Like a lot of people, I wasn’t sure about what to know for my first visit to Washington DC. A trip to the nation’s capitol was always on my bucket list and I finally did it over a three day getaway!
After a successful first visit to Washington DC, I wanted to share some of the things I observed and along with a few tips for all you need to know for a your own successful trip! Enjoy this helpful guide to DC!
1. Rule #1: Don’t Be Intimidated!
Sure, it’s one of a handful of cities that is instantly recognized world wide. And that can be a bit overwhelming for the average traveler making their first visit to Washington DC. But fear not! A few notes and some careful planning will make your experience a breeze.
If it’s your first time visiting Washington DC, the good news is that most everything you’ll want to see is within walking distance. That’s a big deal. There’s no reason to have a car or use taxi service when visiting DC as long as you’re physically able to walk. You can get almost everywhere on foot and with the use of the metro train system.
2. Using Metro On Your First Visit To Washington DC
Before my trip, a couple of friends mentioned that using the public transit system in DC was confusing and complicated. That stressed me out as I arrived! Good news is – they were wrong. It’s easy. In fact, it’s a piece of cake.
Once you know you’re going to visit – log onto the Metro website and order a pre-paid fare card. Don’t get caught looking like it’s your first time visiting Washington DC! You won’t have to stand in line or worry about fare prices every time you want to use the system. They’ll mail the card to you.
How To Ride The Metro
Once you place your card on the scanner, the turnstile screen will tell you how much money you have left in your account. For a three day trip, I invested $30 on my card and wound up with about $4.00 left as I left for home. I believe the fare is $1.00 cheaper per ride if you have a card as opposed to if you buy a ticket each time.
At first, the confusing part will be to find the metro train you need to get to your destination. Again, this is way easier than it appears. Find your destination on the map. For example, let’s say you’re going to the Smithsonian. Find “Smithsonian” on the map. It will be located on one of the six colored routes. Some busy stops are actually accessible by more than one route.
Once you find the color of your route, look ahead to the name of the very last stop listed on that route – and that name is what will be spelled out in lights on the approaching train you’ll need to board. Be careful to know which direction you’re heading as well or you might travel in the exact opposite direction you want to go. There are electronic signs overheard that tell you how many minutes away your train is.
Ask For Help If You Need It!
Again – this appears to be overwhelming. It isn’t. If you find yourself confused – just ask one of the attendants or even other passengers. The Metro employees were all very friendly and eager to help. Most likely, you’ll wind up using the same route to get around depending on where you’re staying. I used the Blue train route 90 percent of my trip.
Just FYI – If you’re going to The White House or any of the monuments – the McPherson Square stop is probably your best bet. There’s a Smithsonian stop which is self explanatory and also not far from the mall. Capitol South will drop you off right near the Capitol Building which is also near The Supreme Court and congressional office buildings.
3. Where To Stay On Your First Visit To Washington DC
You have plenty of options for lodging if you’re coming to Washington DC. If money is not an issue, you’ll find plenty of upscale hotels around the area that are convenient to local attractions. If you’re on a budget (like most of us) there are still a few options around DC worth looking into.
On a recent visit, I stayed at Yotel Washington DC – which is a budget friendly hotel that happens to be in an incredible location. From Yotel, it’s a 10 minute walk to or from Union Station and right down the street from the Capitol complex. The staff was really friendly, and the room was comfortable and just what I needed during my visit.
You may consider staying outside of DC and taking public transportation if you have no budget for a hotel. AirBNB may be an option in several Virginia cities, namely Alexandria or Arlington which have close metro stations. Keep in mind that this will add additional time getting to places like the National Mall or Smithsonian museums – and that you’re likely to be with people commuting to work which can cause delays.
4. Plan Out What You Want To See!
The big question is always what to see and do in a town that has enough options to keep you busy for a month. The good news is that you can really get a good taste of Washington DC, even if you only have two or three days to spend exploring.
Exploring the Washington Mall on Your First Visit To Washington DC
The Washington Mall basically stretches from the Washington Monument down to the Lincoln Memorial. It’s an easy walk that will take you about an hour if you just walk along the sidewalk and don’t stop. If you plan to explore the monuments and take photos, etc – it will take you a little longer.
There are also stops that are not directly on the mall route, but the big ones like the Lincoln Memorial, WW2 memorial, Vietnam memorial, etc are all in this walkable area. But don’t miss some of my favorites which are not located on the mall. The memorials for Martin Luther King Jr and FDR are worth seeing. You can actually rent a bike for just a few dollars and ride from the Lincoln Memorial on a path to the Jefferson Memorial (my favorite) and see all of the cool memorials and monuments. It’s a beautiful ride in the spring and fall.
