37 Washington DC Travel Tips! {What to Know Before You Go}

Take your family on an epic trip of historical proportions with these best Washington DC Travel Tips!

Planning a trip to Washington D.C., to get in touch with your U.S. History and to see how our government works up close??

There is so much to see and do.  In fact, there really is something for everyone.  From museums, to monuments, to restaurants, it’s time to start dreaming of your tip to the U.S. Capitol!

Don’t miss these best Washington DC Travel Tips, that I’ve put together for you with the help of your frugal friends!

If you’ve been searching for the ultimate Washington D.C. Travel Guide, you just hit the jackpot!  Here’s what you need to know before you go…

Related: 22 Southwest Airlines Hacks! {Tips To Know Before You Fly}

So You’re Planning a Trip to Washington DC?

To keep your vacation to the nations capital budget-friendly, you’ll need to plan ahead.  One of the first things you’ll want to do is start stashing cash away for your  ‘DC Trip Fund’.  Need to increase your travel fund stash?  One of the easiest ways is to make extra money on the side in your free time!  Here’s my favorite trick for ramping up the vacation budget…

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Best Washington DC Travel Tips ::

Here are my personal tips for cheap and free things to do in Washington DC:

Washington Monument:  Book ahead and take the walk to the top of the Washington Monument for some of the very best views of the U.S. Capitol.  If the Washington Monument is closed or you can’t get tickets, try going to the Old Post Office Clock Tour instead for some fun views.  Tickets prices for the Washington Monument are typically very inexpensive.

{Justin took a quick second to shift the Washington Monument over just a bit… my hubby’s sooooo strong!!}

Walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial:  This walk takes you along the National Mall, past the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial Reflection Pool before arriving at the giant statue of Abraham Lincoln.  Walking is free, just wear good walking shoes!

{don’t laugh at the shoes ~ I’m a flip flop girl, but for a day of walking, shoes it was!   I can’t even begin to tell you how good it felt to sit for a minute!}

{ooh ~ you’ll recognize this guy!  hint… he was honest}

National Archives Building: This is an easy walk from the National Mall and a must do!  Here you can see the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights in person.  It was surreal to actually see these 200+ year old documents in person.  Entrance is free.

International Spy Museum: The Spy Museum was located just a few blocks north of the National Mall and was my teenage boys favorite museum to visit.  This museum was like walking through a real life James Bond movie, it even included the Aston Martin from the 1964 Goldfinger movie.  Your kiddos can try their hands at being a spy by going on their own interactive spy mission.

Smithsonian American History Museum:  The highlight of the American History Museum was Julia Child’s kitchen.  It looked just like the kitchen from the Julie and Julia movie.  If you love American History, there is a lot to see here including the Gunboat Philadelphia, John Bull Locomotive, and more.  Entrance is free.

Smithsonian Natural History Museum: This is a fun place to hang out with giant dinosaurs, see the Hope Diamond in person, and walk past a giant 25 foot long squid!  Entrance is free.

{I was just a girl out on the town!}

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: This was our favorite Smithsonian Museum.  Highlights include the Wright Brothers Plane, a U2 Spy Plane, a Lunar Rover, and The Charles Lindbergh Spirit of St Louis.  Entrance is free.

Holocaust Memorial Museum: So this was a very sad and sobering stop on our trip.  It was an important reminder of what has happened in the past.  Entrance is free.

Friendship Arch in Chinatown: Take a picture with the Friendship Arch when you’re grabbing lunch at one of the many restaurants in the area.  We stayed near the beautiful Friendship Arch… and why yes, yes… that is a Starbucks up on the corner there!  We became close, close friends on this trip, thanks to jet lag & a 3-hour time change!

Frugal Restaurant Tip: Use my Eat Out Cheap Ideas to save money when you’re in DC.  While we were there, my hubby and I were also both celebrating our birthdays.  As you know, that meant our email accounts were being flooded with restaurant birthday freebies!  We took advantage of needing to eat out by scoring free food.

We ate two of our dinners… here!  {YUM!}

Visit the Jefferson Memorial at Sunset:  We enjoyed amazing views of the memorial and across the water.  It was not too busy later in the day, the temps were cooler for late spring and it was so quiet and peaceful!  ee drove over to see the Jefferson Memorial at sunset ~ so beautiful!  Entrance is free.

