“I’m coming to DC for the day, Where can we go?” Was the number one question we would get when we lived in Washington, DC. So naturally, I already had my go-to route that I always took my friends on. It is a great way to see all the major tourist points in the city from a locals perspective. Depending on how fast or slow you decide to walk and take in the sites this could be something squeezed in after a canceled meeting or stretched out all day. I’ve taken the liberty of putting together this comprehensive itinerary that you can follow and tweak as need be.

Fair Warning:

This itinerary does include a lot of walking so make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes. DC is a huge no parking zone so it would be in your best interest to download Uber or Lyft to avoid any unnecessary parking tickets on vacation.  If it is your first time using the app feel free to use my code and get you a FREE RIDE. If there are multiple people with you, have each them also do the same thing and you could end up with at least two free rides per person 😉

The day of the week in which you attempt to explore DC will make a world of difference. Weekends tend to have more crowds at the monuments and museums, but if you venture out too late on weekdays (especially Thursday afternoons) you could find yourself stuck in some of the countries worst traffic. I would suggest weekdays (non-holidays) around noon, as you will be free to enjoy everything at your own pace and there won’t be as many crowds.

As I said before feel free to add and take out what you want to see but understand that this route, as is, is a shortcut to see just about everything with the minimal amount of walking.

Find this map at https://goo.gl/maps/9APeEB67XyC2 

First Stop: The Wharf

Have your Uber/Lyft drop you off at Captain White’s Seafood City known locally as the Wharf. This hidden gem is a tucked away seafood haven that many tourists have no idea about. 

I lived here for 2.5 years before I discovered its existence and I am kicking myself I didn’t come across it sooner. The Wharf is the United States oldest open-air fish market where you will have the ability to choose fresh seafood right off the Potomac River, and it is cooked up right before you. This is a great place to grab lunch or a quick snack to fuel you up for the road ahead. I highly recommend the crab cakes (sandwich or dinner) from the place with a black overhang and black signs that say “The Wharf Fresh Cooked Seafood.” This place is on the backside right next to the tables. I would also recommend the clam chowder from the place directly on the right side of Captain White’s if you are facing it. The sign on the roof says “Spiced Shrimp, Cooked Crabs, Raw Bar.”

Second Stop: Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial

Trust me when I tell you this is the path you want to follow! Whether you are actually interested in Jefferson or FDR is irrelevant. This is the BEST shortcut to get to MLK and Lincoln without having to walk around the larger side of the Tidal Basin. While you may not be wholly interested in seeing Jefferson this is a great point to take pictures of the Tidal Basin and The Washington Monument. Walking further along down this path you will reach the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. FDR is the only US President to reside in office for more than two terms. His memorial covers his 12 years in office categorized by each term. This is a huge memorial but it is really interesting if you take your time to stop and read everything presented. The memorial is jam-packed with quotes from FDR and his wife Eleanor. What makes this maze intriguing is that the things that FDR said are still relevant in the world we live in today. If this isn’t up your alley feel free to breeze through this and follow the path out of the memorial.

Third Stop: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

After you exit the FDR Memorial you will continue walking down the path into the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. This memorial is the FIRST one to represent an African-American near the National Mall. So its opening was a big deal and a big attraction to tourists of all races. This memorial sits upon 4 acres of land next to the Tidal Basin. It features some of MLK’s famous quotes along with a statue that appears to come “Out of the Mountain of Despair.” Camera Tip: If you want to get a good shot with only him and no tourists turn your camera on selfie mode. Stand about 30-40 feet in front of the statue using your camera as a guideline. Angle the camera in front of you below you so you can capture you and what appears to be MLK just over your shoulder. You can also capture a great shot of the Jefferson Memorial from here as well. Once you have finished indulging in MLK quotes return back to the mountain and walk through it. Once you cross the street and turn left you will continue walking to your next destination.

Fourth Stop: Korean War Veterans Memorial

This area is bursting with things to see. Each memorial in this area won’t take you more than 10 minutes to explore each unless you truly stop to appreciate each one. As you continue walking up the path toward the Lincoln Memorial you will see multiple routes that lead off to the right. If you follow the first path you will happen upon the Korean War Veterans Memorial. The memorial is a collection of a mural wall, statues, a United Nations wall, and a Pool of Remembrance. The Mural Wall has images sandblasted into it to represent soldiers, equipment used during the war, and other images. The large statues that are there present a platoon on patrol. Each man in the platoon represents the different branches of the military that were a part of that war. The United Nations Wall represents the 22 U.N.’s that contributed troops or medical supplies and the Pool of Remembrance contains plaques with the number of people either killed, wounded, MIA, or POW. After you finished seeing this memorial follow the path all the way out until you see an enormous white building.

