CouplesCities & Urban WeekendsWeekend for two

Three days · Washington, DC for two

Washington, DC for two: reading rooms, small museums and a night by the Potomac

Reviewed Oct 20, 2026How we verify

Three unhurried days in the capital for a couple, by Metro and on foot: the National Gallery and the memorials lit after dark, a Georgetown day of canal, gardens and the Phillips Collection with an evening at the Kennedy Center, and a last morning under the dome of the Library of Congress before U Street.

Just Us TwoAfter DarkMain Street

3 days / 2 nights Works all year, built for winter Couples

Original illustrated itinerary artwork

The Great Hall of the Library of Congress with marble columns, arches and a richly decorated, coffered ceiling — **The Great Hall** · the Library of Congress Jefferson Building on Capitol Hill

The trip in 60 seconds

Trip at a glance

Who it’s for: Couples who want a calm, grown-up city weekend: art, architecture, long walks and good dinners, with no car and nothing to rush
Route: The National Mall galleries & the memorials at night → Georgetown, the C&O Canal, Dumbarton Oaks, the Phillips Collection & the Kennedy Center → the Library of Congress, Capitol Hill & U Street
Best timing: Any time of year; this plan is built for late fall and winter, when the museums are quieter. Spring brings the cherry blossoms and the biggest crowds
Pace: Easy to moderate: city walking of a few miles a day on flat ground, with Metro rides between neighborhoods
Sleep: Two nights in one base in Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle, both close to Metro stations and restaurants
Getting there: Union Station has Amtrak trains from the Northeast; Reagan National Airport is on the Metro. You do not need a car: the Metro and your feet cover the whole plan
Rough budget: The Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery of Art, the memorials and the Library of Congress are free. The Phillips Collection charges admission; hotels, dinners and any Kennedy Center tickets are the big costs
Good to know: Some free sites use timed passes at busy times; check each official site the week you go

Reviewed Oct 20, 2026How we verify

Illustration: route map of the three days, an illustrated bird’s-eye view of Washington, DC with the Potomac in front and numbered pins at the National Mall (Day 1), Georgetown (Day 2) and Capitol Hill (Day 3) — Washington, DC in three days · one base, the Metro and long walks

Postcards from the trip

The coffered dome and oculus of the National Gallery of Art rotunda — **The National Gallery rotunda** · go at opening for the quietest hour

The Jefferson Memorial lit at dusk across the Tidal Basin — **The Jefferson Memorial** · walk the Tidal Basin after the Lincoln Memorial

A garden view of a glass pavilion at Dumbarton Oaks among trees, in black and white — **Dumbarton Oaks** · check the garden days before you walk uphill

The red and white front of Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street with its bright sign — **Ben’s Chili Bowl** · order at the counter and sit in a booth

The idea

Three days in the capital for two: galleries by day, memorials by night, Georgetown and the great reading rooms.

Washington is an easy city for a couple’s weekend. Most of what you come for is free, the center is flat and walkable, and the Metro links the neighborhoods in minutes. This plan keeps to one base for two nights and spends each day in one part of the city, so you walk more than you ride and never race between sights.

Day 1 is the National Mall: the National Gallery of Art in the morning, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery in Penn Quarter after lunch, then the memorials lit after dark along the Reflecting Pool. Day 2 is Georgetown: coffee by the C&O Canal, the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks, the Phillips Collection near Dupont Circle and an evening at the Kennedy Center on the Potomac. Day 3 is Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress, then lunch and a last walk on U Street before Le Diplomate.

Bringing the kids next time? Washington, DC with kids and the cherry blossom family plan cover the city for families. For another weekend for two on the Potomac, see Alexandria for two. More city plans are in Cities & Urban Weekends.

Day-by-day summary

The Reflecting Pool at night with the lit Washington Monument reflected in the water

Day 1 · Friday · Metro and on footThe National MallThe National Gallery, Penn Quarter’s museums and the memorials lit at night.

The C&O Canal in Georgetown with a stone lock, brick houses and bare trees along the towpath

Day 2 · Saturday · on foot and MetroGeorgetown & the PotomacThe C&O Canal, Dumbarton Oaks, the Phillips Collection and an evening at the Kennedy Center.

The Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building with its dome and a lamp post in front, in black and white

Day 3 · Sunday · Metro and on footCapitol Hill & U StreetThe Library of Congress, Capitol Hill, then lunch and an evening on U Street and 14th Street.

The route

Three days, one base, no car

The Mall and Penn Quarter, then Georgetown and the river, then Capitol Hill and U Street, two nights in the same room.

Illustration: the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall at dusk with the Washington Monument and a white marble memorial lit at the far end, lamps reflected in still water, illustrated day card for Day 1

01The Mall · after dark

Base: Penn Quarter or Dupont Circle, both nights. Today is on foot with one or two short Metro rides: the National Gallery sits on the Mall a few blocks south of Penn Quarter, and the memorials are a long, flat walk west along the Reflecting Pool. The National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian museums and the memorials are free. Pace: easy to moderate: about four to five miles of flat walking with long museum stops and a rest before the evening walk.

Breakfast near the White House and the walk to the Mall

Where to eat: start at Founding Farmers on Pennsylvania Avenue, a few blocks from the White House. Order a full breakfast to share, and plan on a short wait at busy times; this is a long day on foot and lunch is a few hours away.

From breakfast, walk east along Pennsylvania Avenue and down to the Mall. The White House, the Treasury and the old downtown office blocks give way to the wide lawns and the line of museums that run from the Washington Monument to the Capitol. It is about a 25-minute walk, flat all the way.

Check the National Gallery’s site for the day’s hours before you go; the museum is free and does not need a ticket for the permanent collection.

The National Gallery of Art

Begin in the West Building, the neoclassical half of the National Gallery, with its marble rotunda and long skylit galleries of European art from the Middle Ages to the 1800s. Pick a few rooms rather than trying to see them all: the Italian Renaissance galleries, the Dutch rooms and the French Impressionists are each a good hour.

Then take the underground concourse to the East Building for modern and contemporary art, under a glass-roofed atrium designed by I. M. Pei. In good weather, step out to the Sculpture Garden across 7th Street on the way back north.

Expert tip: go to the National Gallery first thing. The galleries are calmest in the first hour after opening, and you will have the rotunda nearly to yourselves before the afternoon crowds arrive.

Lunch at Old Ebbitt and two museums in one building

Where to eat: walk north for lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill on 15th Street, steps from the White House and the Treasury. It is a long-running saloon-style dining room with brass and wood, and a good place to sit down for an hour mid-day.

After lunch, walk east into Penn Quarter to the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, which share the old Patent Office Building at 8th and F Streets. Both are free. The covered Kogod Courtyard between them, under a rippling glass roof, is a calm place to rest your feet between the two collections.

Pick up an afternoon coffee at Compass Coffee near your base, then go back to the hotel to rest before the evening walk.

The memorials at night and dinner in Penn Quarter

At dusk, take the Metro to Smithsonian station or walk west to the Washington Monument and on along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial. The memorials are open around the clock and lit after dark, and the National Park Service says rangers are on duty at the main memorials into the evening. Climb the steps at the Lincoln Memorial and look back down the Mall to the monument and the Capitol beyond.

If you have the energy, walk south past the Korean War Veterans Memorial to the Tidal Basin for the Jefferson Memorial across the water, then take a taxi or the Metro back to Penn Quarter.

Where to eat: dinner at Rasika Penn Quarter, a polished Indian restaurant a short walk from the base. Reserve ahead for a weekend table, and order a few dishes to share.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Founding Farmers DC — A full farm-style breakfast to share on Pennsylvania Avenue. Why here: Three blocks from the White House, an easy first breakfast before the Mall museums, with big from-scratch plates. Busy and well reviewed for hearty breakfasts; expect a wait at peak times.
Lunch · Old Ebbitt Grill — Oysters, crab cakes or a burger in the old saloon-style dining room. Why here: Steps from the White House and Treasury, so lunch fits between the downtown sights without a detour. Well reviewed for its oysters and crab cakes; reserve or go early.
Dinner · Rasika Penn Quarter — A shared Indian dinner, with small plates and curries. Why here: A short walk from a Penn Quarter base, and a polished, date-night Indian dinner for two. Consistently strong reviews from visitors.
Quick stop (snack): Compass Coffee — An afternoon coffee before the evening walk. Why here: A local coffee roaster near Penn Quarter for an afternoon pick-me-up close to the base.
Quick stop (other): Lincoln Memorial — Open around the clock and lit at night. Why here: it ends the evening walk along the Reflecting Pool, with the view back to the Capitol.

