Washington D.C. Is this a good Plan for 3 days? Hotel?
 

My husband and I will be in D.C. for three days. Night of April 15- April 18. We will have a car. We found a Marriott close to the East Falls Church Metro station (orange line), but haven't booked yet. Is that area okay. Hotel reviews were all good. How long does the metro take to get into D.C. from that location?
Here is my tentative itinerary. Any suggestions?
Friday: Capital Tour 10:00 (what other buildings are close and interesting by it?) We would like to see the Federal Bureau of Engravings and printing is that near by?
After lunch; Ford's Theater. Is it better to book the ranger show or the one act play? Then hopefully start on museum of Natural History. I have a reservation at 5:30 for National Archives.
Saturday: Drive to Mount Vernon. After lunch visit Arlington. That evening we would like to take a water tour from Alexandria to Georgetown. I found one website: Potomac River Boat Company. Any other ideas?
Sunday: We have reservations for the Washington monument at 10:30 and the Holocaust museum at 11:30. Then we want to finish checking out the other monuments and hit the space museum.

I also wondered about the National Cathedral. I have read good things about the newseum and the spy museum. Is it worth trying to see them or is our schedule full. We also requested to tour the White House through our Congressman. They said we might now know until 2 weeks before we leave. That would change our schedule. Does anyone know if they still give a few day of tour tickets for the white house?
Thanks for all your help. We are so excited for this trip!!

Which Marriott are you staying at? There's a TownePlace near East Falls Church, but it isn't really convenient. You also can't expect to be able to park at the Metro during the week. I'd try to find something closer to a Metro station.

You have a lot planned. The National Cathedral is beautiful, but off the tourist path. If you take a tourbus, some of them stop there.

Are you staying at a Marriott near Tysons Corner? It will be difficult to get Metro station parking. Does your hotel offer a shuttle to the metro stop? If so, would make things easier.

I would recommend you tour Mt. Vernon rather than just drive there.
The Newseum is great and I enjoyed my tour there.

I think you have too much on your agenda on the day you are trying to see the Capitol. I would suggest focusing on the Capitol, lunch and then your National Archives.

The tours of the Capitol building are nothing like they used to be. Ten years ago we got a tour of the Capitol through our congressman that consisted of three couples led by one of our congressman's aides. He took us from their office in the Cannon House Office Building, down through the underground tunnels into the Capitol. He took us all over, including the crypt, rotunda, statuary hall, old senate chamber, hall of columns, Brumidi corridors, and the floors & galleries of both the Senate and House - all while regaling us with the history and little known tidbits about the place.

Last year we went on another Capitol tour through our Senator. At 0900 we joined a group of about 250 others at the new Capitol Visitor's Center for a 20 minute movie, then were divided into 5 groups of about 50, given RF headsets and led into the Capitol where we saw and were told (through our headsets) about the Crypt, Rotunda, and Statuary Hall......done.

About 75 minutes total, including the movie and being parceled into groups. We were walking down Capitol Hill to the National Gallery of Art by 1100.

By the time you finish your Capitol tour it will be close to noon. Depending upon what time you need to be at Ford's Theater, you now have to get yourself lunch and get to the theater. Both the Supreme Court and Library of Congress are directly across 1st street from the Capitol Visitor Center. You could visit one or both of those if you have the time, but my inclination is that you won't. At that time on a Friday, restaurants may be crowded and you may have to wait for a table.

If you intend to walk from the Capitol to Ford's Theater (and on a nice day that's what I'd do), I'd suggest finding a place to have lunch somewhere along the way, and after leaving the Capitol Visitor Center, taking one of the various walkways around the north side of the Capitol Building to the west side of the Capitol and then head up Pennsylvania Ave., past the National Gallery of Art's East Building, and the Navy Memorial area toward Ford's theater. If you don't want to walk that far, then head north from the Capitol along either Delaware Ave or 1st St to Union Station and catch the red metro train to either the Chinatown or the Metro Center station. An expansive food court inside Union Station could do you for lunch, or restaurants in the Chinatown area could be had. The Metro Center station is about 2 blocks closer to Ford's Theater than the Chinatown station.

