For my first trip to Washington DC, I didn’t know what to expect. Initially, I thought three nights in Washington might be too long. I thought I would get bored or run out of things to do.
BIG surprise! I was wrong. I couldn’t believe how much I enjoyed my visit to DC!
For our trip, we stayed in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. We found this was a great base for exploring the city’s top attractions. I saved 50% off my hotel rate by booking through Hotwire. This is my go-to website for saving money on hotels.
Because hotel rates in Washington DC can be expensive, another smart way to save money on accommodations is to book through Airbnb. I have used Airbnb throughout North America and have always had a good experience. It’s great for groups, friends, or couples since prices are often cheaper than hotels.
You can click here to get a coupon for your next Airbnb booking!
Despite this being one of my least planned trips, it turned out to be a blast! However, there are several things I learned during my visit to the city. Here are ten things I wish I knew before my first trip to Washington DC!
Related Post: 3-Day Washington Itinerary For First-Time Visitors
1. The monuments and memorials are NOT as close as they appear
The National Mall is a lot bigger than many people think. I made this mistake when walking to the Jefferson Memorial. I’m glad I went though because this was one of my favorite memorials.
PRO TIP: A better way to see the popular monuments and memorials is take a Big Bus Tour. This flexible Hop On Hop Off bus tour lets you to visit all the top landmarks at your leisure. Popular stops include the White House, Capitol Hill, Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial.
Big Bus Tours is the #1 bus tour company and is recommended by Expedia. You may recognize their buses from other popular destinations such as New York City, London, Paris and so on. This can be a great way to learn about history and fun facts while taking a comfortable sightseeing tour.
But don’t just take my word for it. Check out these happy reviews on Expedia!
2. Save money by visiting Washington DC on the weekend
The city caters primarily to business travelers, so hotels tend to increase their prices during the week and offers huge discounts on the weekend.
If hotel prices still seem expensive, I recommend searching for affordable accommodations on Airbnb. Prices are often cheaper than hotels, which means more money in your pocket for sightseeing and shopping. Who wouldn’t want that?
CLICK HERE to get a coupon to use towards your next stay with Airbnb!
If you prefer to stay in a hotel, I recommend searching for cheap rates on Hotwire. I booked the Hilton hotel in Dupont Circle for 50% off the regular rate through Hotwire.
My must-have Washington DC accessories:
Click the product to shop
3. Buy a SmarTrip card for the DC Metro to save money
Getting around town is easy with the DC Metro. The city’s metro is quick and convenient for locals and tourists. Instead of getting a SmarTrip card, I made the mistake of paying with a paper farecard which costs me more money each trip. BIG MISTAKE!
I recommend getting a SmarTrip card to get the best value when riding the DC Metro.
Another good option to get around the city is to take a Hop On Hop Off bus tour. There are 3 different loops offered. This makes it a fun way to visit all the popular landmarks and sights in the city, including the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Lincoln Memorial.
4. Take advantage of the Washington DC Explorer Pass
Visiting Washington DC for the first time can be hectic. With so many great things to see and do, it can be challenging to plan an itinerary and determine which attractions to spend your money on.
The good news is you don’t need to plan your Washington DC trip alone. After doing a lot of research for my own vacation, I discovered the Washington DC Explorer Pass. This pass can be a great tool for planning your holiday.
I used the Explorer Pass, which helped me easily plan my itinerary and visit all the top attractions in the city. With the Washington DC Explorer Pass, I saved time, money, and enjoyed stress-free sightseeing.
PRO TIP: Buy the pass online to save time and hassle. To buy the Explorer Pass, click here to go to the official website. The pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase.
What’s included in the Washington DC Explorer Pass:
✓ Pick from over 20 Washington DC attractions
✓ Valid for 30 days
✓ Save up to 47% vs. paying for individual tickets
✓ Choose 3, 4, or 5 top-rated Washington DC attractions to visit
The Washington DC Explorer Pass is a multi-attraction card where you can choose to visit 3, 4 or 5 top attractions all for ONE low price, including Madame Tussauds DC, Big Bus Panoramic Night Tour, and the Newseum.
