Washington, DC in 3 Days
- Brian
- Jan 16
- 6 min read
If you need a quick escape and want to fill it with a mix of history, living history, and some flat-out amazing sights, look no further than Washington, DC. The best part is that you can hit the sights and have a great adventure in just 3 days. Quick Adventures are some of my favorites because they offer opportunity to experience more places more often. This is certainly do-able for a 3 day adventure.
My Recommendations for 1st Time Visitors
Getting to the major sights in the 3 days takes just a little bit of planning and a little bit of sticking to a schedule. You'll need to give approximate times for each place you want to visit and make sure you don't linger too long (unless you really want to) so that you can fit everything in. I also suggest starting early so you can hit your first place right when they open to give plenty of time to fit it all in.
When we visited, we had 3 kids all under 10 years old with us. So our itinerary allowed for some flex time to make sure the kids didn't get overwhelmed. If you are traveling with all adults or even with teenagers who can handle more and go for longer stretches, you can probably alter the itinerary a bit and get even more in.
Day 1
We flew in and landed at Reagan National Airport early, around 8:30am. We went straight to our hotel and dropped off our luggage before grabbing a light breakfast. After that, we walked toward the Capitol Building, making a pit stop at the U.S. Botanical Garden. I highly recommend it. The building and all the plants within are nothing short of beautiful.
Afterwards, we made our way to the Capitol Building for our tour. The tour lasted about 2 hours. We grabbed lunch in the cafeteria (which was extremely busy) and then went to the Library of Congress. Take your time here to see everything, especially the Jefferson Memorial Library.
In the afternoon, we visited the Supreme Court and saw the Court of Neptune. We then headed towards the National Mall, making a quick stop at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial statue and then went down to the Washington Monument. We then walked toward the Lincoln Memorial, allowing us to see the reflecting pool and some of the smaller monuments along the way, such as the World War 2 Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the District of Columbia War Memorial. This ended up being our last stop of the day before heading back for dinner at the hotel.
Day 2
We woke up early and made this our museum day. First stop was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. This is one of the most interesting museums that is packed with exhibits. If you really took your time here you could end up spending half the day or more here. Don't forget to see the Hope Diamond before you leave here. Afterwards, we took the subway over to Foggy Bottom, near Georgetown University, for lunch and then walked to the White House.
To be honest, the White House was really cool to see, but if you arent' able to get a tour, it's a little disappointing. After all, it's just a really big house.
Afterward, we walked back to the Washington Monument for a second time and looped around it to see all the blooming cherry blossoms (we visited in March just to see them bloom). We then made our way around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. We spent a fair amount of time here even though overall the memorial building is pretty small.
We walked back and enjoyed the cherry blossoms before heading to the Wharf for dinner and then ending our day.
Day 3
After breakfast, we began our day at the National Air and Space Museum. We ended up spending about 3 hours here, including lunch. In the afternoon we made our way over to the National Museum of American History. The exhibits here are really neat and have a wide range that includes recent pop history. We happened to be there when there were a slew of street vendors along Constitution Avenue. So we got the kids some desserts and hung out outside for a while. We then had dinner at The Smith restaurant and relaxed the rest of the night.
Day 4
Okay, so we cheated this time. We had 3.5 days! But...whatever, we had fun and it was still a quick escape!
In the morning we went to the Museum of the American Indian. Great museum and I highly recommended stopping in.
The afternoon was a travel day and we headed back home!
Our Favorite Sights
Although the city is filled with incredible sights and museums, my family and I had a few that are at the top of our must-visit-again list.
Lincoln Memorial
One of the most iconic sights within Washington, D.C., and probably all of the United States, is the Lincoln Memorial. Situated at the eastern end of the reflecting pool and the national mall, the memorial is in Greek style. This is a monument not only to Abraham Lincoln, but also equally to freedom and respect for everyone.
Take time here and read the inscriptions on the walls. Also be respectful and quiet when you enter the main hall. On the right side there is also a bookstore if you are interested in some additional artifacts and souveniers.
Capitol Tour
The tour at the Capitol Building is something that everyone needs to see at least once. The architecture alone is impressive. The artwork, from paintings to sculptures, are nothing short of a living history of our country, with each telling its own story.
Make sure you book tickets well in advance so that you secure your tour time. Tours can sell out, so I don't recommend taking the chance of not being able to get in.
For the tour you enter into a modern structure across the street and then go underground. When your tour time is called, you head through tunnels to get to the starting point. Here you will get headphones and an audio system to listen to your tour guide. Don't be afraid to ask questions! At the end of the tour you'll exit through the Library of Congress. When you are here, be sure to check out the Jefferson Memorial Library.
National Air and Space Museum
If you love all things that fly, the National Air and Space Museum is a great place to visit. The museum is filled with planes from every era of flight. It also has several artifacts from space flight, including the Apollo 11 capsule. There are also interactive exhibits, such as being able to fly a plane in a simulator and land it. Give yourself plenty of time here because it's a big museum with a lot to see.
A secondary suggestion: if you want an equally (perhaps even more impressive) air and space museum to visit, I highly recommend visiting the Dayton Air Force Museum (National Museum of the USAF) in Ohio. It is significantly larger than this museum in Washington DC and offers sights for many unique planes.
National Museum of the American Indian
I have to admit that when we were first walking in I had little to no expectations. I really didn't know what to think or expect. We were all taken by surprise. This museum is filled with a combination of artifacts and interactive exhibits that are wonderful for people of any age. We ended up spending a lot more time here than we anticipated, especially since our kids found the exhibits to be highly engaging. Overall, I think this is one of the best museums I've ever visited. Their food hall also had some good food, so if you're hungry, consider just eating here.
Additional Sights
In addition to our favorites from above, here are other sights we saw during our 3 day trip.
U.S. Botanical Garden
Library of Congress
Supreme Court
The White House
World War 2 Memorial
Washington Monument
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of American History
Dining & Breaks
The Wharf
The wharf is an outdoor shopping and dining area right on the Washington Channel. The area has something for everyone with plenty of seating and great views of the waterfront. We cheated a bit and stuck with fast food at Shake Shack and then relaxed and walked around. It only took us 10 minutes to walk here from our hotel on 6th street.
Other Places
Right next to the National Portrait Gallery sits The Smith. We went here for a great steak dinner one night when it was rainy and cold.
Things We Missed
There were several places I wanted to visit, however, due to time and allowing for our younger children (all under 10 at the time we visited) to have breaks, we weren't able to go to. The next time we go back, we're going to be certain to go to these places.
Ford's Theater
The Kennedy Center
National Archives Museum
National Portrait Gallery
National Museum of African American History
Final Thoughts
A trip to Washington, D.C. is one that everyone should go on at some point in your life. The city is filled with things to do and many of them are walkable from the plethora of hotels near the National Mall. I highly recommend staying at a hotel within a block or two of the national mall and then walk for most of your visit. You can also take the subway to get throughout the city to further sights.
