day one | day two | day three | day four
Washington, DC
If you think Washington, D.C. is only for Americans or people in suits making power plays, then you don’t know the real D.C. that draws millions of visitors each year. The U.S. capital is a singular city in its own right. Thanks to an overwhelming number of free museums and monuments, it is one of the most family-friendly and budget-friendly places in America. With a plethora of Michelin and James Beard award-winning restaurants, it is a foodie’s paradise. And with an incredible swath of cultural institutions, it’s a destination designed to fill your heart with history and art.
Read our four-day guide to seeing the must-dos as well as experiencing a few neighbourhoods to get the full flavour of a D.C. trip and see why it's one of a kind.
It might be hard to tear yourself away from whatever topic you’re immersed in, but thankfully there are museum cafés for just that reason. With its soups, wraps and specialty sandwiches, the Courtyard Café is an easy option for those at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery (which are located next to each other). Take a stroll around the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden before grabbing a seat inside the Pavilion Café with soup, pizza or pasta.
Native American chefs cook indigenous cuisines of the Americas (like fried bread, corn totopos and buffalo burgers) at the Mitsitam Native Foods Café at the lower level of the National Museum of the American Indian; “Mitsitam” means “Let’s eat!” in the native language of the Delaware and Piscataway peoples.
Things to do
Dining
D.C. hosts an array of cultural activities throughout the year; attend one this summer while the weather is especially inviting. From June 26 - July 1, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes over the National Mall. The free event honours contemporary living cultural traditions and invites visitors to sing and dance, try craft and game workshops, learn traditional recipes and more. This year’s festival focuses on “Indigenous Voices of the Americas: Celebrating the National Museum of the American Indian.”
On Fridays throughout the summer, visitors are encouraged to join the National Gallery of Art’s “Jazz in the Garden." Reserve tickets in advance for these free concerts, which take place in the museum’s sculpture garden; bring your own picnic or partake in some of the signature sangria. Keep the jazz vibe going into late summer by attending the 20th anniversary of “DC Jazzfest” (Aug. 31-Sept. 1), which most notably takes place in the Southwest & The Wharf neighbourhood. Headliners this year include Carmen Lundy, the Kenny Barron Voyage Trio and Bill Frisell Four.
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Dining
If you like your seafood with a bit of history, The Municipal Fish Market at The Wharf has oodles of it, as the nation’s oldest continuously operated open-air seafood market (it opened in 1805). At Tiki TNT & Potomac Distilling, outdoor seating includes both a patio and a rooftop, plus drinks are served in Solo cups. Keep a straight face while ordering cocktails like “Hot Throne of Lies” and “Waking up in Tulum” or make new friends over a four-person bowl of rum concoctions.
Head to Georgetown for a waterfront seafood feast at Fiola Mare. At Farmers, Fishers, Bakers you can sip scratch-made drinks on the patio using spirits from their own small-batch distillery. Just off the water is 1789 Restaurant where you’ll be served dishes like braised Wagyu short rib and New Bedford scallops in antique-filled dining rooms inside a renovated Federal house; jackets are recommended for men.
Things to do
The Potomac River encompasses D.C.’s eastern border while the Anacostia River bisects it in the south; here is where you’ll find the neighbourhoods of Georgetown, Southwest & The Wharf as well as Capitol Riverfront. This region is full of cobblestone streets, historic landmarks and green spaces, along with a lively atmosphere thanks to its many dining and entertainment options.
Start your day in Georgetown with some yoga on the pier. If the water beckons, companies like Key Bridge Boathouse can set you up with a kayak, canoe or standup paddleboard. Visit the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, one of the premier venues in the U.S., for a symphony, opera or ballet performance. (If the weather is nice, go out on the wrap-around rooftop terrace for stellar views of D.C.) Jazz lovers can find a cozy hideaway seven nights a week at Blues Alley, America’s oldest continuing jazz supper club.
D.C. is a foodie paradise, thanks to being a melting pot of so many cultures. At Supra, dine on Georgian cuisine like eggplant nigvzit (eggplant rolls stuffed with walnut-garlic paste, coriander, blue fenugreek and cilantro) and breads stuffed with sulguni cheese blends. Try modern Indian food at Rasika, which focuses on Tawa (griddle), Sigri (barbecue), Tandoori and regional curry dishes. Sink into a coral-toned booth and gaze at the neighborhood through floor-to-ceiling windows at The Pembroke, which offers American fare with global influences (think entrées like miso glazed Chilean sea bass and crème brulée desserts).
