What makes Washington, D.C. special is its incredible variety.
It offers a unique blend of history, culture, architecture, and entertainment
that few destinations can match. You can explore iconic monuments and
memorials, tour world-renowned museums, watch the nation's government in-action,
and enjoy vibrant neighborhoods, dining, and performing arts.
One of D.C.'s biggest draws is the abundance of free
attractions, including the Smithsonian museums, the National Mall surrounded by
incredible sites like the Washington Monument, FDR Memorial, Reflecting Pool,
and Tidal basin, and many other historic sites. In spring, the city's famous
cherry blossoms transform the capital into one of the country's most
picturesque destinations.
Whether you're interested in American history, art, science,
politics, or simply discovering a city filled with memorable experiences,
Washington, D.C. delivers. It's a place where learning comes to life, every
neighborhood tells a story, and visitors of all ages can find something that
inspires them. A trip to D.C. isn't just a vacation, it's an unforgettable
experience.
Our odyssey itinerary in Washington D.C.
As our plane descended into Reagan National Airport, the
illuminated National Mall stretched out below us, offering a stunning first
glimpse of the monuments, museums, and history that make our nation’s capital
such a remarkable destination. Washington, D.C. offers something for everyone —
government in action, iconic memorials, world-class museums, professional
sports, the zoo, and live theater.
Over a week and a half, our families, with two other
families, explored DC by Metro, on foot, and occasionally by e-scooter,
experiencing everything from iconic memorials and Smithsonian museums to musicals,
sports games, and unforgettable family adventures. We visited during our kids'
spring break and arrived just in time for peak cherry blossom season, giving us
beautiful weather and an unforgettable backdrop for the trip.
Some of our favorite experiences included touring the U.S.
Capitol and White House, walking among the cherry blossoms in the FDR, MLK, and
Lincoln memorials, and exploring museums such as the National Museum of
American History and US Holocaust Museum, National Gallery of Art, and International
Spy Museum. We also squeezed in a Capitals game, a performance at Ford's
Theatre, visits to Georgetown and The Wharf, and plenty of time together as a
family.
Washington, D.C., offers something for nearly everyone, and
many of its most memorable attractions are free. We left feeling grateful for
the memories, the history, and the beauty of our nation’s capital.
Day 1
Planning a multi-family spring break trip was already complicated: six kids attended five different schools, and each family needed the freedom to arrive, leave, and explore on its own schedule. We had booked a rental house for all 12 of us near the Metro, complete with a kitchen and gathering spaces. Then, 11 days before our arrival, the host canceled. After days of scrambling, we found three one-bedroom hotel rooms with kitchenettes. It was not the communal setup we had imagined, but everyone had a bed and we still had a central base for the adventure ahead.
We flew into Reagan National because it is convenient and centrally located, with a Metro connection at the airport. Our flight path gave us an incredible first look at the National Mall and surrounding monuments glowing against the night sky. After a quick Uber ride we arrived at our hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton - Washington, D.C. Downtown.
Day 2
The next morning, we met family at the National Mall and entered the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. I had not been there since my eighth-grade trip, 30 years earlier. Its account of World War II and the atrocities endured by millions was unforgettable and sobering. We emerged needing time to process what we had seen before continuing into the bright spring day. Afterward, we ordered lunch from food trucks on 14th Street SW; the trucks suddenly packed up and drove away, only to circle back after the police passed, just as everyone had promised. From there, our family set out on foot around the Reflecting Pool while the others explored elsewhere. We began at the Washington Monument, admired the view toward the Lincoln Memorial, and stopped beneath blooming cherry trees for photos. At the World War II Memorial, we found the pillars for every state where we had been born or lived. We continued through Constitution Gardens, traced family names at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and raced up the Lincoln Memorial steps to look back across the shimmering pool. Beyond the Korean War Veterans Memorial, pink blossoms framed the Potomac River. We wandered through the waterfalls and quotations of the FDR Memorial, followed the Tidal Basin past the Japanese Pagoda, and watched the Jefferson and Washington monuments appear between endless flowering branches. After completing the loop near Floral Library Park, we grabbed a snack and rode electric scooters and bikes back to the hotel. That evening, the whole group reunited for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill, followed by a walk to see the White House glowing green. More than 23,000 steps after we began, we were ready to collapse.
Day 3
After breakfast the next morning (it was included with our rooms thankfully) we walked a few blocks to a corner market to pick up food for lunches, dinners and snacks. Our goal was to eat out as little as possible to save our money for fun activities.
Our friends, and the third family on this trip, joined us to visit the super fun International Spy Museum. The adults and kids all had a blast exploring the entire museum for several hours with our secret identities and learning about the history and evolution of espionage. We split from our friends and walked a few blocks over to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. We had packed lunches so enjoyed those while we waited in line for our entry time. We spent over two hours checking centuries of aviation and space exhibits, interacting with many of them. The kids were exhausted from a long day of wandering museums, so we had a relaxing night in and made dinner in our tiny kitchenet.
