How many days do you need in Washington, D.C.?
Three days. That is the length of the itinerary we built for Washington, D.C..
Here is what each day holds. Every stop below carries its time, and every gap says how to get to the next stop, with the walk or drive time wherever both stops are mapped.
Washington, D.C. · 3 days United States
Best time: Late March to April for the cherry blossom, and September to October for clear mild days.
The National MallDay 1
📍9:00 AMLincoln Memorial
The marble memorial at the west end of the Mall, with the reflecting pool running toward the Washington Monument.
🚶 ~5 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.2 mi
📍11:30 AMVietnam and Korean War memorials
The black granite wall of names, and the field of stainless-steel figures nearby.
🚶 ~18 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.7 mi
📍2:30 PMWashington Monument and the Mall
The obelisk at the centre, with the Smithsonian museums lining the green either side.
Smithsonian museumsDay 2
🖼️9:30 AMNational Air and Space Museum
The Wright Flyer, Apollo 11’s command module and the Spirit of St Louis in one hall.
🚶 ~19 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.7 mi
🖼️1:00 PMNational Museum of African American History and Culture
A bronze-latticed building whose history galleries begin underground and climb chronologically.
🚶 ~18 min · 🚗 ~2 min · 0.7 mi
🖼️4:30 PMNational Gallery of Art
A West Building of European painting and an I. M. Pei East Building of modern work, linked by an underground concourse.
Capitol Hill and GeorgetownDay 3
🖼️9:30 AMUnited States Capitol
Tours of the rotunda and old chamber run from the underground visitor centre and are free with a booking.
🚶 ~7 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.3 mi
📍12:30 PMLibrary of Congress
The 1897 Jefferson Building, the most ornate interior in the city, and free to walk.
🚗 ~11 min · 3.3 mi
📍4:00 PMGeorgetown and the C&O Canal
Federal-era streets above the Potomac, with the old canal towpath running behind the main street.
This is how Petrel lays out a trip. Upload your own confirmations and it builds this for your dates: flights and hotels included, with live flight status and the travel time between stops.
This is one of 126 free itineraries. Open it, change anything you want, and it becomes your trip.