One day in Washington, D.C.

Day by day

1. Day 1: National Mall and Lincoln Memorial

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

   1. Morning

      National Mall

      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. Allow Half a day.

   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. Allow 45 minutes.

   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

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

   5. Late afternoon

      National Air and Space Museum

      Pair it with the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport if you want to see the very large aircraft, including Space Shuttle Discovery. Allow 2–3 hours.

   6. 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.

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.
• 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.

If it rains

• Swap in United States Capitol (Capitol Hill): 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.
• Swap in Library of Congress (Jefferson Building) (Capitol Hill): Head up to the Main Reading Room overlook first, then come back down to the Great Hall for photographs.
• Swap in National Museum of Natural History (National Mall): Go to the Hope Diamond on the second floor first thing; the gem hall gets very crowded by midday.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 7–9 hours of visiting over one day, 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.

Getting between stops: Metro. Metrorail fares vary by distance and time of day.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Washington, D.C.
• 3 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