Hello! We’ve been on a mission to take some family trips to see some of the most interesting and important parts of the United States. We immediately knew Washington, D.C. was on the top of that list. Important things to note about D.C.: While it’s this Nation’s Capitol and there are so many government and historical sites to see, this area is also filled with museums, art, and culture. With that in mind, here are all the details on our time in D.C. (spoiler alert, we didn’t see it all and could have spent several more days exploring. I guess we’ll just have to go back 😉). I’ll recap what we did, what we ate, and some things that didn’t quite go our way, as well as throw in a few things I wish I would have known before we visited.

When to Visit

The most beautiful, and crowded, time to visit Washington, D.C. is peak Cherry Blossom Season. Usually around the end of March/beginning of April all the Cherry Trees around the Tidal Basin bloom and it is a site to see! Thousands of people flock to this area to check it out. My advice when it comes to crowds is not necessarily to avoid them, because you would miss out on this gorgeous site, but to expect them and be aware that this area will take more time to explore and factor that into your itinerary. I promise it’s worth it!

Where to Stay

Staying in the Downtown area is a MUST – the best area to stay is within walking distance to The Smithsonian Museums/The Trolley Pickup Area/Ford’s Theatre. We Stayed at the Downtown Hilton Garden Inn. The location was great, but there are some options that I feel would have been even better.

Hotel Recommendations:

• JW Marriott Washington, D.C.
• Hotel Washington
• Willard InterContinental Washington by IHG

What To Do & Where to Eat

When I was planing this trip I made a list of every possible site, government building, museum, and restaurant that we may want to visit. Then, I pared it down to something we could realistically do in 3 full days. One thing that shocked me what how big each block seemed to be and how long it took to get from one place to another on foot. My number one recommendation is to buy a day pass for the Hop on Hop Off Trolley Tour. You just get off when you want to stop and wander around and get back on when you’re ready to head to the next site.

Day 1:

We arrived at Reagan National Airport (DCA) Arrival @ 7:15 pm and took a car service to our hotel, downtown. We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, Washington, D.C. Downtown. While I usually opt for staying somewhere historic or with a little more flair, this location with its walkability and price couldn’t be beat! We were able to walk pretty much everywhere and utilized the Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour for the sites a little farther out.

Dinner: 9:00 pm The Hamilton. Reservations are highly recommended. This restaurant was within walking distance from our Downtown hotel and was still VERY lively at 9 pm. The food was delicious and the service was great! Open late.

Day 2: 

Breakfast: 8:15am @ Café Riggs 

• Ford’s Theater Tour
• Hop on Hop Off Trolley Tour
• The White House
• WWI Memorial
• Washington Monument
• The National Mall

Lunch: We hopped off our Trolley Tour for a quick lunch break in The Wharf @ Surfside Tacos. The Wharf is defintiely worth a quick visit. The area is a vibrant with a lot of dining choices and outdoor seating.

• Lincoln Monument and Reflecting Pool
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
• Tidal Basin & CHERRY BLOSSOMS!
• Jefferson Memorial
• The National Portrait Gallery

Dinner: 7:00pm @ The Smith. Highly recommend reservations. We didn’t have a reservation and had to wait about an hour and a half. The National Portrait Gallery is right around the corner, so we checked that out while we waited.

Also, I wanted to note that I was surprised by how early everything closed – most sites closed around 5-6 pm. After dinner we headed back to the hotel for an early bed time.

Day 3:

Breakfast: Coffee & a quick meal at 1916 Swing’s

• 10:00am: Smithsonian Museum of American History

• 12:15 am: Holocaust Museum. This was heart-wrenching, but a “must-experience” IMO; however, it is graphic and depending on your children it may not be suitable.

Lunch: Quick lunch from Food Trucks on the National Mall.

• Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (fun fact: I’m obsessed with dinosaurs and this one of my favorite museums of all time!)
• National Archives

Dinner: 5:00pm Carmine’s. I highly recommend getting reservations. Dinner is served family-style, so make sure to come hungry!

• 7:00pm Monuments by Moonlight Trolley Tour (5 stars!)

Day 4:

Breakfast: Quick breakfast at Starbucks by our hotel.

