Few days in Washington
Discussion
Hi
I'm thinking of going to Washington with my wife towards the end of February. Never been before so looking for some hotel recommendations and the usual touristy stuff. I'm getting tickets for the NBA game and will try and get a tour of the White House plus the Smithsonian for a day.
Any other ideas greatly appreciated. I'm assuming it will be cold!
Thanks
I'm thinking of going to Washington with my wife towards the end of February. Never been before so looking for some hotel recommendations and the usual touristy stuff. I'm getting tickets for the NBA game and will try and get a tour of the White House plus the Smithsonian for a day.
Any other ideas greatly appreciated. I'm assuming it will be cold!
Thanks
Be aware that the Smithsonian in DC is a collection of museums, Natural History, Air and Space, American History to name a few off the top of my head.
When me and the lad did a few days in DC we did them all, Air and Space a couple of times and each one can take hours. We walked our arses off, the Capital building The war monuments are all brilliant and worth taking time to walk around, they are a trek but sort of blend into each other. Lincoln Memorial at night, it's spectacular. We also spent nearly a day at Arlington Cemetery as well, fascinating and so much history. We did the Holocaust museum which is good.
Also, as we walked pretty much everywhere, we stayed in a hotel near the main railway station, can't remember which one, then I planned walking off the main drags and catching other places such as the Police monument etc.
Really enjoyed DC, I'd happily go back again as there was loads more to see.
When me and the lad did a few days in DC we did them all, Air and Space a couple of times and each one can take hours. We walked our arses off, the Capital building The war monuments are all brilliant and worth taking time to walk around, they are a trek but sort of blend into each other. Lincoln Memorial at night, it's spectacular. We also spent nearly a day at Arlington Cemetery as well, fascinating and so much history. We did the Holocaust museum which is good.
Also, as we walked pretty much everywhere, we stayed in a hotel near the main railway station, can't remember which one, then I planned walking off the main drags and catching other places such as the Police monument etc.
Really enjoyed DC, I'd happily go back again as there was loads more to see.
We did a few days there a couple of years ago to break up Mexico and NYC. Was really good. Very walkable for the most part.
We stayed at the Hyatt closest to the White House (on K). Good for the money as it was cheap and the walk to the White House was maybe 6-8 mins. Free breakfast when we were there - was packed.
Did the usual stuff, most of the museums are free but you do need timed entry tickets. The air and space was mostly closed when we went which was a shame. Not sure on re-opening.
Arlington is "good" we took the tour, was quite interesting / sad at the same time - similar to the Normandy area IMO.
DC Zoo is good but a bit far out of town. A half day at the least.
Watch the weather - it can be bitterly cold. We were there in Nov and it was ok for a couple of days, almost shorts weather 22-23c and then overnight we lost about 20c and it never really got warmer. The wind was bitter.
Food and drink can be expensive but no where near as bad as NYC.
DC is clean and feels safe inside the city. No real hustle and bustle either, everyone seems relaxed, probably all the govt dollars LOL!
We stayed at the Hyatt closest to the White House (on K). Good for the money as it was cheap and the walk to the White House was maybe 6-8 mins. Free breakfast when we were there - was packed.
Did the usual stuff, most of the museums are free but you do need timed entry tickets. The air and space was mostly closed when we went which was a shame. Not sure on re-opening.
Arlington is "good" we took the tour, was quite interesting / sad at the same time - similar to the Normandy area IMO.
DC Zoo is good but a bit far out of town. A half day at the least.
Watch the weather - it can be bitterly cold. We were there in Nov and it was ok for a couple of days, almost shorts weather 22-23c and then overnight we lost about 20c and it never really got warmer. The wind was bitter.
Food and drink can be expensive but no where near as bad as NYC.
DC is clean and feels safe inside the city. No real hustle and bustle either, everyone seems relaxed, probably all the govt dollars LOL!
Loved DC when we were there.... a worrying 20 years ago!
However my list looks a lot like the post above.
Air & Space is fantastic - i hope the to scale planets is still there outside?
The war memorials make for a great walk around, coupled with the National Mall & Lincoln Memorial.
So much 'history' to see, the Senate too - although I couldn't go in for some reason at the time, don't know if you had to book or similar?
Also worth going out to Arlington but you can spend hours there.
However my list looks a lot like the post above.
Air & Space is fantastic - i hope the to scale planets is still there outside?
The war memorials make for a great walk around, coupled with the National Mall & Lincoln Memorial.
So much 'history' to see, the Senate too - although I couldn't go in for some reason at the time, don't know if you had to book or similar?
Also worth going out to Arlington but you can spend hours there.
The Smithsonian Institute is actually 17 museums around DC and the National Zoo. Access is free although the Air and Space Museum on the Mall is currently under refurbishment with timed tickets due to reduced capacity.
