Ani MariaWhen, Where and Why
The nation’s capital city, Washington DC is a foodie and history buff’s heaven. It’s a beautiful city, nicknamed the City of Trees, bordered by Maryland, Virginia and the Potomac River. There is so much to do here – one could never grow bored. To plan your perfect trip, here are my recommendations! The best seasons to visit are spring and fall. Summers are hot and humid in the city and winters are usually gloomy and cold. Do your best to avoid school breaks, as those and summers are tourist primes for DC, and you’ll undoubtedly have an incredible time in DC.
Scroll to the end of this post for the perfect weekend in DC! 🙂
Try This There – FREE THINGS
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History
- Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery
- Smithsonian National Zoo
- Smithsonian Castle Institution Building
- US Botanic Garden
- Renwick Gallery
- US Supreme Court
- View the street art and murals in DC
- Walk around the National Mall (outdoor area, not a shopping mall) to see the monuments
- Map
- Rent a scooter to get around faster and visit everything!
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall
- Lincoln Memorial
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Tidal Basin – Cherry blossom season usually falls at the end of March into early April
- Washington Monument you can even get tickets to go up it!
- World War II Memorial
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
- Capitol Building – Go to the Capitol Visitors Center and join a tour
- The White House – tours are available, but you must sign up well in advance (the minimum is 21 days in advance) and request a tour through your Member of Congress
- Arlington National Cemetery is in Virginia, but you can easily walk across Arlington Memorial Bridge (behind the Lincoln memorial) to get there
- The Pentagon is also in Virginia and they have free tours, but you need to sign up sometimes weeks/months in advance
Try This There – PAID ADMISSION
- Concert venues: The Anthem, 9:30 Club, Howard Theatre, Echostage, Union Stage, Black Cat, Hamilton
- Artechouse (tickets and advanced booking required, AR bar for 21+ but family friendly in the afternoons!)
- Smorgasburg DC – Outdoor food market. Tingey Plaza at Navy Yard on Saturdays. More than 30 food vendors and a beer garden for relaxing. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Free admission, but you’ll need to purchase anything you want to eat or drink. Tingey Plaza, Tingey Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
- Catch a show at the Kennedy Center
- International Spy Museum (enjoy interactive exhibits, $25 per person upon entry)
- National Geographic Museum ($15 per person upon entry) – I also highly recommend looking into their Explorer Nights and other special “after hours” events. They’re always well organized and fun!
- Rent a kayak or paddle board on the Potomac River (approx. kayak $16/hour, paddle board $22/hour)
- Pedal or Swan boat rental in the Tidal Basin
- Shopping/Restaurants: Georgetown, City Center, U Street/14th Street, Union Market, Eastern Market
- Catch a National’s baseball game
- Catch a DC United soccer game
- Escape Room
- Ax throwing
- VR Arcade
- Bowling and/or Bocce at Pinstripes in Georgetown
- Catch an event at Capital One arena (concerts, DC Capitals hockey games, WA Wizards basketball game, WWE matches, comedy shows, and more!)
- Comedy shows: DC Improv Comedy Club, Underground Comedy, Drafthouse Comedy Theater
Try This There – My personal favorite restaurants and bars
- Dacha Beer Garden
- The Brig Beer Garden
- The Midlands Beer Garden
- Rose’s Luxury New American Restaurant
- Hank’s Oyster Bar Seafood/American Restaurant
- Mi Vida Mexican Restaurant
- Chez Billy Sud French Restaurant
- Farmers Fishers Bakers American Restaurant
- Filomena Italian Restaurant
- Fiola Mare Seafood Restaurant
- Red Hen – Italian Restaurant
- Iron Gate – American Restaurant
- Convivial – French/American Restaurant
- Bresca – American flare Restaurant
- Rasika West End – Indian Restaurant
- Tiger Fork – Chinese Restaurant
- Brighton (for drinks)
- Pearl Street Warehouse (for drinks)
- The Sovereign (for drinks)
- The Berliner (for drinks & their German pretzel)
Staying There
In DC, I’d highly recommend checking out AirBnB (use my link for $35 off your first AirBnB stay) or hotels in these neighborhoods (listed from my top preference for a weekend visit): Downtown, Dupont Circle, West End, Georgetown (closer to the east side), Logan Circle
Try This There: A weekend in DC –
Friday Night on the Wharf:
Fly into DCA
Afternoon activities: find the cute wooden swings on the docks and people/boat watch, rent boats or stand up paddle boards , take a city cruise on the Potomac,
Artechouse (& pre-dinner drinks at their Augmented Reality Bar!)
Dinner at Hank’s Oyster Bar or Mi Vida or more low key Grazie Grazie
Drinks at Brighton or Pearl Street Warehouse
Dessert from Camp Wharf at the Fire Pit or Southwest Soda Pop Shop
Extra: shopping at the Wharf
Saturday in Georgetown:
Brunch/Breakfast at Chez Billy Sud or Farmers Fishers Bakers
Shopping on M Street NW (Start 34th & M and work down M until you hit Wisconsin Ave. Shop up (to N St.) and down (to South St.) along Wisconsin, then continue down M to around 29th St.
Visit the gardens of Dumbarten Oaks
Dinner at Filomena or Fiola Mare
Dessert from Thomas Sweet
Drinks at The Sovereign or The Berliner or Blues Alley Club
Extra: Catch show at the Kennedy Center or Bowling/Bocce at Pinstripes or Game Room at Pizzeria Paradiso
Sunday Downtown:
Brunch/Breakfast at Founding Farmers
Pick 2 – 3 Smithsonian Museums to explore
Lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill or The Partisan
Extra: Pedal or Swan boat rental in the Tidal Basin
Fly out of DCA
BONUS IDEA:
Visit Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Garden and picnic on their beautiful grounds. Visit in July or August to see everything in full bloom. Dog friendly!
Enjoy your trip! Let me know what you end up doing in the comments below!
Looking for another weekend in a US City? Check out my Kansas City, MO or Seattle, WA blog posts.