Must see attractions in Washington, D.C. in four days
Must see attractions in Washington, D.C. in four days
WWII Memorial from Washington Monument
A list of the "must see" attractions of Washington would probably include the following:
The Smithsonian Institution, 202-633-1000, . Most museums open every day 10AM-5:30PM. The Smithsonian is a series of government supported museums lining the National Mall and elsewhere. You could easily spend a month or more visiting all the specialized museums. But if you are in a rush, most people find the Museum of Air and Space and the Museum of Natural History to be the best. Closely rivaling these two, the new Museum of the American Indian and the Museum of American History (re-opening in 2008) are extremely popular. The Smithsonian's information center (8:30AM-5:30PM) is located in "The Castle", a distinctive red sandstone building directly on the National Mall. All Smithsonian Museums are free for visiting.
The National Mall. Flanked by the Capitol Building on one end, and the Lincoln Memorial on the other, with the Smithsonian museums on either side, the National Mall is America's front yard and the center of almost any visit to DC. No one should miss it. However, the wide open spaces make walking the mall punishing in the sun. Plan to walk the mall at night when it is cooler and all the monuments are lit.
The Washington Monument Located in the center of the National Mall, the Washington Monument is an imposing presence. If you have time, definitely ride the elevator up or even opt for a ranger-led walk down. If you don't have time to wait to go in (lines can be very long), you can at least take some great photos of the monument and the area around it.
The Tidal Basin. The Tidal Basin offers a spectacular grove of Japanese Cherry blossom trees as well as paddle boats that can be rented to use in the Basin. The Cherry Blossom Festival, when the trees bloom in the Spring, is a fantastic, and very popular event.
The Capitol Building and the White House offer front-row views to history being made. Visitors to the White House must reserve tickets through their Senator or Congressman. Foreign nationals must reserve tickets through their embassy, usually six months in advance. Visits to the Capitol Building now can be booked online free of charge () or taken on a walk-in basis - tickets are usually available, especially during off-peak season. These tickets, however, can only be used for visit to the historical part of the U.S. Capitol, while visits to the wings where the Senate and the House are located should also be booked through your Congressmen. Tickets including walk-ins can be picked up at the Visitor Center located at the foot of the Capitol Hill (the entrance is at the back of the Capitol building, right across the Library of Congress). The tour of the Capitol Building will allow you to see the interior of the building which is decorated like a palace with paintings and reliefs on the ceiling. For those that do not have the time or inclination to join an organized tour, keep in mind that you can still go to the outside of both the Capitol and White House, and take photos in front of them. You will be kept at a distance from the buildings by security, but this is not much of an issue as you will probably want to step back to take a picture anyway. If you're lucky, you may see protesters in front of the White House and see American Democracy in action.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Washington, D.C. in four days
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Washington, D.C. in four days - updated May 2024
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Washington, D.C. in four days Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
