StayAreasThe best things to do in Washington, DC
Most of what you come to Washington for lines the National Mall, a two-mile lawn running from the US Capitol in the east to the Lincoln Memorial in the west, with the Washington Monument in the middle and the Smithsonian museums along both sides. Penn Quarter and Downtown sit just north of the Mall, Capitol Hill behind the Capitol, Foggy Bottom near the Lincoln Memorial, and Georgetown, Dupont Circle and the Wharf a short ride away.
Here are the 20 things we'd put on a first trip, grouped by part of the city, with the area to stay in if that part of Washington matters most to you. Almost all the big museums and monuments are free, but several need a timed pass booked online, and during a federal government shutdown the Smithsonian museums and Capitol tours can close, so check before you go.
The monuments
1.The Lincoln MemorialFree
The Greek temple at the west end of the Mall with the giant seated Abraham Lincoln, where Martin Luther King Jr gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech.
Tip: Come after dark, when it's lit and quiet, and look back along the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument and the Capitol.
Stay nearby: Foggy Bottom · ~$250/night2.The Washington MonumentFree
The 555-foot marble obelisk in the middle of the Mall, with a lift to an observation level near the top.
Tip: Entry is free but you need a timed ticket; book online ahead, as same-day tickets go early.
3.The WWII, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans memorialsFree
Three moving memorials around the Reflecting Pool: the fountains and pillars of the WWII memorial, the steel soldiers of the Korean War memorial and the black wall of names of the Vietnam memorial.
Tip: Walk them in one loop with the Lincoln Memorial; Park Service rangers give free talks during the day.
Stay nearby: Foggy Bottom · ~$250/night4.The Tidal Basin, Jefferson and MLK memorialsFree
A walk around the Tidal Basin past the domed Jefferson Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jr memorial and the FDR memorial.
Tip: The cherry blossoms usually peak in late March or early April; go at sunrise to beat the crowds.
5.The White House and Lafayette SquareFree
The President's house, seen from Lafayette Square on the north side or the Ellipse on the south.
Tip: Public tours must be requested months ahead through a member of Congress (or an embassy for non-US visitors). The White House Visitor Center nearby is open to all.
Stay nearby: Penn Quarter · ~$260/night
Capitol Hill
6.The US CapitolFree
The domed seat of Congress, with guided tours of the Rotunda and the old Supreme Court and Senate chambers.
Tip: Tours are free; book them online through the Capitol Visitor Center. You can also watch Congress in session from the galleries with a pass from your representative or senator's office.
Stay nearby: Capitol Hill · ~$230/night7.The Library of CongressFree
The Thomas Jefferson Building's Great Hall and Main Reading Room are among the most beautiful interiors in the country.
Tip: Entry is free with a timed pass booked online. An underground tunnel links it to the Capitol Visitor Center.
Stay nearby: Capitol Hill · ~$230/night
The museums on the Mall
8.National Air and Space MuseumFree
The Wright Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module and the Spirit of St. Louis, in the museum's renovated galleries on the Mall.
Tip: Entry is free with a timed pass. The bigger Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport has the Space Shuttle Discovery and an SR-71 Blackbird.
9.National Museum of Natural HistoryFree
Dinosaur skeletons, a stuffed African elephant in the rotunda and the Hope Diamond.
Tip: Go straight to the Hope Diamond on the second floor at opening time, before the crowds build.
10.National Museum of African American History and CultureFree
The story of African Americans from slavery to today, starting deep underground and rising into the light, in a bronze-latticed building near the Washington Monument.
Tip: Free timed passes are released ahead online and some each morning; allow at least four hours.
11.National Gallery of ArtFree
Two buildings of European and American art, including the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas, plus an outdoor sculpture garden.
Tip: An underground walkway with a light installation links the classical West Building to I. M. Pei's East Building.
12.United States Holocaust Memorial MuseumFree
A powerful museum on the history of the Holocaust, told through objects, film and survivors' stories.
Tip: Entry is free, but the permanent exhibition needs a timed pass in the busy months; it isn't recommended for children under 11.
Penn Quarter and the Wharf
13.Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait GalleryFree
Two museums sharing one grand old patent office building, with the presidential portraits and a glass-roofed courtyard.
Tip: They're open until 7pm, later than the Mall museums, and the courtyard café is a good place to rest.
Stay nearby: Penn Quarter · ~$260/night14.Ford's Theatre
The theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot in 1865, with a museum below and the house where he died across the street.
Tip: Entry is free but needs a timed ticket, which you can reserve online for a small fee or pick up on the day.
Stay nearby: Penn Quarter · ~$260/night15.International Spy Museum
Gadgets, disguises and true stories of espionage, with an interactive cover identity you carry through the museum.
Tip: Book a timed ticket online; it's a short walk from the Wharf.
Stay nearby: The Wharf · ~$270/night16.The Wharf and Navy YardFree
A new waterfront on the Potomac with restaurants, music venues and the old Maine Avenue Fish Market, plus the Nationals' ballpark at Navy Yard.
Tip: The Maine Avenue Fish Market is the oldest continuously operating fish market in the US; get steamed crabs and eat them on the pier.
Stay nearby: The Wharf · ~$270/night
Georgetown, Dupont Circle and further out
17.Georgetown and the C&O CanalFree
The city's oldest neighbourhood, with Federal-style brick houses, M Street's shops, the waterfront park and a towpath along an old canal.
Tip: Walk up the steep 'Exorcist steps' from M Street, then wander the quiet residential streets above.
Stay nearby: Georgetown · ~$300/night18.Dupont Circle and the Phillips Collection
A lively circle of cafés and bookshops near Embassy Row, and America's first museum of modern art, home to Renoir's 'Luncheon of the Boating Party'.
Tip: Don't miss the small Rothko Room, made to the artist's own wishes. Walk up Massachusetts Avenue afterwards to see the embassies.
Stay nearby: Dupont Circle · ~$250/night19.Arlington National CemeteryFree
The military cemetery across the Potomac with the graves of John F. Kennedy and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Tip: Watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb; the Metro's Blue Line stops at the entrance.
20.A day trip to Mount Vernon
George Washington's plantation home on the Potomac, with the mansion, gardens, his tomb and exhibits on the people enslaved there.
Tip: It's about 30 minutes by car; in the warmer months a sightseeing boat also runs down the river from Old Town Alexandria.
Written by the StayAreas editorial team · Updated Oct 2026 · How we research our guides