Assuming you are not US citizens, White House tours can only be arranged through your embassy. The British Embassy simply won't do it because the White House security requirements are apparently extremely onerous. In any event the tour is relatively limited and doesn't go anywhere near the interesting parts. There are two alternative attractions though:
Instead if you want a political tour, go for the US Capitol. You probably won't see the House and Senate chambers but you'll see the Rotunda in particular as well as passing the Office of the Speaker of the House. The nearby US Botanic Garden could be a useful spot to pop in if you need to warm up.
You can go up the Old Post Office Tower, which is the 3rd tallest building in DC. The National Park Service entrance is at the rear of the Waldorf Astoria (previously Trump International). The first lift provides a view of the hotel atrium then a second lift takes you up the clock tower itself. If the Washington Monument is the Empire State Building then the Old Post Office Tower is the Rockefeller centre: the latter gives you get the same city view but you also get to see the Washington Monument (ESB). Go early in the morning and you'll get a fanastic view looking down Pennsylvania Avenue of the sun rising behind the Capitol.
The Capital One Arena is pretty good. The 400 seats in the centre are relatively cheap but with a good view down to court level plus the screens in front of you. Lots of drink and catering choices inside (no running out of pies at half time). After the game, have a quick wander round to Friendship Archway at 7th and H. Looks great lit up at night.
The Metro is relatively easy to use although most of the central tourist attractions are generally closer to each other than to metro stops. The Mall is larger than expected but can easily be navigated by electric bikes (Lime Bikes and Capital Bikeshare), which can be a timesaver if weather allows. A lot of the central area also has segregated bike lanes.
Assuming you are not US citizens, White House tours can only be arranged through your embassy. The British Embassy simply won't do it because the White House security requirements are apparently extremely onerous. In any event the tour is relatively limited and doesn't go anywhere near the interesting parts. There are two alternative attractions though:
- the National Park Service run the White House Visitor Centre on the south east side of the White House, which is a traditional-style museum displaying various White House artefacts.
- the White House Historical Association run the newly opened The People's House experience on the west side of the White House. It's more modern and interactive with the opportunity to sit behind the desk in a mockup of the Oval Office.
Instead if you want a political tour, go for the US Capitol. You probably won't see the House and Senate chambers but you'll see the Rotunda in particular as well as passing the Office of the Speaker of the House. The nearby US Botanic Garden could be a useful spot to pop in if you need to warm up.
You can go up the Old Post Office Tower, which is the 3rd tallest building in DC. The National Park Service entrance is at the rear of the Waldorf Astoria (previously Trump International). The first lift provides a view of the hotel atrium then a second lift takes you up the clock tower itself. If the Washington Monument is the Empire State Building then the Old Post Office Tower is the Rockefeller centre: the latter gives you get the same city view but you also get to see the Washington Monument (ESB). Go early in the morning and you'll get a fanastic view looking down Pennsylvania Avenue of the sun rising behind the Capitol.
The Capital One Arena is pretty good. The 400 seats in the centre are relatively cheap but with a good view down to court level plus the screens in front of you. Lots of drink and catering choices inside (no running out of pies at half time). After the game, have a quick wander round to Friendship Archway at 7th and H. Looks great lit up at night.
The Metro is relatively easy to use although most of the central tourist attractions are generally closer to each other than to metro stops. The Mall is larger than expected but can easily be navigated by electric bikes (Lime Bikes and Capital Bikeshare), which can be a timesaver if weather allows. A lot of the central area also has segregated bike lanes.
Not been for around 15 years, luckily a friend of mine lived near Arlington so I cannot recommend any hotels. But Arlington is a good base and obviously close to the cemetary which is fascinating, metro to the centre which is quick and efficient.
It's easily walkable with lots of outdoor space and greenery, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill, Museums all close by. I did a Segway tour if that's your thing and will take you everywhere worth seeing, but you don't get time to go into museums etc. You could easily spend a few days going through the museums alone. Last time I was there they were mostly free with only one or two exceptions - Newseum being one - I think that may have closed but if not it's well worth a visit.
A little further afield is the Pentagon which you can get pretty close to and all those years ago you could see where it had been rebuilt after 9-11, there was a memorial also.
Further again and by far the best museum is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy centre - https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center a day out in itself.
It's easily walkable with lots of outdoor space and greenery, White House, Lincoln Memorial, Capitol Hill, Museums all close by. I did a Segway tour if that's your thing and will take you everywhere worth seeing, but you don't get time to go into museums etc. You could easily spend a few days going through the museums alone. Last time I was there they were mostly free with only one or two exceptions - Newseum being one - I think that may have closed but if not it's well worth a visit.
A little further afield is the Pentagon which you can get pretty close to and all those years ago you could see where it had been rebuilt after 9-11, there was a memorial also.