When it opened in 1976, it was a novel idea to attach a café to a bookstore. Today, Kramerbooks & Afterword Café, now known simply as Kramers, is a main character in Dupont Circle and considered as much a must-see as the city’s monuments. Stop by for chicken pot pie, veggie lasagna or the crab cake sandwich.
Dining
Things to do
Free to visit, Planet Word is a voice-activated museum just north of the National Mall. Start your journey beneath a speaking tree that murmurs hundreds of languages, then explore various exhibits where you can give a State of the Union address, transform colors of a room using words and enter a magical library through a bookcase door.
Since its inception in 1987, the National Museum of Women in the Arts has offered exhibitions and collections highlighting more than 5,500 historic and contemporary works by more than 1,000 artists. Through Oct. 20, exhibits include “Hung Liu: Making History,” paying homage to Chinese women, and “Impressive: Antoinette Bouzonnet-Stella,” displaying 25 prints by the 17th-century French artist. For modern art, the Phillips Collection offers a growing collection of 5,000 pieces, including permanent pieces from van Gogh, Rothko and Renoir.
Locals (and dignitaries) have been making a beeline for Ben’s Chili Bowl in the U Street Corridor for more than six decades. This family-run legend right next to Lincoln Theatre offers a half-smoke dog that many consider the city’s signature dish. Opened since 1958, Ben’s Chili Bowl was an integral part of history during the last century; not only did the owners donate food to the 1963 March on Washington, but they stayed open during the 1968 riots when both law enforcement and activists ate there.
Cool your tongue with a stop at Ice Cream Jubilee, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Started by a former government lawyer, the business specializes in handmade, creative flavors like banana bourbon caramel, cuppa joe and passionfruit guava sorbet.
Dining
Opening in 1927, Lincoln Theatre predated Harlem’s renaissance and was the place to be to see legendary performances night after night. Performers here included Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Cab Calloway, Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, in the last decade, the theatre has been updated with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system and a robust calendar of events. Howard Theatre is a fellow historic institution that has been in operation since 1910.
Just one block north of the clubs and theaters on U Street is the 9:30 Club. First called The Music Hall when it opened in 1947, it had no racial segregation policies and Louis Armstrong was the first headliner. Today, it’s an iconic venue known around the U.S. as a place to see up-and-coming acts as well as world-famous headliners.
Things to do
In the northwest quadrant of D.C., you’ll find the neighbourhoods of Adams Morgan, Shaw and U Street, known for being culturally diverse with cool nightlife, a rich dining scene and boutique shops. As you stroll around, you'll see tons of vibrant murals celebrating local figures. Browse the wares at Mercedes Bien Vintage, the longest-running thrift shop in the city, and Urban Dwell for your DC-themed souvenirs. Head to 14&U Farmers’ Market from May through November for handmade pies, quiches, cookies and fresh produce.
U Street was synonymous with African-American culture and nightlife from the 1920s-1940s when segregation separated this area of the city from others; today, it is still known as “Black Broadway,” a nickname given by Pearl Bailey. Join DC Design Tours to learn about the history of the area and walk the corridor, rich in architecture and culture. Some of the houses date back to the 1860s, so you can literally see the evolution of row house design.
National Air & Space Museum
The National Mall and Capitol Hill
The Waterfront
Downtown & Dupont Circle
Adams Morgan, Shaw & U Street
The Smithsonian Castle
Lincoln Memorial
Plan your trip
Cherry blossoms in bloom
The Lincoln Memorial
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden on the National Mall
The U.S. Capitol
Pavilion Café
Ben's Chili Bowl
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Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument
The Waterfront on the Potomac River
Dupont Circle
U Street
The images that come to mind with D.C.—the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial where Martin Luther King, Jr. famously delivered his “I have a dream” speech—can all be found along the National Mall, a tree-lined, 8-kilometer walkable stretch in the city. Start here to get your bearings and snap pics for the ‘gram, but be warned that you’ll also be tempted by a few Smithsonian museums that span this same area, some of the 17 free ones in the city.
The National Gallery of Art is home to the only permanently displayed DaVinci painting in America, that of Ginevra de’Benci. And the National Air & Space Museum, where you can touch a piece of the moon, is open again after a brief renovation in 2022 that included eight new exhibitions. Just past the U.S. Capitol is the Library of Congress, the world's largest library, where you can take a guided tour or check out a reading room.
Southwest & The Wharf is considered a refuge from the city; in fact, some residents even live on houseboats here. The vibe is pretty chill, thanks to concerts at The Anthem and year-round events like free outdoor movies in the summer. A short stroll away is the International Spy Museum, where you can go undercover and test your espionage skills as you move through the museum’s permanent collection and new exhibits like “Bond in Motion” featuring 17 vehicles used on-screen in the iconic spy movies throughout the last 60+ years.
