Washington DC One Day Walking Tour

Having lived in Maryland most of our lives, nosotros are lucky to be in such close proximity to our nation's capital. Washington DC is a identify that we visit frequently. With so many museums and historical sights, this urban center makes an first-class travel destination in the United states. For one day, we acted like tourists, scouting out the perfect walking bout for first-timers to Washington DC.

If you would prefer to have an experienced guide take yous around Washington DC, then we provide some highly rated suggestions towards the finish of this article. Those tours include interesting insights well-nigh Washington DC and transportation to minimize walking.

Well-nigh this Walking Tour

Distance: five miles of walking

See the best of Washington DC: The White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Smithsonian Museum, The National Mall, The World State of war II Memorial (and more!)

Dine at some of DC's most famous spots: The Old Ebbitt Grill, the Willard Hotel, and The Capital Grille

Walking Tour of Washington DC

How to Utilize This Map: Click the tab in the top left hand corner of the map to view the layers (points of interest and the walking road). You can click the cheque marks to hibernate or show layers. If you click the icons on the map, yous can get more information about each betoken of involvement. If yous click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open up Google Maps, click the carte du jour push, go to "Your Places," click Maps, and yous volition see this map on your list.

Morning: The Capitol Building and the Smithsonian Museums

Showtime your day in front of the Capitol Building. Accept in the view. You tin can look down forth the National Mall to the National Monument. The National Mall is a national park that stretches nigh ii miles from the Capitol Building in the due east to the Lincoln Memorial in the w. Today's walk will cover most of this distance.

Earth Trekkers

Walking on the mall

The Smithsonian Museums line the National Mall, along with the United States Botanic Garden (located almost the Capitol Building) and the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

Take your selection from the Smithsonian museums that line the National Mall, of which at that place are many.

  • National Gallery of Art
  • National Museum of Natural History
  • National Museum of American History
  • National Museum of African American History and Civilisation
  • Freer Gallery of Art
  • Arthur Thou. Sackler Gallery
  • Smithsonian National Museum of African Fine art
  • Smithsonian Castle
  • Hirshhorn Museum
  • Air and Infinite Museum
  • National Museum of the America Indian

For beginning time visitors, we recommend the National Museum of Natural History or the Air and Space Museum. Information technology takes several hours to visit 1 of these museums and so it will make full all of your time this morning.

Guided Museum Tours: If you would like to accept a guided museum tour then consider this National Museum of Natural History Guided Tour or this National Museum of African American History and Culture Guided Tour.

Midday: Tiffin

The museums take modest cafes or restaurants where you lot tin take hold of a seize with teeth to swallow. For something quick and budget friendly, buy lunch at one of the many food trucks that line the National Mall and.

The Majuscule Grille is one of the highest rated restaurants in Washington DC. The food is delicious, with options similar French onion soup, steak, seafood, and sandwiches. A repast here is expensive and will accept at least an hr of your time. If you lot practise not want to spend the time or coin here for lunch, it also makes a groovy spot for dinner at the end of the day (make your reservation in advance for dinner). The Capital Grille is located on the north side of the National Mall near the National Gallery of Art.

Capital Grille DC

Capital Grille

Washington Monument

Continue your walk downwardly the National Mall to the Washington Monument.

The Washington Monument is the world's tallest obelisk, standing at 555 feet alpine. When construction was completed in 1888, information technology was the world's tallest structure for an entire twelvemonth until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889.

Click here for information on how to reserve your tickets.

Walking on the mall in DC

The World War Two Memorial

Sitting between the Washington Monument and the Reflecting Pool is the World War II Memorial. This is a free, quick visit with a cool view downwardly the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial.

World War 2 Memorial DC

World War 2 Memorial

Martin Luther King Memorial

From the Globe State of war Ii Memorial, yous will walk out to the Tidal Basin to the Martin Luther King Memorial. If the cherry-red blossoms are blooming, you are in for a care for because the Tidal Basin is the prettiest spot to visit in Washington DC at the end of March into early April.

The Martin Luther Male monarch Memorial is one of the newer monuments in Washington DC, opened in 2011. Meet the 30-foot statue of Martin Luther King and read fourteen of his nearly inspirational quotes that are inscribed on the granite walls.

Martin Luther King Memorial

Martin Luther King

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Head dorsum towards the Reflecting Puddle and Lincoln Memorial, stopping briefly at the Korean State of war Veterans Memorial.

