The Ultimate One-Day Washington DC Itinerary for Tourists

This is how we spent one day in Washington DC! It felt surreal to visit the capital of the United States of America. As we walked around looking at the iconic U.S. federal buildings, we wondered what important political decisions were being made inside. We were also lucky enough to check out a few of the world renowned Smithsonian museums. Finally, it was a special experience to see the famous monuments such as the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. We have outlined our one day Washington DC itinerary below which should be helpful if you are visiting for the first time!

Map of Attractions (Click to enlarge)

Morning

Supreme Court of the United States

We set out from our hotel (Kimpton George Hotel) for our first destination of the day: the Supreme Court of the United States. This iconic building houses the judicial branch of the U.S. federal government. We were impressed by the beauty of this neoclassical structure built in the style of a medieval Roman temple with tall Corinthian columns.

Supreme Court of the United States
Opening Hours: https://www.supremecourt.gov/visiting/visitorservices.aspx
Address: 1 First St NE, Washington, DC 20543, USA

United States Capitol

Across the street from the Supreme Court is the United States Capitol. Also known as the Capitol Building, the structure houses the U.S. Congress and the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. Unfortunately, the building’s dome was covered in scaffolding when we visited. However, we were still grateful to see this iconic building in person.

United States Capitol
Guided Tours: https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/book-tour-capitol
Address: East Capitol St NE & First St SE, Washington, DC 20004, United States

Library of Congress

Just nearby is the Library of Congress (LOC). This elegant neoclassical structure is the national library of the United States, as well as the official research library of the U.S. Congress.

Library of Congress
Guided Tours: https://www.loc.gov/visit/tours
Address: 101 Independence Ave SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA

National Air and Space Museum

From the LOC, we walked for about 15 minutes to the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). This cool Smithsonian museum is famous for its exhibition of original production (or original backup) spacecrafts and aircrafts. I was excited to check out this museum because of all the cool space and aircrafts. Also, many of the scenes in the movie “Night at the Museum” were filmed here! Admission is free.

National Air and Space Museum
Opening Hours: https://airandspace.si.edu/visit
Address: 600 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560, US

Afternoon

Smithsonian Institution Building

After touring the museum, we walked for about 5 minutes to the Smithsonian Institution Building, also known as The Castle. This National Historic Landmark houses the Smithsonian Institution’s administrative offices and information centre. We wanted to check it out because of its unique facade. The historic structure is built in the late Romanesque and early Gothic style, and was completed in 1855.

Smithsonian Institution Building
Opening Hours: https://www.si.edu/museums/smithsonian-institution-building
Address: 1000 Jefferson Dr SW, Washington, DC 20560, USA

National Museum of Natural History

From The Castle, we walked about 5 minutes to the National Museum of Natural History. This Smithsonian museum has a massive 126 million specimens of human remains, human cultural artifacts, fossils, minerals, plants, animals, and meteorites. I was excited to visit this museum and check out the giant dinosaur skeletons. Admission is free.

National Museum of Natural History
Opening Hours: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit
Address: 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, United States

Old Ebbitt Grill

By now, we were famished. We had lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill, a popular restaurant serving Western meals, include oyster specials. It was nice to dine in this tavern-like space with dark wood furnishings and leather seats.

Old Ebbitt Grill
Opening Hours: | Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 1am | Sat & Sun: 8.30am – 1am |
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OldEbbittGrill
Address: 675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA
Website: https://www.ebbitt.com

White House


After lunch, we went to check out the White House, which is where the President of the United States stays and works. It houses the executive branch of the U.S. federal government. It was really cool to see the residence and office of the U.S. president, leader of one of the most powerful countries in the world.

White House
Guided Tours: https://washington.org/dc-faqs-for-visitors/how-can-i-tour-white-house
Address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA

Evening

Washington Monument

Next, we visited the Washington Monument, a huge obelisk that commemorates George Washington, the first U.S. President. Located at the east end of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, this is the world’s tallest obelisk, standing at about 170 metres tall. We were pretty excited to see this iconic landmark! Do note that it is not possible to tour inside the Washington Monument until 2019, as the structure’s elevator system is currently being revamped.

Washington Monument
Website: https://www.nps.gov/wamo/planyourvisit/index.htm
Address: 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024, USA

Lincoln Memorial



From the Washington Monument, we walked about 15 minutes to the Lincoln Memorial. This majestic monument commemorates Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. President. It is built in the style of a Greek Doric temple. We visited in the evening, and the monument looked really beautiful in the orange glow of sunset.

Even though I had seen the Lincoln sculpture on TV and pictures before, and I knew that it was actually a big sculpture, I was still in awe of its large size when I saw it in person. The sculpture literally towered over me, and I felt that it was looking down at me with its stern gaze. As I left the memorial, I felt grateful to have had the chance to see this iconic U.S. monument.

Lincoln Memorial
Opening Hours: Open 24 Hours Daily
Address: 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA

Jefferson Memorial

From the Lincoln Memorial, we took a Lyft ride to the Jefferson Memorial. This elegant monument was built to commemorate Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and subsequently third U.S. President.

Jefferson Memorial
Opening Hours: Open 24 Hours Daily
Address: 701 E Basin Dr SW, Washington, DC 20242, USA

Itinerary Summary

Conclusion

We hope you found this Washington DC one-day itinerary useful! Unfortunately, we could not spend more days exploring this interesting city due to time constraints. However, the one-day itinerary above will allow you to cover all the main tourist attractions in DC.

This article is part of our completely free and fantastic Washington DC Travel Guide. Why spend days researching when all your holiday information is simply a click away?