and LeDroit Park — and has been interviewed by the BBC, NPR, the Travel Channel, and the Discovery Family Channel. She homeschools her own children and oversees DC by Foot’s educational programming through EducaTours by Foot.

Available for: DC history, public history, ghost tours and paranormal history, women’s history, homeschooling and experiential education, tour guiding as a career, author interviews.

Popular presentation topics

• Washington DC history — founding era to present day
• The Lincoln assassination and Civil War DC
• Haunted DC — the ghost stories and dark history of the capital
• Women’s history in Washington DC
• Georgetown history and architecture
• Public history and experiential education
• DC history trivia nights for corporate events and mixers

Great for

• Conferences and heritage organizations
• Historical societies and museums
• Corporate events and team mixers
• Book clubs
• Schools and universities
• Groups who want a DC history experience without the walking

Our speakers

Our guides are historians with advanced degrees in history, education, and museum studies. Many are published authors. All have years of experience presenting to public audiences of every size and background. Presentations can be customized to your event’s theme, audience, and duration.

Press kit

Our press kit includes company background, leadership bios, key statistics, brand guidelines, and approved quotes. Available on request.

High resolution photos

High resolution photography of our tours, guides, and DC landmarks is available for editorial use. Please include photo credit as specified in the download. Available on request.

Complimentary tour access

We welcome journalists and content creators who would like to experience our tours firsthand for editorial coverage. Please reach out in advance with your publication or platform details and we will arrange access.