I've not seen "One Destiny", the one act play about Lincoln's assassination, but I have very much enjoyed the Ranger program and the museum. Looking at the schedule for April 16, the ranger-led programs are the only ones offered in the afternoon anyhow.

The Bureau of Engraving & Printing is not near Ford's Theater, and will be out of your way on this day.

From Ford's Theater, head south on 10th St for 2 1/2 blocks to the Natural History Museum. There is an entrance to the museum right there at the foot of 10th St. - you'll be on the lower (basement) floor of the museum here and have to take an escalator or elevator up to the main floor.

Your Saturday sounds busy.... but doable. Mount Vernon opens at 0800 and I'd suggest being there at that time (or no later than 0900) - there is a lot to see.

I think the National Cathedral is absolutely beautiful, and attending one of the Sunday services in the Nave of the cathedral is inspiring. The Nave is the main body of the cathedral, and what most people concentrate their visit exploring. The cathedral is not easily accessible via the metro, and I'd suggest taking your car. Underground parking (entrance off of Wisconsin Ave.) is FREE on Sunday. You could visit the cathedral early Sunday morning before your Washington Monument tour, but it might be pushing it, and you'd have the added dilemma of what to do with your car for the rest of the day. If you intend to visit without partaking in a service, then I'd suggest checking their website schedule and planning your visit so that you can explore the Nave during a time when no services are being held there.

The Holocaust Museum can take from 1-4 hours depending upon the depths to which you want to experience it. The Air & Space Museum is only open until 5:30, and needs at least 2 hours to explore in any kind of depth. That leaves you from 1130 to 3:30 to visit the Holocaust museum and the monuments, and get all the way over to the Air & Space Museum. If you intend on leaving the Holocaust museum and circling down to the Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, Korean War, Lincoln, Vietnam and WWII memorials, then you are in for a long walk and a lot of time - time you may not have if you want to also see the Air & Space Museum. Metro stations do not access the "memorials" section of the National Mall, so plan on hoofing it.

If you find you can spend only an hour in the Air & Space Museum, then I'd suggest spending it exploring the various craft decorating the floor and ceiling of the main lobby, and walking through the Wright Brothers exhibit on the second floor.

You're in for a busy 3 days.

Have fun & enjoy.

Just to chime in about the Cathedral...while it is not on Metro, it is easily accessible by bus either up Wisconsin to Massachusetts or up Massachusetts to Wisconsin.

I don't think Mt. Vernon in the morning and Arlington after lunch is possible. In the last few years, Mt. Vernon has expanded considerably beyond the main house; they have a phenomenal education center and outbuildings that have been recently restored, all to give the participant an experience in the workings of a plantation. This takes more than a few hours. Plus, you need to account for traffic in NoVa. You should probably pick one activity to do in the evening, either Arlington or a boat ride, but not both.

1. The Metro's website is www.wmata.com There's a lot of useful information there, including a Trip Planner so you can see how long it takes to get from place to place, what subway (or bus) to take, and how much it costs.
2. Furledleader gave you a good description of the possible tours through the Capitol. We did a tour through our Congressman's office just last year and it was a small group led by an intern. I think each Senator and Representative handles these tours differently, so if you arranged this with a Member of Congress, you may want to ask their office what to expect.
3. Besides the tour of Ford's Theatre, there is an excellent new musuem in the basement. I'd allow at least 1 hour to see this.
4. You should be able to see both Mt. Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday but I would urge you to get to Mt. Vernon early as Furledleader suggested. If you are sure you are going that day, you can buy your tickets in advance from the Mt. Vernon website. These tickets allow you to bypass the ticket line, but they do not allow you to bypass the line to get into the mansion. Plan on spending anywhere up to 45 minutes or 1 hour in line to enter the mansion depending on what time you get to Mt. Vernon. Also, as E_M mentioned, there's a lot going on at Mt. Vernon these days--the new education center and lots of other free tours ( e.g. of the outbuildings or gardens). I would plan on spending a minimum of 4 hours at Mt. Vernon, not including lunch.
5. It's a quick trip on the Parkway to Arlington National Cemetery. It's open late in April, so you should have plenty of time to visit. You can walk the sites yourself or take a Tourmobile tour. The cemetery is rather hilly in case you have any mobility issues.
6. I've been to both the Newseum, which I thought was great, and the Spy Museum, which I less crazy about because it was too crowded. The ticket for the Newseum is good for two consecutive days and I spent 4 hours on each of two days to see it all (for a total of 8 hours). The Spy Museum took about 2 hours to see. I'm not sure you have time in your schedule for either museum on this visit.
7. There are no "day of tour" tickets for the White House tours.

