1 day Washington DC itinerary (a Sunday)

[Dsnydad2]

I am wondering if anyone has done a 1-full-day, Sunday, visit of Washington DC and has a suggested 1-day itinerary? I pick Sunday for free parking upon arriving around 7-8am. Monuments will be seen including Arlington cemetery, but not sure what priority to give museums. All in walking distance.
And eating ideas for lunch and dinner.
Planning to stay late which means I would like to stay at a budget hotel Sunday night and return to Ohio on a Monday morning. Hotel ideas?
All possible with 2-3 adults.
Thanks!

 

[Dan Murphy]

I am wondering if anyone has done a 1-full-day, Sunday, visit of Washington DC and has a suggested 1-day itinerary? I pick Sunday for free parking upon arriving around 7-8am. Monuments will be seen including Arlington cemetery, but not sure what priority to give museums. All in walking distance.
And eating ideas for lunch and dinner.
Planning to stay late which means I would like to stay at a budget hotel Sunday night and return to Ohio on a Monday morning. Hotel ideas?
All possible with 2-3 adults.
Thanks!

One piece of advice. The distance to be covered, from Arlington, to the memorials, to the museums, is a LOT. And time spent at each can be quite time consuming. Just like WDW, plan as much as you want, within reason, but be flexible in cutting things out as you go through your day there.

 

[starry_solo]

Unless you want to zoom through the museums, like enter and walk quickly through, you can only do one, maybe two museums max. If you want to spend any sort of time reading the tags on the various items, you will only do one. We spent a week in DC and didn't even get to see them all. We ate lunches at the cafeterias inside the museums.

Washington Monument has a timed entry that you can get reservations for online (or at 7 a.m. in person for later that day).

 

[moniqueand2]

I'd drive to Arlington Cemetary first thing in the morning, then drive to the Iwa Jima memorial (right outside Arlington). Then proceed to DC, and prioritize the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Then any other ideas you can fit in.

 

[CynBeth]

For the Washington Monument you can order tickets online the day before at 10 am but you have to be quick they go fast. Make sure you are registered on the National park service website. A suggestion for a meal is the cafe in the Museum of the American Indian used to be a favorite which had a variety of choices that were a little different. We have not been there in a few years so not sure if that has changed.

 

[GAN]

If you do Arlington, you’re looking at 1 museum maybe two if you hurry. I’d say you have a choice -monuments or museums. Im not a DC expert but you might be able to see Arlington early AM then walk the mall from Lincoln Memorial up to the Washington Monument along with the Vietnam, Korean, and WWII memorials before noon(?). Then choose a museum for the afternoon. American History is an obvious good choice and the Holocaust as well …you may be able to get both done depending on their hours on a Sunday.

 

[focusondisney]

I think it’s very easy to overestimate what you’ll get done. Everything is further away than you think. Arlington & the museums close, I think at 5 pm. But the monuments are open at night. So you could start with Arlington, do which ever museum you choose & then see the monuments. Depending on your interests, the Air & Space, American History & Holocaust museums are popular. The MLK & FDR monuments are also worth seeing.

Personally, I also could never go to Washington without stopping into the National Archives & seeing the Constitution. Another suggestion if you’re interested is take the Metro to the Pentagon & see the 9/11 memorial. Very moving & beautiful.

 

[AppleDumpling]

You need to prioritize what you want to see. I agree you should choose one or two museums at best, or focus on the memorials. However, because you can visit the memorials at any time, it’s possible to fit them in in the early and late hours when the museums are closed, and they are beautiful when lit at night (and usually less crowded).

If you can find a free metered spot near the National Mall, I would suggest leaving the car there for the day. There is paid parking in a garage at Arlington cemetery if you opt to drive there. Be aware it’s about a mile walk from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington. And if you walk the length of the mall, it’s over 2 miles from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, with the Washington monument about halfway. FYI, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum is currently closed for renovations until sometime in the fall.

 

[Dan Murphy]

choose a museum for the afternoon. American History is an obvious good choice and the Holocaust as well …you may be able to get both done depending on their hours on a Sunday.

Everybody tours differently for sure, but when we were there, 2010, on one of our days we planned on seeing the Holocaust museum and then the Treasury. We had reservations for the Holocaust Museum for like maybe 9:30. We thought we would see it all in 3 or 4 hours tops. Well, from the time we started at the top until we finished at the bottom, we were there about 7 ½ hours, and pretty much moving along all the time. And fully drained emotionally, and also physically I think. Needless to say, no Treasury tour.

