15 Helpful Tips on Visiting Washington DC when Traveling with Family

• Instagram
• Pinterest

This post is all about Washington DC.

Washington DC! America’s capital is filled with plenty of history and beauty to fill up a week! I absolutely loved our family trip, and seeing that we all made it back alive, I’d say everyone else enjoyed it too.

After discovering that some family members had not been to the Smithsonian museums, we immediately booked a trip! Having been a kid the last time I went, I was dying to return and soak up as much knowledge as I could. Here is your guide to a family weekend in Washington DC!

How Long Do You Need in Washington DC?

We decided a three-day weekend in the city would be sufficient for some family fun before returning to work. If you are planning to do all the museums, I’d recommend planning to do two museums a day. We spent an average 3.5 hours in each museum, and our brains were exhausted from absorbing all the history and knowledge within these massive buildings. 

When to Go? – Cherry Blossom Washington DC

We were very fortunate to get a cooler weekend in July for our trip. I do recommend planning your trip based around the weather since you will be walking quite a bit between destinations. Another great time to come is during the cherry blossom season (March to April).

Where to Stay?

We found a very affordable Airbnb for our family of four adults right in the heart of Capitol Hill. Being in this area, you are within walking distance to restaurants, the Smithsonian Mall, the capitol building, and many of the monuments! I cannot recommend this residential area enough! 

You could spend a whole morning just walking around the neighborhood with pop up markets, beautiful old houses, and local cafes! I would suggest checking out the Eastern Market, an outdoor collection of fresh produce and meals. Plan to come a few hours after they open since we went right at eight am, and everyone was still getting set up. Another place to check out is Capitol Hill Books! Probably my favorite hidden gem of the trip.

How to Get Around

Parking is annoying and can get very expensive! I would highly suggest walking or renting scooters for anything within a 45 min walk. However, we did grab an uber when we went to Georgetown since it is a bit farther away. You could also brave the metro, but since COVID regulations were back in full swing, we decided to get our steps in for the weekend. Wear comfortable shoes!

The Museums – Things to Do in Washington DC

Museum of American History:

We were in here for four hours! We had a history buff in the group, but there was also so much to see with three floors filled with a variety of exhibits. Don’t miss this one! Even if history isn’t your thing, I promise you will find something in here that piques your interest whether it’s old cars, military history, or Dorothy’s ruby slippers.

National Gallery of Art:

The museum is split into a west building and an east building. The west has the most art where the east showcases a few galleries of modern art. I highly recommend starting at the main floor of the west building and then work your way down to the ground floor! It’s huge! I would give yourself at least three hours.

Also, a plus of visiting the east building, there is a fun underground walkway that takes you from one building to the other. You can reward yourself with something from the gelato bar in the west building which definitely hits the spot.

Museum of Natural History:

Get here early! We picked up breakfast and ate in front of the museum at nine. By the time half past rolled around, I couldn’t see the end of the line. This being the most popular museum of the Smithsonian Mall, there was always a line to get into the museum all day. Even getting there early, it was crowded inside. So be prepared if you decide to go on a weekend. But this museum is totally worth going to if you love dinosaurs and the history of the earth we live on. Don’t miss the Hope Diamond on the upper level!

The Food

Jimmy T’s Place:

Located in Capitol Hill, just blocks away from our apartment, we loved this local favorite! Breakfast was a dream and at an affordable price. From omelet to french toast, this place will satisfy anyone in your group. A plus was our awesome waiter who actually grew up upstairs! Come early for outdoor seating!

Le Bon Cafe

This cafe was literally right around the corner from our AirBnb which was perfect! This is where we grabbed breakfast on the way to the Natural History Museum. They had delicious smoothies, coffee, omelets, and home fries!

Food Trucks:

The perfect place for lunch in between your museums. You’ll find a variety of options here, so the whole family will be happy. Family got hot dogs, gyros, and pupusas (Grand Central Market has transformed me). If you’re going around lunch time, I’d suggest giving yourself an hour to order, eat and take a break from all the walking. There are benches and lots of greenery for a picnic!

Clyde’s:

We stopped in here for happy hour while we waited for our dinner reservation, and my god was it fun! We had a lovely bartender who got me to try an Irish old fashioned, and now it might be my favorite drink! I always ask the bartenders to surprise me with drinks when I’m traveling. 1.) because I’m 21 and haven’t tried a lot of different things, and 2.) I love hearing what other people recommend especially if it’s a local favorite.

Il Canale:

Known for their pizza, this place was delicious! You simply cannot come here and not order a pizza. My family can attest to this when they immediately regretted not all ordering pizzas. 

Old Ebbitt: 

This place was an amazing dinner! Best one of the weekend for sure! It’s a little fancier even though the dress code says casual. They are known as the oldest bar and restaurant in DC. They also take pride in their raw bar which has delicious oysters! Need more convincing? It’s only a block away from the White House too!

Georgetown Cupcakes:

You may know this bakery from its famous DC Cupcakes days, but I am telling you right now. This place is NOT WORTH IT! We waited almost two hours in line and still didn’t get any cupcakes. Their cupcakes may be great, but there is no way they are wait-in-line-for-over-two-hours great. 

I would suggest ordering your cupcakes ahead of time through their website, but it was booked a whole month in advance! So instead, I’d try out Baked and Wired which was another local recommendation or Sprinkles cupcakes.

More History

Lincoln Memorial at Sunrise: 

I could not write all about DC and not tell you to go to the Lincoln Memorial for sunrise! We left Capitol Hill an hour before sunrise and since it was the last day, we drove there. We found parking about a ten-minute walk from the memorial. Street parking will be your best bet since most parking garages nearby don’t open until 7am. Walk along the reflecting pool, and then go get your car because it’ll either be time to pay for a 2-hour spot or move it to a different destination. Another great photo opportunity!

Ford’s theater:

Visit the theater where Lincoln was shot! This was pretty fun with lots of history before you enter the theater. You must buy tickets to enter this building, but I would say it is something unique to do that is not far from the Smithsonian Mall. A bonus: you can even go right across the street and visit the house where he died. 

This weekend couldn’t have gone any better in my opinion! Everyone had fun and saw what they wanted to see. How we divided our days was by person, so everyone in the family got to pick one museum. Have you been to DC? What was your favorite part?

This post is all about Washington DC.