Washington DC is truly an incredible city to visit- especially for history lovers. There is so much to do and see! I recently had the opportunity to visit for the first time, but I only had one day. Despite the rushed timeline, I still felt like I was able to see all of the most important sights. If you want to see Washington DC in one day, you need to make the most of your time and be prepared for a busy day filled with lots of walking. I’ve put together this Washington DC one day itinerary to help you plan the perfect one day in Washington DC!
First Stop: Capitol Hill
Our first stop is the Capitol Building. It is cool to see from the outside, and there are also guided tours available of the Capitol and the Library of Congress. Capitol Hill is located a short walk from Union Station, making it a very convenient first stop if you are taking the train into the city for the day.
Second Stop: Smithsonian Museum of American History
Most of the important sights in Washington DC border the Washington Mall- a large park in the downtown area. Our first stop along the Washington Mall will be the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Although there are a few Smithsonian museums in Washington DC, I picked the American History one because it seemed the most unique to Washington DC. But all of the Smithsonian museums are free to visit, so take your pick!
Third Stop: Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is very tall and prominent- you can see it from a distance pretty much the whole walk around the mall. But if you want to get up close, it is about a 10 minute walk from the history museum.
Fourth Stop: The White House
For the next stop, we will venture off the Washington Mall to the White House- the most iconic location in Washington DC. It is about a 20 minute walk from the Washington Monument. Make sure you see both sides- you can view it from the front and the back! I was surprised to find you could not actually get very close to the building- there may have been extra security the day I visited but I was a little disappointed that it was difficult to even get a good picture.
I would recommend stopping for lunch after visiting the White House- there were some good cafes and restaurants in that area, and I didn’t find many in the rest of the areas I visited after.
Fifth Stop: World War 2 Memorial
The WW2 memorial is the first of a few war memorials you can visit while walking along the Washington Mall. I found this one particularly stunning. It is a 15-20 minute walk from the White House.
Sixth Stop: Lincoln Memorial and Reflection Pool
A short walk from the WW2 memorial, you will find the reflection pool, which is right in front of the Lincoln memorial. Both are must-sees while visiting Washington DC.
Seventh Stop: Vietnam Veterans Memorial
A very short walk from the Lincoln memorial is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The stark and somber appearance of this memorial made it particularly moving to me.
Eight Stop: Korean War Veterans Memorial
Next is the Korean War Veterans Memorial, another important stop along the Washington Mall. It is about a 5 minute walk from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Ninth Stop: District of Columbia War Memorial
About a 5 minute walk from the Korean War memorial is the District of Columbia war memorial. It honours the citizens of DC that served in WW1.
Tenth Stop: MLK Memorial
The Martin Luther King memorial is a few minutes walk away from the DC war memorial. It is another incredible must-see memorial.
Eleventh Stop: FDR Memorial
After the MLK memorial, you can begin to walk around the tidal basin to the FDR memorial- it is only about 5 minutes away.
Final Stop: Jefferson Memorial
Continuing along the tidal basin, you will walk to your final stop- the Jefferson Memorial. It is a little bit further way- about a 15 minute walk from the FDR memorial.
In my opinion, those are all of the most important sights! From the Jefferson Memorial, I would recommend taking an Uber back to the train station, or the area near the Smithsonian museums if you are ready to get dinner. If you have any time or energy left, there are also tons more museums in Washington DC you could consider visiting, but if you complete this whole itinerary, it will like take you most of the day (and so many steps!).
I hope this itinerary helps you plan the perfect one day in Washington DC!
In summary, here is a list of what to see (in order) if you have one day in Washington DC:
- Capitol Hill
- Smithsonian Museum of American History
- Washington Monument
- The White House
- WW2 Memorial
- Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Korean Veterans Memorial
- DC War Memorial
- MLK Memorial
- FDR Memorial
- Jefferson Memorial
Happy traveling!
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