Not only is Washington, DC the capital of the United States, it’s also home to many free museums and tours, which makes it a very affordable trip.

How long to stay?

If it’s your first trip out to the District of Columbia, we’d recommend a stay of about five nights. There is plenty to do here in the city that’s actually quite affordable. Many attractions are free or heavily discounted so that many can enjoy the rich history of the nation. On top of that, some sites are only accessible by winning a virtual lottery, such as the White House or the Pentagon. Being here for more than just a couple of nights will allow you the flexibility to experience these yourself.

Three major commercial airports service the DC area, including DCA, IAD, and BWI. Of the three, BWI is the furthest while DCA is the closest. On the other hand, DCA doesn’t serve international destinations, so your options might be limited based on your routing.

Importantly, Washington, DC is inherently a politically-driven city. No matter how hard you try, you’re going to see influence from any current and former administration while here whether you want to or not. That said, you can still enjoy yourself and perhaps even forget about the politics while you’re visiting.

What we did in Washington, DC

Visit the White House

To start, you’ll want to contact your local US Representative 90 days prior to visiting the city. There is no access granted otherwise (unless, of course, you’re personally invited to the White House). You’ll need flexibility in your schedule, even after they give you a time. In our case, we got confirmation to visit one day but that changed as foreign dignitaries necessitated a change in plans.

Visiting the White House as part of this process means only being able to visit a portion of one wing. When we went, that was the East Wing. However, with the demolition for a new ballroom, tours have since moved to a different location and follow a shorter path but still offer a chance to visit many of the same rooms.

Once inside, you’ll find some gorgeous decor that aligns with the season during which you’re visiting. In our case, visiting in December meant plenty of beautiful Christmas decorations adorning the walkways. This is a self-guided tour, so go at your own pace. On our visit, there was a small gift shop halfway through the tour, but the prices and products sold match what you could get outside. Don’t feel obligated to give your money back to Uncle Sam for that souvenir.

US Capitol Tour

If you’re interested in a tour of the US Capitol, there are two potential paths to take:

• Contact your local US Representative, which you can do at the same time as the White House tour above.
• Book it yourself online.

Between the two methods, if you have no intent to visit the White House, then just do it yourself. Otherwise, if you have plans to visit both, it’s easier just filling out the information once.

This is a guided tour that will take you along the history of the Capitol building. In some ways, how much fun you have on the tour is dependent on the docent leading your group. Sadly, there’s no way to request a specific docent, so it’s luck of the draw. In our case, we had a fun docent leading us who wasn’t afraid to crack a joke every now and then. Overall, we had a good time learning about the history and future of the building.

With luck, you’ll be able to visit the Old Senate Chamber (it may or may not be open to the public). If you do get a chance to stop by, you’ll see what times were like in the four decades leading up to the Civil War. This chamber was in use from 1810 to 1859, where some of the debate concerned issues like slavery and territorial expansion.

Visit Smithsonian Museums

All Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC are free to the public. Some require free timed-entry passes to get in, such as the African American History Museum or the Air and Space Museum. On top of that, many of the museums are right next to each other, which is great if you want to visit a few at once.

We’ll start with the Natural History Museum, which is one of the more popular options. You’ll find much on the animals that once roamed the earth and those that still do. We ended up staying here for about half a day, and it helps that there is a cafe for a lunch break if you need it.

There are several floors of interactive exhibits, which adds plenty of intrigue for the kids and will keep them entertained. At the low cost of being free, the price is certainly right!

The National Museum of American History is another great time for adults and children alike. If you’re into memorabilia from all throughout America’s 250-year existence, this is the spot for you. This includes information on sports like America’s Pastime (baseball), which is always fun for the kids.

Or, come check out what train travel might have been like in the good old days. If you get hungry while here, the cafe offers some good options including pizza, soup, and salad.

One of the more interesting Smithsonian Museums is the National Air and Space Museum. This museum is open everyday from 10AM to 5:30PM except Christmas Day (closed). There might be a short wait to get in the building despite having timed passes reserved in advance. As with other museums, there is a cafe onsite, which makes it convenient for an all-day visit.

While here, you can walk through some planes and sit in a cockpit, see historic objects like spacesuits and the plane the Wright Brothers used, and relics from the World War I era.

Ford’s Theatre

The historic site of President Lincoln’s assassination, Ford’s Theatre has a storied past. You could come here to watch a show (mind the seats on the balcony) or come for a tour. Jenn and I have done a guided tour before, which provided some extra details on the assassination we previously didn’t know. This one isn’t free, but for a nominal $5/guest, you could certainly do worse with your money.

Just be careful on the time slot you select as not all features are accessible at all times. So plan early if you want to hit all the sites. One thing you probably don’t want to miss is the actual room where President Lincoln died, since he didn’t die immediately after being shot. On top of that, you’ll see where Mary Todd Lincoln eagerly waited the unfortunate news.

Pentagon Tours

To visit the Pentagon, you’ll need to apply online directly. Similar to visiting the White House, entry is based on a lottery system and you’ll need to apply 14-90 days in advance. Unfortunately, we haven’t been lucky enough to visit it just yet. Hopefully we will get a chance to visit on a future trip to Washington, DC.