• 10:00 am: Museum of the Bible. Another one of our favorites! This museum is very well done. If you’re limited on time, I suggest doing Floor 3 – Stories of the Bible and Floor 4 – The History of the Bible. Floor 3 is amazing! On this floor, you’ll find a Walk-Thru of the Hebrew Bible and visit the New Testament Experience. Floor 4 hosts copies and original versions of the Bible throughout time. We really enjoyed looking at all the old versions and seeing how they have evolved into the English versions we know today.

Lunch: Grabbed a quick bite at Museum of the Bible before leaving.

• 1:45 pm – International Spy Museum. This was highly entertaining and perfect for kids of all ages. You’ll be given a Spy Persona and use it throughout the exhibits. This was a lot of fun for all ages, from elementary-aged kids to adults. My favorite fun fact was that Julia Child was a SPY for the OSS (predecessor to the CIA)!

Dinner: 7:00 pm Old Ebbitt Grill. This is actually Washington’s oldest saloon and was founded in 1856! We really loved how cozy this restaurant was. It was larger than we originally thought but had several bars and dining rooms throughout. While the menu has something for everyone, it is seafood-heavy. The scallops were 10/10 and the fried oyster burger (the Oyster Riot Burger) is a must-try. 

What We Missed

As promised, here are the things we missed out on while visiting.

• The White House Tour & FBI Experience – Set up 90 days in advance through your House or Senate Member of Congress.
• Tour of the United States Capitol – Contact your local Congressman.
• Library of Congress – Free. Closed Sundays & Mondays.
• Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
• President Lincoln’s Cottage
• Bureau of Engraving & Printing
• Old Post Office Tower – Closed during our visit.

We were the most disappointed about missing out on The White House Tour. To book a tour, you send in a request through your Member of Congress (House or Senate) up to 90 days in advance. You will then be contacted by their office with your official tour date and time. Unfortunately, there was a slight mistake and we were scheduled for the day before we arrived. Once we realized the mistake, we contacted them and they were able to put us on the waitlist for the following few days – however, we never made it off the waitlist. 

We did have a tour of the United States Capitol and Library of Congress scheduled through our local congressman. Their office was able to set up a tour for us at 10 am on the second full day of our trip. We decided not to take the tour because after spending a day walking around we realized two things; First, there is a very short window of time every day to visit sites and museums. Most are open at 10 am and close at 5 pm, and that’s not a ton of time to fit things into. Second, while most major sites look very centralized on a map, the monuments and museums are huge and take time to get from one to the other. So, it came down to choosing the tour or multiple other items on our list that were closer together. 

Which leads me to the next few items: President Lincoln’s Cottage and The Bureau of Engraving & Printing. We just didn’t have the time to fit these in on this trip. And, while we walked past the Old Post Office Tower several times, it was closed for the entirety of our trip.

Takeaways

• Book the Hop On Hop Off Trolley Tour to get to all the monuments without all the walking
• Monuments by Moonlight Trolley Tour as 10/10. Highly Recommend!
• Museums and Gov’t buildings close early, plan schedule accordingly
• Make Dinner Reservations, preferably after 6:00 pm
• Stay somewhere within walking distance of the National Mall. Bring a good stroller for small children.
• Visit during peak Cherry Blossom Season, but plan for crowds
• Three days is not quite enough – I would recommend 4 to 5 days to get all the sites in.

Restaurants Recs

• Old Ebbitt Grill – Oldest saloon in Washington, D.C. Heavy on seafood.
• The Smith – American pub fare. Great for a drink and apps.
• The Hamilton – American eatery with late hours. Live music space downstairs.
• Carmines Italian – Family-style Italian
• The Founding Farmers – Farm to Table, American-style
• Pembroke – French menu in DuPont Circle
• Unconventional Diner
• The Arsenal – Brewery – get tots  – Navy Yard 
• Call Your Mother Deli  – Bagel sandwiches 2 locations 
• We, The Pizza
• Good Stuff Eatery – burgers, fries, shakes 
• Pizzeria Paradiso – Pizza & Beer Garden
• Le Diplomate – French-style Cafe
• Grazie Nonna– Italian
• VUE Rooftop