<<I don't think Mt. Vernon in the morning and Arlington after lunch is possible.>>


E_M may be right, but....

that depends upon what you (djaak) intend to gain from each experience.

Three days is not much time to explore the D.C. area in anything but a whirlwind fashion. If your intent is to simply touch upon as much as possible in order to gain a familiarity, then I think doing Mount Vernon and Arlington in one day is possible. Be very selective about what you want to see & do at each. I've been to both places 3 times, with the first at each being much like your intent may be - rather quick, and simply touching upon the highlights. One need not immerse themselves entirely within the experience of either place to come away with a modicum of satisfaction. Learn well about each place before you go though, and that satisfaction can be manifest to a greater degree even with a visit of brevity.

If your intent be otherwise though.....

then heed E_M's words - especially about the traffic, even on a Saturday.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Would it be better to just walk around the memorials in the evenings after the museums have closed? We have a Marriott card and wanted to earn some points, so we were looking at a few different Marriott's. We aren't to picky about how nice. We just need it clean and a bed. We don't plan on spending much time in the room. Courtyard at Dunn Loring Fairfax, Residence Inn Fairfaux Merrifield, Towwsplace Suites Falls Church (this is the closest and cheapest with free parking.) They all seem to be on the orange metro line. There are other Marriots at Tyson Corner and Crystal City or Alexendria. They are a little more, but if it is closer to D.C. or easier access it would be worth it.

<<Would it be better to just walk around the memorials in the evenings after the museums have closed?>>

That....may be a very good idea!

Or if your feet are killing you after walking through museums all day, take any of the Monument by Moonlight tours offered by the tour bus companies.

I'm not familiar with the hotels across the river from my home in Maryland, but you want to look for a hotel that is walking distance from a Metro stop. I would pick Alexandria if you have an option because it is very charming and full of great restaurants and a great place in which to walk around.

If I recall correctly, there is a cafeteria in the new Visitors Center in the Capitol......very handy to get something to eat before moving on to the next sight. Please don't leave that area without going across the street from the Visitors Center to the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, at least go inside to the main areas. Enjoy the city.

Maybe check out the Marriotts in Bethesda, MD (Residence Inn) or Chevy Chase, MD (Courtyard). Both are right near a red line metro stops. Chevy Chase is a touch closer to DC than Bethesda. Not sure if they charge for parking or not.

I love the Newseum-It has become one of my favorite DC musuems and it has some fabulous views from it.

artsbabe could you recommend a Marriott hotel on the Maryland side that is close to D.C. and the Metro? I knew we would spend a day in Arlington and go down to Mt Vernon so, I wasn't to worried about where we stayed. We are actually flying in to Baltimore Thursday and going back to Baltimore Sunday night (my husband has a conference).
Furledleader is one tour better than another? Should we consider doing a hop off hop on during the day? Would we be able to see more that way?
Thanks everyone.

Your schedule is already packed, but the Star Spangled Banner in the American History Museum is really worth seeing. I've lived here for more than 20 years and just saw it a few months ago. I had no idea it was so large. And it's displayed beautifully. The museum is just down from the Natural History Museum, so I'd try to fit it in. The First Ladies' Gowns are also really interesting. And you may not think of art when you think of DC, but the National Gallery is also well worth a couple of hours.

