12 Places in Washington DC That Are A Must-Visit

District of Columbia is a land of incredible diversity, with something to offer everyone who visits. There are many great places to visit in this city, but if you are looking for the ultimate District of Columbia experience, then you need to head to one of the places below. Whichever part of District of Columbia you choose to visit, you’re sure to have an amazing time.

The Best Place to Visit in District of Columbia

National Mall

• Address: Washington, DC, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (127350)
• Phone: +1 202-426-6841
• Website: Link

Top 12 Tourist Attractions in District of Columbia

Lincoln Memorial

• Address: 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC 20002, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (44079)
• Phone: +1 202-426-6841
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: Open 24 hours

  Tuesday: Open 24 hours

  Wednesday: Open 24 hours

  Thursday: Open 24 hours

  Friday: Open 24 hours

  Saturday: Open 24 hours

  Sunday: Open 24 hours
• Reviews:
  Reality Vs. Expectations 😊
  These pictures I posted are reality . The place is crowded with tourists or locals , just people all over the place . It was fun , a lot of walking going around all the tourists spots In Washington .

  Going to Lincoln Memorial is quite a challenge for your feet. Make sure you have a good pair of sneakers 😊 or rent a scooter or bicycle . It was fun going around on scooter . Just need your phone and credit card. Different scooter has different price. Goodluck 😊

  Lincoln Memorial reminds me of the movie “ Night at the Museum” . Lots of tourist taking pictures . Nice to sit down after a long walk and pictures taken . Breathe in and breathe out and enjoy .

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Lee Loo (7 months ago)

  I flew to DC in November. We decided to visit the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. No regrets! The park is very historic with lots to see. The souvenir shop nearby is worth checking out. They have postcards and other gifts. It was checked off my bucket list.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Nathan Santos (11 months ago)

  Another must visit in the capital city. Gives a great view of the Washington monument. The place is well maintained and always gives a lively vibe. There is plenty in the area for taking in some history and otherwise. Recommended.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Praswin Prakash (a month ago)

  We went to DC for our 1-year anniversary to do a complete walk-around of the city. The Lincoln Memorial was absolutely breathtaking. There’s so much history in this beautiful building. Truly amazing

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sam Buck (11 months ago)

  We visited in Fall season, and if you have the chance I’d suggest you do the same, as this can be a very busy area of the Washington Mall. The Lincoln Memorial is at the far west end of the Mall, and if you’re like us, you’ll find yourself walking from one end to the other making as many stops as your time allows. If you visit the Washington DC Metro website, you’ll be able to see that the train and bus lines make stop/s along the Mall. I remember the 1st time we were in DC about 10 years ago, We bought what was I think a multi-day pass, used the heck out of it, and our car didn’t leave our hotel the whole time we were there!

  But, back the the Lincoln Memorial. It wasn’t as crowded, as I stated the BUSY tourist season was over. Such a beautiful building. If you’re able, take the time to walk around like we did, and take in the different views of the city at every turn. Also, don’t forget a good pair of shoes and have you phone charged, as you’ll be taking SO many photos.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Bob Kramer (4 months ago)

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

• Address: 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (38306)
• Phone: +1 202-633-1000
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
• Reviews:
  I had never been in a museum as amazing as this one; it’s amazing, they have so many things to see; dinosaur fossils are the best, my three year old daughter enjoyed it very much, she has not stopped talking about it in the last two days. We went on a Sunday and it was quite long but it is not overwhelming because it is very big place, there was enough space to see and do things. the museum is very interactive, it has so many things to learn, a single day is not enough to learn about so many things. It has easy access for strollers and wheelchairs, there are multiple elevators, several shops for souvenirs and gifts, it has a very nice cafe area. you won’t get bored here. In addition, everything is super clean and it is totally free. When you enter the museum you go through a lot of security but the process is fast.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sussan Annais H. Cartaya (5 months ago)

  An amazing (free) experience that was tons of fun for all of us and we all left smarter. Plan to spend at least 2 hours if you want to see most of the exhibits. If you want to read and learn about the exhibits it, allot at least 3 hours.

  They do have restaurants inside, ample restrooms and a nice gift shop.

  Our favorite exhibits were neanderthals exhibits and ancient animals, especially the dinosaur skeletons. They have many real looking animal exhibits, and detailed scientific background on them which was fun to learn.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Alan Varghese (5 months ago)

  An amazing museum to visit. So much to discover and learn. We planned only 2-3 hours which was reasonable but not sufficient really. Kids loved various sections in the museum and so did we. A must visit if you happen to be in the Washington DC especially with kids and family. People of all ages will have things to learn and be amazed at.