Madame Tussauds
Standard Entry Price
Adult $23.27
FREE with the Washington Explorer Pass
International Spy Museum
Standard Entry Price
Adult $26.44
FREE with the Washington Explorer Pass
Hop on Hop off Bus Tour
Standard Entry Price
Adult $49.00
FREE with the Washington Explorer Pass
Go City currently has a TrustScore rating of 4.4/5 on Trust Pilot, which makes it one of the highest rated sightseeing passes. This flexible sightseeing pass can be a great option if you want explore Washington DC while saving money at the city’s most popular attractions.
How to get your Washington DC Explorer Pass
Step 1: Choose the pass which best suits your trip. You can visit 3, 4 or 5 different attractions for one low price. Save up to 47% off vs. paying at the gate. You can click here to purchase your Washington DC Pass from the official website.
Step 2: Download your pass instantly on any mobile device. Or you can print your pass at home.
Step 3: Simply show your pass at the attraction entrance and walk right in. Your pass is valid for 30 days after the first attraction you visit.
PRO TIP: Choose the 3 attraction pass if visiting for a couple of days. If staying 3 to 5 days, consider purchasing the 4 or 5 attraction pass.
5. Wear comfortable shoes
I know this sounds silly, but wearing comfortable shoes are a must when visiting Washington DC. It doesn’t matter how much you ride the DC Metro, you will be doing A LOT of walking. Whether it’s walking the National Mall or walking through DC’s many museums, you’ll need comfy shoes. These are my favorite comfortable shoes to wear when traveling.
I also recommend wearing a backpack for your trip. This is my go-to backpack for traveling. It’s great for storing my camera, water bottle, hand sanitizer, snacks, travel essentials, and so on. It’s stylish and big enough to carry everything I need when exploring a new city.
6. The best gift shops are at the city’s museums
I always like to bring back a souvenir from every trip I take, whether it’s a luggage tag, something for my living room or a cute tea cup. If you’re looking to visit some gift shops, a good bet is the ones at the museums. My favorite is at the National Gallery of Art.
I bought a serving tray from the National Gallery of Art for my coffee table. It’s a great conversation piece and it doesn’t look like it came from a museum gift shop.
7. Bring a refillable bottle of water with you
You can purchase bottled water from street vendors, however a better choice is to bring your own refillable bottle of water.. This will cause less waste and you can refill it at any water fountain. This is my favorite refillable bottle to bring when traveling.
The spring and summer months can get hot, so it’s important to keep yourself hydrated during a long day of sightseeing. Especially if you’re walking to see all the monuments and memorials.
8. Visit free museums and attractions
If you’re on a tight budget, considering checking out some of Washington DC’s free attractions. This includes the monuments, memorials, national zoo and Smithsonian museums. One place that I highly recommend visiting is Ford’s Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
9. Don’t spend your whole trip at the Mall
While first-time visitors tend to spend the majority of their trip at the Mall, it’s worthwhile to visit DC’s other neighborhoods too. This includes Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandira, West End, Penn Quarter, and so on.
10. Some attractions require advance planning
While many of DC’s attractions are open every day and allow you to visit them at your leisure, there are a few places the require reservation tickets and advance planning.
This includes the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Washington Monument. I recommend doing your own research first to see what’s required before visiting these spots.
Lots of good insights here. One point – especially with children. DC is very pedestrian friendly, but the scale is huge (think giant college campus times 100). I had to chuckle over the comment about walking over to the Jefferson Memorial. Looking at an aerial photo of the mall (most o the Smithsonian lines the mall, it’s hard to appreciate that the distance between the Lincoln Memorial steps and the Capitol is almost 2 miles without stopping in any of the numerous and huge museums, public buddings, etc, You might also enjoy checking out Chinatown, Rock Creek Park (it’s bigger than Central Park, lots of walking and bridal trails, but maybe a drive through it is best, as you really can’t walk it), etc. – there’s lots of places that don’t necessarily make it on an itinerary. If you do have a car with you, day trips to some of the battlefields are a good idea – Bull Run already mentioned, but also Gettysburg or the Antietem (bloodiest day in the Civil War), or the old towns of Frederick or Annapolis, the Naval Academy, Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, or some of the quaint mill towns like Ellicott City, etc. For Metro you might want to download one of the many free Metro apps (if you are Apple, just search the App Store “Washington DC Metro” and you’ll see dozens of them).
