Things I wish I knew before travelling to Washington DC

Washington DC, the capital of the US, is home to some of the most visited tourist attractions in the United States and indeed the World. From the White House, to the capitol building, the endless museums, and of course the memorials, Washington DC is a perfect destination for the ultimate history enthusiast! We visited here in the summer of 2024, and here are some things I wish I had known, before visiting.

1. There is a big homeless problem in Washington. Whilst this is normal for any big city, and it is definitely not an issue, it was more than I had expected. It is of course pretty sad to see, and beware - you WILL be approached by people asking for money, but from my own experience, they really are just people looking for a little bit of help, and everyone was still super friendly. This was not really an issue but just something we noticed on our trip - we were visiting 7 big cities in a a row and Washington really stood out, second only to Seattle. The issue was more apparent in the area around the White House, a situation that remains pretty unchanged since the 1980’s (so I’m told by a friend who visited years ago).

   
   

2. You often think of Washington DC, as a place to visit for the culture and the history, not the heat. Let me tell you this… I have never, NEVER, sweat as much as I did just walking around as I did in Washington. I was SOAKED. (It was disgusting!). Washington gets hot, and it is humid too! I feel like I acclimatised to the August US heat in Washington and by the time we got to Vegas with the 40 degree + heat a week or so later, it was a breeze for me, as I‘d already pretty much died in Washington! A hat or cap is essential together with lots of water!

   
   

3. The monuments are open 24 hours a day, and free to visit. So if you are short on time, or don’t want the tourist rush (or the cost of an excursion) visit them by yourself in the evening. There really is something magical about seeing the Washington Memorial lit up under the night sky. As a Ben Stiller fan, this transported me straight back to Night at the Museum !

   
   

4. The food in Washington is delicious! We ate some of the best food ever in Washington. Bear in mind, as part of our trip we visited Vegas and ate at michelin star and celebrity chef restaurants, the food in Washington, I would say, was still 10 times better and definitely more plentiful. Try Nicks in Georgetown for their turkey sandwich, pop into Founding Farmers Fisheries and Bakers for a steak or perhaps some seafood - the food is stunning!

   
   

5. Bear in mind that The National Mall is 2 miles long. Take comfortable shoes, take a refillable water bottle, and get exploring.

   
   

6. We visited the Memorials by taking a Viator tour and our guide told us that if you walk around all the monuments by yourself and see each and every one, it is an 8 mile round trip! Maybe now the cost of a guided tour is looking much better value! We visited in August and it was also incredibly hot so well worth the price too to travel in an air conditioned bus.

   
   

7. There is a quadrant grid system, similar to New York in the City. NW is the most popular quadrant as this is where the capitol building is. There are lettered streets going east to west (K street being the most popular), and numbered streets going north to south. This really means that there is minimal need for google maps if staying/visiting these areas.

   
   

8. Dulles airport is connected to the silver train line, and it takes about an hour to get into the city. This is probably the fastest and cheapest way of getting into the city from the airport although there are of course buses and uber should you prefer to travel this way.

   
   

9. Most of the museums around the National Mall are free, however a ticket may still be required as you will need to reserve a time slot. We visited the Smithsonian air and space museum, and the national archives, and although both of these were free, we were required to book tickets in advance, to give us a guaranteed entry time slot.

   
   

10. If visiting Georgetown, in the day time you will be able to to get the train and then have about a 10-15 min walk to the water front area. From here you can walk up into town. At night I would recommend getting an uber for your return journey.

I hope this has been useful and has given you a bit of insight and what to expect when visiting Washington. Whether like me you just wanted to look Abraham Lincoln in the eye (more Night at the. Museum!) or if you studied Martin Luther King at school, Washington has a little bit of history for everyone and who doesn’t want to see the famous White House with their own eyes!

Check out our Washington vlog at georgialouisetravels on You Tube or see where else we have visited ….

See you soon

Tracey & Georgia xx