Fifth Stop: Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool, 

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington Monument 

That white building in question would be the Lincoln Memorial.

The steps you see out front are a popular hangout spot both day and night. You can even sometimes see people on picnic dates on some of the high pillars. If you are already beginning to feel fatigued, I suggest you take a rest here as there won’t be many more places to stop along the rest of the route. When you walk up way up the steps take a moment to look down. You can see the spot that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr stood when he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech.  If it is a busy day it will undoubtedly be the spot the everyone is standing at. If you continue to walk up the steps you will be faced with a huge seated statue of Abraham Lincoln.

On the walls of the monument, you will find his famous “Gettysburg Address.” Once you turn around to leave you can look out and see the Reflecting Pool, The World War II Memorial, and The George Washington Monument. Once you have had your fill of this great view, you have two options depending on what you want to see more. A choice between the Vietnam Veterans Memorial or the World War II Memorial. Both are a great choice and neither one will take you off the path to the White House.

Sixth Stop: The White House (South Lawn)

Whichever route you choose, make your way towards 17^th Street and make a left. The fastest way to reach the White House is to cut across the various parking lots near Ellipse Park. 

If you are visiting anywhere from the beginning of December until January 1^st, this is the location of the National Christmas Tree. If you are planning to stop by at night you are in for a treat. The tree lights up usually from 4:30 PM-10 PM (Dates and Times Subject to change). After cutting through The Ellipse you will be met with a barrier gate. Many people do not realize that you can actually cross this street and get right up to the gates. This back view of the house is the most common view you see on people’s pictures. Camera Tip: If you don’t want the black gates ruining your shot, place your camera/phone through the gates and gate a full shot of the house. There is no rule that says you can’t just don’t get crazy and try to put your baby through it. LOL Once you have taken all the pictures you wanted, turn left and make your way back toward 17^th Street.

Seventh Stop: The Renwick Gallery

You will continue walking down 17^th Street and make a right onto Pennsylvania Ave. Immediately on your left-hand side, you will see a two-story bright red brick building. This is the Renwick Gallery. This is probably one of the smallest but dopest museums in the district. It is a Smithsonian owned gallery that was recently renovated and reopened to the public in November of 2015. Plus side it is free. The downside is that the museum is very small, so depending on when you go it could potentially be very crowded. I have seen lines literally outside down the block just to enter the museum. This museums content are quite out the box compared to any other museum in DC, which means you for sure will not be bored. One of the best parts of the museum is that it is only like 10 or 11 different rooms. Which means you can be in and out in as fast as 30 minutes or spend all day if that’s what you are in to. I also enjoy this museum because people often want to work a museum into their visit. But in reality, do not want to spend their whole day barely scratching the surface at some place like the Museum of Natural History. This will allow you to feel like an adult cultured but you didn’t waste a whole day. Once you exit the museum take a left and keep walking down Pennsylvania Ave.

Eighth Stop: The White House (North Lawn), Lafayette Square

From here you can see a less popular view of the front of The White House. The house is much closer in distance from this angle. Sometimes the police have the fence blocked off depending on what the security level is that day. Which means you may not be able to capture the house without the black fence in the picture. There are also often protests going on right here. None of them ever get violent or anything but for crowd control purposes sometimes the police force everyone into the park (Lafayette Square). They then put up police tap on the street. If you happen to arrive at one of those times just wait 5 minutes. They usually take them down and allow you closer access to the house. Lafayette Square is a small beautiful park that is known for its red tulips. It is also home to a few statues of foreign Revolutionary War heroes.

Final Stop: Farragut North or West Station

This is the final stage on this little journey. Feel free to proceed to either Farragut North or West Metro Station to head to your hotel or Airbnb. From the North Station, you can catch the Red Line. From the West Station, you can catch the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines. The DC Metro Line is probably one of the more simple public transportation systems in the country. If you are unsure how to use it try Google Maps. 

I hope you enjoy your trip to the nation’s capital!

Comment below and tell me how it went or something you think is missing.