One day in Washington DC

This is a quick travel guide for one day in Washington DC.

 

For my birthday we decided to take a trip starting in Washington DC and ending it in Boston.

The truth is that I was amazed with the city of Washington, it is one of those cities where you want to move someday.

I will tell you a little about the basic places to visit and some other more local spots recommended by my cousins ​​who lived there at the time.

 

Where to stay?

 

First we arrived at the West End Hotel, which by the way I recommend it since the location is incredible and that made the whole trip easier.

This is the hotel we chose: West End Hotel George Town Washington DC

Where to eat and drink?

Cafe Delux

 

After settling in, we went to eat at a restaurant called Cafe Deluxe that was one block from the hotel, and the food was really good.

It is a French bistro that includes salads, pizzas, pastas, etc on its menu and you can enjoy it on the terrace with a good glass of wine like we did.

Nightlife

The coolest in Washington, Georgetown!

The first night we wanted to hang out with my cousins, so they took us to Georgetown, one of the areas with the most action at night, and we ended up in Centro DF, a bar that later becomes a latin-style club with a great atmosphere and music.

There’s a good variety of cocktails, and of course we had to try mezcal and then dance until the place closed.

Check out their Instagram so you can get a better look at it.

 

Where to eat?

Match box

If you fancy something more informal, I recommend Match Box, this chain that has been around for more than 10 years, makes heart-stopping pizzas straight from their oven and some unusual mini burgers.

 

Our itinerary

• The White House
• The National Mall
• The Washington Monument (The Obelisk)
• Capital One Arena
• The Lincoln Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial

Start at the White House

Of course, you can not miss the White House and then take a tour of the National Mall since there are the most emblematic monuments and places in Washington.

We walked towards the White House and it took us about 20 minutes to get there.

This place was just as I imagined it, of course we saw a rally outside of it, which makes plenty of sense considering… it’s the White House.

If you are from the United States you can enter the White House without a problem, but if you are from elsewhere, only if you’ve made an appointment with almost a month in advance, it’s not likely to get inside. Just so you know!

 

The National Mall is basically a public park that stretches from the Capitol on the east end, to the Lincoln Memorial on its west end.

After the White House we decided to head to the National Mall to see The Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial.

A great advantage is that everything is walking distance and is very close.

 

 

So this tour can be done in one day without a problem, even adding a hockey Caps game like us. We went to the Capitol One Arena, and it was really worth it. We found tickets at $9 dollars! … ok, we where in the last seats, but who cares!

We had a blast.

 National Mall at night

 

The Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial at night are quite a sight. If you have time to return and do this tour later, you will not regret it.

 

Seeing the illuminated Reflecting Pool, reading a bit of American history, and imagining the strength of Martin Luther King Jr’s words is incredible.

Transportation:

Plenty of options

It all depends where you are staying, I recommend walking, but public transport is very well organized and very easy too, another option is the tourist bus.

If walking is not an option, you can take the subway, the bus, rent a bike or the famous “circulator bus” that only costs $1.

Subway:

This are the main stops for the most important places to visit.

• Federal Center SW: Capitol Building and Botanical Garden.
• L’Enfant Plaza: Air & Space Museum, Museo Hirshhorn.
• Archives: National Gallery of Art, Pennsylvania Avenue
• Smithsonian: Smithsonian Castle, Natural History Museum, American History Museum, Washington Monument
• Federal Triangle: American History Museum, Washington Monument.
• McPherson Square: White House, WWII Memorial
• Foggy Bottom: Lincoln Memorial

 

Circulator Bus:

Since you will have several stops, I recommend getting a SmarTrip card instead of paying in cash every time you get on. The fee is $1 at any time or on any day.

But passengers who pay with a SmarTrip card can re-board the Circulator Bus for free within two hours from the time they first board the bus. Paying in cash means you must pay every time.

The Circulator Bus goes around the National Mall, using the inner paths of museums and the outer paths of monuments. Buses run every 10 minutes, but during normal rush hours it could take a little longer.

Hope you like it and find it useful 🙂