Top Things to do in Washington DC during a Weekend Trip

The Capital Region of the United States of America consists of the states of Maryland, Virginia and the capital, Washington, D.C.

Within this blog post, I’ll share with you my step-by-step travel guide on what to do in Washington, D.C.

The Capital Region is a perfect location for a road trip across this unique part of the United States.

In this part of my road trip, I will cover my suggestions for Washington, D.C. over a weekend trip and show how easy it is to connect all the regions.

Be sure to check out my travel guide to Talbot County in Maryland and Virginia Beach as well to connect all the regions.

Let’s go and explore Washington, D.C. over a weekend!

Walk around the Capitol Riverfront District

Spend some time walking around the Capitol Riverfront District and Navy Yard area, which is a newly developed neighbourhood in Washington, D.C.

Stay at the Cambria Hotel Washington, D.C. Capitol Riverfront for great views overlooking the capital.

Eat at GATSBY which is a fine American diner experience with wonderful cheeseburgers on offer.

And if the Washington Nationals are playing at Nation Park, why not grab a ticket and enjoy a game of baseball, a fun atmosphere to experience in the U.S.

Spend the day discovering the National Mall

A trip to Washington, D.C. wouldn’t be complete without visiting the iconic locations that can be found along the National Mall.

The loop trail around the National Mall is around 5 miles in length and will take you a few hours to complete.

If you spend some time at each location along the way, you could easily spend the whole day walking around the trail so be sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes.

Points of interest that you can visit along the route include the Washington Monument, National Gallery of Art, United States Capitol building, Abe Lincoln Memorial and the White House.

Head to the top of the Washington Monument

The Washington Monument was built to honour George Washington, the United States’ first president. The tall marble obelisk towers over the capital, Washington, D.C.

You can head up to the top of the Washington Monument, and the observation area offers spectacular views overlooking the National Mall.

I would recommend booking your ticket well in advance as tickets on the day normally sell out quickly.

Take a guided tour of United States Capitol Building

The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol, or the Capitol Building, is the meeting place of the United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government.

It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall.

The Capitol also houses an important collection of American art, and it is an architectural achievement on its own.

You can go on a free-of-charge guided tour to explore the Capitol building. Simply head to the Capitol Visitor Center, located underground on the east side of the Capitol to book yourself in.

Walk around the Abe Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is a U.S. national memorial built to honour the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln and is located on the western end of the National Mall.

The 170-ton statue is composed of 28 blocks of white marble and rises nine meters from the floor. It’s a spectacular monument to take in and admire from afar.

Have a look at the White House

You have to check out the White House on a visit to Washington, D.C.

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States.

Currently not open for guided tours, you can still visit the gate, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, and look in over the lawn from a distance.

Spend some time exploring the National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C.

Free entry for all visitors, the Gallery’s collection includes some 141,000 paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, decorative arts and new media.

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is a leading voice for contemporary art and culture and provides a national platform for the art and artists of our time located in the heart of Washington, D.C. on the National Mall.

Explore the outdoor Sculpture Garden, groundbreaking exhibitions such as the Yayoi Kusama collection, postwar art, performance art, digital media & video art, as well as technology art. All can be seen on display at Hirshhorn Museum.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial

New to the mall is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial which opened in 2020 and can be explored with an audio guide on your phone.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial is a United States presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. honouring Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II and the 34th President of the United States.

International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum documents the tradecraft, history and contemporary role of espionage.

The museum holds the largest collection of international espionage artefacts on public display in the world.

Don’t forget to check out the incredible James Bond Aston Martin DB5 which was used in the movie and can be found in the lobby of the museum.

Be sure to book your ticket well in advance as tickets do sell out.

Have lunch at the Hotel Washington VUE Rooftop

If you’re looking for a top lunch venue in Washington, D.C., be sure to check out the VUE Rooftop at Hotel Washington.

Grab a table overlooking the White House and order some good old comfort food.

I would highly recommend the chicken and waffles with a side salad which is good old-fashioned soul food that will fill you up after a long day of walking around the capital.

Grab a cocktail at the AC Lounge at the AC Hotel by Marriott Washington DC Downtown

If you’re looking for a spot to spend your afternoon, make a visit to AC Lounge at the AC Hotel by Marriott Washington DC Downtown.

They do an incredible selection of crafted cocktails and tapas dishes which makes it a great location for an afternoon drink.

Explore the Washington, D.C.’s Shaw neighbourhood

Washington, D.C has loads of different neighbourhoods worth exploring, and one of them you have to visit is Shaw.

Start with a breakfast fried chicken sandwich at Butter Me Up, followed by a freshly brewed coffee at La Colombe Coffee Roasters.

Walk around the outdoor DC Alley Museum and visit the African American Civil War Memorial.

End with a craft beer on tap at Right Proper’s Shaw Brewpub.

Thank you for reading my blog post about visiting Washington, D.C. over a weekend

Thank you for reading my road trip travel guide to visiting Washington, D.C. over a weekend.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post and found all the information useful in planning your road trip.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to send me an email and I’ll be more than happy to help.

Wishing you all the best with your own road trip around Washington, D.C. and the Capital Region.

This blog post was put together in partnership with the Capital Region to help promote the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia and the capital, Washington, D.C.

Be sure to check out my Washington, D.C. video