Washington DC is probably the only place I’ve visited the most in my life besides Disney World.
Growing up I went for Christmas many times and in high school I went on school trips every year.
So I was very excited when I finally got to take JP here for his first visit.
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You can check out the highlights of our Washington DC trip on our YouTube Channel.
Day 1: National Mall Monuments, Memorials, & Iconic Buildings
The best place to start is the National Mall.
There are so many monuments, historic sites, and museums that are all must-sees in Washington DC.
The best way to see all the monuments and memorials on the National Mall is to walk to each one in order because you’ll do a lot of walking in DC.
Lincoln Memorial
On the far end of the national mall, the Lincoln Memorial overlooks the best of DC.
If you like the movie Forrest Gump, you’ll appreciate this stop.
Korean War Veterans Memorial
The Korean War Veterans Memorial looks especially cool if you visit in the early morning or late night hours when it’s foggy and it looks like the soldiers are trekking through fog.
World War II Memorial
The World War II Memorial is relatively new compared to some of the other memorials and monuments in DC.
It was completed back in 2004.
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an iconic structure that helps you navigate the city because you can always see it over the tree lines in the area.
You can go to the top, but I’ve never done it.
Depending on when you’re reading this, there may be a projection show in the evening where scenes are cast onto the monument.
The White House
If you want to tour the White House, you’ll have to reach out to your senators or representative to set it up, but you need to do it in advance.
It’s very limited in the number of people that go, so it’s certainly not guaranteed, but always worth a shot!
You can walk all the way around it though and get great views without a tour.
Cherry Blossoms
These beautiful trees, gifted by Japan in 1912, bloom in shades of pink and white.
You never know exactly when they’ll bloom each Spring, but once they do, there’s a small window of time to see them.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
This is the memorial with the wall of all the names of veterans who died in Vietnam.
I have a wild story about a visit to this memorial wall.
When my little sister was just 5 years old, we were visiting DC.
I don’t know if she asked my dad a question or if he just said it unprompted, but he looked at her and said “these are all the daddies who died and didn’t get to come home”.
Who says that to a 5 year old?
My dad (who had done many deployments by that point).
Smithsonian Castle
The Smithsonian Castle serves as the iconic headquarters of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex.
Capitol Building
By this point, you’ve made it to the opposite end of the National Mall.
The Capitol Building tours are free and this is another place where your senator or representative can set up a special tour where you can visit the house and senate chambers.
It’s actually kind of nice to go through your local rep or senator because once you get inside, they’ll have an intern meet you and give you your passes so you don’t have to wait in the long line.
Click Here To Book Your Guided Tour Of The Capitol Building And The Library Of Congress Today!
Library Of Congress
The Library of Congress is on the back side of the Capitol Building.
If you love the National Treasure movies, you’ll love this stop.
With the main tour, you can look over a balcony into the main room that you’ll recognize from the movie, but there are also limited tours where you can actually go into the room.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court Building is just across the street.
I’ve never been inside, but they have a self-guided walking tour and courtroom lectures that you can listen in on.
Take an Evening Ghost Tour
After about 6 pm, all the museums are closed, and depending on when sunset is, there might not be great views of the monuments.
Washington DC is actually one of the top destinations in the US for ghost tours!
We love to do tours on our first day in town to learn more info about where we’re visiting and maybe get some recommendations for our visit.
The DC ghost tour starts at the Treasury Building and makes it’s way around the buildings surrounding the White House.
So it’s also a great way to combine some of your sightseeing.
Click Here To Book Your DC Ghost Tour Today!
Day 2: Museums
Today will be another day exploring the National Mall, but this time, you’ll be inside most of the day!
The best part about the Smithsonian museums is that they’re free!
Some museums still require booking a timed ticket in advance, so make sure to check with each museum you’re planning on visiting.
Plan 1-2 hours for each museum, unless you have more time in your trip beyond this 3 day itinerary.
Air And Space Museum
If you’ve seen the Night at the Museum movies, you’ve likely seen quite a bit of the Air and Space Museum.
As a Dayton, Ohio native, I’m partial to the Wright Flyer, the first plane that the Wright Brothers flew.
Despite the license plate, North Carolina is not first in flight.
The Wright Brothers were from Dayton, did all their work in Dayton, and just went to Kitty Hawk to test the planes because it’s windier there.
Click Here To Skip The Line And Book An Exclusive Guided Tour Of The Air And Space Museum Today!
American History Museum
The American History Museum is my personal favorite in DC.
They have a lot of the pop culture kind of stuff like the ruby red slippers from Wizard of Oz and a collection of dresses from the First Ladies.
Click Here To Skip The Line And Book An Exclusive Guided Tour Of The American History Museum Today!
National Archives
The National Archives is where you go to see the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
Click Here To Skip The Line And Book Your Exclusive Guided Tour Of The National Archives Today!
Natural History Museum
We took my little brother to the Natural History Museum when he was maybe 3-5 years old and there was an exhibit where they had actual bugs.
There was an older lady that was letting kids hold some kind of bug and she put it in my brother’s hand.
It started running up his arm so he just grabbed it and threw it and she was horrified.
This was over 20 years ago and I still vividly remember this.
Click Here To Skip The Line And Book Your Exclusive Guided Tour Of The Natural History Museum Today!
Holocaust Museum
The Holocaust Museum is one of the best museums in all of DC.
When you visit you’re given a booklet and that’s your identity while you go through the museum.
By the end you find out if you survived or not.
It’s set a little bit away from the National Mall, but not too far.
The People’s House – A White House Experience
This museum has replicas of iconic rooms throughout the White House.
Admission is donation based.
There are a ton of interactive exhibits and opportunities for really cool photo ops.
