Washington DC is located only a few hours away from New York, but is often overlooked when planning a trip around the United States.

This is a pity, because DC, besides being the place where important decisions are made, not only for the United States, but often for the world, is a truly beautiful, clean, well-maintained and friendly place.

Washington DC is an independent province, and the city was built “by order” by the US government under George Washington, completely from scratch.

The city planning was inspired by the Champs Elysees and Paris, so the sidewalks are wide, making it very easy to explore the city on foot.

Washington DC is not a big city, which we liked a lot during our tour. We could get everywhere on foot, and the wide sidewalks made wandering easy.

The second advantage of Washington DC is the surrounding greenery. The city is full of parks, squares and gardens. It is also incredibly clean and very safe. We spent only two days in DC, during which we visited all the important monuments and memorials, as well as the museum and galleries.

But next time we would love to stay a day or two longer to visit and see the places we didn’t have enough time for, and we would definitely visit the Capitol from the inside during a longer visit.

#1 Capitol

Best start for your visit – the Capitol. It is the seat of the American Congress, and it is also a symbol and landmark of Washington DC. The distinctive white dome appears in many American movies, but also on magnets and postcards from DC.

It is located on Capitol Hill, at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington DC. The building is built in a neoclassical style and has a white exterior.

Tours are completely free, but tickets for the Capitol must be booked in advance.

#2 Library of Congress

Two steps away, practically opposite, is the largest library in the world, boasting 173 million items, in 470 languages.

The library purchased Thomas Jefferson’s entire personal collection of 6’487 books. Sadly, many of which faded into extinction in fire in 1851.

Entrance to the library is free.

#3 White House

One of the most important buildings in Washington DC. – The White House.

It is and has been the official home and office for every American president since 1800, since the second president of the United States: John Adams.

Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House not only has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms, but also beautiful gardens attached to it.

Most tourists can admire the White House from the outside, but you can also visit the White House from inside if you plan it well in advance.

#4 Smithsonian Castle

The Smithsonian Institution building, commonly called the Smithsonian Castle.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest complex of museums and educational and research centers, located primarily in Washington DC.

It was established as a foundation in 1846 under the will of James Smithson, a British chemist and mineralogist. It is located near the National Mall in Washington DC.

The building also includes the Endid A. Haupt Garden, a beautiful green garden, full of trees, flowers and green lawns. Entrance to the garden is completely free, and it spots numerous squares with benches where both locals and tourists relax or eat lunch.

Across the street from the castle is a vegetable garden, one of several in DC. Take a walk among the perch and take in the smells of fresh tomatoes.

#5 Thomas Jefferson Memorial

If you like lakes, and beautiful greenery, you will definitely like Thomas Jeffersons Memorial, which is situated in West Potomac Park on the shore of the Potomac lake.

Jefferson was one of the founding fathers, and also the third president of USA. His memorial was founded by Franklin Roosvelt, and build between 1939 and 1943.

Inside in addition to a statue of Jefferson in the middle, the white building also has quotes by the former president inscribed on its walls.

#6 Abraham Lincoln Memorial

Another memorial is the Abraham Lincoln Memorial. This memorial manages to impress. It is absolutely huge and magnificent.

Lincoln is one of the most famous and really important US president. Most known for abolishing slavery. He is also one of the four presidents who were assasinated.

His memorial is a huge white building resembling a Greek temple, with 36 columns. The Lincoln statue stands in the middle and is of unimaginable size (18m tall).

The Memorial is visited annually by about 7 million people per year, and it has been seen in several movies, including “Planet of the apes.”

#7 George Washington Monument

Practically opposite the Lincoln memorial, there is a very important monument which was built in honour of George Washington.

Washington was the Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States. He played an indispensable role in adopting and ratifying the Constitution of the United States, which was a replacement of the original constitution, the Articles of Confederation.

His monument was build in 884, and back then it was the tallest building in the world. Today it is the tallest building in the capital and measures 170m in height. No building in D.C. is taller than it, hence the rather low-rise buildings throughout Washington DC.

The obelisk, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is beautifully reflected in Reflection Pool, which you may remember from the movie “Forest Gump”.

#8 Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The last Memorial of a well-known figure is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. King advanced civil rights for people of color in the United States through nonviolence and civil disobedience.