Yes, while places looked fairly close on the map, it was surprising how far I needed to walk to get around. I’d love to go back and explore more of the neighborhoods. Thanks for your suggestions! 🙂
Hi Eden,
I recently went on an extended weekend trip to DC this past September and had an enjoyable time. I like how your blog pointed out the must-see’s of DC along with some helpful tips, i.e. bring a water bottle. I had unusually warm weather in late September, temperatures in the high 80’s and I was definitely in need of water with all of the sight seeing.
Thanks! JB
I’m glad that you had a wonderful trip! Washington DC is an amazing place to visit 🙂
I’m a native of DC. While I find the water bottle and comfortable shoes a must, another couple comes to mind. Get into the Smithsonian calendar, visit websites for the places you want to see, and always have an alternative weather plan. The weather is fickle here. If it is raining then it might make sense to spend a bunch of time at the archives, library, or at the botanical gardens. One of my repeat museum trips is to the old section of the National Gallery of Art and to eat at one of 5 cafes inside. I like the salad selections and the serene views .
Weather is a large comfort factor. Consider this, Spring and summer is peak tourist time, beginning with the cherry blossom festival, and DC can be wonderful then. As a native I find it much more comfortable to walk through when the leaves begin to change in early October and the weather trips back down to the 60-80 degree range, and the pollen and mosquitos back off. When they say hot in this article, they aren’t telling you that some people die each year without a/c here. It gets THAT hot. Sweltering around 90-100 degrees with 90+% humidity is normal from late May through mid-September. You might get lucky, I would check the weather each day. I think that compares to a lot of the south. With that in mind, the metro, which is chiefly underground, can be a welcome respite but I wouldn’t count out getting a car or planning stops inside air conditioning for a bunch of reasons. Do not be shy, ask for iced water and look out for places that would have it, like the cafes and coffee shops all over town. They typically don’t charge. Those who live here really get it. Most try to stay indoors between 10 and 3. Be sensible and limit outside time at the peak of the day.
Also, we get mosquitos and pollen, a bunch of both. It is not bad in the city, but heading to where trees or water is, like the tidal basin, you need to take care, consider light breathable pants. Our pollen count is through the roof until June and mosquitos breed in water. I noticed the reflection pool at the mall is treated but the DC is effectively a bit swampy.
But really, the neat stuff to see is half inside and half outside.
Some secured attractions require setup in advance. The White House complex sits next to the old Department of Treasury building at 16th and Penn. Both require security checks and planning in advance. The trip just walking by is people watching glory but if you came for history take the time to set up a tour. Outside peaceful protestors, dignitaries, and all kinds visit. It is very safe and frequently, when official activity in the area calls for it, they close the approach from President’s park and 16th Street. For history buffs, the treasury building is an amazing building to see. You need to reach out to the curator for the treasury building for a tour, which is free. White House tours require advance planning as well. You can also visit a session of Congress, to do so you need to reach out to your representative for details.
If you like free things, some meseums and most military services have memorials or museums close to DC. The Pentagon memorial, Udvar-Hazy Annex for the Air and Space Museum, the Marine Corps museum near Quantico, Arlington Cemetery are obvious examples. Planes, space shuttles, armament history, await. Each gives you a new found appreciation for those who serve, both in support of the sciences and those who are members of the military.
Compared to some cultures our history is very young, but tons of it is available and captured in and around DC. Within the district a trip to the National Archives is a great way to see the History of the US. The recordings of Presidents no longer classified are available for you to listen to, you can do simulations of being in a presidential situation room, or just visit the declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the bill of rights. The tours, exhibits, and talks at the library of Congress can be a lot of fun.
