Washington DC like a Local: 12 Things to Do for First Timers

With summer fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to visit none other than Washington, DC! I lived amidst the politicians and deal makers in our nation’s capital for a year, so here’s the inside scoop: check out the top attractions in Washington DC that you absolutely cannot miss.

We’re going to start with the super basic must-see sights (because it is the capital of the USA so you kind of have to see monuments and whatnot), but we’ll finish up with some of the areas locals love!

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1 | Washington Monument

Located on the National Mall (another awesome spot to stop), the Washington Monument stands at 555 feet to commemorate George Washington. This an iconic site of the city, and one of the top Washington DC tourist attractions. Make sure to check out the Reflecting Pool while you’re there. To tick off all the monuments and memorials in one fell swoop, try out a Monuments & Memorials Segway Tour!

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

Bonus points if you get to see the monument during the blooming cherry blossoms! There’s nothing quite like it, but it’s also ridiculously packed with tourists, so choose carefully! Also, if you’re like me, you might sneeze a lot in the proximity of that many blooming flowers…

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Washington Monument

2 | White House

Another easy one to tick off your Washington DC bucket list…the White House! If you’re in the city, might as well check out the fancy home of the president!

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

3 | National World War II Memorial

This memorial is dedicated to the Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II. You can find the memorial at the east end of the Reflecting Pool, between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. One of the popular things to do is to take a photo with the pillar of your state, but do keep in mind that it is a memorial. DC has plenty of hop-on, hop-off bus tours that will take you to the city’s main sites…super helpful on really hot summer days (or cold winter days!).

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

4 | Korean & Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Keeping on that same memorial train…the Korean & Vietnam Veterans Memorials also fall into the list of top Washington DC tourist attractions. The Korean War Veterans Memorial is located just south of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. You can find the Vietnam Veterans Memorial next to the National Mall not far from the Lincoln Memorial. This Washington DC in One Day Tour will help you tick off the major highlights!

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

5 | Washington DC Museums

There are probably enough museums in Washington DC to entertain you for a solid year. So that you don’t spend all of your time inside, I’d recommend picking a few that really interest you. Some of my faves are the National Air & Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, the Spy Museum, and the National Museum of Natural History. DC does an amazing job of keeping up their museums, so pick what interests you most!

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

Also, not quite a museum, but the Hall of Nations at the Kennedy Center is definitely worth a visit.

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Hall of Nations

6 | National Zoo

One of the top Washington DC tourist attractions has to be the zoo. It’s always free to visit and conveniently open 364 days a year, so you can stroll through and say hi to your animal friends any day you please. During weekdays (especially mornings), it’s a great spot to take a jog. Also, any excuse to see pandas, I’m all about!

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

7 | U Street

U Street is another unique area of Washington DC. 14th and U is home to one of DC’s most delicious farmer’s markets (Saturday mornings May – November). You can also find Ben’s Chili Bowl, Meridian Hill Park, and plenty of live music options. One of my go-to bars when I was a resident was Brixton (off of 9th Street and U).

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

8 | Dupont Circle

Dupont is one of the party centers of DC. Home to late night bars and clubs, the area will keep you hopping until all hours of the night. However, it’s not just a bar scene. You can also stroll down Embassy Row and check out all of the beautiful embassies. Plus, the Dupont Circle Fountain is a cool spot to hit if you’re in the area.

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Dupont Circle
top Washington DC tourist attractions - Dupont

More colorful row houses for your viewing pleasure…

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Dupont

I’ll throw in some gorgeous old brick houses too for fun!

9 | Bottomless Brunch

One of the best part of DC is bottomless brunch…this is easy. Who hates drinking bottomless mimosas? My go to spot was Scion in Dupont Circle, but let’s be real. You’re not going to go wrong with bottomless brunch. If you’re feeling fancy, you can also board a boat and take a brunch cruise down the Potomac.

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!
top Washington DC tourist attractions - bottomless brunch

10 | Adams Morgan

Adams Morgan is an eclectic community with plenty of options for grown-up fun (read: boozy brunches). If you’re looking for a sober time, there are a ton of vintage clothing stores, little bookshops, and delicious restaurants. Make sure to hit up Madam’s Organ blues bar if you’re out on the town in AdMo.

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

Adams Morgan also has plenty of colorful houses for the win!