Further again and by far the best museum is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy centre - https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center a day out in itself.
El Rinconcito (The little corner) restaurant on the corner of 11th & M (from memory) is inexpensive and serves great El Salvadorian food.
I was in DC twice last year, just for a couple of days each. Just walked and walked. Fabulous buildings lurk around every corner. Also, a walk to Georgetown is worth doing, a very elegant part of DC.
I was in DC twice last year, just for a couple of days each. Just walked and walked. Fabulous buildings lurk around every corner. Also, a walk to Georgetown is worth doing, a very elegant part of DC.
Fabulous place to visit. So much to see and do and just has a nice feel about the place.
We rented a house down in Maryland but did a few days in DC including an overnight. We stayed in The Holiday Inn near the Air & Space museum. Good value, good location and parking which we needed. It was just a base and we didn’t really use any facilities.
As others have said, loads of museums and I liked Georgetown and Alexandria.
We rented a house down in Maryland but did a few days in DC including an overnight. We stayed in The Holiday Inn near the Air & Space museum. Good value, good location and parking which we needed. It was just a base and we didn’t really use any facilities.
As others have said, loads of museums and I liked Georgetown and Alexandria.
We were there in Nov 23 and had a great time, weather was shorts & t-shirts during the day. In addition to the above I'd recommend the hop off / on trolley tours, we picked it up at Union Station doing a full loop before doing the hopping off & on. It's a great city for walking, flat, very green, lots of open spaces, lots of fantastic monuments. I'd also recommend booking a tour of the Library of Congress and combining it with a tour of the Capitol building. The Capitol building has a reasonably priced canteen and if you combine it with the Library they'll allow you to access the pedestrian tunnel that links the two buildings.
Echoing the comments from above, we visited in October and it’s a great place. More like Geneva than New York. Tidy, metro is good and generally very friendly. Loads of museums and walking about to be done, add the waterfront if the weather is good. There is a revived Docklands area, and along to Alexandria which is old and quaint. We stayed in Georgetown and some cracking restaurants there including Martin’s Tavern and a very buzzy Italian call led Il Canale. In the city we went to a big French place called La Grande Boucherie which was very good, and a rooftop place to take in the sunset. All very enjoyable.
Was in Washington last May and had a great time.
If you like museums then you are in heaven. They are all simply world class. The Air and Space museum is still being renovated but there’s still lots to see. The main building with all the aircraft is out near the airport though and a bit of a git to get to but the central one still has great stuff like the Apollo lander.
Don’t ignore the National Museum of American History. Simply superb with great exhibits and well exceeded my expectations.
Spy museum is a bit of fun. Built for kids in mind but plenty of exhibits for adults as well and really interesting exhibits abound.
Capitol building. Book a tour. It only lasts about an hour but you do get a great insight and the little museum is well worth it. Don’t forget the National Archives to see Declarations of Independence and whatnot. Again free to get in but must book a timed slot.
Walk down the Mall from there and visit the Washington Monument. You can go up to the top but you must book a time slot due to limited space up the top. Great views and then you can continue down the Mall to the Lincoln Memorial. When returning, you’ll come across the Vietnam memorial which despite being very simple, is actually pretty powerful and there’s volunteers there who’ll answer any questions and are happy to talk. From there it’s a short walk to the White House. You won’t be allowed to tour inside as a Brit and the embassy won’t help you either but you’ll get your photo opportunities from outside no problem.
If you can catch a NHL game at the Capital One arena then it’s well worth a visit. We had no clue about ice hockey beforehand but quickly got caught up in all the excitement. Turned out to be a highlight of our trip. Americans do razzmatazz extremely well. Even cheap seats are a bit pricey but it was great fun. Tickets available from ticket master beforehand.
Georgetown has a chilled vibe and a great place to get your morning coffee or just to spend a quiet day wandering around.
The Metro is simple to use and cheap. Silver line will take you from the airport to the centre for $6 and its on a smartcard that you get from the vending machines. Staff at Dulles will assist you but we just stuck $20 on each card and that done us for our trip. They were rolling out a phone app à la Oystercard when I was there so that may be an option now.
Food and drink can be pricey. Budget $100 for two for an average chain place but usual fast food stuff is widely available but that’s offset by many attractions being free or very cheap.
Download the Recreation.gov app for pre booking stuff like the Monument. You only pay a booking fee.
It’s a pretty compact city for the main sights. We did a lot of walking instead of Ubering everywhere and it felt a safe city with loads of various police zipping from one place to another. It is a government city so weekends can feel a bit quiet and lacks the frenzy of NYC but that’s no bad thing.
We had mixed expectations when booking but they were well exceeded. Tons to do and everyone was friendly but the timed entry for virtually everything means you have to plan a bit and everywhere you enter has X-ray scanners that can get a tiresome emptying everything everytime but that’s me nitpicking.
