Visiting the nation’s capital is a rite of passage for many kids growing up in America. Filled with history, culture, and national landmarks, there is enough to keep you busy if you took a dozen trips here. With so much to see and do, DC is a city you should look to cross off your family’s travel bucket list.
For a short visit, stay in the city.
We had 3 days in DC and in order to maximize our time, we stayed in the city. Hotels are more expensive in the district than in the suburbs, but there are lots of options for all different budgets. Staying in the city will save you time and allow you to see more on a short visit.
You don’t need a car.
This is a tricky one because DC is so accessible by car from much of the east coast and many people drive there instead of fly. But once you get there, you really don’t need your car. We handed over our keys to the valet when we checked in to our hotel and didn’t get the car back until we checked out. You can walk or take the metro basically anywhere you would want to go. Parking is SO expensive in the city. Our hotel charged $65 a night for our mid-size SUV! To save money, you can park your car outside the city at long-term lots at the airport or certain metro stations. (Full disclosure… we opted not to do that because our trip was so short but it would have been worthwhile had we been staying longer.)
Wear comfortable shoes.
On this trip, our only method of transportation was our feet. We walked literally everywhere. Walking is a great way to get a feel for the city and to make some spontaneous stops along the way. Just be prepared with good walking shoes. We walked over 10 miles (25,000+ steps) the day we toured the monuments.
There are so many FREE places to go!
The monuments and all the Smithsonian museums (and zoo) are free! You can spend days just visiting the monuments and museums and never pay a dime in entry fees. There are so many fantastic options that you won’t run out of free places to go.
Get off the beaten path a little.
Monuments and museums are #1 and 2 on most families’ agenda, and for good reason. But there is so much to explore beyond these DC classics. Spend some time researching other sites that are a little off the National Mall beaten path. We found Ford’s Theatre and the White House Visitor Center to be hidden gems.
Don’t miss Mount Vernon.
Located about 20 miles outside the city, Mount Vernon isn’t on a typical DC itinerary. But it should be. It is well worth venturing outside the city to visit this historic site. There are tons of great kids’ activities and so many things to see and do. If you’ve ditched your car like I recommended above, you can get there with a tour group or by taking a scenic boat ride down the Potomac River.