And yes, don't miss the memorials - Vietnam is wonderful. And I really like the (relatively) new WW II memorial. Three days is so short for how much there is to see! Some friends of mine recently went to the Newseum and really liked it a lot.

Thanks. Is it worth going to Mt. Vernon or would it be better to just focus on the city? I am doing the tomb of the unknown solider for sure. I currently have a little brother in the Marines who is in Afghanistan right now.

I nearly mentioned when I posted that unless you have a really strong desire to see Mt. Vernon that I'd consider skipping it on just a 3-day visit. It's interesting, but there's sooo much to see in the city that I'm not sure it's worth it. Others may feel differently. The grounds are beautiful for sure. The house is interesting. I don't know.

As for the Cathedral, it's worth seeing, but as already mentioned it's not easy to get to Metro.

Regarding the Spy Museum, I'd give it a miss without kids along. It's kind of fun, but I think the other sights are more worthwhile.

If you're into politics, you might want to consider going to one of the Senate or House office buildings (in the Capitol area -- Rayburn, Dirkson, etc.). You can get the schedule online of the various Committee hearings and just go in and listen to as much or little of any of the hearings you want. I did it as part of a class recently and it was really interesting. We spent an entire morning and I got a taste of about 5 different ones. I hadn't realized they were open to the public. People just come and go. Probably not worth the trouble on such a short trip, but if you happen to love politics, you might find such a thing interesting.

<Courtyard at Dunn Loring Fairfax, Residence Inn Fairfaux Merrifield, Towwsplace Suites Falls Church >
For me, these make for too long a Metro ride. Is it not possible to book a Marriott in DC?

<<Furledleader, is one tour better than another?>>


Huh???.......What???


Sorry boss, but that wasn't me said anything about a tour.

That was 321go.

I've never done a bus tour of the monuments. I've just walked. But I'd really like to try one of those Monuments by Moonlight sometime.

<<Is it worth going to Mount Vernon.....?>>

Hell yeah! It's where the most important person this country has ever known lived and died.

You go girl!

Hi djaak. As a govt employee, I've been to DC many times on business. After my first trip, I was hooked and vowed to take my family (DH,DD) there on vacation to experience our nation's capital and history. We had 4 days and hit all of our "musts" but you have to decide which is more important to you because the sights are endless. This is what I would recommend for your 3 days based on our experience.

First, yes it is worth going to Mt Vernon and you can do that and Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday. Stay on the Virginia side near a metro (park your car except for Saturday) and drive to Mt. Vernon early, buying your tickets beforehand as recommended. Get in line for the house first(the line will not get shorter) and then afterward choose what you want to see and how long you want to stay. You should be able to tour the house, see the grounds, see the views over the Potomac and feel a great sense of the era in 3 or 4 hours. You don't have to see every exhibit to appreciate Mount Vernon. Then drive to Arlington Natl Cemetery. We used the tour mobile; the guide points out things and makes stops along the way. You will have a stop at the Tomb of the Unknown and President Kennedy's gravesite and the Lee Mansion among others. Note their closing time as they closed gates at 4 pm when we were there in the fall.

I would recommend the night tour of the monuments Saturday night rather than the boat tour. We took Gray Line and it gave you time to get out at Lincoln, VietNam area and Jefferson on the other side. It also started with a drive around the Capital and a stop to go inside the Library of Congress. It was about 3 hours, a little pricey but we felt very worth the money. If you see them at night, then if you don't have time on Sunday to visit all of them, at least you will have seen them. Washington is beautiful at night.

The hop-on tour is great if you had more time. We took it and did spend time at the National Cathederal and it is lovely but I'd save it and the hop-on for another time since you already have a plan.

