Attraction
National Air and Space Museum
The Smithsonian's flagship aviation and space museum on the National Mall, home to the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis and the Apollo 11 command…
There are more things to do in Washington DC than most visitors expect, and many of the best are free. The National Mall runs from the US Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, lined with Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art and the Washington Monument. Beyond it, Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, U Street and the waterfront at The Wharf each have their own character, from historic townhouses and markets to music venues and late-night bars.
The food scene is broad and good value at every level, from half-smokes at Ben's Chili Bowl and bagels in Georgetown to Lao, Palestinian, Indian and mezze cooking and several Michelin-starred dining rooms. Most visitors need three to four days to see the main museums and monuments at a comfortable pace, with a fifth day for neighbourhoods such as Georgetown and Capitol Hill. Many of the busiest museums now ask for free timed passes, so plan the key ones before you travel.
Attraction
The Smithsonian's flagship aviation and space museum on the National Mall, home to the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis and the Apollo 11 command…
Attraction
The colonnaded marble memorial to Abraham Lincoln at the west end of the National Mall, with a 19-foot seated statue and views along the Reflecting Pool.
Attraction
The Smithsonian museum devoted to African American history and culture, opened in 2016 in a bronze-coloured building beside the Washington Monument.
Attraction
The domed home of the US Congress on Capitol Hill, visited on free guided tours from the underground Capitol Visitor Center on its east side.
Attraction
The national art museum on the Mall, with a neoclassical West Building of European and American masters, a modern East Building and a sculpture garden.
Attraction
The Smithsonian's natural history museum on the Mall, known for the Hope Diamond, its dinosaur hall, the Sant Ocean Hall and a live insect zoo.
Café
An Adams Morgan coffeehouse open since 1998 that serves coffee and pastries in the morning, food through the day and cocktails into the night.
Café
A family-owned Georgetown bakery and coffee shop open since 2001, known for its cupcakes, cakecups and breakfast breads.
Café
Mark Furstenberg's James Beard award-winning neighbourhood bakery on Connecticut Avenue, baking artisan breads, pastries and savoury food that change with the seasons.
Café
A Capitol Hill specialty coffee bar founded in 2008, serving single origins and seasonal blends from its own roaster, Small Planes Coffee.
Café
The Georgetown branch of the DC-born bagel shop and self-styled Jew-ish deli, known for bagel sandwiches such as the Bacon Sun City and the Royal Palm.
Café
A long-running Washington tea house in Penn Quarter, serving loose leaf teas and healthy Asian-inspired meals, with a tea shop at the same address.
Hotel
A 1928 luxury hotel facing Lafayette Square and the White House, with a fine-dining restaurant, a well-known bar and a rooftop with city views.
Hotel
An independent luxury hotel in a 1923 Beaux-Arts building at 16th and M Streets, with 99 rooms, two Michelin Keys and the Michelin-starred restaurant Plume.
Hotel
The historic grand hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue where Lincoln stayed before his inauguration, with the Round Robin Bar, a spa and afternoon tea.
Hotel
A Forbes Five-Star luxury hotel at the gateway to Georgetown, with a spa, an indoor lap pool and Michael Mina's Bourbon Steak restaurant.
Hotel
A design-led hotel in a former church in Adams Morgan, with the No Goodbyes restaurant and bar, a coffee shop and rooftop views over the city.
Hotel
A 184-room Kimpton boutique hotel in the 1840s General Post Office building in Penn Quarter, with the Dirty Habit bar and a pets-stay-free policy.
Bar
A 1,200-capacity independent music club on V Street NW that opened in 1980 and moved to its current home, a former music hall, in 1996.
Bar
Founded in 1965 in an 18th-century Georgetown carriage house, Blues Alley calls itself the nation's oldest continuing jazz supper club.
Bar
The cocktail bar of The Hay-Adams, across from the White House, known for its political cartoons and its tagline, the place to be seen but not…
Bar
An Adams Morgan whiskey bar with more than 2,700 expressions, a dining saloon, a year-round rooftop terrace and a cellar spirits shop.
Bar
A 14th Street venue that has championed independent and alternative music since 1993, with a concert room and the Red Room bar.
Bar
A large I.M.P. concert hall at The Wharf with room for about 6,000 people, hosting major touring artists, comedians and DJs on the Washington waterfront.
Restaurant
A family-run U Street institution since 1958, serving its original half-smokes and chili from a building that was once a silent cinema.
Restaurant
Washington's oldest saloon, founded in 1856, with a busy oyster bar and wood-panelled dining rooms a short walk from the White House.
Restaurant
A modern Indian restaurant in Penn Quarter led by chef Vikram Sunderam, known for tawa, sigri and tandoori cooking and regional curries.
Restaurant
A large, lively French brasserie on 14th Street from Starr Restaurants, serving onion soup, steak frites, seafood platters and weekend brunch.
Restaurant
José Andrés's Penn Quarter mezze restaurant, bringing together Turkish, Greek and Lebanese cooking in a large, bright dining room made for sharing.
Restaurant
Fabio Trabocchi's Italian seafood restaurant on the Georgetown Waterfront, with views over the Potomac and menus for lunch, brunch and dinner.
Thing to do
Capitol Hill's historic public market, trading since 1873, with an indoor food hall all week and outdoor produce and craft stalls at weekends.
Thing to do
A mile-long waterfront district on the Washington Channel, with public piers, restaurants, music venues and the long-running Municipal Fish Market.
Thing to do
The Smithsonian's free zoo in Rock Creek Park, home to giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao, Asian elephants, great apes and big cats.
Thing to do
The reservoir beside the National Mall ringed by cherry trees and the Jefferson, Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials, best walked as a loop.
Thing to do
An indoor food hall of independent traders at the heart of the Union Market District, with a rooftop bar, cinema and music venue nearby.
Tour operator
Narrated hop-on, hop-off trolley tours with 15 stops around the National Mall, plus a Monuments by Moonlight night tour of the major memorials.
Tour operator
Walking tours led by licensed local guides, from a name-your-price memorials night walk to Georgetown ghosts, Lincoln assassination and Capitol Hill routes.
Tour operator
A local walking tour company founded by Carolyn Crouch, leading themed walks through Washington's neighbourhoods, parks and history for visitors and residents.
Tour operator
Guided food walks through Washington neighbourhoods such as Capitol Hill, Georgetown, Eastern Market, U Street and Little Ethiopia, plus pub crawls and private events.
Tour operator
A family-run company offering 45-minute narrated sightseeing cruises on the Potomac from Washington Harbour in Georgetown, departing every hour.
Three to four days covers the main museums and monuments on the National Mall, with an extra day for Georgetown, Capitol Hill or the National Zoo.
Downtown and Penn Quarter are closest to the Mall and the museums, Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan suit those who want restaurants and nightlife, and Georgetown is quieter and more historic.
Reagan National is the closest airport and is linked to the city by Metrorail; from Dulles, the Metro Silver Line runs into town, and taxis and ride share are available at all three airports.
Hotels can be expensive, especially in spring, but most of the major museums, memorials and the National Zoo are free, which keeps sightseeing costs down.
The main sightseeing areas are busy and generally safe, but take normal city precautions, keep valuables out of sight and use taxis or ride share late at night in quieter areas.