Walk the memorials after dark. The Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool are quieter at night than at noon, and the lit marble and the long view back to the Capitol are the picture most people take home.

Founding Farmers → the National Gallery of Art: about 25 minutes on foot. The National Gallery → Old Ebbitt Grill: about 15 minutes on foot. Old Ebbitt Grill → the Smithsonian American Art Museum: about 15 minutes on foot. Penn Quarter → the Lincoln Memorial: about 40 minutes on foot, or the Metro to Smithsonian and a 25-minute walk.

Where to stay

A Penn Quarter hotel — a hotel near Gallery Place or Archives Metro stations, a short walk from the museums and the Penn Quarter restaurants.
A Dupont Circle hotel — or a hotel near Dupont Circle station, quieter at night and closer to Georgetown for Day 2.

Dinner: at Rasika Penn Quarter; reserve a table.

Tomorrow: to Georgetown, about 15 minutes by taxi or a 25-minute walk from Dupont Circle.

Bad-weather plan

Rain or cold on Day 1? Stay indoors all day: the National Gallery’s two buildings, the American Art Museum and the Portrait Gallery are joined by short walks, and the memorials can wait for a clear night or Day 3.

Stay: Penn Quarter or Dupont base · Anchor: the memorials at night · reserve dinner ahead

Good to know: The memorials are open around the clock; bring a warm layer for the evening walk along the Reflecting Pool, where the wind runs straight down the Mall.

Illustration: a quiet canal in Georgetown with a stone lock, brick and federal rowhouses along the towpath and a small footbridge in soft winter light, illustrated day card for Day 2

02Georgetown · the Potomac

Base: the same room. Georgetown has no Metro station, so walk in from Dupont Circle or Foggy Bottom, about 25 minutes, or take a taxi. The canal towpath and Georgetown’s streets are free; Dumbarton Oaks and the Phillips Collection set their own hours and admission, so check both sites for the day. Pace: moderate: about five miles of walking, some of it uphill from the canal to the gardens.

Coffee by the canal and the towpath

Where to eat: start at Baked & Wired on Thomas Jefferson Street, a block from the C&O Canal. Take coffee and a pastry to go, or sit in; on weekends the line moves but can be long, so come early.

Walk down to the canal and along the towpath. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts here in Georgetown and runs 184.5 miles up the Potomac to Cumberland, Maryland; the National Park Service cares for it as a national historical park. In Georgetown, the first stretch passes old locks, brick warehouses and rowhouses, and small footbridges cross the water every few blocks.

Expert tip: walk the canal before ten in the morning. The towpath is quiet then, the light is low on the water, and you reach M Street before the weekend shoppers.

Georgetown’s streets and lunch on M Street

Climb the short streets from the canal into the old town. The blocks north of M Street are lined with federal rowhouses, brick sidewalks and big trees, and a slow loop up Wisconsin Avenue and back down a side street shows the neighborhood at its prettiest.

Where to eat: lunch at Clyde’s of Georgetown on M Street, a relaxed sit-down room in the middle of the neighborhood. It is an easy place to warm up and rest before the walk uphill to the gardens.

On the way back out, stop at Georgetown Cupcake on M Street for something sweet to share; lines are common, so take it with you rather than queueing twice.

Dumbarton Oaks and the Phillips Collection

Walk uphill to Dumbarton Oaks at the top of Georgetown, a historic house, research library and museum run by Harvard, with terraced gardens laid out by Beatrix Farrand in the early 1900s. The garden rooms step down the hillside from the house, and even in winter the walls, pools and evergreen hedges make a calm walk. Check the site for the garden and museum days before you go; both keep limited hours.