More Washington DC Travel Tips:

Now, read on for even more amazing Washington DC Travel Tips shared by your frugal friends:

Jackie said: “We love DC!!! We stay at the Virginian Suites Hotel in Arlington and take the Metro everywhere. We go in February and yes it is cold, but no lines or people it great for us.
Did I mention great prices on airfare, hotels and attractions!  Out of everything I’ve seen in DC, the Holocaust Memorial is something that moved me more than I could ever explain.
I definitely recommend Arlington National Cemetery as well, to honor those heroes.  So many fabulous things to do many of which are free!!”

Alison said: “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.”

Lorelei said: “The Metro there is awesome, use that when possible! I would skip the aquarium in DC, it was not worth the $- we have a better selection at our regional zoo.
It’s in a basement if that gives you an idea of the size.”

Laura said: “The zoo is nice and it is free.”

Michelle said: “Metro is easy to travel and don’t forget to visit the Pentagon!”

Samantha said: “You can’t park where all the monuments are so take the hotel shuttle to the subway.”

Score Free Coffee at Starbucks!  With all the fresh air, and walking… you just might be needing a caffeine fix!  We also purchased smoothies and snacks, as Starbucks food was cheaper than what we could get at many of the museums.  There are lots of Starbucks locations on DC, so check this out…

Starbucks Money Saving Hacks

Marie said: “I live about an hour away from DC.  So many things to do!  We always pack food and take the Metro in with our two kids 4 and 21 months. They love it!  My 4 year old says ‘mommy I love going to DC!’ They love the monuments and the zoo too!”

Michelle said: “Have comfortable shoes! Drink lots of water. Request tickets at least 6 months in advance for some attractions & tours from your Congress Person. All of it is great to see!”

Krista said: “I just moved to the area–the Tidal Basin Area is fantastic, with a lovely walk from FDR to Jefferson, Jefferson to Washington Monument, then Washington Monument to the WWII and Lincoln Memorial.  Then head back, over through MLK, and back to FDR at the Tidal Basin. The great thing about this walk? 

If you get there early, parking along the Rock Creek Parkway is free for three hours.  That is just enough time to mosey along (or walk more quickly and take an hour to rent a paddle boat on the Tidal Basin for 12 bucks!).  The Korean War Memorial is right near the Lincoln, so we usually include it in the loop.”

{check out this good-lookin’ house!  It was big… and white!  hint, hint…} 😉

Mary said: “We took the Double Decker Bus from Union Station for a two day pass.  I would recommend that you tour the whole route to get your bearings and then stop to do what you want.
Use the bus stop at the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial to walk over to the War memorials.  Be sure to take advantage of other bus stops to see other sites.
Old Town in Alexandria was neat, I enjoyed our night by the wharf and the shops down there.”

Deborah said: “We spent 6 days doing nothing but the Smithsonian…going to the different museums each day and taking our time. It was wonderful and truly amazing.”

Rhonda said: “Arlington National Cemetery and the National Cathedral are musts. We also enjoyed Ford’s Theater. All were fantastic.”

Score a Deal on your Washington DC Car Rental!  There are so many beautiful places to explore all around Washington D.C…. and you’ll need a car to see most of them!  There are a few easy Rental Car Hacks to slash your costs that you’ll want to put to use!  Here are my favorite tricks to save BIG on car rentals…

19 Ways to Save Money on Rental Cars

Jennifer said: “The Spy Museum near Ford’s Theater.”

Debra said: “Seeing the Pentagon was so special.  The Smithsonian Museums were absolutely mind blowing.  I would recommend eating at the American Indian museum there… the food was sublime.”

Melissa said: “Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum (both Smithsonian museums and FREE!).  You can also call your Congressman’s office and request a tour of the Capitol!!!
Ages ago I used to be a tour guide for the Capitol when I interned for my Congressman during college, and it is well worth it!”

Sheryl said: “Just came back from there; we were so lucky to catch the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Always love riding Metro and visiting the memorials.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden is also wonderful place to visit on a sunny day.  If you want to take the US Capitol Building Tour, be sure to contact your legislator well ahead of time to avoid the long lines at the visitors’ center.”

Inside Medieval Times (tips and tricks)

{located 29 miles north of D.C. in Hanover, Maryland}

Nicole said: “We went there in Oct 2011 for a week and it was our families favorite trip. We did all the major sites.
Supreme Court (listened to a case), Capital Tour, White House Tour, Library of Congress, American History Museum, National History Museum, the monuments…
Then onto the Pentagon, Arlington (changing of the guard was amazing, National Archives, Air and Space Museum, Bureau of Engraving, and finally the Holocaust Museum.
Each of us had our favorite.  We booked all of our tours in advance (6 months) and got them all.  It was worth not having to stand in lines.”

