The Original Guide to Washington, DC
Home to The White House, the National Mall and 19 Smithsonian Museums, Washington, DC, is a city that never grows old. There’s little you won’t find in its storied neighbourhoods, whether it’s Michelin-starred restaurants, wildlife-filled parks or some of the East Coast’s best street art
01/07/2026
Words: Tamara Hinson
Empire of Mud is a gritty historical chronicle revealing 19th-century Washington, DC, as a lawless outpost
A live performance at the Go-Go Museum & Café (Sam Johnson III)
Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), Sally Aiken (Penny Fuller) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) in All the President’s Men
Pre-trip culture checklist
Read: Empire of Mud: The Secret History of Washington, DC, by New York Times bestselling author JD Dickey, for a fascinating insight into the somewhat haphazard evolution of the US’s capital city.
Listen: Washington, DC-born musician Chuck Brown was known as the Godfather of Go-Go, credited with creating the city’s signature sound in the 1970s. The Go-Go Museum & Cafe is an essential stop-off for music fans.
Watch: All the President's Men, which was shot mostly around the National Mall and tells the story of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, was filmed in 1976, but you’ll still struggle to find a better insight into DC politics – specifically the Watergate scandal.
A mural of Duke Ellington on the side of the True Reformer Building
A local’s view
“One of the most fascinating lesser-known spots in the city is the True Reformer Building in the Shaw neighbourhood. Built in 1903, it was one of the first major buildings in the United States financed, designed, constructed and owned by African Americans. While visitors often focus on DC’s political history, this building tells an equally important story of Black entrepreneurship, resilience and community leadership.”
Neo-Gothic Washington National Cathedral is the second-largest church building in the US
New view
Yes, the view from the top of the Washington Monument is pretty spectacular (on a clear day, you can see the US Capitol, the White House and Arlington National Cemetery) but we recommend minimising the risk of a selfie-stick photobomb and heading to Washington National Cathedral’s rooftop – the highest point in DC. Keep an eye out for the fearsome gargoyles.
Kangxi-period porcelain in the Peacock Room; 14th-century wooden Bodhisattva sculpture. Both at the Freer Gallery in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
Rainy-day saviours
There are 17 Smithsonian museums in Washington, DC, but consider avoiding the big hitters and exploring lesser-known institutions, such as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. “My favourite spot is the Tibetan Buddhist Shrine Room, an immersive space where visitors are enveloped by the soothing sounds of chanting monks and the sight of hundreds of historical bronzes, paintings and silk hangings created in Tibet, China and Mongolia,” says Diana Greenwold, the museum’s associate director for curatorial affairs.
The original star-spangled banner on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History
The original… star-spangled banner
Head to the National Museum of American History to admire this (slightly tatty) 9m-by-10m flag, made in 1813 by flag maker Mary Pickersgill. In 1814 it was raised over Fort McHenry to signal America’s victory over the British – a sight which inspired Francis Scott Key to write ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’.
Bird’s-eye view
When you fly into Washington Dulles airport, you approach from the west so, while you won’t see the city’s monuments laid out in all their glory, you’ll get gorgeous views of Northern Virginia’s forests and the Bull Run Mountains (above). Look closely and you’ll spot some of this rugged region’s numerous ruins, which include the remains of 17th-century homesteads and of the historic Chapman-Beverly grist mill.
Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) take a breather from jogging in Washington, DC, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
As seen on screen
No, this film doesn’t feature political scandals or provide insights into Washington, DC’s history, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier shows off its best bits in all their glory. We love the scene in which Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson (Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie respectively) jog around the National Mall, and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum has a starring role, too.
The Washington Metrorail system is fully accessible
Access all areas
All of Metrorail’s Washington, DC, stations and trains are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, while every Metrobus is fitted with either a low-floor ramp or a lift. The Metro Rail and Bus Guide contains a wealth of information for travellers with disabilities.
The sensory six
The fragrant rose garden at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens (washington.org)
Kenilworth’s water lilies often attract noisy wildlife (Anastasiya Romanova)
Elaborate seafood tower at Old Ebbitt Grill (washington.org)
Touching the statue’s nose may or may not make you smarter… (washington.org)
The pointillist portrait honours the late justice’s lifelong dedication to women’s rights
An Amber drone, used for photographic reconnaissance, in the Spy Museum’s lobby (Nic Lehoux)
Smell
One of Washington, DC’s most fragrant spots is the gardens at the Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens. There’s a herb garden filled with aromatic perennials, and the Greenhouse is where you’ll find the gardens’ chocolate and vanilla-scented Oncidium Sharry Baby orchid.
Hear
Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens’ glorious soundtrack is a combination of birdsong, croaking American bullfrogs and the splashes made by turtles as they paddle across the park’s lily pad-dotted ponds.
Taste
Founded in 1856, Old Ebbitt Grill is Washington, DC’s oldest saloon. Oysters are taken seriously here, so much so that the restaurant has an oyster eater’s Bill of Rights.
Touch
Albert Einstein’s nose, for good luck. The four-tonne Albert Einstein Memorial, depicting the scientist holding a list of mathematical equations, is in the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences.
See
Hotel Zena’s enormous portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, made from 20,000 hand-painted tampons.
Sixth sense
Find out whether you’ve got a sixth sense at the International Spy Museum, where you can try your hand at code-cracking before taking on undercover missions.
A City View Studio King room at the Viceroy Washington DC
Where to stay
Stay at the 178-room Viceroy Washington DC and you’ll be just a short walk from the National Mall. Splash out on a King Suite for stunning city views and one of DC’s largest bathtubs, positioned next to the window for (even more) breathtaking skyline vistas. All of the bedrooms are flooded with natural light and filled with artwork depicting local neighbourhoods. Don’t miss the chance to dine at the Dovetail restaurant, which specialises in elevated comfort food. The devilled eggs with kimchi are to die for.
A Texas-style barbecue platter at 2fifty
Where to dine
2fifty, in downtown’s Mount Vernon Triangle area, is a meat-lover’s paradise. Satisfy your inner carnivore and chow down on the restaurant’s briskets, ribs or sausages, cooked without gas on a wood-burning fire. Try the smoked ribs topped with coriander and lime.
The Lincoln Memorial was modelled after the Parthenon in ancient Athens (Eric Ryan Anderson)
The one thing…
You simply can’t visit Washington, DC, and not check out the National Mall, home to iconic locations such as the Lincoln Memorial – the setting for Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. But there are plenty of lesser-known treasures, too. The Constitution Gardens is a fantastic picnic spot and 50-acre urban oasis that’s home to the Signers Memorial honouring the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Paris and Washington, DC, have more in common than you might think (Alexander Kagan)
Where next?
If you love Washington, DC’s sense of grandeur, it’s got to be Paris. A fun fact? Pierre Charles L’Enfant, the French American artist who planned Washington, DC, in the late 1700s, was inspired by Paris’s layout. Both cities have similar features, including a grid-like layout overlaid with wide diagonal boulevards (examples of these include DC’s Pennsylvania Avenue and Paris’s Boulevard Haussmann) and a skyline dotted with national monuments.