From there, walk east along R Street or take a short taxi ride to the Phillips Collection near Dupont Circle, which opened to the public in 1921 as a museum of modern art in its founder’s home. The rooms are small and domestic, and the collection rewards a slow visit: Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party and the quiet Rothko Room are two of the reasons people come back.

Buy tickets on the Phillips site; admission is charged and hours change by season.

Sunset at the Kennedy Center and dinner on the waterfront

Late in the afternoon, take a taxi or walk down through Foggy Bottom to the Kennedy Center on the Potomac. The building is free to walk through: the Grand Foyer runs the length of the river side, and the roof terrace looks over the water toward Virginia. The free Millennium Stage holds performances on many evenings; check the Kennedy Center calendar for the day, and book any ticketed show ahead.

Walk out onto the terrace for the sunset over the river, then take a short taxi back to the Georgetown waterfront for dinner.

Where to eat: dinner at Fiola Mare on the Georgetown waterfront, a seafood restaurant with views of the Potomac. It is a special-occasion room for two; reserve well ahead for a weekend night.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Baked & Wired — Coffee and a pastry or cupcake by the canal. Why here: A block from the C&O Canal towpath, so coffee and a pastry come right before the Georgetown walk. Well reviewed for its cupcakes and coffee; the line moves but can be long.
Lunch · Clyde's of Georgetown — A casual American lunch: soup, a burger or a salad. Why here: On M Street in the middle of the Georgetown day, a relaxed sit-down lunch with no planning needed. Generally well reviewed for casual American food.
Dinner · Fiola Mare — A seafood dinner for two with river views. Why here: On the Georgetown waterfront with Potomac views, a special-occasion seafood dinner for two. Well reviewed by visitors.
Quick stop (snack): Georgetown Cupcake — A cupcake to share on the walk. Why here: On M Street in Georgetown, a sweet stop to share while walking the shops. Generally well reviewed; lines are common.

Pair the Kennedy Center with the sunset. The roof terrace faces west over the Potomac; arrive about half an hour before sundown, then go on to the show or to dinner.

Dupont Circle → Baked & Wired: about 25 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by taxi. The canal → Clyde’s of Georgetown: about 5 minutes on foot. M Street → Dumbarton Oaks: about 15 minutes on foot, uphill. Dumbarton Oaks → the Phillips Collection: about 20 minutes on foot. The Phillips → the Kennedy Center: about 10 minutes by taxi. The Kennedy Center → Fiola Mare: about 10 minutes by taxi.

Where to stay

A Penn Quarter hotel — the same Penn Quarter room.
A Dupont Circle hotel — or the same Dupont Circle room, a short walk from the Phillips.

Dinner: at Fiola Mare on the Georgetown waterfront; reserve ahead.

Tomorrow: to Capitol Hill, about 15 minutes by Metro to Capitol South.

Bad-weather plan

In heavy rain, skip the towpath and the gardens: spend the morning at the Phillips Collection, take lunch on M Street and go early to the Kennedy Center, where the foyers and terrace views keep you dry.

Stay: same base · Anchor: the Kennedy Center at dusk · book Fiola Mare ahead

Good to know: Georgetown has no Metro station; plan on walking in from Dupont Circle or Foggy Bottom, or a short taxi ride.

Illustration: the Library of Congress Jefferson Building with its green-copper dome and a fountain at the foot of its steps, a white capitol dome beyond in crisp morning light, illustrated day card for Day 3

03Capitol Hill · U Street

Base: check out this morning and leave your bags at the hotel desk. Take the Metro to Capitol South or Eastern Market for Capitol Hill, then ride to U Street station in the afternoon. The Library of Congress is free; check loc.gov for the day’s hours and whether a free timed-entry pass is needed. Pace: easy: short Metro rides, about three miles of walking and a long last dinner.

Breakfast on Capitol Hill

Where to eat: start at Ted’s Bulletin on Capitol Hill, a few blocks from the Library of Congress. Breakfast is served all day, so you can sleep in, and the homemade tarts are worth saving room for.