  And entrance was free and parking was easily available 💕

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Mohammad Hasib Uddin Mamtazn (4 months ago)

  This was my family and our first time visiting the Smithsonian of Natural History Museum. My kids range from the age of 12 to 23 and they absolutely loved it! Admission was FREE and they asked for a $1 donation if you wanted a map of the museum. The museum consists of three floors, two gift shops and a large food cafe with plentiful eating area on the first floor. There were a lot of terrific exhibits that covered the wide spectrum of ages. We did spend about 3.5 hrs in this museum looking at the exhibits and eating lunch there. The food was cooked, plated, and you would grab what you would like and pay at the cashier. There’s a soda fountain if you paid for soda. There are also water fountains to refill your water bottle. The food tasted good, serving size is plentiful, and very fair in cost especially when there is no admission charge into the museum. There’s plenty of restrooms located throughout the museum. My family and I had an excellent time visiting and would love to visit this museum again!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By MyNew “MyNewLoves” LV (6 months ago)

  The museum is a gem! It’s 2 floors, tons of fun interactive exhibits, and it includes over 145 million specimens (99% of which are not visible). There’s tons of halls, including mammals, dinosaurs, skeletons, ancient Egypt, human origins, pandemics, and more. Of course there’s also the iconic elephant statues in the atrium. I would recommend 2-3 hours, maybe even 4 if you’re going thoroughly to see everything. I would highly recommend if you’re bored in DC and want something to do.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Ian Bozung (7 months ago)

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

• Address: 600 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (37859)
• Phone: +1 202-633-2214
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Thursday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Saturday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM

  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
• Reviews:
  All of this incredible aeronautical history for free! The Smithsonian museums are such a gift. We went with our 4 kids aged 6 to 12 and they all had a great time. There’s something for everyone whether you’re a total science enthusiast or someone who doesn’t normally have much interest in this kind of thing. This is just a great family friendly activity. And did I mention that like all the Smithsonian museums at the National Mall, the museum is free?!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By C Hed (6 months ago)

  What an awesome incredible museum. So interactive and just tons to do! We spent 2 hours just walking around and seeing all the planes. Some of the coolest things are the two planes that you can walk inside and also the whole exhibit showcasing the Apollo missions.

  Seriously can’t wait for the whole museum to open. It’s an absolute must do even with half open. 10 out of 10 Ill be back.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By James Smith (2 months ago)

  Despite only half the museum being open, the amount of information on display will keep you occupied for a few hours.
  The cafe is rather expensive but tasty.
  The staff were friendly and helpful.
  I thoroughly enjoyed the speed, first flight and Wright Brothers exhibitions.
  The X-Wing from Star Wars was a bit random but welcome nonetheless.
  Definitely worth going to but book your tickets in advance.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Gary Jelks (3 weeks ago)

  A lovely gift to the city of Washington.
  Its a 2 floor museum with a cafe on the ground floor. The tickets are free but need to be taken. I want to say Huge section of the museum is closed for renovation and I took around 4 hours to visit the museum. Its very informative , presentable and interactive place even the kids can enjoy it. You can see the first as well as the lasts of things used in space. The Planetarium section have two movies which are paid but it is worth an experience I would say. The movies are short around 25 minutes.

  The gift store is pretty huge and have different merch available in variety of products. Highly recommended museum for all age groups.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sakina Dahodwala (a month ago)

  This is a must see for everyone! This museum is huge! It encompasses this history of aviation in America and around the world. That particular day the museum was super crowded yet we were able to navigate it due to its size and organization of the exhibits.

  In regards to being accessible it was well laid out and accessible for my scooter. The bathrooms were also easy to navigate. My one complaint is that they have a scattered array of benches. In some areas there are more than enough and in others there are no where near enough for those that may need to take a break and sit down.

  My favorite exhibit was the one on the space ship. I also like how they have ramps all throughout the building to be able to see the air craft from all levels.

  Two other areas that could improve are the fact that they do not have any cafe or place to have lunch. You can get popcorn and soda if you are seeing one of the IMAX movies. You could literally spend all day here and it would be nice if there is a place where you could get a small lunch.