Smithsonian Museums
Most people want to see the Smithsonian museums but it’s impossible to see all of them in one trip. On my first visit, I spent one whole day just getting a taste of them. I took about an hour to explore the American History Museum, Natural History Museum, Air & Space Museum and the National Art Gallery.  All of them were free – and most of them were crowded. According to the DC Convention & Visitors Center, the best time to visit DC is in mid-November if you simply want to avoid big crowds. You’ll still fight with local school groups on field trips – but you’ll miss other tourists.
Keep in mind, some of the museums require a timed-entry now. I actually skipped a second visit to the Air & Space Museum because I didn’t want to stand in the long lines.
Other Sites To See On A First Visit To Washington DC
The National Archives is a must – you’ll see interesting documents including the Bill Of Rights, Constitution and Declaration of Independence. (The jury is out on if these are the real documents, by the way – we weren’t totally convinced they were the originals as they told us.)
Planning is also key or you’ll be overwhelmed and will likely walk more than you have to. Give yourself enough time at each stop but don’t over schedule your self or you’ll regret it quickly. I learned the hard way on day one that you walk A LOT. My feet were killing me after day one in the city and I quickly realized I made the wrong choice of shoes for the trip. BUY COMFORTABLE SHOES!!!
Other spots you should consider visiting: the Postal Museum; Library of Congress; the U.S. Supreme Court; White House Visitor Center; Kennedy Center; and National Portrait Gallery.
5. Touring The White House And More During Your First Visit To Washington DC
One of the big draws in DC is visiting one or all of the three branches of federal government. There are a few things you can do to make this a special experience instead of being herded around like cattle with everyone else.
The White House Tour
First of all, The White House does offer tours but they fill up fast and waiting to the last minute is not an option. Call your Senator’s office and tell them you want to visit. You can use this guide I created to tour The White House. They will send a request to the secret service on your behalf and you’ll provide your security information – social security number, place you were born, things like that. After a background check – if there is space available on the date you request, you’ll get a letter with a confirmation.
The White House tour is not very long, though they’ve opened up additional rooms for the public to see as of 2024. You essentially walk through the East wing on your own and before you know it – it’s over. On the tour you’ll likely see the state dining room and library. The presidential movie theater is a new room that’s now open and a handful of other spaces like the Red and Blue rooms.
No, you won’t see anything close to where the President or his staff works or his living quarters. The Secret Service guys were all very friendly. Despite not seeing all that much – it’s still pretty cool to stand there and remind yourself you’re actually inside The White House.
White House Photograph Policy
As you can see below, one cool photo opportunity you have on the tour is as you exit, which is ironically out the front door. Depending on the administration in office – the photo policy can change. As of 2023, you can now take photos inside during your tour but no video is allowed.
Touring The Capitol Building
Touring the Capitol building is something you should definitely do during your first visit to Washington DC. It’s also something you should arrange with your Senator or representative. Reason being that you’ll get a much more intimate tour and won’t be rushed or part of a giant group. For example, I wound up being the only person on the tour with my Senator’s office – so I was able to get an awesome experience. I noticed that the people that just showed up to the visitors center were not having as great an experience. Do yourself a favor and plan ahead – arrange a tour through your member of Congress.
The Supreme Court
Lastly, The Supreme Court was one of my favorite stops of the whole trip. It’s pretty cool sitting in the actual court room where so many high profile cases have been decided. You can sit in on an actual hearing if you time it right but that’s very difficult as the demand is so high. Your best bet is to plan on sitting through a 30 minute lecture which will take place in the court room.
You will listen to an interesting bit of history, some fun facts about where people sit during proceedings and why and some info about the building. As someone that can’t sit still for long – I will tell you that I really enjoyed the lecture and soaking in the experience.
6. Eating In DC Will Cost You A Fortune!
During my first visit to Washington DC, I assumed there would be lots of fast food places and corner bars to drop into between visiting the sites. Wrong! One of the Smithsonian museums has a McDonald’s attached and there are concession stands in a few different places along the sidewalk of the national mall.
It’s not great food, it’s expensive and you’ll regret not eating before you left the hotel. Take advantage of breakfast at the hotel, try to pack a small snack to get you through the midday hunger pains and suck it up until dinner time. Most of the area’s best restaurants are not near the main tourist spots.
Also keep in mind – if you bring stuff along, every single museum and place of interest has a security check point. You will have to wait to have your bag inspected at every single museum which will really eat into your time. Keep that in mind. If you can manage to just explore with a cell phone and wallet – you’ll enjoy your trip much more than someone that is carrying a bag. You also can’t bring a bag into some places – The White House is one of them.  There’s no place to check it either, so you’ll be turned away.
7. Last But Not Least…
For me, Washington DC was most impressive for how open it was. For all of the bad stories we hear about DC (mainly political stuff) I found the government institutions to be friendly and welcoming. I also found the people I encountered along the way to be very friendly and I loved how easy it was to get from one place to another on foot.
So take some time to map out your first trip to Washington DC and bring your comfortable shoes! You’ll have a blast exploring the area.