After breakfast, walk the brick sidewalks of Capitol Hill toward the Capitol. The streets east of the Capitol are some of the city’s oldest residential blocks, with colorful rowhouses, small front gardens and corner shops; Eastern Market is a short detour if you want a look at the old market hall.

The Library of Congress

The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, across First Street from the Capitol, opened in 1897 and is one of the most richly decorated public buildings in the country. Stand in the Great Hall under the stained-glass skylight, then walk up the marble staircases to the overlook into the Main Reading Room, the domed room of desks you see in the photographs.

Give yourselves at least an hour. The exhibitions change through the year, and the building itself, with its mosaics, murals and carved stairs, is the reason to come.

Expert tip: look for the Main Reading Room overlook on the second floor. It is the one place visitors can see the reading room from above, and it is easy to miss if you stay on the ground floor.

The Capitol grounds, Union Market and lunch on U Street

Walk out past the Supreme Court and across the Capitol’s east front for the view of the dome, then take the Metro or a short taxi to Union Market in Northeast DC, a food hall with stalls of everything from coffee to dumplings. Graze a little here, then save room for lunch.

Where to eat: ride to U Street for lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street NW, a long-time neighborhood landmark known for its half-smoke sausage with chili. Order at the counter and sit in one of the old booths.

After lunch, walk U Street east and west. This was the center of Black Washington in the first half of the 1900s, known for its theaters and jazz clubs; the African American Civil War Memorial stands at the Metro station, and the restored Lincoln Theatre and the Howard Theatre are a few blocks apart.

A last dinner on 14th Street

Walk south down 14th Street, the busiest restaurant street in this part of the city, and stop for a drink or a browse in the shops along the way.

Where to eat: dinner at Le Diplomate on 14th Street, a lively French brasserie with a zinc bar and big windows onto the street. Book ahead, ask for a table in the main room, and take your time over the last dinner of the weekend.

Then take a taxi back to your hotel for your bags, or to Union Station for an evening train home.

Where to eat and stop

Breakfast · Ted’s Bulletin — All-day breakfast and a homemade tart. Why here: On Capitol Hill, a short walk from the Library of Congress, with breakfast served all day. Well reviewed for all-day breakfast and homemade tarts.
Lunch · Ben’s Chili Bowl — A half-smoke with chili at the counter. Why here: On U Street, right where the afternoon's neighborhood walk is, for the city's famous half-smoke. Generally well reviewed and a long-time local landmark.
Dinner · Le Diplomate — A French brasserie dinner for two. Why here: On 14th Street near U Street, a lively French brasserie that suits a last dinner for two. Well reviewed by visitors; book ahead.
Quick stop (snack): Union Market — A graze through the food stalls. Why here: A food hall where you can graze a little of everything between stops. Well reviewed for its range of food stalls.
Quick stop (other): Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building) — Free; check the site for hours and timed passes. Why here: the Great Hall and the reading room overlook are the heart of the morning.

Check for a timed pass before you go. The Library of Congress is free, but at busy times entry uses free timed passes on loc.gov. Reserve one for the morning slot so the day runs on time.

Penn Quarter → Capitol South by Metro: about 10 minutes. Ted’s Bulletin → the Library of Congress: about 15 minutes on foot. The Library → Union Market: about 10 minutes by taxi. Union Market → U Street: about 15 minutes by taxi. U Street → Le Diplomate: about 10 minutes on foot.

Where to stay

A Penn Quarter hotel — check out this morning and leave your bags at the desk.
A Dupont Circle hotel — or check out of the Dupont room and leave your bags.

Dinner: at Le Diplomate on 14th Street; book ahead.

Tonight: back to the hotel for your bags, or a taxi to Union Station, about 15 minutes.

Bad-weather plan

Rain on Day 3? The Library of Congress fills the morning indoors, Union Market is under one roof, and U Street’s cafés and shops are close together; take taxis between them.

Stay: check out, bags at the desk · Anchor: the Library of Congress · check for a timed pass

Good to know: Sunday hours change at the Library of Congress and the U Street restaurants; check each site the week you go.

