What to Do in Washington, DC: A 5-Day Itinerary
The Lincoln Memorial
In addition to being the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. is noteworthy for its unobstructed skyline. In accordance with the 1910 Height of Buildings Act, buildings in D.C. must generally be under 130 feet in height, which means that unlike other American cities, D.C. is absent of any skyscrapers. It is a truly unique city, and my husband and I recently spent several days there. What follows is our trip itinerary.
Day 1: Travel to D.C. and Visit a Couple of Spots
My husband and I were traveling to D.C. from Shenandoah Valley (see our itinerary for that trip here), so we made a pitstop at Mount Vernon, the former home of George Washington. Touring the mansion is by tour only, so when you buy your tickets online, be sure to book a tour time.
Mount Vernon in the rain
After our tour concluded, we wandered around the grounds for a little bit before heading back to our car to seek shelter from the rain. Had it not been downpouring, we would have spent more time exploring the various gardens and outbuildings, but alas, we were not so lucky.
Walking alongside one of the estate’s orchards
From Mount Vernon, we drove the short distance to D.C. Our first stop in the city was Shouk for some lunch. Their menu is entirely plant based, so it is a great spot for any fellow vegetarians out there. Even non-vegetarians will love their unique spin on Middle Eastern dishes (their mushroom shawarma is to die for).
Interior of Shouk
Satiated, we hopped back in the car and drove to Georgetown to explore the picturesque neighborhood. Miraculously, we found parking and were able to get out and see the area by foot. Our tour of Georgetown included stops at The Exorcist stairs and an oh-so-yummy pie bakery called Pie Sisters. We also walked by some beautiful, historic townhouses and got a major case of house envy.
Picturesque Georgetown street
We then checked into our Airbnb for the night and ordered delivery from Toki Underground, a ramen shop. I went with the vegan ramen, and it was quite tasty. A word of warning though – it was rather spicy.
Day 2: Capitol Hill and National Mall
After eating breakfast, we walked from our Airbnb in the Capitol Hill neighborhood to the Supreme Court. We took some photos before turning around and taking in the U.S. Capitol. Unfortunately, the Capitol was still fenced off and closed to the public when we went, so we were unable to get very close to the building.
We then walked over to the Library of Congress, which after several minutes spent aimlessly walking around the building trying to locate the entrance, we realized was closed to the public (due to COVID-19 restrictions). The same was true for the United States Botanic Garden. So, we were unfortunately unable to go inside either place.
We then headed over to the National Mall, where we took in some stunning views of the U.S. Capitol and Washington Monument before making a beeline to HipCityVeg, a casual, vegan spot, for some lunch. I had the Grilled Disco Chick’n with a side of sweet potato fries and a lemonade, and everything was delicious. I highly recommend stopping by for lunch if you are in the area.
Washington Monument from afar
Refueled, we made the trek to the Washington Monument and afterwards, explored the nearby memorials, including the World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial. If you want to find a specific name on the Vietnam Memorial, there are guides near the entrance to the memorial where you can alphabetically search for the person of interest. Once you find the name, the guide provides you with the corresponding panel and line numbers for that name.
World War II Memorial
After spending a few hours exploring the National Mall, we headed back in the direction of our Airbnb for dinner at Fancy Radish, a plant-based restaurant. We ordered and shared several items from the menu, including some delectable cauliflower tacos with kimchi. Such good food – do yourself a favor and make a reservation here next time you’re in D.C.
Scrumptious dish from Fancy Radish
Having finished our meal, we paid a visit to Solid State Books, which was conveniently located next door. I showed restraint and did not purchase any more books (much to the relief of my husband 😆).
Solid State Books
Our last stop of the evening was Pie Shop, where we picked up a couple slices of – you guessed it – pie. After our visit to Pie Sisters, we were on a bit of a pie kick. We returned to our Airbnb with pie slices in tow and devoured them while watching old episodes of Supermarket Sweep.
Day 3: Arlington National Cemetery, Portraits, and Nighttime Fun
We began the day by driving out to Arlington National Cemetery. There, we visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as the gravesite of John F. Kennedy.
Arlington National Cemetery
Afterwards, we returned to D.C. for lunch at Chaia Tacos, which serves up some delicious vegetarian tacos. The scrambled egg and black bean taco was so, so good!
Cozy interior of Chaia Tacos
Hunger quelled, we then spent a little over an hour meandering through the National Portrait Gallery. While the majority of paintings are obviously portraits, there are a number of non-portrait paintings, including some lovely landscapes.
Atrium inside the National Portrait Gallery
After leaving the museum, we headed back to our Airbnb to relax for a bit, as well as eat some dinner. Our meal of the night consisted of takeout from Pow Pow, a plant-based Asian eatery. I highly recommend the general’s chicken bowl.
At 8:00pm, we set off on our ghost tour with DC Ghosts. The tour involved visiting several notably haunted spots and learning about the locations’ histories and legends. Our tour ran overtime, lasting about 90 minutes. All in all, it was a fun time, and if you are into the paranormal, it is worth doing.
The White House, one of the stops on the ghost tour
After the tour finished, we rented a couple of electric scooters and scooted around the National Mall to take in the sites at night. Seeing the monuments at night is a completely different experience and one I recommend partaking in if you have time. Just a note, if you decide to rent a scooter, be mindful of the no-scooter zones near some of the memorials.
Me on my scooter during my nighttime tour of the National Mall
Day 4: Washington National Cathedral
On our final full day in DC, we drove out to the Washington National Cathedral to explore the beautiful, historic building. In addition to touring the interior of the building, we took time to admire the cathedral’s garden. Just a note, when we visited, the cathedral was closed to the public, and you could only enter if you had booked a timed entry. So, if you are planning on going in the near future, be sure to check whether a ticket is still required.
Idyllic garden outside of the cathedral
After getting back to our Airbnb, we washed up all of the dirty laundry that we had accumulated over the course of our trip (prior to DC, we had been in Shenandoah National Park for a few days). We then began the not-so-fun process of repacking our suitcases in preparation for our departure the following morning, and once that was done, we enjoyed some takeout from Pho 79.
Day 5: Head Home
After a quick breakfast and pitstop at Ebenezer’s Coffee, we hit the road. A couple dozen traffic jams later, we were home. We loved our time in D.C. and are already pondering a return trip in the not-so-distant future.
Summing it up: The 3 Wheres
Where We Went
Mount Vernon
Georgetown
Supreme Court*
U.S. Capitol*
Library of Congress*
U.S. Botanic Garden*
National Mall (Washington Memorial, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Vietnam Memorial)
Solid State Books
Arlington National Cemetery
National Portrait Gallery
The White House*
Washington National Cathedral
*Saw from the outside; did not go inside
Where We Stayed
We stayed at an Airbnb in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Where We Ate
Breakfast
Bull Frog Bagels
Cooked breakfast at our Airbnb
Lunch
Chaia Tacos
HipCityVeg
Shouk
Dinner
Fancy Radish
Pho 79
Pow Pow
Toki Underground
Dessert/Coffee
Pie Shop
Pie Sisters
Ebenezer’s Coffee
I hope that you found this itinerary useful, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below!