Korean War Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

Say how-do-you-do to Honest Abe at the Lincoln Memorial. This is a popular spot so expect large crowds midday. From the summit of the steps you have i of the best views of the National Mall and Washington DC.

Lincoln Memorial

Lincoln Memorial November

Washington DC

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

From the Lincoln Memorial, walk the brusk distance to The Three Soldiers. This is a statuary statue commemorating the Vietnam War.

The Three Soldiers

Just across The Three Soldiers is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. On the Memorial Wall are the names of the servicemen who were killed or missing in action in the Vietnam War. The names were added in chronological guild starting in 1959.

Vietnam War Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Constitution Gardens

This is another quick, scenic finish. Within the Gardens is a memorial to the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. See the engraved signatures of John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

John Hancock

The White House

From Constitution Gardens, leave the National Mall and walk briefly along Constitution Avenue. Walk on the Ellipse, a big park that separates the White Business firm from the National Monument. For an up close view of the White Firm, you lot can see information technology from the pedestrian street, Pennsylvania Avenue.

White House

Within the White House

Inside the White House

Earth Trekkers White House

Blue Room

Information technology is possible to arrange a tour of the White Firm. Click here to acquire more.

Dinner at Sometime Ebbitt Grill

Just one block away from the White House is Sometime Ebbitt Grill. The Erstwhile Ebbitt Grill is the oldest saloon in Washington DC, dating dorsum to 1856. This saloon has been visited by Andrew Jackson, Ulysses Due south. Grant, Grover Cleveland, and Theodore Roosevelt. The location of the grill has moved several times merely it has been in its present location since the early on 1900'south.

Now the Onetime Ebbitt Grill is a restaurant owned by Clyde'southward. Dine on traditional American food. We recommend the raw oysters…they were the best dish we tried while eating dinner here.

Old Ebbitt Grill

Terminate your day with a cocktail at the Willard Hotel

This is a very celebrated spot in Washington DC. Martin Luther King finished writing his "I Have a Dream" voice communication while staying here. The Willard has hosted almost every President since 1853. Abraham Lincoln had his inaugural luncheon here. And Marking Twain and Alexander Graham Bell were guests here.

End your day with a potable at the famous Round Robin bar.

Willard Bar

Where to Park for this Walking Bout

The best fashion to become around Washington DC is past metro, but if you lot have a car, there are enough of parking garages to choose from.

I recommend parking nigh Marriage Station. There are numerous parking garages in this surface area. From Union Station, it is a short walk to the Capitol Building and the National Mall.

Subsequently dinner and drinks at the Old Ebbitt Grill and the Willard Hotel, walk iii blocks to Metro Center Station. Ride the reddish line 3 stops to Matrimony Station (management Wheaton-Glenmont) to go dorsum to your motorcar.

Guided Tours with Transportation

If you would adopt to explore Washington DC with an experienced guide, so here are several highly rated tours to consider:

With More Time in Washington DC

Hither are some ideas of things to practice if you take more than 1 24-hour interval in Washington DC:

  • Visit the Smithsonian Museums
  • Tour the Capitol Building (learn more hither)
  • Tour the White House (acquire more than here)
  • See the Cherry Blossoms at the Tidal Bowl in Apr
  • Visit the International Spy Museum
  • Spend a day in Georgetown
  • Visit the National Zoo
  • Tour the US Holocaust Museum
  • Visit the Arlington National Cemetery
  • Visit the Washington National Cathedral
  • Have a day trip out to Mount Vernon
  • See the Library of Congress

Seeing the Cherry Blossoms

The average time of the red blossoms peak blossom is April 4. Nonetheless, in recent years, the trees have bloomed equally early on as March 20 and as late as April x. In 2019, height blossom was on April ane. In 2021, the peak bloom occurred on March 28.

The blooms terminal roughly ten to 14 days, depending on the conditions (if it'south windy, they don't last long). Then, if you are coming from out of town, you volition demand a piddling luck in seeing the cherry blossoms at their elevation.

The best place to see the cherry blossoms is at the Tidal Basin. There are also cherry trees at nearby monuments and memorials.

On a weekend during summit bloom, expect HUGE crowds. Nosotros visited DC on Apr six, 2019, a Sabbatum, to tour the White House, and walked down to the Tidal Bowl to come across the blossoms. This was the most crowded nosotros accept ever seen Washington DC. If you lot can, visit on a weekday and endeavour to get here in the morning, before the crowds arrive, for the nearly peaceful feel.

Tidal Basin Crowds

Cherry Blossom Crowds