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Plan & pack

Pack for the trip

Comfortable walking shoes. Four to five miles a day on flat pavement and gravel paths.
A warm, windproof layer. The Mall is open and windy after dark.
A compact umbrella. Rain moves through quickly; most of the plan is a short walk from shelter.
One smarter outfit. For Fiola Mare, Le Diplomate and a night at the Kennedy Center.
A Metro card or phone wallet. Tap in and out on every ride.
A small day bag. Museums and the Library of Congress check bags; keep it small.
A charged phone and a battery pack. For timed passes, tickets and the Metro.
A notebook. For the pictures and reading rooms you want to remember.

The Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial seen from above, with lawns and trees on both sides — **Comfortable shoes for the long, flat walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial.** **The Mall from above** · comfortable shoes for the long walk to the Lincoln Memorial

The Kennedy Center lit in late afternoon light, seen across the Potomac River — **One smarter outfit for an evening at the Kennedy Center on the Potomac.** **The Kennedy Center from the river** · one smarter outfit for an evening show

Illustration: a pair of theatre tickets with blank faces, a slim hardback notebook, leather walking shoes, a folded umbrella, a wool scarf and a blank fare card on a wooden table, original illustrated plan card for 3 days in Washington, DC — **Original illustration** · theatre tickets, a notebook, walking shoes, an umbrella and a scarf on a wooden table

Washington, DC in one frame

The plan card gathers the weekend on one table: walking shoes for the Mall, an umbrella for the canal, a scarf for the memorials at night and two tickets for the Kennedy Center. Every stop, hour and meal is in the day-by-day above.

Illustration: a long white marble concert hall with a terrace above a wide calm river at dusk, its lights reflected in the water, original illustrated recap card — **Original illustration** · the Kennedy Center above the Potomac at dusk

Where the trip ends

The recap card closes the weekend on the Potomac at dusk, with the Kennedy Center lit along the river. The day-by-day has each stop, hour and Metro ride.

Postcards

Washington, DC, in frames.

The seated statue of Abraham Lincoln inside the Lincoln Memorial, lit at night — **The Lincoln Memorial** · climb the steps after dark for the view back down the Mall

The red-brick Phillips Collection building on a corner near Dupont Circle with trees in bloom — **The Phillips Collection** · a museum of modern art near Dupont Circle

The domed Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress with circular rows of desks — **The Main Reading Room** · seen from the overlook in the Jefferson Building

Quick answers

Planning notes

Is Washington, DC good for a couple’s weekend?

Yes. Most museums and memorials are free, the center is walkable, and neighborhoods like Georgetown, Dupont Circle and 14th Street have relaxed restaurants for two. Three days covers the highlights without rushing.

Do you need a car in Washington, DC?

No. The Metro and walking cover this plan. Georgetown has no Metro station, so walk in from Dupont Circle or Foggy Bottom or take a short taxi.

How many days do you need in DC as a couple?

Two nights and three days is enough for the National Mall, Georgetown and the Kennedy Center, and the Library of Congress with U Street.

Is the Library of Congress free to visit?

Yes. The Thomas Jefferson Building is free; at busy times entry uses free timed passes. Check loc.gov the week you go.

When are the memorials open?

The memorials on the National Mall are open around the clock and lit at night, which makes an evening walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial easy to plan.

Where should a couple stay in Washington, DC?

Penn Quarter puts you close to the museums and restaurants; Dupont Circle is quieter at night and closer to Georgetown and the Phillips Collection. Both are on the Metro.

Is the Kennedy Center free?

The building and its roof terrace are free to walk through, and the Millennium Stage holds free performances on many evenings. Ticketed shows need booking ahead.

When is the best time to visit DC for a weekend?

Any time of year. Late fall and winter are quieter in the museums; spring brings the cherry blossoms and the biggest crowds; summer is hot and humid.

Before you set off — the official checks

Hours, timed passes and performance schedules change. Confirm current details on the sites listed under official links.