Day 4
The next day began slowly because we did not need to meet our congressman until afternoon. At the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, a staffer from his office gave us passes to the House and Senate galleries for the duration of the president’s term—passes we would use repeatedly throughout the trip. As people in formal business attire hurried past, our guide led us through an underground tunnel and into the Capitol, sharing stories about Congress, the architecture, and the artwork along the way. We explored the Old Supreme Court Chamber, Old Senate Chamber, Brumidi Corridors, Crypt, Rotunda, National Statuary Hall, Capitol Dome area, and congressional hallways and meeting rooms. Outside, white cherry blossoms softened the building’s grand facade.
We returned to the hotel to move all our things for a one-night hotel change to the Hyatt Place DC Downtown K Street, caused by the rental-house cancellation. Some of the group visited the FBI Building and Ford’s Theatre, while others relaxed after dealing with the hotel fiasco. That evening, we took the Metro and e-scooters back to the mall to see the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and Tidal Basin after sunset. White blossoms framed the memorial, and the illuminated monuments shimmered across the water—an unexpectedly peaceful ending to a complicated day. On our way back to the hotel, we took the e-scooters by the White House, that was now lit up its traditional dazzling white. What a beautiful and peaceful way to end our day.re…
Day 5
After breakfast and moving back into our original hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton - Washington, D.C. Downtown, our family split up. Our daughter joined her cousin for a day at Baltimore’s National Aquarium and Inner Harbor, while we took our boys back to the Capitol to visit the House and Senate Galleries while Congress was still in session. After going through the rigorous security checks to get in, including our son having to throw out the bullet keychain he just bought at the Air and Space Museum, and checking in everything on our person including our phones and any writing instruments, we were ready to watch government in action. We missed the House by about 30 minutes but watched a few Congressmen giving speeches in the Senate Chamber. It was a very eye-opening experience. For example, when a Senator was speaking in the Senate Chamber, the rest of the room was empty except for the camera crew and the designated individuals in the dais — the raised platform at the head of the chamber. We expected a full room but after watching a few hours of individuals passionately speaking to no one, we headed out.
We took the Metro out to Arlington Cemetery. This historic, beautiful, and solemn site filled us with reverence. As we walked the paths, we were surrounded by endless rows of perfectly aligned white tomb stones propped against the perfectly manicured grass. We walked past the Kennedy’s tombs on our way to learn the history and explore Arlington House and enjoy the stunning panoramic views. Admiring the beautiful grounds around Arlington House, we walked by Tanner Amphitheater and through the cherry blossoms to marvel at the gleaming white Memorial Amphitheater before heading over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. You can spend an entire day walking around the beautiful grounds in awe. We walked back to the hotel watching the sun set behind the buildings of D.C.
Day 6
The next morning the entire group got together because it was finally the day to visit the White House. Our tour wasn’t until noon, so we visited the National Archives Museum first. There are long lines here so I highly recommend the timed-entry tickets, they are only $1 each and you can avoid the wait. We got to see some incredible historic documents and artwork including the 1297 Magna Carta, the King’s Proclamation suppressing rebellion and sedition, the Declaration of Independence, Abraham Lincoln’s speech to abolish slavery, George Washington’s draft copy of the Constitution, the signed Constitution, a working copy of the Articles of Amendment, and Virginia’s ratification of the Bill of Rights (making it law). Other interesting documents included Frances Perkins nomination to be Secretary of Labor under FDR, with an ambitious to-do list of “a 40-hour work week, a minimum wage, unemployment compensation, worker’s compensation, abolish child labor, direct federal aid to states for unemployment relief, Social Security, and universal health insurance”, a WWI post celebrating Independence Day in 1918, an early design of the Great Seal, and many important letters and telegrams. We were ready for our official White House tour. After waiting in a long line and going through strict security checks we got to see the St. Patty’s days decorations still adorning the windows inside the East Colonnade of the White House. A must see, we loved looking at all the photographs of past Presidents alongside other notable people, and other timeless artifacts like the presidential China while we peeked into the various rooms on the first floor, including the Movie Theater, East Garden Room, Vermeil Room, Library, and China Room. After ascending the stairs, we strolled through the East Room, Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, State Dining Room, and Entrance Hall. The White House was smaller than we expected but just as stately.
After our tour we quickly went back to our hotel to eat and change into comfy clothes then headed to the National Mall. We stopped to check out the National World War I Memorial before going into the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. We only had about 2 hours to explore the museum before it closed, which was not enough time at all. What an incredible collection of artifacts from the founding of our country, Diplomatic Medals, old modes of transportation and even Julia Child’s kitchen. The pop culture section was amazing with R2-D2, C-3PO, Kermit and Miss Piggy, Prince’s guitar, The Handmaid’s Tale costume, the mosquito in amber from Jurassic Park, the signpost from MASH, and so much more.
