Washington, DC Travel: When to Visit, What to Do, & Where to Stay

DC in a Day Tour

Capital Dome

The All Day Washington, DC tour will take you to the area's popular monuments and museums.

THE BEST TIMES TO VISIT WASHINGTON, DC

• The capitol's busiest times of year are when Congress is in session — from about the second week in September until Thanksgiving and from mid-January through June — and the pleasant spring season. If you'd like to avoid the traffic these periods can bring, you might want to try visiting in late August to early September or between Thanksgiving and mid-January. July and August bring very hot and humid weather, but the July 4 holiday features a great Independence Day celebration.
• Despite its hustle and bustle, visitors should find little difficulty in getting around Washington D.C., and transportation options offer a reprieve from any traffic and parking complications. There's the hop-on, hop-off Lil Red Trolley that can take you to the capitol city's most famous sites. Taxis are always an option, as are the bus and subway systems run by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU'RE HERE

• All Day Interior Buildings Tour
  • A range of tours and attractions offer sightseeing options for every personality. If seeing the national capitol's buildings up close and personal is your thing, try the All Day Interior Buildings Tour. It includes narrated walking tours of the White House (when available), Ford's Theater and Petersen House, as well as visits to the Jefferson Memorial and the FDR Memorial, the American History Museum, Library of Congress and the National Air and Space Museum. You'll drive past dozens of DC landmarks as well. And there's time to look around on your own at each stop on the nine-hour tour, which is appropriate for children ages 3 and older.
• DC/Embassy Row/Arlington Cemetery Tour
  • If a somewhat shorter tour of the capitol city's most popular monuments and landmarks is what you're looking for, the four-hour DC/Embassy Row/Arlington Cemetery Tour is for you. Tour stops include Arlington Cemetery, Christ Church, Mount Vernon, Embassy Row, Fort Washington, Old Town Alexandria and the Federal Triangle. Transportation is by motorcoach, and there is also some walking involved. You'll have time to explore on your own at each stop. The tour is appropriate for children ages 3 and older, and the motorcoach is handicap accessible.
• The Gettysburg Tour
  • Embark on a 10-hour excursion that takes visitors to the town of Gettysburg, features a military diorama of the battle filled with lights and sound effects, and continues on to Cemetery Ridge and the home of George Washington Shriver. The tour includes a buffet lunch, motorcoach transportation is included and some walking will be required. The tour is appropriate for children ages 3 and older, and the motorcoach is handicap-accessible.
• Washington After Dark Tour
  • This three-hour tour shows you the capitol's monuments and buildings lit by the spotlights that go on when the sun goes down. You'll see the Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, FDR Memorial, the U.S. Capitol and the Kennedy Center. A handicap-accessible motorcoach takes you between sights, and there is walking at each stop.

THE "INNS" AND OUTS OF WASHINGTON, DC: WHERE TO STAY

• The Washington Plaza Hotel
  • Located right in the heart of Washington D.C., this hotel offers exceptional amenities like 24-hour room service, on-site lounge and restaurant, a gift shop and an outdoor resort-style pool. Rooms are equipped with data ports, phones with voice mail, coffee makers and free cable television. Pets are welcome, but a $50 deposit applies.
• Comfort Inn at Shady Grove
  • If you want easy access to area attractions without being right in the center of the action, try the Comfort Inn at Shady Grove, just a 30-minute drive from Washington, DC. Perks include free breakfast, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a picnic area and a car rental desk right at the hotel. Room service, nonsmoking rooms and handicap-accessible rooms are also available. Small pets are welcome, although charges may apply.
• The Econo Lodge Metro
  • This hotel offers award-winning service with amenities like free breakfast in the morning, a game room for the youngsters, guest laundry facilities, in-room movies and wireless and high-speed Internet access. It's located on the historic Route 66, close to all the attractions you want to see.