4 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

      Allow Half a day (free). Walking the full length takes longer than it looks; plan one half per day and use the free museums as breaks from the summer heat.

   2. Late morning

      Lincoln Memorial

      An inscription on the steps marks where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech in 1963, overlooking the Reflecting Pool.

   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

      Allow 1 hour (free). Late-afternoon slots give the best light over the Lincoln Memorial and the river.

   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: 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 14th Street and Logan Circle in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Air and Space Museum

      Louis and galleries tracing flight from early aviation to space exploration. The building has been through a multi-year renovation, with galleries reopening in phases.

   2. Late morning

      National Museum of Natural History

      Allow 2–3 hours (free). Go to the Hope Diamond on the second floor first thing; the gem hall gets very crowded by midday.

   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

      National Museum of African American History and Culture

      Objects include Emmett Till's casket, a segregated railway car and Chuck Berry's red Cadillac; the upper floors cover music, sport and culture.

   5. Evening

      14th Street and Logan Circle

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

3. Day 3: National Gallery of Art and National Museum of American History

   National Gallery of Art, National Museum of American History and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, then Adams Morgan in the evening.

   1. Morning

      National Gallery of Art

      Allow 2–3 hours (free). Use the underground concourse with its light-filled cascade wall to move between the two buildings.

   2. Late morning

      National Museum of American History

      The Smithsonian's museum of American life displays the original Star-Spangled Banner that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814, Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, Julia Child's kitchen and a section of the Greensboro lunch counter from the 1960 civil-rights sit-ins.

   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

      United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

      Allow 2–3 hours (free). Leave time afterwards in the quiet Hall of Remembrance before heading back out onto the Mall.

   5. Evening

      Adams Morgan

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

4. Day 4: Day trip to Mount Vernon

   About 30–40 minutes by car each way. Getting there: Car, or Metro to Huntington then a local bus; seasonal boats.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Mount Vernon

      About 30–40 minutes by car (Car, or Metro to Huntington then a local bus; seasonal boats); about 25 km.

   2. Day

      Mount Vernon

      George Washington's riverside estate includes the mansion, his tomb, working outbuildings, a reconstructed distillery and gristmill nearby and gardens overlooking the Potomac. Cyclists can ride the Mount Vernon Trail along the river from Arlington.

   3. Evening

      Back in Washington, D.C.

      Dinner: try Steamed blue crabs.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Washington Monument, National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 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 19–26 hours of visiting over 4 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.
• 3 days in Washington, D.C.
• 5 days in Washington, D.C.
• 7 days in Washington, D.C.

Questions travellers ask