After a day of exploring, we were starving so grabbed a fantastic early dinner and dessert at Café Fiorello DC before heading to Ford’s Theatre for a show. When our kids and friends had toured a few days earlier, they saw that Little Shop of Horrors was going to be performing while we were in town. What better way to tour and enjoy this iconic theatre than to watch a performance in it. We all absolutely loved the musical, and some of us don’t like musicals at all.
Day 7
The next morning, we explored the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, moving from fossils and a moai statue from Easter Island to Egyptian artifacts, the Hope Diamond, and jewelry and a flask dating to 600 B.C. The $10 Butterfly Pavilion became the most playful part of the visit: butterflies in dazzling colors and patterns fluttered around us and landed on our hats and backs. Afterward, we ate and wandered through the National Gallery of Art - Sculpture Garden. By then, the kids had reached their museum limit, so they threw a football on the Mall while we slipped into the National Gallery of Art - West Building for an hour. We saw only a fraction of its enormous collection and knew we would need to return.
Later, with a funding bill facing a midnight deadline, we went back to the Senate Gallery hoping to see government in action. Democrats and Republicans strategized in clusters while others read paperwork or checked their phones. Mitt Romney glanced toward his family in the opposite gallery and introduced them to Bernie Sanders with, “There, you’ve met him,” drawing a laugh from us. When voting began, it looked nothing like we expected: senators drifted into the chamber, or merely leaned through the doorway, flashed a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, and disappeared again. The kids eventually left, tired of waiting between votes. We stayed with our niece for several more hours, but progress remained slow. Outside, the Capitol and Washington Monument glowed along the Mall. There was a long wait at Hamilton’s Bar & Grill but from the recommendation of a senator’s security detail we went down the street to The Capital Grille, where a fantastic dinner and rare one-on-one time with our niece became the perfect ending to the day.
Day 8
The next day was our daughter’s last day in town, so we walked around and explored areas we hadn’t seen yet like Downtown and Chinatown. We went back to the National Gallery of Art, starting in the East Building exploring from the Roof Terrace to the ground level admiring the works of artists such as Picasso, Rothko, Warhol, O’Keeffe, Pollock, and my favorite Pat Steir’s Curtain Waterfall. We walked the Link over to the ground floor of the West Building to admire incredible sculptures by Rodin and Degas, stunning American furniture, and a Dali masterpiece. On the main floor we marveled at paintings by van Gogh, Diaz De La Pena, Seurat, Monet, and Sargent. We quickly went through the main floor enjoying the timeless painting and sculptures. I was looking for Escher pieces so asked someone at an information desk, but none were on display now.
The kids were done with art so after dinner we decided to mix things up and do an escape room. We didn’t have the winning time but finished Dungeon Things at Insomnia Escape Room DC in 28 minutes! We wanted to explore the Georgetown area and check out the Exorcist steps so walked, stopping to sit on the enormous Adirondack chair in front of Duke Ellington School and making our way to the Exorcist House and Steps. After taking too many pictures we Ubers back towards our hotel, grabbing some ice cream and talking about our amazing trip.
Day 9
After getting our daughter safely to the airport, we headed out to The Museum of Illusions. Although you pay to go there, the interactive exhibits, puzzles, and fun experiences together made it completely worthwhile. As we walked by the Capital One Arena afterward, we realized the Capitals were playing, so we bought last-minute tickets and gave the boys their first live NHL game. The arena’s locker rentals saved us because our day bag wasn’t allowed inside. After the Capitals cinched the win, we visited the National Building Museum’s Lego exhibit, then walked through the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and by the Abraham Lincoln statue on our way back to the Metro. We had to get all our stuff and check into our final hotel of the trip, Hampton Inn and Suites Arlington Crystal City. Now without a kitchen, we ordered in from Queen Mother’s Kitchen, enjoying some delicious fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, and duck fat fries to finish the day.
Day 10
On our final full day, we began at the U.S. Botanic Garden, enjoying the Bartholdi Fountain and Rose Garden before entering the Conservatory’s extraordinary collection of plants. It was absolutely stunning with an incredibly diverse variety of plants. After getting our fill of flora, we grabbed e-bikes and rode the length of the National Mall to The Wharf, where everyone chose lunch from a different spot and we ate outside with live music and waterfront views. We took the Metro to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. The animals were especially active: bears, elephants, buffalo, cheetahs, lions, alligators, crocodiles, monkeys, apes and a baby ape, and tigers all made appearances. We ended our amazing trip at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema watching Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire while enjoying themed drinks, dinner, and dessert delivered to our seats. After days of monuments and museums, a family movie night felt like exactly the right finale.
Day 11
We flew home the next morning feeling as though we had sampled every side of the nation’s capital: solemn memorials, crowded galleries, blossoms reflected in the Tidal Basin, Congress in session, a hockey victory, theater, and time together. Perfect weather and manageable crowds helped, but the lasting gift was the collection of stories we carried home—and the long list of reasons to return.
What we didn’t have time for but want to do when we go back
Washington DC
Maryland
Virginia