Skip to content
List your business

Best Things to do in Washington DC (2026)

Some of the most enjoyable things to do in Washington happen away from the museum halls. Markets are a good place to start. Eastern Market on Capitol Hill has been trading since 1873 and comes alive at weekends, when farmers and craft makers set up outside the historic hall. Union Market in north-east DC is a newer food hall with dozens of independent traders, a rooftop bar and a cinema and music venue nearby, which makes it a good choice for an evening as well as lunch.

The water is the other big draw. The Wharf on the Washington Channel has public piers, restaurants, a long-running fish market and The Anthem concert hall, and it is busy well into the evening. The Tidal Basin, ringed by cherry trees and memorials, is the classic walk in spring and a quieter loop the rest of the year, although seawall works may divert some paths. Families should set aside a morning for the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Rock Creek Park, which is free but needs an entry pass booked ahead. Plan weekends around the markets and keep weekdays for the zoo and the waterfront, when they are less crowded.

5 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 things to do in Washington DC

  1. Eastern Market Historic public market, Capitol HillCapitol Hill's historic public market, trading since 1873, with an indoor food hall all week and outdoor produce and craft stalls at weekends.
  2. The Wharf Waterfront district, Southwest WaterfrontA mile-long waterfront district on the Washington Channel, with public piers, restaurants, music venues and the long-running Municipal Fish Market.
  3. Smithsonian’s National Zoo Zoo, Woodley ParkThe 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

1. Eastern Market

Historic public marketCapitol Hill

Capitol Hill's historic public market, trading since 1873, with an indoor food hall all week and outdoor produce and craft stalls at weekends.

View details — Eastern Market

Thing to do

2. The Wharf

Waterfront districtSouthwest Waterfront

A mile-long waterfront district on the Washington Channel, with public piers, restaurants, music venues and the long-running Municipal Fish Market.

View details — The Wharf

Thing to do

4. Tidal Basin

Lakeside walk and memorialsNational Mall

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.

View details — Tidal Basin

Thing to do

5. Union Market

Food hall and market districtNoMa

An indoor food hall of independent traders at the heart of the Union Market District, with a rooftop bar, cinema and music venue nearby.

View details — Union Market