Things to do in Washington
Art, history, ramen, jazz, and cocktails: Washington without the tourist tax.
This is Washington for people who want the real city: great museums, neighborhood restaurants locals actually eat at, and a proper drink to end each night. The pace is relaxed but the days are full, moving from Penn Quarter down to Georgetown with a long stretch in Columbia Heights and U Street in between. You don't need a big budget, just a willingness to walk.
Day 1: Penn Quarter, Shaw, and the Mall
Start with contemporary art at the Hirshhorn, fuel up on ramen at Bantam King, and end the night with inventive comfort food at Unconventional Diner followed by a glass of something good at The Dabney Cellar.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Iconic donut-shaped building with a seriously good rotating contemporary art collection, locals swear by it.
Map - 12:30 PM
Bantam King
Essential pick for casual ramen and fried chicken, great value, no fuss, close to the Mall.
Map - 4:30 PM
Mount Vernon Square
A leafy square around the 1903 Carnegie Library, restored with a free public reading area inside.
Map - 7:30 PM
Unconventional Diner
Diner classics reworked by a serious chef; get the meatloaf and the chicken parm.
Map - 9:15 PM
The Dabney Cellar
A candlelit basement wine bar in Blagden Alley, with oysters and Virginia wines by the glass.
Map
Day 2: U Street, Columbia Heights, and the Canal
A morning at Potter's House and a bowl at Ben's Chili Bowl set up a sobering, rewarding afternoon at the African American History museum, before Laotian cooking at Thip Khao and a nightcap at Maison Bar à Vins close things out.
- 9:30 AM
- 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Start in the history galleries underground and rise to music and sport; book the free timed pass online.
Map - 4:30 PM
Lafayette Square
The park facing the White House's north side, with Jackson on horseback in the middle.
Map - 7:30 PM
Thip Khao Restaurant
Laotian cooking in Columbia Heights; order the crispy rice salad and ask for it jungle-spicy if you dare.
Map - 9:30 PM
Maison Bar à Vins
Top-rated wine bar a short walk away, proper cocktails and pours to cap the night, well before midnight.
Map
Day 3: Georgetown and the C&O Towpath
Bagels at Call Your Mother, a bike ride along the flat Potomac towpath, serious Mexican cooking at Amparo Fondita, and live jazz at Blues Alley make this the most DC day of the three.
- 9:30 AM
Call Your Mother Deli, Georgetown
Wood-fired bagel sandwiches from DC's "Jew-ish" deli; expect a line on weekend mornings.
Map - 10:15 AM
United States Marine Corps War Memorial
The giant bronze of the Iwo Jima flag raising, across Key Bridge in Arlington; free and open all day.
Map - 12:30 PM
YELLOW Georgetown
Casual, well-priced Middle Eastern spot locals love, bright, fresh flavors without the Georgetown tourist-trap markup.
Map - 2:00 PM
C&O Canal Towpath
Flat, shaded towpath along the Potomac, do the casual 5 to 6 mile stretch; rent a bike in Georgetown and go at your own pace.
Map - 7:30 PM
Amparo Fondita
Christian Irabién's Mexican home cooking; order the mole and the masa dishes made in house.
Map - 9:30 PM
Blues Alley
Intimate Georgetown jazz club locals book for a proper evening, mid-tier live music, a cocktail, and a great cap to the day.
Map
Where to stay
Yours Truly DC
Yours Truly DC sits close to the Shaw and Penn Quarter action without the stiff rates of the bigger names nearby.
The Dupont Circle Hotel
The Dupont Circle Hotel puts you on the right side of the city for all three days and has the feel of a place locals actually respect.
Make Washington your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- National Museum of African American History and Culture: weeks ahead
- Planet Word: a few days ahead
- International Spy Museum: a few days ahead
- National Air and Space Museum: a few days ahead
- George Washington's Mount Vernon: a few days ahead
- Shenandoah National Park: a few days ahead
Skip these
- National Mall food trucks and cart hot dogs, overpriced and mediocre. Walk five minutes off the Mall and eat properly.
- Founding Farmers as a destination dinner, enormous and loud with long waits. The same money eats better at Le Diplomate or L'Ardente.
- Georgetown Cupcake line. Baked and Wired on Thomas Jefferson Street is the local answer, with better coffee.
- Hop on hop off buses as transport, slow and pricey. Metro plus feet beats them.
The full Washington travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around