Last updated on June 9th, 2024 at 01:04 pm

The first time I visited DC was almost a decade ago, and I only spent a weekend here. Now, after having lived in the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) region for over five years, I realized that those 2-days only scratched the surface.

If it’s your first time visiting DC and you are only here for the weekend, I highly recommend giving yourself at the very least 3-days to explore.

Here is our suggested 3-day itinerary followed by details on these things to do in DC.

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3-day Washington DC itinerary

Day 1:

• Visit the FREE Smithsonian museums of your choice in National Mall during the day (our favorites are listed below).
• Enjoy lunch at one of the food trucks parked around the museums in the National Mall. You have to try food trucks in DC!
• After the museums, walk or Uber/Lyft to the Washington Monument and from there walk to the White House.
• Grab a drink at the POV rooftop near the White House with a great view of DC at sunset.

If you are not into museums (I certainly have a few friends who aren’t!) then consider taking a fun day trip from DC to compensate.

Day 2:

• Visit the Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress during the first half of the day. More details on this are below. 
• Enjoy lunch at Union Market where there are more than enough food options to choose from. Free Parking available here.
• Go for a later afternoon or early evening walk of the Memorials. Start from Jefferson memorial and end at the Lincoln memorial. More details on this walk below.
• End your day at either newly come up waterfront area District Wharf (Whiskey Charlie rooftop is a great place here to watch the sunset & airplanes landing/taking-off from DCA). Or head to the downtown area and have dinner at DC City Center or Chinatown.

Day 3:

• Take one of the amazing walking tours by Urban Adventures DC  to learn more about the capital’s history & its food scene.  We’ve been on the H St. food tour as a guest and would definitely recommend it as an off the beaten path activity in DC. 
• Visit Arlington National Cemetery just across the river from DC. 
• Head to Georgetown and explore the cute neighborhood with a European touch (more info below).
• Walk through the Georgetown waterfront in the evening and grab drinks at Watergate Hotel Rooftop.
• Have dinner at one of the restaurants in Georgetown waterfront.

If you have time to fit in some activities then we do recommend watching a show at the Kennedy Theater.

Seasonal things to do in DC

Also depending on which season you visit there are tons of events and activities held in DC.

• In Spring, you have to check out the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC.
• In the month of May, there is “Around the World Embassy Tour“. Several Embassies from around the world will open their doors to welcome visitors starting May 4th, 2019. 
• In summer, for July 4^th fireworks celebrations head to the National Mall or the Capitol Hill grounds for a free concert. Best spot to photograph these fireworks would be Netherlands Carillion.
• In autumn, same spots mentioned in our Cherry Blossom post turn into some of the best fall spots. There are also plenty of fall foliage road trips near DC.
• In winter, Christmas activities in DC includes seeing the National Christmas Tree and many more.

More info on what to see and do in DC in 3-days

Below are all the details about the DC points of interest mentioned in our itinerary above. 

National Mall

National Mall covers over 2 miles and this is where most of the monuments, memorials, and museums are. You must check out this awesome National Mall Map to help plan your visit. FUN FACT: Did you know the National Mall is one of National Park Services sites?

Museums

There are 19 Smithsonian museums in DC with FREE entrance to the public. You can check out the full list of all Smithsonian museums but below are our favorites listed. In addition, there are also a bunch of paid museums which are worth giving it a go.

Our favorite Smithsonian museums –

• Air & Space Museum  (kids will love it)
• Museum of Natural History (don’t miss their gem collection).
• Museum of American History
• Museum of African American History & culture
• Hirshhorn Museum (for modern art & paintings)
• National Portrait Gallery (definitely check out President and Michelle Obamas portraits here)
• National Gallery of Art

Our favorite paid museums are –

• Newseum
• Spy Museum

The Botanical Garden is technically not a museum but is also FREE to visit on the National Mall.

Monuments & Memorials

I call the National mall a big treasure hunt ground. If this is your first time, grab the mall map, wear comfortable shoes, and take a diy walking tour of these memorials. TIP: My favorite way to see these memorials is to rent the city bicycle and ride around.

Here are some of the memorials that you can easily cover in this walk or bike route in this order –

• Washington Monument
• Jefferson Memorial
• Roosevelt Memorial
• Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
• World War I & II Memorials
• Korean War Memorial
• Abraham Lincoln Memorial (shot here was the last scene from Forrest Gump at the reflecting pond)
• Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Capitol Hill & Library of Congress

Do not miss the Library of Congress if this is your first visit to DC. It is not just a library but an architecturally beautiful historic building as well. Library of Congress is FREE to visit during the hours of operation.

You can tour the Capitol of United States for FREE on a guided tour, tickets of which are available at the US Capitol visitor’s center. We do recommend to book your tour online in advance if you don’t want to stand in the line for same day passes (it’s a painful wait in peak tourist season).

The White House

When I first visited the White House, I was a little disappointed by how small it was compared to how big they made it look on TV. Not to mention, every other building in Washington DC looks like the White House. 

But if this is your first time in DC, then yes, by all means, take that memoir photo but don’t spend too much of your time here.

Georgetown Neighborhood

You have to check out this cute neighborhood in DC. Georgetown has a hint of European touch to it with all its colorful houses. Here are some of the things to see & do in Georgetown –

• Georgetown University
• The Exorcist Steps, Boutique shops
• Try cupcakes at the popular ‘Georgetown Cupcakes’ or the locals favorite ‘Baked & Wired’
• Walk around the Georgetown Waterfront

Arlington National Cemetry

You will find US President J.F. Kennedy’s as well as many heroic soldiers’ graves who have served the nation here in the Arlington National Cemetry. 

National Cathedral

To break the cycle of monuments and museum, visit the beautiful National Cathedral in DC.  And maybe donate a lego when you visit which counts towards the fundraising effort for repair work of the cathedral.

Ending this post with a photo of the monuments we took during full moon 🙂

Where to Stay in DC

Below are some of our recommendations on where to stay but remember not all the attractions will be walking distance from your hotel. Getting around via Uber or Lyft or city bikes or even scooters is very convenient or you can take metro trains.  

• Holiday Inn in downtown or Holiday Inn in National Mall/Capitol Hill
• Courtyard Mariott in Capitol Hill/Navy Yard
• Hampton Inn in downtown
• Hilton Garden Inn in Capitol Hill or Hilton Garden Inn in Capitol Hill or Hilton Garden Inn in Capitol Hill
• Grand Hyatt in downtown DC
• Renaissance Washington in downtown DC
• Capitol Hill Hotel in Capitol Hill 

Hope you enjoyed this post and have a wonderful time in DC. Don’t forget to share it along.

Happy Traveling!