On Friday, after your Capital tour, Supreme Court Bldg is nearby and also Union Station. I would definitely go to Ford's Theatre and do the tour and museum. Our trip was before the renovations and even then the small museum impacted us as much as any we visited. This should give you time to make your Archives appointment. If there is extra time in between, you can start National History but it is large--pick and choose there. Same with the Air & Space museum, you could spend hours there. We also really enjoyed the Museum of American History.

If you do get passes to the White House, I would definitely say adjust your schedule and go. Though it would be hard to eliminate any of the places discussed, we would say the Capital, White House(if tickets), Arlington National Cemetery, and the memorials are the absolute musts.

I love DC and understand your excitement about visiting. I wish all Americans could go at least once. It really makes you feel such a sense of pride and patriotism as you visit these wonderful symbols of our history and liberty. Take in as much as you can and enjoy it and don't worry about the things you don't have time to see--all of it is special. Have a great time!

OK.....

I'm going to change my avatar for the next 3 days...


Just for you!!!

The Marriotts in Crystal City are right next to the Metro. They would definitely be my choice.

Well, WTF....

I tried.

Doesn't seem to change though.

Shucks.

I'll chime back in with a yes for Mt. Vernon. It's just that there's sooo much to see. But it is definitely worthwhile - just an extra effort to get to.
Don't skip the Holocaust Museum.

Thoughts to add to the great advice above:

DC's sights are mostly daytime, so I think the nighttime tour of the monuments is an excellent idea to stretch your day. Which leads me to...

Consider switching your day to visit Arlington Cemetery in the morning and Mount Vernon in the afternoon. Then you can visit and dine in Old Town Alexandria (as Washington did) after Mount Vernon. Crowds will be bigger at Mount Vernon but the only place that will matter is the line to tour the house itself.

The Cathedral is lovely (don't miss the Bishop's Garden if you go) but it is off the beaten path and will consume a chunk of your limited time to visit (but not as much as Mount Vernon). If you do visit the Cathedral you can eat at nearby Two Amys pizza, or go down into nearby Georgetown.

The DC Circulator bus can be useful and is sometimes overlooked: http://www.dccirculator.com/DCCirculator.html#systemMap

I'm writing from Bethesda and the Residence Inn here is just across the street from the Bethesda Metro stop (Red Line). Very convenient to get downtown to many sights, plenty of restaurants and plenty safe to walk around at night. But, a longer drive to Mount Vernon and Arlington.

Holocaust Museum is very well done but requires a significant time commitment. It is right next door to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but I wouldn't struggle to keep the Bureau on your list.

Getting an individual or small group tour through your Congressman or Senator may still be possible, but even if you do it is a hit or miss prospect. It may be fabulous like furledleader's past experience, or you may just get an intern who isn't really knowledgeable. I'd go with the tours through the Capitol Visitor's Center. If you are interested you could supplement that perhaps with gallery passes from your Congressman/Senator.

An evening water tour may be nice, but again I wouldn't struggle to fit this into your schedule. Washington is not really oriented around the river the way that, for example, Paris is.

There is a free performance each evening at the Kennedy Center: http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/ and the view from the roof is wonderful.

Either the Courtyard in Chevy Chase or the Residence Inn in Bethesda. I believe the latter is a bit closer to the Metro, but the Courtyard is not too far. The Residence Inn in Bethesda is closer to lots of restaurants....

Concur about the boat ride. It's a pleasant ride, but not really part of the DC experience, if you have 3 days.

Also, if you're going to tour VA, you should stay there, rather than on the MD side. You'll save a lot of time. The last time I went to Mt. Vernon, we got stuck in traffic and took nearly 2 hours coming back to College Park.

Last June I took the OnBoard Monument Night Tour. Definitely a great tour and we really enjoyed it. It took us to the Capitol, Jefferson, Vietnam, Korean, Lincoln, Iwo Jima, WW2 and the White House.