Gillian said: “Madam Tussauds Wax Museum, Spy Museum, Crime and Punishment Museum, Newseum, American Indian Museum, Botannical Gardens, Eastern Market, and Georgetown.”

Get Free Gas for Road Trips!  So wherever you plan to spend time around Washington DC, you’ll likely need to plan a road trip to see some of your favorite historical sites outside of the city.  Using Free Gas Gift Cards is a frugal way to make your trip to DC less expensive!

Free Gas Gift Cards for Driving To Historical Sites

Robin said: “My favorite museum is the Newseum. A little pricey but all 4 of my children ages 18-7 Love it!  Spent all day there… we were so into learning we forgot to have lunch!”

Karen said: “Mount Vernon was my favorite and a favorite of most of our 8th grade students!!”

Shelly said: “If you can venture out, check out the Marine Corps Museum in Quantico. Free and a great day.”

Lisa said: “My brother and I visited 6 weeks after 9/11 attacks. Some things weren’t open for us to visit like the White House and U.S. Capitol. But we really enjoyed the night tour of the memorials.
Mount Vernon was a favorite.  If you have a chance to venture a little further, take a day trip to Gettysburg.
We had a private tour guide drive our car for 4 hours around the battlefield, and it was really reasonable!  That was the highlight!”

Frugal DC Tip: Use my Eat Out Cheap Ideas to save money eating out!

Deb said: “We live on the VA side of the DC metro area. There is so much to see and do for free.  The monuments at night are the best.  Not as many people and they are so beautiful at night.”

Diane said: “Keep looking for a cheap hotel. We stayed at the L’enfant Plaza booked through AA.com for only $159/night!”

Deanna said: “All of this is making me homesick. We have been in FL for the past 4 years.  Eastern Market is a definite.
The National Cathedral is gorgeous and they usually have a flower/craft market at the end of April/beginning of May.
Try Sprinkles and Georgetown Cupcakes.

If you can spare it, have a great dinner at Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington for a great Hanger Steak with family style sides for $19.99.  If you have young kids, make a reservation when they first open.  Learn about the architecture of Downtown D.C. – The National Building Museum is amazing!  There is a fee to get in, but the tours are free and completely fascinating! 

Do an internet search of the city parks, DC has lots of amazing neighborhood parks.  On that note, also search U.S. National Park Service at nps.gov. They showcase parks in the area and around the nation.
As a final note, Theodore Roosevelt Island is fantastic.  Whew! I think that is all…for now. : )”

Jayne said: “I have been to D.C. and love it.  I was thrilled to visit the Pentagon.”

Laura said: “Before you go, order the National Park Passbook and also check out Junior Ranger opportunities through nps.gov.  The Passbook is about $10 & there are a lot of stamps to you can get in DC, which kids love!
Jr Ranger programs are typically free, or $1 for the patch if they have one.  They’re great fun and kids will learn about the park too.”

Frugal Washington DC Travel Tips:  Learn How to Travel for Free or Cheap to DC! {Budget Travel Hacks}

What To Pack for Washington D.C.:

Best Baby Travel Gear

Traveling with Baby?  Don’t leave home without these Baby Travel Gear Essentials!  I’ve taken my babies on the long flights so many times and these must-have items will make traveling with Baby so much easier!

Suitcases

Now that you’ve read through all of these incredible Washington DC Travel Tips… are you ready to get packing for the D.C.?  So make sure you’ve got some good sturdy luggage with wheels to take along!  Fun and unique prints on luggage are always great, because it always seems like every suitcase at the airport or hotel is black, right?  Someone will be a lot less likely to walk off with your luggage when it’s got a unique color or print!

Large Travel Purse

So every great trip starts with a large purse, right?  I have one large purse I save just for trips, and it’s perfect for storing my Kindle, Maps, Snacks, and even my Camera!  I never leave on a trip without it, and am always grateful for that extra space!

Travel Pillow

Make sleeping on those long flights a whole lot easier when you pack a comfy travel pillow!

So don’t board your plane without these 11 Carry On Must Haves!  They’re a lifesaver on long flights!

Be sure to leave extra room in your suitcase to bring home some souvenirs!

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So now that you’ve got inspired with these creative Washington DC Travel Tips, don’t miss out!  Get all the latest fun new Frugal Girls Travel Tips, Recipes, Frugal Living Tips + more right here…

So… have YOU every been to Washington D.C. before?

What are some of your favorite Washington DC Travel Tips for places to see, things to do, etc? Leave a comment & share!