Am a bit miffed by your responses so far. You are asking, again, for suggested museums. You got suggestions but it seems that you have not followed up on any of them. With no reply from you, why should we offer more?

There is a lot to see in D.C. just along the Wahington Mall. You really need to do some of your own research.

Spend some time and scroll, zoom, move around this map: Map of the National Mall - Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, DC
Click on the icons for site names to see what interests YOU.

What interests you: the Air & Space Museum?, Art or Natural History?, Holocaust or Spy Museums? or ...

Obviously we don't know your interests but in addition to the Met, there is MOMA, the Museum of Modern Art as well as the Museum of Natural History. There are countless other museums including the previously mentioned Tenement Museum, there is the Museum of the City of New York, the Jewish Museum, the Frick, the Morgan Library, the Jewish Heritage Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, the Whitney which has the benefit of being at the foot of the High Line. There is of course the 9/11 Memorial and the Museum.

In Washington, there are so many museums that are part of the Smithsonian, all stand alone as well as others and it totally depends on your interests.

What mrwunrfl said.

BTW, I can't imagine seeing "everything" at NYC's Met in 10 hours. I can't imagine seeing it all in a week! But you can see some wonderful things in a day, or even a part of a day -- if you are very selective.

And, in D.C. you can have a nice day on the Washington Mall without even entering a museum. There are quite a few memorials and monuments some of which you are probably aware of from movies or the news.

Take the metro to the Smithsonian station and step onto the mall. You will see the Capitol building at one end and the Lincoln Memorial at the other end with the Washington Monument in between. Visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It is stunning.

Go to the Lincoln Memorial and read the words on the walls next to the statue. When you leave you will have the view that you saw in Forrest Gump. You can find the spot where MLK gave his I Have a Dream speech. Walk along the Tidal Basin, it is real pretty.

If you are ambitious, then go over to Arlington to visit the Marine Corps Memorial (the Iwo Jima statue) and you can enjoy a great view of the Mall and D.C.

Thanks all for your valuable suggestions, it was very helpful. And ... sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone by a repetitive or delayed post. Thanks once again.

You've gotten a lot of valuable information. Once you review it, let us know if you have further questions.

Good luck with your planning!

For where to stay, Queens should have cheap hotels. For 4 days in NYC, I'd recommend you go to central park and check out the boat house restaurant, as they offer cheap boat rentals. Usually, I like eating out at night and taking the NYC ferry across the east river ($4 per person, you get transportation and a nice view). Walking across the bridges and going to the World Trade Center + museums is a popular option for tourists. I'd recommend you book everything beforehand if possible, or schedule out time blocks, so that you can make the best use of your time. A hidden gym that is often overlooked is Flushing, Queens. There, you can find a wide selection of East Asian restaurants, malls, karaoke places, and street food. Tangram Mall is very popular currently, and has shops selling anime merch and has a Japanese style arcade. If you're interested in experiencing Japanese, Korean, and Chinese culture, Flushing is a great place to go. In my opinion, it's better than Chinatown.

I’m a fan of the Old Ebbitt Grill, also Ben’s for a half smoke with chili, breakfast at the Florida Avenue Grill for pork chops and eggs.

Just an FYI. Ben's is closed right now for renovations. They have a pop-up somewhere in the interim.

Agree with the recommendation to select two museums per city, one major, one smaller. Also a good idea to see major tourist area, plus some other area such as Georgetown in DC or Flushing in NY. But both Washington Metro, where you now can tap and pay, and NYC subway, where you also can tap and pay, are excellent to use …and quick, to boot.

Agree that NY combining Met and Tenement is a good idea. You won’t see all of either so must be selective. Both $30 each. For DC, the National Museum of African American History and Culture plus Renwick, both free, could work.

To speak with a local, try a pay what you wish tour in each city…or Big Apple Greeter (free) in NYC.

Try a Shake Shack in either city for Burgers and an ethnic spot or food hall in each city. Chelsea Market is a great one in NY.

Have fun. Amtrak is easy from NY to DC. Takes 3 1/2 hours. It connects to
metro/subway. If you can fly from DC to the NY airport you’ll use, that may be simplest.

Ben's pop up is right across the street from Ben's original spot which, as noted, is being renovated. 1208 U Street NW, DC. If you take in a ball game at National's Park, Ben's is located there as well.

Go to the Lincoln Memorial and read the words on the walls next to the statue. When you leave you will have the view that you saw in Forrest Gump. You can find the spot where MLK gave his I Have a Dream speech. Walk along the Tidal Basin, it is real pretty.

There is a lot of scaffolding and construction stuff surrounding the Lincoln Memorial while the new museum (located on the floor under Abe) is underway. Due to open in 2026. You can still get into the building to see the important parts of the memorial but most of the iconic views are obscured for the near term.

Hi, I live in NYC and just happened to see this post while I’m traveling in Portugal.

No offense to anyone but if you’re visiting NYC, I would not stay in Queens. I would try to find affordable accommodations in NYC even though it will be challenging. You won’t have much time during your stay and it’s part of the experience. Also, if you stay out late doing touristy things, you will not want to travel by subway home if you’re not familiar with where you’re going because subways are not safe at all times.

As far as museums, I also would suggest Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art and/or potentially the Whitney. The Whitney is in the meat-packing district which is, in and of itself, a very popular and trendy area to visit.

I’ll come back to this topic now that I’ve finished my own NY–DC tour in October. Regarding the train versus plane question: we took the train to Union Station and then a private transfer to the airport. I chose DCAcar because I wanted to avoid the crowds and know exactly what I was paying. They have a wide fleet (SUVs, sedans, even minibuses if you’re in a group). I also liked that they offer private tours, we did a DC Daylight Tour with them and managed to see all the main monuments in half a day without wasting time with maps. For three days in DC, it was exactly what we needed.