Library of Congress — Free; check hours and whether a timed pass is needed for your day. Library of Congress ↗
The Phillips Collection — Admission charged; hours change by season. Phillips Collection ↗
Smithsonian American Art Museum — Free; check the day’s hours in Penn Quarter. American Art Museum ↗
Weather — Check the forecast before the evening memorial walk. National Weather Service ↗

Plan with confidence

Official Links

Official sites to plan and verify the details in this guide.

Library of Congress: visit ↗Hours, passes and exhibitions

Smithsonian American Art Museum ↗Hours and exhibitions in Penn Quarter

National Mall and Memorial Parks ↗The memorials and the Mall

C&O Canal National Historical Park ↗The towpath in Georgetown

Dumbarton Oaks ↗Garden and museum days

The Phillips Collection ↗Tickets and hours

Washington Metro (WMATA) ↗Trip planner and fares

National Weather Service Washington/Baltimore ↗Forecasts and alerts

Reviewed Oct 20, 2026How we verify

Conditions and prices can change.

References

Research behind this guide

The reporting and research that shaped this itinerary.

C&O Canal National Historical Park ↗National Park Service

Photo credits

Photos via Wikimedia Commons, resized and converted to WebP. The illustrated cover, day cards, plan card and recap card are this guide’s original itinerary artwork, illustrated from the credited photos listed here.

Great Hall — photo by Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0); it is also the basis of the Cover and Cover web illustrations, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Reflecting Pool — photo by Mr. Johnson, often nefarious, CC BY-SA 2.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.0); it is also the basis of the Day 1 card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.0)
C&O Canal — photo by APK, CC BY-SA 4.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0); it is also the basis of the Day 2 card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Jefferson Building — photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain; it is also the basis of the Day 3 card illustration
National Mall — photo by Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0); it is also the basis of the Packing card illustration, shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kennedy Center — photo by NOAA, Public domain
Lincoln Memorial — photo by Wknight94 talk, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Phillips Collection — photo by APK, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Main Reading Room — photo by Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
National Gallery — photo by sailko, CC BY 2.5
Jefferson Memorial — photo by Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Dumbarton Oaks — photo by Boucher, Jack E. Related names: Harvard University; Boulanger, Nadia; Stravinsk, Public domain
Ben’s Chili Bowl — photo by Ben Schumin, CC BY-SA 2.5; this resized copy is shared under the same license (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Route map — original illustrated route artwork for this guide; stop locations from OpenStreetMap

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The trip in 60 seconds

Postcards from the trip

Three days in the capital for two: galleries by day, memorials by night, Georgetown and the great reading rooms.

Day-by-day summary

Three days, one base, no car

Day 1 · The National Mall—Breakfast at Founding Farmers, the National Gallery of Art, lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, coffee at Compass, the memorials lit at night, then dinner at Rasika in Penn Quarter.

Day 2 · Georgetown & the Potomac—Coffee and a pastry at Baked & Wired, the C&O Canal towpath, Georgetown’s streets, lunch at Clyde’s, Dumbarton Oaks, the Phillips Collection near Dupont Circle, a cupcake on M Street, the Kennedy Center at dusk and dinner at Fiola Mare.

Day 3 · Capitol Hill & U Street—Breakfast at Ted’s Bulletin on Capitol Hill, the Library of Congress Jefferson Building, the Supreme Court and the Capitol grounds, Union Market for a graze, lunch at Ben’s Chili Bowl, a walk along U Street and dinner at Le Diplomate.

A plan that knows how you travel.

3 full itineraries in every plan

Art & photos

Planning

Your plan, your way

Art & photos

Planning

Your plan, your way

Art & photos

Planning

Your plan, your way

Our promise

Who is Earth Adventure Travel?

Plan & pack

Pack for the trip

Washington, DC in one frame

Where the trip ends

Washington, DC, in frames.

Planning notes

Before you set off — the official checks

More of Washington and weekends for two.

Washington, DC with Kids

Alexandria for Two

3 Days in Providence

San Francisco & Big Sur

Official Links

Research behind this guide

Photo credits

Choose the landscape. Then choose the pace.

No exact match—yet.