Take in the many splendors of the nation’s capital when you arrive at Washington, D.C.
Your Washington, D.C. tour should start at the National Mall, where you’ll find monuments, memorials, and government buildings instead of tons of shopping. If you’d like to get around town easily but don’t want to rent a car, the Capital Bikeshare program will let you cruise around the city without wasting gas or getting stuck in traffic.
Check out the Watergate Hotel and Kennedy Center when you stop at Foggy Bottom, then move on to Georgetown, the oldest district in D.C. It’s filled with 18th-century buildings and, of course, the university itself. After a stop at the National Cathedral, make your way to the Smithsonian National Zoo, the perfect stop for the young and the young at heart.
If you’re feeling the need to channel your inner 007, go to the International Spy Museum, and learn about the covert operations and intelligence agencies that have shaped the world we live in. Of course, you can’t enjoy any Washington, D.C., tourism without admiring the White House, so make sure that’s on your list too.
Visit our Washington, D.C., travel guide page for more information or to plan your next vacation!
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Things you NEED to know BEFORE you go to Washington DC. DC is often referred to as “The District.” You could easily spend a week in DC, especially if you want to see George Washington’s house in Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s house in Monticello. The City is laid out in a grid pattern with lettered streets running east-west, numbered streets running north-south. Diagonal streets — usually named after states — often intersect at circles (30 circles)
Dupont Circle is my favorite circle. Comprised of four quadrants (NE, NW, SE, and SW), which spread out from the U.S. Capitol.
Getting in
There are three Airports — none of them actually in DC
Reagan (DCA) — right next to DC — connected by Metro or $20 Cab Ride
Washington Dulles (IAD)
Baltimore-Washington (BWI)
Amtrak to Union Station
Or Drive
Transportation in DC
Walk
One of the 10 of the most walkable cities in the USA
Travel + Leisure rated D.C. as the third rudest city in America,
Metro
Smart Trip Card
Capital Bike Share
175 stations across the city
Sign up for a day, or three
Taxis/Uber plentiful
Driving: Beware — traffic is miserable and oneway streets abound
Parking is expensive — Use parking panda
Museums
Smithsonians are free
Most on the national mall
Air and Space has 2 locations — one by Dulles
Newseum and Spy Museum are expensive
My favorite is the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
No reservations required September 5, 2017 through March 2, 2018
Washington Monument elevator is really cool — but it’s often broken
Best gift shops are in the museums
Government Stuff
Capitol Building or the White House, make sure to book your tickets in advance.
Capitol tour, reservations online or through your Congressional representative or senator.
Capitol Visitor Center provides a limited number of day-passes starting at 9 a.m.
White House, reserve a few months before your trip. Thru congressional representative.
Time to visit
Cherry Blossom Season
Not the summer when all the school kids are there
And the Summer is oppressively hot and humid, especially in August
And maybe not when the govt is in full swing
I like Winter — no crowds at all
Hotels
Can be really expensive, as can parking
My favorites are the Park Hyatt and the Mayflower
Stay outside of DC in Arlington or Alexandria for cheaper hotels
Just a short metro ride in to the city
Food
The national mall and monument area has almost no food
Union Station and Le’fant plaza good for lunch, or around the white house
Avoid the Chinese food in Chinatown — it’s all really awful
But George Bush’s favorite Chinese restaurant is just 20 minutes driving outside of DC
Peking Gourmet Inn in Fall Church — Awesome Peking Duck
My Favorites: Potbelly
My Favorites: Moby Dick House of Kabob
My Favorites: Ben’s Chili Bowl
DC is more than just monuments and the National Mall
Get out and see the real DC
Georgetown
Penn Quarter
Adams Morgan
Smithsonian Zoo
U Street
Walk the red line
Timecodes:
DC General: 00:27
DC City Layout: 01:37
Getting in to DC: 02:35
Transportation in DC: 03:59
DC Museums: 06:02
Government Stuff: 08:51
Best time to visit DC: 10:05
DC Hotels: 11:43
DC Food: 13:51
The Rest of DC: 18:20
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