I highly recommend it!
Day 3: Historic Sites Around DC
Now it’s time to explore some places outside of the National Mall.
This will require some driving or lots of Ubers!
Ford’s Theatre
Ford’s Theatre is where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
When I toured it as a kid, we were able to go up to the balcony, but I’ve heard that that’s not a thing anymore.
They have a small museum under the main level with more info about that night.
The Petersen House
The Petersen House is where Lincoln was taken after he was shot and where he was ultimately pronounced dead.
You can walk through the room where he died.
National Zoo
The National Zoo is one of the best zoos in the US.
It’s a little bit out of the city, but not too far of a drive.
Old Post Office
The Old Post Office in Washington, D.C. is a historic landmark that has been repurposed as several different things over the years.
It’s currently a Waldorf-Astoria.
I like the glass elevator on the inside that overlooks the main lobby area.
National Arboretum – Capitol Columns
The old columns of the Capitol Building still stand in the middle of the National Arboretum where anyone can just go and visit.
They made it really nice with its own little reflecting pool and views on the hill top.
It’s a short drive outside of town.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is where you can see the changing of the guards ceremony daily.
Click Here To See Even More Of Arlington National Cemetery On A Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour Today!
Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial is set back a bit from the National Mall, but still accessible, especially on a day like today where you’re already driving around.
Bonus Day: Mount Vernon
Just outside of Washington DC is George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate.
It takes pretty much all day to explore the mansion, the grounds, the museums, experience the demonstrations, watch the documentary, and enjoy a meal at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant.
I have a blog post with the full itinerary that you can check out.
Where to Eat
Whenever I travel, I always make sure to research if there are any historically or culturally significant restaurants to experience during my trip.
DC has plenty of them, plus some newer, trendier restaurants that we love.
Old Ebbitt Grill
Old Ebbitt Grill is the oldest continuously operating bar and restaurant in DC.
It’s been around since 1856!
There’s usually a wait to get a table if you don’t have a reservation, but there’s usually seats available at the massive bar.
We walked in on a Tuesday at dinner time and got a spot at the bar and started with an Old Fashioned.
For appetizers we had a hummus plate and meatballs.
As our entree, we shared the Steak Frites.
It was too much food to have any room left for dessert!
Round Robin Bar
This is an iconic bar in the Willard InterContinental Hotel that has been around since 1847.
It’s a circular bar that has been popular throughout history for the biggest names in politics.
They’re known for their Mint Julep, so we tried that and the Barrel Old Fashioned.
Grazie Nonna
We found this place when we were walking from the national mall area to our hotel and decided to stop in on our last night.
It’s apparently usually pretty booked up, but we were able to walk-in and get a table without a problem.
Their pasta is perfectly al dente and everything was delicious.
I tried the Chicken Parmigiana with bucatini noodles.
JP had the Vodka Sauce with meatballs.
It comes with mafalde noodles.
We were once again too full to try any desserts.
We, The Pizza
This is a great quick service place to stop for lunch when you’re around Capitol Hill.
We tried the Detroit Pepperoni slice and the Ace & Wes Cowboy Pie slice, which is pepperoni and sausage.
We also got some garlic knots and some wings.
China Boy in Chinatown
China Boy is the highest rated Chinese restaurant in the area and it truly deserves its rating.
We had the pork steamed buns, pork fried rice, and combination noodles.
We actually loved it so much we tried going back on our way out of town but they were closed that day of the week!
Brass Tap In National Harbor
National Harbor is a large shopping and dining district with lots of lunch options just outside of DC.
Brass Tap is a regional chain, so if you’re not an adventurous eater and want to know exactly what you’ll get each time, then this is a safe bet.
We shared a burger, fries, and some tater tots.
The Irish Whisper In National Harbor
The Irish Whisper is an Irish Pub just outside of the hotel we stayed in at National Harbor.
We forgot to take pictures of our food and drinks, but they had all the typical things you would expect at an Irish Pub.
However, JP ordered a Macallan and they didn’t have the exact one he had asked about, so the bartender said “well we have this one instead”, so JP said okay.
Well he got the bill and the drink was over $80.
So check prices before ordering anything – and this rule should be for anything, not just this restaurant!
Where to Stay
Sometimes it’s easier to stay outside of town to save money on the hotel room and hotel parking, but other times it’s easier to stay in town so you can just walk around to everywhere you want to go.
We’ve done both and there’s definitely pros and cons to both.
But regardless, these are our favorite places to stay.
In Town: Canopy by Hilton Embassy Row
It’s not too far from all the museums and monuments along the national mall, but you’ll probably walk at least 20,000 steps if you’re doing all the sightseeing.
But this hotel was a good balance of being affordable and being close enough to make walking possible.
Click Here To Book Your Canopy by Hilton Embassy Row Stay Today!
Outside of town: Club Wyndham National Harbor
Club Wyndham National Harbor is located right in the middle of the National Harbor entertainment district.
There’s plenty of shopping and dining right outside your door and you’re only a few minutes outside of Washington DC.
We were upgraded from a 1 bedroom unit to a 2 bedroom unit during our stay which was great, but we didn’t need it since it was just the two of us.
Check out the complete walk-through room tour of our 2 bedroom unit on our YouTube Channel.
Click Here To Book Your Club Wyndham National Harbor Stay Today!
Conclusion: Washington DC 3 Day Itinerary
Washington DC is such a cool place to visit and it would probably take a week to see everything, but in 3 days you can cover a lot of the basics.
If you have the extra time, I recommend pairing your Washington DC trip with a road trip to other iconic historic sites and cities like Williamsburg, Philadelphia, and Boston.