One thing to note is that all adults must be US citizens or those admitted for permanent residence under 22 U.S.C. 6010. Additionally, a state-issued driver’s license that doesn’t meet REAL ID standards isn’t accepted. Lastly, your cellphones, smartwatches, and cameras are not permitted on the tour.

Visit the monuments/memorials

Another must-do for those wanting to pay respects to figures from the nation’s past. There are plenty of monuments, from Washington Monument to Lincoln Memorial. You could take a third-party tour that covers these tributes, but there is plenty to read and admire on your own that we didn’t find it necessary. The Lincoln Memorial in particular can get quite crowded, so consider coming in the evening when crowds thin out.

Don’t forget about the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. His memorial isn’t Monticello, his home that can be found depicted on the nickel, but the memorial is modeled after it. Jefferson’s tribute isn’t nearly as crowded as the others, but given its close proximity to Lincoln, you can decide to come here first if Lincoln’s is too busy.

• For more on what we did in Washington, DC with a focus on children’s activities, be sure to check out our dedicated page.

Where we ate in Washington, DC

Eating at museum cafes

Elaborating a bit more on our dining at the museums and the US Capitol, the cafes are truly cafeteria-style. That might immediately make you think the quality would be poor–after all, you’re at a free museum that’s federally-funded. But fear not because the food is actually pretty decent quality, all things considered. Of all the spots we ate lunch at, we thought the food at the US Capitol was the best. Delicious salmon at reasonable prices? We’re all for it!

At other stops, the kids needed some pick-me-ups, which lead to them getting some kid-sized burgers and fries. Of our various lunches, we’re happy to say that we didn’t get anything that we wouldn’t consider getting again.

Reren Lamen & Bar

If you happen to find yourself in Chinatown and want some warming noodles and dumplings, Reren Lamen is a fair option to stop off at. If coming by metro, the closest stop is just a block away (Gallery Place-Chinatown). We wouldn’t recommend you go out of your way to stop here, but if you’re in the area anyways, why not?

If you are looking for ramen, the broth isn’t the richest, but it works well enough. Japanese ramen enthusiasts might not be too satisfied, but if you’re fine with the Chinese fusion, you’ll be happy.

Or, if you’re in the mood for dumplings, you can have them fried or steamed. Again, not the best like Din Tai Fung, but they work in a pinch. The broth could be richer in these xiao long bao, but the temperature is good and firmness are good. If the prices were a little lower, we’d consider recommending it even if you weren’t already in the area.

1799 Prime Steak & Seafood (Alexandria, Virginia)

If you happen to be down in the area, which is a good 15 minute drive from DC, one place to check out is 1799 Prime. And even though I was here on a Thursday evening, there wasn’t any wait. That said, it’s safest to make a reservation if you intend to stop by.

The steaks are large and packed with flavor. It’s cooked to perfection and has a delicious crust on the exterior that begs to be eaten. Yes, the sides and drinks are also good, but let’s call it what it is–you come to a steakhouse for the steak. And 1799 Prime doesn’t disappoint.

Where we stayed in Washington, DC

Grand Hyatt Washington

The Grand Hyatt Washington is in a convenient location in the city, nestled up right next to the Metro Center metro stop. In fact, the hotel has its own dedicated entrance to that metro stop (but not accessible at all times of the day). In terms of what else is around it, the hotel is in walking distance to Ford’s Theatre.

For our stay, we booked a cheap cash rate and used a Suite Upgrade Award to bump us up into the base level suite. That gave us plenty of space to stretch out with a separate room to eat and play. We can’t comment on how a regular room would have been, but we fully utilized our suite and it was awesome.

While much of the common areas needed a refresh and renovation, the Grand Hyatt lounge is above-average for a US hotel. The food at breakfast was plentiful and delicious. In the evening, the spread was large enough to count as dinner (admittedly, we did that more often than we planned). If you have Hyatt Globalist status or you have a club room with access, you’ll be taken care of here.

• For more on our time at the Grand Hyatt Washington, check out our dedicated post to the hotel.

Gaylord National Resort

The real question is whether National Harbor “counts” as Washington DC. You’re not in the city center, but you’re close enough to just take local public transportation to get there. By that metric, it counts, but it’s not going to be the most convenient hotel to stay at to explore Washington DC.

With that out of the way, the Gaylord National Resort is absolutely massive, like all Gaylord resorts are. It feels almost like the entire National Harbor area is built specifically to support the convention crowd staying at this hotel.

Not only are there guest rooms inside these walls but a fully-functioning mini-city. This includes a few restaurants, a lights display in the evening, a duckpin bowling alley, and other entertainment.

The rooms themselves are comfortable with decent theming and beds that are firm enough for our needs. One downside isn’t necessarily with the rooms but just in general for Marriott elites. Don’t expect much in terms of benefits when you stay at a Gaylord. You’ll get a small handful of points and not much else. Platinum members and above looking for free breakfast will need to stay elsewhere.

• For more on our time at the Gaylord National Harbor, check out our dedicated post to the hotel.

What would you like to do in Washington, DC?

Suggested reading:

• Other destinations we’ve visited
• Why You Need to Collect United Miles
• Stop Thinking of Points as Free