Outside DC the battlefields of Bull Run and Manassas and many other battles in the civil war, many colonial homes, like Mount Vernon, Old Town Alexandria, Rippon Landing, and Woodlawn with the transplanted Frank Lloyd Wright home on the grounds , come to mind on the Virginia side.
When you are tired of seeing old and walking there are also many theatres, places to hear music, plays, and gambling at the brand new MGM casino in National Harbor. You also have a couple of amusement parks, public pools, wave pools, and things of that ilk nearby.
I find my staycations are usually very nice, especially if you plan a bit and think on where you want to end up.
Excellent suggestions! Thanks for your comment, I think others reading this will find it very helpful 🙂
We were just there and spent a week – everything you said is true. I do recommend taking a day to spend doing something other than tourist stuff as it gets overwhelming. Also expect lineups that move quickly. Everything is clean and well run.
I’m getting ready to head to D.C., so it was great to read your post and get insights. I help run a gift shop for a museum while I’m in graduate school, so I can’t wait to see what other museums have! I definitely will bring a refillable water bottle with me. 🙂
Loved reading this article as I am a college student hoping to study at American next spring. I have visited Washington many times and something I would recommend doing that I don’t hear much about is Mt. Vernon! It’s around the Iwa Jima Memorial and Arlington Cemetery area I believe. You can literally see where George Washington lived and learn many interesting things about his life and personality. Back then, security was not as intense, and the general population could literally walk up to his door and visit him. I would make sure that one visits MT. Vernon on a nice day though, as about 1/2 of the fun is the outside gardens, stables, and his burial tomb.
Thanks for the tip Holly, I’ll definitely make sure to check out MT. Vernon next time I’m in town 🙂
Thank you so much for useful advice and not just “things to do” that I usually see. We are taking 8 children there in a few weeks (5 of our own and 3 of my sister’s) and are pretty excited. Let’s hope it’s not blazing hot yet.
The kids will love exploring the museums, there is lots for them to do there! DC definitely gets hot in the summer months, come prepared and take lots of water breaks. I hope you enjoy your trip Heidi, thanks for reading 🙂
We are going this summer. The subway cards you spoke of, do we just purchase one for each of us? Is it reloadable or is it a set amount?
The Smartrip card is like a plastic ATM card for the DC Metro and buses. It’s $5 for the card, and you can reload it with any amount you wish. You save $1 per Metro trip when you pay with the Smartrip (and you save $0.20 per bus trip). If you’re staying for several days in DC, or plan to ride the Metro/ Bus a lot, then the Smartrip card might be worth buying.
Each person requires their own Smartrip card and they are available for purchase at any Metro station. If you only plan on riding the Metro less than 5 times during your trip, then I don’t recommend getting the card. Instead use the paper farecard, which is also available at any Metro station. Keep in mind that traveling during peak times on the Metro is more expensive. Let me know if you have any more questions — enjoy your trip! 🙂
I work near Dupont Circle and live in one of the VA neighborhoods nearby, so I use the metro for my commute every day. Paper farecards are being phased out and are not always available/accepted, so everyone should plan on buying & using the re-loadable Smartrip cards (to my knowledge, they never expire). Also be aware that there is currently a lot of construction throughout the system, so keep an eye out for signs or announcements with line & station closings. Rush hour is weekdays from opening until 9:30am and 3:00-7:00pm. It can get very busy and commuters are not very patient with visitors and families (especially with strollers) during these times. Fares are also higher during rush hour, so it may be more worthwhile to plan around these times rather than try to soldier through it. Metro doors do not pop open like elevator doors if you try to stop them, and often this causes a door issue that requires the whole train to be unloaded. If you’re traveling in a group, make sure you all have a plan in case you get separated, such as getting off at the next station to regroup or meeting at your destination. Just some tips that might be helpful!
These are great tips Emily. And I agree with you that the Smartrip card is the way to go when traveling the metro. Thanks for sharing your helpful tips 🙂