  Also, they had a private event going on and had an area blocked off where visitors should be able to see. We literally had to go around the entire building to get to the other side. They could’ve made a path for visitors to get through without having to run a marathon to see everything.

  This really is a great place to visit and it’s pretty amazing that these exhibits are over flow from the other museum.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Cat Lady (7 months ago)

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

• Address: 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (35351)
• Phone: +1 202-633-4888
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

  Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

  Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

  Thursday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

  Friday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

  Saturday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

  Sunday: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
• Reviews:
  If you are a local or just visiting from out of town, the National zoo is a must go-to location. They have a wide array of animals to sight see and interactive learning activities throughout the park. Entrance is free for everyone, but you should note you do have to download tickets before entering. You can bring your own food in, no alcohol is allowed in from outside but is sold within the park. As a local, I come here for the experience and also to walk when it is warm outside. Parking is slightly a hassle as you have to find parallel parking on the narrow streets of DC, the zoo also has parking but it is $30 per car. The shows are now back, which i really enjoyed this interactive bird show hole I was there. My only suggestions are removing the lines for indoor exhibits. Masks are not required nor is social distancing within the park, but they limit the amount of people in some of the indoor exhibits causing extensive lines which took about 15-20 minutes to get inside. Also, the bathroom facilities were not clean and did not have paper towels. Additionally, there was hardly an security and no one checking bags at entrance. Just a heads up I also went on Memorial Day weekend, in the morning there wasn’t much of a crowd but after 12 there were so many people it was difficult to walk. I would recommend during the weekday or coming at opening if you want less crowd. Overall though I had a wonderful experience and will be back.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Alex Pierce (7 months ago)

  Excellent zoo! Very clean, with friendly staff, and a great selection of animals on exhibit. They have places to eat, a carousel for the kids, a few gift shops. The animals look healthy and pretty happy. It is a bit of a trek though and pretty hilly. You will get a workout! The restrooms are spaced out pretty far from each other, but they do have good signage to point out how far the next one is. We did the parking pass which was a lifesaver and way better than parking on the street. We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to go back!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Matt Miller (6 months ago)

  The zoo is great and we really enjoyed the experience. You have to request tickets ahead of your visit. You can print them or it can be scanned on your phone/tablet. Not overly crowded when we arrived around 11 am. Some of the vendors were closed but for the most part everything was open and easily accessible. You have to walk a lot so I advise parent to bring strollers and any buggy/cart for the smaller kids. I overheard some younger people complaining about the strollers but it’s a lifesaver during the visit. There are carts you can rent as well but bring your own to save money. Also, bring your own food, drinks, snacks etc. The prices for food and souvenirs isn’t crazy expensive but we managed with our own snacks. We only bought ice cream for the kids and a small toy. Definitely recommend for young kids and all the young at heart. The animals were delightful to see.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Shonda Salami (9 months ago)

  Free zoo that is fun for all groups, if you really want to see it all, plan to spend at least 3 hours. You do need to reserve tickets online at the zoo website though. They have tons of vending machines throughout as well God food options. Our favorite parts were the small mammal exhibit, the pandas and the large cats exhibit.

  Do note that some animals may be sleeping or some exhibits might be closed for renovations. Check ahead if you are coming for something specific. They also have a really nice gift shop, 4 parking lots and cycle parking as well.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Alan Varghese (5 months ago)

  Went on a rainy day but it still e as very enjoyable. You could find most of the animals in their inside habitats. I would have loved to see them outside but it was great to have an alternative considering the circumstances. Really liked the idea of the food trucks and the snack/sweet treats they had. Just know that’s if you drive there, there is a $30 parking fee. If you walk up its free

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By LaKeisha Beecham (6 months ago)

National Museum of African American History and Culture

• Address: 1400 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (22887)

Smithsonian National Museum of American History

• Address: 1300 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (20662)

Washington Monument

• Address: 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (17599)

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

• Address: 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl SW, Washington, DC 20024, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (13760)

United States Botanic Garden

• Address: 100 Maryland Ave SW, Washington, DC 20001, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (12746)

International Spy Museum

• Address: 700 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.4 (10960)

National Portrait Gallery

• Address: 8th St NW & G St NW, Washington, DC 20001, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (10628)

National Museum of the American Indian

• Address: 4th St SW, Washington, DC 20560, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (8046)

Although District of Columbia is a large state with many amazing places to visit, these 12 locations stand out as the best according to traveler ratings and reviews. Did your favorite spot make the cut? Let us know in the comments above!