Itineraries

All day Itinerary

Estimated Time
6-8 hours
Recommended Age
7+

Explore these suggested activities for a full day at Monticello

  • 1
    15 minutes

    Start your visit at the Exhibits at the David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center

    Parking is free, and the visitor center has exhibits to check out before you head up the mountain, including Thomas Jefferson's World film, the Griffin Discovery Room, Many Threads—One Story Orientation Timeline and more. Next, take a 5-minute shuttle ride up the mountain (the shuttle runs continuously). 

    Visitor Center
    Aerial of Monticello's David M. Rubenstein Visitor Center, which feature several smaller buildings connected around a central courtyard.

  • Take a shuttle to the Historic Mountaintop and go on your Behind the Scenes Tour

    This exclusive pass takes you behind the scenes: through the first floor of Monticello and up the narrow staircase to explore the private quarters on the second and third floors, including the iconic Dome Room. Along the way, you will see unique architectural features and visit newly restored spaces that reveal the complexities of family life at Monticello. 

    Behind the Scenes Tour
    Monticello's West Front with the sun reflecting off the semicircular window just below the house's dome.

  • Meet Thomas Jefferson

    Guests can meet Thomas Jefferson (as portrayed by veteran historical actor-interpreter Bill Barker) in person, most Tuesdays through Saturdays throughout the year. Bring your questions for this interactive experience.

    Meet Thomas Jefferson
    Actor-interpreter Bill Barker, dressed as Thomas Jefferson in a black 19th-century outfit, gestures toward a harpsichord with an English guitar resting on top, and a tall mirror in the background.

  • Have lunch or a snack

    Just below the terrace where you finish your tour is the Farm Shop, offering coffees, pastries, sandwiches, salads, ice cream, and snacks.

    Farm Shop
  • 5
    30 minutes

    Walk through exhibits under and around the house

    Don't miss the wine cellar and its dumbwaiter as you walk through the basement of the main house.

    Exhibits under the Main House
    Shelves with copper pans and cooking utensils like the walls of Monticello's restored kitchen, which features a brick floor, a large hearth, a large preparation table, and a row of stew stoves along the left wall.

  • Slavery at Monticello Tour

    These guided outdoor walking tours focus on the experiences of the enslaved people who lived and labored on the Monticello plantation. Included in the price of admission.

    Slavery at Monticello Tour
  • 7
    45 minutes

    Our Outdoors Gardens and Grounds Tour

    Explore Monticello's restored flower gardens, vegetable garden, and surrounding grounds at your own pace or join a guided Gardens and Grounds Tour.

    Gardens and Grounds Tour
    Aerial of the Monticello mountaintop in the fall looking from the southeast and showing the main house and its wings, the winding flower walk, buildings along Mulberry Row, the Vegetable Garden Terrace, the South Orchard and Vineyards, and the deeper forested area to the north and west.
  • 8
    30 minutes

    Catch the shuttle back to Jefferson's Gravesite

    When the shuttle comes back down the mountain, there's an optional stop to get off and see Thomas Jefferson's gravesite. He is buried with his wife, his two daughters, and Governor Thomas Mann Randolph, his son in-law.

    Jefferson's Grave
    Jefferson's obelisk gravestone, which features the three things his wished most to be remembered for: the Declaration of Independence; the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, and the University of Virginia.
  • 9
    15 minutes

    Visit the Burial Ground for Enslaved People near the visitor's center

    The site of several graves of enslaved African Americans at Monticello is a place to honor and reflect on the over 400 enslaved people who lived and labored at Monticello during Jefferson's lifetime.

    Burial Ground for Enslaved People
    A wide image of the wooded area surrounding the Burial Ground for Enslaved People at Monticello, showing the sites updated fencing and plantings from 2022.
  • 10
    15 minutes

    Stop by The Shop

    Round out your visit with a stop in our gift shop to pick up a memento of your visit or relax in the book section with more than 250 titles -- and comfortable reading chairs. 

    The Shop at Monticello
    Cups, books, t-shirts, and quill pens decorated with elements of the Declaration of Independence and on a display in the Shop at Monticello.

  • Relax at Jefferson Vineyards

    Come for a tasting with views of Carter Mountain and Montalto. Enjoy wine by the bottle, glass, or in tasting flights, rotating food menus, and a seasonal music series. We offer a diverse portfolio of award-winning wines that are the hand-crafted product of the land, honed over our forty years of experience.

    Jefferson Vineyards
    A man and a woman sit at an outdoor table on a patio flanked by flowers while drinking wine and looking at a view of rolling hills.

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