3 days in Washington, D.C.

Day by day

1. Day 1: National Mall and Lincoln Memorial

   National Mall, Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, then U Street and Shaw in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Mall

      The Mall runs about 3 km from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, lined by the Smithsonian museums and the National Gallery, with the Washington Monument at its centre.

   2. Late morning

      Lincoln Memorial

      Come back after dark, when the memorial is floodlit, crowds are thin and the view down the Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument is at its best.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Half-smoke

      Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street, open since 1958, plus carts and diners around the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Washington Monument

      The 169-metre marble obelisk, finished in 1884, was built in two phases, and a change in the stone's shade about a quarter of the way up shows where work stopped for more than 20 years.

   5. Evening

      U Street and Shaw

      The 9:30 Club, the Lincoln Theatre and the Howard Theatre host touring bands, and the bars around U Street stay busy late.

2. Day 2: United States Capitol and Library of Congress (Jefferson Building)

   United States Capitol, Library of Congress (Jefferson Building) and Eastern Market, then 14th Street and Logan Circle in the evening.

   1. Morning

      United States Capitol

      After the tour, use the tunnel from the Visitor Center to the Library of Congress's Jefferson Building instead of going back through security outside.

   2. Late morning

      Library of Congress (Jefferson Building)

      Opened in 1897, the Thomas Jefferson Building is one of the most ornate interiors in the US: a Great Hall of marble, mosaics and murals, an overlook into the domed Main Reading Room, a Gutenberg Bible and a recreation of Thomas Jefferson's own library.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Mumbo sauce

      Neighbourhood carry-outs and wing shops, especially in Northeast and Southeast DC; bottles are sold in some local shops.

   4. Afternoon

      Eastern Market

      Come on a Saturday or Sunday morning for the full outdoor market, then walk ten minutes to the Library of Congress.

   5. Evening

      14th Street and Logan Circle

      Cocktail bars, wine bars and restaurants with late kitchens along 14th Street NW.

3. Day 3: National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of Natural History

   National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History and National Museum of African American History and Culture, then Adams Morgan in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Air and Space Museum

      The Smithsonian's flagship aviation museum on the Mall holds the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St.

   2. Late morning

      National Museum of Natural History

      Go to the Hope Diamond on the second floor first thing; the gem hall gets very crowded by midday.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ethiopian injera and wot

      Restaurants around 9th and U streets in Shaw, and many more in nearby Silver Spring in Maryland; vegetarian combination platters are standard.

   4. Afternoon

      National Museum of African American History and Culture

      Opened in 2016 in a bronze-latticed building by David Adjaye, the museum's history galleries begin several floors underground with the transatlantic slave trade and climb through emancipation, segregation and the civil-rights movement to the present.

   5. Evening

      Adams Morgan

      The bars and clubs of 18th Street NW draw a young crowd, especially at weekends.

Before you go

• Washington Monument: Entry to the top is by timed ticket booked online, with a small service fee; tickets for spring and summer go quickly.
• United States Capitol: Reserve a free tour slot online in advance; same-day availability is limited in spring and summer.
• National Air and Space Museum: Free timed-entry passes have been required since the museum's phased reopening; check the Smithsonian site before you go.
• National Museum of African American History and Culture: Free timed-entry passes are often needed, especially at weekends and in spring; book online in advance.

If it rains

• Swap in National Gallery of Art (National Mall): Use the underground concourse with its light-filled cascade wall to move between the two buildings.
• Swap in National Museum of American History (National Mall): The Star-Spangled Banner is in a dimly lit chamber at the centre of the second floor; start there, then pick one wing.
• Swap in United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (National Mall): Leave time afterwards in the quiet Hall of Remembrance before heading back out onto the Mall.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, National Mall and Penn Quarter keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Georgetown ($$$$) suits couples, shopping and luxury. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 16–22 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Washington, D.C.
• 2 days in Washington, D.C.
• 4 days in Washington, D.C.
• 5 days in Washington, D.C.
• 7 days in Washington, D.C.

Questions travellers ask