Of All the Places in the World:
Washington, DC

Ismail Naskai is a private tour guide who has partnered with The Hay-Adams to share his "holy grail" Washington, DC experiences and insights with guests for more than 30 years. He has been featured in several articles and honored by the Washington Area Concierge Association, Washingtonian magazine, and Virtuoso travel magazine as "best private guide". Guests who have worked with him often ask for him by name, again and again. Here, he shares his story, and a bit of what makes his tours so memorable. 

Imagine a family, sitting down for dinner, discussing possible places to visit. Perhaps their trip is in a few months, or perhaps later that year. Of all the places in this beautiful country and the world that they could choose, they choose Washington, DC. That’s incredibly special. It means they will come here, to America’s capital, to experience new things together, take memorable photos, and strengthen their bond.

This is what I think about when I create tours for my guests, who are often guests at The Hay-Adams: what can I do to make their experience worthy of their choice?

The answer often lies in the study of the history of this great nation. When I was young, I discovered a deep personal fascination with history, and the three branches of government. I studied everything I could. And right here in Washington, it all came to life, in the form of beloved institutions, storied monuments, and lovely green spaces teeming with people from all over the world.

What an incredible city this is. From an experiment, a great nation was born and soon became a beacon of light to the entire world. When I look at the American flag, I see not the rippling of striking colors, but a full-fledged sacrifice, a promise and a symbol that this nation will honor liberty, unity, justice, love, and equality to all her inhabitants.

When I think about George Washington, I am fully convinced that he was meant to be the leader who would change everything. When I look at our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, I am so proud of this country and yet again convinced that this nation is indeed blessed. 

I had to support myself from a young age, but that didn’t stop me from pursuing knowledge. My education was found in books at the store that I bought to learn about presidents, wars, and Columbus’s journey to America. I learned about Jamestown, Williamsburg, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and a little about every president this country has ever had, so I can bring this city’s sites to life for my clients.

This passion for learning was always within me, but it was accelerated after a moment, very early in my career, when I was giving a tour and said something I had heard other tour guides say at that same spot, several times. One of the gentlemen in my group gently corrected me. It was mortifying, but it set me on a pathway to fully owning knowledge at a level that has really defined me and what I offer to my guests today.

When I first begin speaking with a new client, or, as is often the case with The Hay-Adams, a concierge who is also quite knowledgeable about the city, I begin by putting myself in their shoes. I have children, and we have been fortunate to travel the world as a family. I know how it feels to go on a tour and not feel like I learned anything I couldn’t have found on Wikipedia. On the other hand, I know how exhilarating it can be to share in a sense of discovery, because a local guide took the time to make our experience richer.

Sometimes, one moment can form the character of the whole trip.

People sometimes imagine Washington, DC to be only the places they have seen in the news, or in the many television shows and movies that have been filmed here. But actually, if I were to list all the interesting places in Washington, DC, I would fill hundreds of pages.

So, I like to know what they are most curious about. Perhaps it is those iconic sites, but how can I bring those sites to life? And if they simply share their interests – perhaps architecture, history, art, you name it, because Washington has it all and then some – I’m left to do what I do best.

When guests choose to work with me for multiple days, I take the first day a little easy and as we drive from site to site in comfort, I get to know them. Then, the next day, I add something unexpected. Perhaps through conversation, I’ve discovered that someone is a military buff, or an art collector. Whatever it is, I use my knowledge of this vast and wonderful part of the country to give them an experience that will stay with them for a long time.

In fact, no matter how my guests wish to form the content of their experience, my aim is to bring it a “holy grail” moment. Can I do something special, can we bypass that one line, go behind those scenes, bring that history to life, put some extra color to this or to that – that’s what’s going to make it much more memorable for my guests. It’s finding that one big moment of special access, or sharing an untold history, that makes my guests say, “Wow, I never knew I could see this,” or “I never knew that.”

That’s when they feel they’ve discovered something special.

That’s when they know that of all the places in the world, they chose to visit Washington, DC, and they chose well.