The waterfront area is close to all D.C. sports; as it’s on the Green Line of the Metro, you’re only a few stops away from the Verizon Center for Capitals ice hockey and Wizards basketball games in the fall. Nationals Park is also within walking distance if you don’t want to ride the rails for one stop to see a baseball game; thanks to its location in Capitol Riverfront, many of its more than 40,000 seats offers views of the U.S. Capitol dome. If you'd like to see more landmarks from the water, take a nighttime monument tour on a private boat or yacht with Embark.
District Winery
District Winery
Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024, the Warner Theatre dazzles with its gold leaf ceilings and chandeliers; what started as a vaudeville and silent movie theatre is now host to comedy, film, dance and music concerts. Catch a touring Broadway production at The National Theatre or a headliner at Capital One Arena.
The site of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Ford’s Theatre, is still an active theater with performances; the President’s Box is decorated with an American flag and a portrait of President George Washington, just as it was in 1865. Visitors can head to the museum in the building to see artifacts related to the assassination, in addition to exhibits on Lincoln’s presidency and Civil War milestones.
Warner Theatre
Kramerbooks & Afterwords Café
Outside the museums, there are plenty of places ready to serve you around Capitol Hill. Blend in with the locals by visiting Eastern Market from Tuesday-Sunday. On weekdays, you can find fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and cheese, while the weekend selection also includes local arts and crafts. For American cuisine, try Ted’s Bulletin for things like fried pickles and lamb burgers, or Rose’s Luxury for a five-course “choose your own adventure” menu. Given a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2018, Ambar offers unlimited Balkan dishes at a flat rate.
Grab a reservation and a nightcap at The Wells, an intimate gin bar designed to make you forget answering texts, calls or anyone not in your present company; the Wells is the brainchild of restaurateur Hollis Silverman, a James Beard Award semifinalist.
Eastern Market
If you’re in need of a little sugar surge while strolling around Georgetown during the day, pick up some French macarons. Signature flavors at Olivia Macaron include blueberry cheesecake, Fruity Pebbles, pistachio and red velvet; monthly featured flavors are also available, along with vegan options.
Sweet deals can also be had over at District Winery, in the Navy Yard. This working winery and wine bar along the Anacostia River offers happy hour every Monday-Friday afternoon and 50% off bottles and flights with proof of your tickets on all Nationals game days (through Oct. 31). The winery also offers tours and wine tasting flights.
The Municipal Fish Market
They weren’t kidding when they named it Vue Rooftop, the bar atop Hotel Washington. With unobstructed views of the Washington Monument and the city, it makes a great backdrop for afternoon cocktails or ones that stretch into the night. The dress code is casual sophistication, so leave the ripped jeans and sneakers at the hotel.
Feel like you’re traveling back to the 1920s and the days of Prohibition in America with a visit to The Mirror, a speakeasy whose secret passage is three blocks away from the White House. For another secret bar, head to the Progress Library inside Eaton DC, a hotel, and push a nondescript door to enter Allegory.
Be sure to also check out the nearby 14th Street NW scene for its food and nightlife. Go for the small plates or prepare to share Vietnamese street food at doi moi, where you can dine on bao buns, steamed dumplings and braised pork belly. Drinks include Vietnamese-style coffee, seasonal tea, smoothies and signature cocktails. On a warm day, head to the rooftop patio at Gypsy Kitchen, where international influences pepper dishes like Tunisian hot chicken sandwich, patatas bravas and baklava cast iron pie.
Grab a bratwurst or go for the “sausagefest party board” and find a seat at Dacha Beer Garden in Shaw. Not only does it have plenty of German beer on tap, it also has options for kids (chicken tenders) and dogs (“puppuccino”). For a truly eclectic décor experience and to go dancing, finish the night at Madam’s Organ, which bills itself as “where the beautiful people go to get ugly” and hosts live music seven nights a week.
Dacha Beer Garden
Day one:
Day two:
Day three:
Day four:
National Gallery of Art
Library of Congress
Jazz in the Garden
French Market in Georgetown
Blues Alley
Georgetown Key Bridge
Allegory, photo credit: Eaton DC (left); VUE Rooftop (right)
Go shopping on U Street
The Kennedy Center
Planet Word
National Museum of Women in the Arts
Phillips Collection
Supra
Alabama Shakes performing at 9:30 Club | credit: John Shore
Howard Theatre
Duke Ellington mural on U Street
The Wharf Recreation Pier (left); The Anthem (right)