I Have a Dream

He was one of the leaders of the 1963 March on Washington where he delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Kings Memorial is located in West Potomac Park next to the National Mall. A granite statue includes the „Stone of Hope“.

The inspiration for the memorial design is a line from King’s “I Have a Dream” speech: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

#9 World War II Memorial

There are also Memorials on The Mall dedicated to American servicemen, veterans, and all those who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom.

The first of these is the World War II Memorial, which is dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II.

Memorial consists of 56 pillars, representing U.S. states and territories, and a pair of small triumphal arches for the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, surrounding an oval plaza and fountain.

Soldiers who fought in Europe celebrated victory by jumping into the fountains, thats why soaking feet during hot days in capital is allowed.

#10 Korean War Veterans Memorial

The main memorial is made of more than 100 tons of highly polished “Academy Black” granite.

More than 2’500 photographic, archival images representing the land, sea, and air troops who supported those who fought in the war are sandblasted onto the wall in the form of triangle intersecting the circle.

Within the walled triangle are 19 stainless steel statues collectively called The Column. Each statue is larger than life-size.

#11 Vietnam War Veterans Memorial

The Vietnam War Veteran Memorial, whose each wall of the Memorial is composed of 72 black granite panels. 70 of which are inscribed, with the names of the men and women being honored Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

A component of the Memorial, located a short distance from the Wall, is a bronze statue named The Three Servicemen. The statue and the Wall appear to interact with one another, with the soldiers looking on in solemn tribute at the names of their fallen comrades.

The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War, most of whom were nurses.

It serves as a reminder of the importance of women in the conflict. It depicts three uniformed women with a wounded soldier.

#12 Natural History Museum

Managed by the Smithsonian Institute, the museum features anything and everything related to nature, it is also the world’s most visited natural history museum.

The collection of this museum is 126 million pieces, and one of the most important is an entire skeleton of a T-Rex.

Entrance to the museum is completely free, making it beloved by tourists and locals alike. It is the most visited museum per year out of all the museums in the United States in general. Therefore, arm yourself with patience and devote at least a few hours to your visit.

#13 National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art is an incredibly elegant and spacious place with a magnificent collection of works of art that everyone will appreciate.

Originally a private museum houses a grand collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other works form Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Cézanne, De Goya, Da Vinci and Vernet.

Admission is completely free and the optimal tour time is three to four hours.

Washington DC is an ideal place for a few days trip, from New York or any other city in the United States.

The best means of transportation to get here is by train or bus. The bus is cheaper, but takes longer, while the train is faster, but therefore also more expensive.

However, if you prefer a plane, it is absolutely not a problem, there are planes flying to the capital from other parts of the United States as well.

If Washington DC is your first stop in the U.S., you can get here by plane from major European cities.

Washington DC is an ideal city to explore on foot. All the attractions are located fairly close to each other, so the distances to walk between them are quite short.

Additional advantages are wide sidewalks and green fields, which make every walk more pleasant.

Washington DC is well connected with the Subway system. You can for example charge your Smarttrip Card on your phone and use it for all your rides during your stay. Of course you can do it also the classical way and buy a card at the ticket machine.

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Unfortunately, accommodations in Washington DC are quite expensive. The cheapest option we were able to find for the duration of our stay was a private room for $130 – $150 per night.

That’s why we decided to stay in an Airbnb in Arlington , which is a stone’s throw from DC and well connected by subway. The room we rented cost less than $100 per night and the host was such a lovely person – highly recommended!

The best times to visit Washington DC are from September to November and March to May.

With the change of season from summer to fall, the city becomes less crowded, while in spring all beautifully awakens to life, and many tourists have not yet arrived in the city.

The cheapest month according to many is February, that’s when hotel and apartment prices drop.

However, in our case we were very satisfied with the month of June. The weather was perfect for us, and there were not as many tourists as we could have expected.

Most passport holders will need to apply for the ESTA form. This will give you the permission to stay up to 90 days in USA.

The prices are per person, except for the accommodation, which we rent for 2 people.

Accommodation: $100 / night

Restaurant: $10 – $14 / meal

Pleasure: $5 – $7 / event

Subway: $2 / ride