It is a museum that should be seen by everybody, but not sure how it would be on a one day visit, trying to do all the other things.

 

[SteveMouse]

What Sunday you are visiting can also make a significant difference. There are often events that can make weekends quite crowded, and parking is almost always at a premium.

It is faster to walk across the Mall than it is to take Metro.

Air and Space, American History, and Natural History are among the most popular museums on the Mall itself.

The hop-on-hop-off buses can work to your advantage.

 

[GAN]

Everybody tours differently for sure, but when we were there, 2010, on one of our days we planned on seeing the Holocaust museum and then the Treasury. We had reservations for the Holocaust Museum for like maybe 9:30. We thought we would see it all in 3 or 4 hours tops. Well, from the time we started at the top until we finished at the bottom, we were there about 7 ½ hours, and pretty much moving along all the time. And fully drained emotionally, and also physically I think. Needless to say, no Treasury tour.

It is a museum that should be seen by everybody, but not sure how it would be on a one day visit, trying to do all the other things.

Totally agree. Absolutely draining, but necessary.

 

[mikehn]

There arent any budget hotels in DC proper. Arlington Cemetery isnt walking distance to any of the museums. However there is a subway station right at Arlington Cemetery and a subway station at the Smithsonian mall where the most popular museums are. Old Ebbitt Grill is a wildly popular restaurant a couple blocks from the White House. Several blocks north of the Smithsonian mall are a few restaurants by Jose Andres. Otherwise there are a ton of food trucks and other fast food options around the Smithsonian area.

 

[pookybean]

Im not sure what budget is to you, but I just booked the Washington Plaza (its Logan Circle, i think, about 20 mins walk from the mall) for $165/night.

We are going to be there 5 days, but its our first time so no suggestions for the itinerary or food!

 

[rwdavis2]

The 3 top, IMHO, museums are Air and Space (under major renovation), Natural History, American History. The distance from Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol is 2 miles.

Any of those 3 museums can take 2-4 hours to see. You will have to priorotize what you want to do.

 

[lovesmurfs]

One thing we found in Balboa Park (San Diego) that you do get museum-weary, and you reach the point of diminishing returns. For a one-day DC experience, I'd frankly choose one that interests your party. You could do Arlington in the morning.

DH and I did a whirlwind Saturday for our 25th - Air and Space (looks like it's closed through the fall), monuments, dinner (at the National Press Club -- it wasn't particularly memorable), and a show (Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit). We were truly tired.

 

[Dan Murphy]

DH and I did a whirlwind Saturday for our 25th - Air and Space (looks like it's closed through the fall), monuments, dinner (at the National Press Club -- it wasn't particularly memorable), and a show (Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit). We were truly tired.

 

[PollyannaMom]

We spent a few days in DC several years ago, and really enjoyed it. We concentrated on the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo, and also did a Monuments at Night tour that was really good. I dont think you can realistically do a ton in one day, but if that's all the time you have, and you're set on Arlington, I'd do that first, then whatever free museums you have time for (starting with the one most important to you) and then the nighttime monuments tour if it's available that day.

 

[rwdavis2]

Arlington is well worth a visit. Graves of several WWII generals, JFK's, Audie Murphy and more. The graves of Joe Louis and Lee Marvin are next to each other. After that pick one museum. I would recommend Natural or American History. You can stroll among the monuments. From those 2 museums you're close enough to Washington, WWII, Viet Nam, Lincoln.

 

[GAN]

I am wondering if anyone has done a 1-full-day, Sunday, visit of Washington DC and has a suggested 1-day itinerary? I pick Sunday for free parking upon arriving around 7-8am. Monuments will be seen including Arlington cemetery, but not sure what priority to give museums. All in walking distance.
And eating ideas for lunch and dinner.
Planning to stay late which means I would like to stay at a budget hotel Sunday night and return to Ohio on a Monday morning. Hotel ideas?
All possible with 2-3 adults.
Thanks!

I forgot to ask -is this a summer trip? Because one factor to consider in this itinerary is the potential for brutal heat that will sap every ounce of life out of you!

 

[leebee]

I'd do Arlington in the morning. We were there several hours, took the bus shuttle to different places, stayed for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I'd do this first, then pick one museum for the afternoon. For the evening, take one of the bus tours that do the monuments by moonlight- an evening tour- that stops in several locations. I really like the night bus tours, with the monuments all lit up.