We stayed in the Hotel Zena on 14th st which was a bit boutiquey but well positioned with decent sized rooms.
If you like museums then you are in heaven. They are all simply world class. The Air and Space museum is still being renovated but there’s still lots to see. The main building with all the aircraft is out near the airport though and a bit of a git to get to but the central one still has great stuff like the Apollo lander.
Don’t ignore the National Museum of American History. Simply superb with great exhibits and well exceeded my expectations.
Spy museum is a bit of fun. Built for kids in mind but plenty of exhibits for adults as well and really interesting exhibits abound.
Capitol building. Book a tour. It only lasts about an hour but you do get a great insight and the little museum is well worth it. Don’t forget the National Archives to see Declarations of Independence and whatnot. Again free to get in but must book a timed slot.
Walk down the Mall from there and visit the Washington Monument. You can go up to the top but you must book a time slot due to limited space up the top. Great views and then you can continue down the Mall to the Lincoln Memorial. When returning, you’ll come across the Vietnam memorial which despite being very simple, is actually pretty powerful and there’s volunteers there who’ll answer any questions and are happy to talk. From there it’s a short walk to the White House. You won’t be allowed to tour inside as a Brit and the embassy won’t help you either but you’ll get your photo opportunities from outside no problem.
If you can catch a NHL game at the Capital One arena then it’s well worth a visit. We had no clue about ice hockey beforehand but quickly got caught up in all the excitement. Turned out to be a highlight of our trip. Americans do razzmatazz extremely well. Even cheap seats are a bit pricey but it was great fun. Tickets available from ticket master beforehand.
Georgetown has a chilled vibe and a great place to get your morning coffee or just to spend a quiet day wandering around.
The Metro is simple to use and cheap. Silver line will take you from the airport to the centre for $6 and its on a smartcard that you get from the vending machines. Staff at Dulles will assist you but we just stuck $20 on each card and that done us for our trip. They were rolling out a phone app à la Oystercard when I was there so that may be an option now.
Food and drink can be pricey. Budget $100 for two for an average chain place but usual fast food stuff is widely available but that’s offset by many attractions being free or very cheap.
Download the Recreation.gov app for pre booking stuff like the Monument. You only pay a booking fee.
It’s a pretty compact city for the main sights. We did a lot of walking instead of Ubering everywhere and it felt a safe city with loads of various police zipping from one place to another. It is a government city so weekends can feel a bit quiet and lacks the frenzy of NYC but that’s no bad thing.
We had mixed expectations when booking but they were well exceeded. Tons to do and everyone was friendly but the timed entry for virtually everything means you have to plan a bit and everywhere you enter has X-ray scanners that can get a tiresome emptying everything everytime but that’s me nitpicking.
We stayed in the Hotel Zena on 14th st which was a bit boutiquey but well positioned with decent sized rooms.
We started our Coast to Coast road trip in DC in June and the one thing we wanted to do was the Washington Monument having done all the museums and tourist stuff on 2 previous visits. I would highly recommend it for the views alone and it's free to enter. You have to register on the NP website and can only book tickets a month in advance or on the day of your intended visit and choose a time slot from those available.
Washington is a great city and I did the same at two days.
Smithsonian was the better museum, the American History one is a bit boring after a while (tarmac from the first road anyone?)
I expect the water will be drained from the reflecting pond but you might get lucky.
Looks like they've closed The Daily Grill which is a shame, in fact they've closed a lot so must had gone down the pan but that food was always crazy portions.
Smithsonian was the better museum, the American History one is a bit boring after a while (tarmac from the first road anyone?)
I expect the water will be drained from the reflecting pond but you might get lucky.
Looks like they've closed The Daily Grill which is a shame, in fact they've closed a lot so must had gone down the pan but that food was always crazy portions.
I was there last October and will simply repeat the comments of others. Great city. Do get out to the air and space museum at the airport, it's really good. That visit aside, we walked pretty much everywhere although ubers are really cheap and easy. Georgetown is definitely worth a visit so get there if you can.
Odd thing to say I know, but Washington always strikes me as one of the least 'American' of the major cities.
Odd thing to say I know, but Washington always strikes me as one of the least 'American' of the major cities.
Grande Pedro said:
I was there last October and will simply repeat the comments of others. Great city. Do get out to the air and space museum at the airport, it's really good. That visit aside, we walked pretty much everywhere although ubers are really cheap and easy. Georgetown is definitely worth a visit so get there if you can.
Odd thing to say I know, but Washington always strikes me as one of the least 'American' of the major cities.
Apart for the space and cleanliness, I worked out what the main difference was for me - no skyscrapers. By order, nothing in the DC area can be higher than the Washington monument, so there is nothing over about 10 storeys. Odd thing to say I know, but Washington always strikes me as one of the least 'American' of the major cities.
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