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Adams Morgan

11 | Bike through the memorials at night

Biking through the memorials in the evening still ranks at the top of my DC memories. Rent a bike downtown and cruise by the lit of monuments and memorials. It’s much less crowded in the evening (plus way cooler in the summer), so it’s an awesome time to check some of the top Washington DC tourist attractions. I love the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument at that time of day! DC even offers official guided bike tours of the monuments at night, which is a great option for visitors.

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

12 | Nationals Game

Last but not least, head over to check out a Nats game. You can get there easily on the metro, and let’s be real…there’s nothing more American than watching America’s national sport (baseball) in America’s Capital. Bonus points if you catch a game on America’s birthday!

Explore top Washington DC tourist attractions! Discover the best of Washington DC whether you have a weekend or a week!

Cheap Flights to Washington D.C.

Cheap flights: I’d recommend searching through eDreams.net. They scan tons of different travel discount sites and feature special flight deals.

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Capitol at night

Where to Stay in Washington D.C.

Hotel Deals: My top choice is probably Expedia —I’ve found some insanely cheap (beautiful hotels).  Savings tip: stay outside the city (Arlington, Alexandria, etc). to save a little–you can take the metro in pretty easily! However, it is a ton of fun to stay in the city center and be able to walk to everything , so make your choice wisely.

Local Stay: If at all possible, I love staying in a local’s house or apartment to get the best flavor of the city. My pick for Washington D.C. is this 2-bedroom apartment located in the heart of Logan Circle. This was always one of my favorite areas of the city – you can find so many delicious restaurants, cool bars, and fun shopping spots.

Image: Plum Guide

Car Rentals

Car Rentals: You don’t need a car in Washington DC, and honestly, driving in the city terrifies me to this day. Also, parking is incredibly miserable.  If you decide to brave driving, you can’t go wrong with Expedia or Sixt.

I hope you found this guide to the top Washington DC tourist attractions helpful! I had an awesome time in the year I lived there, and visiting the city should be on everyone’s bucket list.

top Washington DC tourist attractions - Capitol

Tell me—have you visited Washington DC? What were some of your favorite things to do there? Let me know in the comments!

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30 Comments

  1. One fave visit was to the Spy Museum at 800 F St. So much info and interesting exhibits. It’s convenient to Chinatown as well and across from the Portrait Gallery. And though I would look up what’s exhibiting while there, I like the Phillips Collection art gallery near DuPont Circle.

  2. Great tips for visiting Washington, we are hoping to visit next summer. Have pinned for future reference. #feetdotravel

  3. As a diehard museum addict, I’ve always dreamed of a visit to Washington, D.C.! When we visited London, England, my poor husband got dragged through almost every museum in the city, so he’d have to brace himself for Washington! 🙂

  4. Great tips and some awesome suggestions of things to see. I didn’t even know about Adams Morgan! I loved Washington DC and is one of the places I would have loved to spend more time in!

    1. I spent a year living there, and I know there’s still a ton I missed! The Adams Morgan neighborhood is incredibly fun though, you’ll definitely have to check it out whenever you make it back 🙂

  5. Great tips on the tourist attractions. For my up and coming trip to Washington DC you highlighted all the places I want to visit. I really like the bottomless brunch. Sounds cool. Great photos! I pinned this for later and thanks for sharing 🙂

  6. I’ve spend a lot of time in DC, especially when my girls were little. There is so many quality attractions that are free. Seeing the monuments at night was always a favorite.

  7. I’ve never been to Washington and only knew about a coulpe of places on the list. The National Air & Space Museum would be my thing!

  8. I haven’t been to Washington DC yet but will keep your list for when I do. I’m quite keen on the Korean & Vietnamese Veterans Memorials. I didn’t know anything about these. Of course, bottomless brunch goes without saying. 😉 Thanks for the great list.

  9. This is a great summary of what to do in DC no matter how many times you’ve visited! I will be saving it for future trips. I love that metro station in your photo. I forget which one it is but had to stop and take pics of it the last time we visited DC.

  10. Thanks for sharing these great tips. My family has planned a trip to Washington and so your article is very helpful to me so that we can visit these beautiful places and make our trip memorable.Keep posting.

  11. Thanks for sharing these great tips. My family has planned a trip to Washington and so your article is very helpful to me so that we can visit these beautiful places and make our trip memorable.Keep posting.

  12. I bring my 11th grade students every year (ok, not during COVID), we were devasted to see that the Newseum closed.
    We hit most of your other spots. Thanks!

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