Washington, D.C.By ArrivLast checked
Plan a trip to Washington, D.C.
Nearly every major museum is free, so this is the best-value city trip in the country. Wear the good socks. The Mall is longer than it looks on a map, and the walk from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial will cost you an hour.
- Families
- History
- Weekend getaways
- First-timers
Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.
Washington, D.C. at a glance
You want Washington, D.C. in 3 to 4 days, which is enough time to start with National Mall and let the rest fall in around it. Pick between Dupont Circle, Shaw / U Street, and Georgetown for a base, and read the month notes before you book a flight. The three remaining stops fit in where they land. It all goes onto one map you can send to whoever is coming.
- How long
- 3–4 days
- When to go
- Late March to May, then September to October. Summer is hot, humid, and full of school groups. Cherry blossom season is beautiful and the busiest two weeks of the year, so the question is which of those two facts matters more to you.
- Getting around
- Metro reaches both airports and most of the city. Walk the Mall, but plan for four miles of it. Capital Bikeshare covers the museum-to-museum hops once your legs give out.
What to build the plan around
- 1
National Mall
Two miles from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and the monuments are best after dark, when they are lit and nearly empty.
- 2
Smithsonian museums
Free entry across nineteen museums, though Air and Space and Natural History need timed passes in peak months.
- 3
Georgetown
Cobblestone streets, the C&O Canal towpath, and dinner away from the government core if you want the change.
- 4
Tidal Basin
Cherry blossoms peak for about a week in late March or early April, though the loop walk around the water is good year-round.
Where to stay in Washington, D.C.
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- Dupont Circle
- Central and walkable, on the Red Line, which gives it the most restaurants per block. Browse stays in Dupont Circle
- Shaw / U Street
- Nightlife and music history with cheaper rooms, and ten minutes to the Mall by Metro when you want it. Browse stays in Shaw / U Street
- Georgetown
- The prettiest base of the three, and the only one without a Metro stop, so budget for the rides you take instead. Browse stays in Georgetown
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Itineraries close to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. has no itinerary of its own yet. These are the nearest ones, and every stop is already mapped.
Washington, D.C. planning questions
- How many days do you need in Washington, D.C.?
- Plan on 3 to 4 days, though how you split them matters more than the total. Three days covers the Mall, two museums, and one neighborhood. A fourth day fits Arlington, Mount Vernon, or Alexandria, and Mount Vernon is a half-day once you count the boat ride.
- What is the best time to visit Washington, D.C.?
- Late March to May, then September to October. Summer is hot, humid, and full of school groups. Cherry blossom season is beautiful and the busiest two weeks of the year, so the question is which of those two facts matters more to you.
- Where should I stay in Washington, D.C.?
- Depends what you want to be able to reach on foot. Dupont Circle: Central and walkable, on the Red Line, which gives it the most restaurants per block. Shaw / U Street: Nightlife and music history with cheaper rooms, and ten minutes to the Mall by Metro when you want it. Georgetown: The prettiest base of the three, and the only one without a Metro stop, so budget for the rides you take instead. Nightly rate and walking distance pull against each other in all three, so you have to pick the version of that trade you mind least.
- How do you get around Washington, D.C.?
- Metro reaches both airports and most of the city. Walk the Mall, but plan for four miles of it. Capital Bikeshare covers the museum-to-museum hops once your legs give out.
- What should I see first in Washington, D.C.?
- The first thing to slot in is National Mall, because once you have given it a morning the rest arranges itself around that. Two miles from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and the monuments are best after dark, when they are lit and nearly empty. After that, Smithsonian museums, then Georgetown, though the order between those two barely matters.
- Can I build a Washington, D.C. itinerary automatically?
- Describe the trip and Arriv builds one. Length, pace, who is coming: that is enough to get a Washington, D.C. itinerary of real venues on a map, and every stop is yours to move or delete. Free to run, and an account matters only once you want to keep it.