We might have time to do the tour Thursday night, it depends on traffic. We get into Baltimore around 4:00. Leave airport by 5:00. Then how long is that commute during rush hour? I guess we may have to see how that one plays out when we get there.
Parking rates seem to drop on Sunday so I think we could check out of our hotel and park in D.C. for the day. That way Friday will really be the only day we need to take the metro. Saturday we will do Mt.Vernon and Arlington on our own. Thanks again. Great advice on everything.

"Sorry boss, but that wasn't me said anything about a tour.
That was 321go."

Well anyone could have made that mistake - we look so much alike. :D

djaak, I've done the Tourmobile night tour. It's approximately 3 hours with stops at the Jefferson, FDR, Lincoln (stop is longer there so that you can visit the Vietnam Veterans and Korean War memorials), and WWII memorials. I found the guide to be very informative (he was a retired actor - had been on Broadway - and really knew how to hold an audience's attention).

Could take an hour or more to get from BWI to DC. Why are u renting a car at BWI instead of taking the train into DC or wheever u stay and then just pickiing up a car for the days u need it?

If you are trying to get from BWI to your hotel and then to somewhere (Union Station) to catch the nighttime monuments tour that will be tough (plus ya gotta eat sometime). You might, however, consider driving into DC on Thursday evening (after dinner), parking near the FDR memorial and walking through the FDR Memorial, around the Tidal Basin (with lovely views across to the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument) and across Independence Ave to the WWII Memorial, then along the Reflecting Pool to the Vietnam, Lincoln and Korean Memorials (in that order) and then back across Independence Ave back to your car. A bit of walking but quite pleasant. There is usually parking available near the FDR (including along Ohio Drive along the river), and there are restrooms at FDR, WWII and Lincoln Memorials.

Coming into BWI at that time (running smack into rush hour) you might also consider the option of taking the train from BWI to Union Station and then Metro to your hotel, and then renting a car near your hotel when/if you need it. Also your arrival time and the fact that you are coming into (and presumably leaving from) BYI means the Bethesda/Chevy Chase hotel options are attractive for your arrival and departure.

Agree re skipping Bureau of Engraving. Not a highlight compared to some of the other stuff on your list.

I think we are going to stay at the Courtyard in Alexandria. That way we can get to Mount Vernon easier and earlier. Thanks for the monument suggestions. We would enjoy walking that after flying and driving all day. Would it be best to go right into D.C. and then to our hotel after we walk the monuments? Has anyone done the National Treasure tour at Mount Vernon?

You certainly could drive to the monuments before the hotel, but that would make you fairly late arriving at the hotel; you'd probably want to eat dinner along the way.

One option--some of the best crabcakes at G&M, which is close to BWI:

http://www.gandmcrabcakes.com/

Alternatively, you could take northern route around the Beltway and stop in Bethesda to eat. Plenty of places to choose from not that far from the Beltway.

If you stay on the Beltway, continue across the Potomac at the American Legion Bridge and take the first exit, the George Washington Parkway, and continue down into town, it's a very nice way to come into the city. Or if you dine in Bethesda you can continue down Wisconsin Avenue past the National Cathedral then left on Massachusetts, which will take you take you past the Vice President's house and several embassies.

Ooh - G&M - that's in my neck of the woods. Have eaten there often. Yes, great crab cakes and close to BWI.

I will be honest....I have never had a crab cake. I guess It is time to try one.

In that case don't miss G&M-the best

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. Here is our almost finished schedule.

Thursday, April 15 Fly into Baltimore around 4:00. Eat Crab cakes at G&M. Drive to D.C. Park around Lincoln Memorial and walk around monuments and memorials. Hotel in Alexandria.

Friday: Take Metro into D.C. Tour Capital 10:00 set up with congressman. Visit Library of Congress and Supreme Court. Hopefully, Space and Air Museum. 5:30 National Archives.

Saturday: Mt Vernon and Arlington Cemetery with our car.

Sunday: Check out of hotel. Drive and park in D.C.

9:00 Ford's Theater

10:30 Washington Monument

11:30 Holocaust Museum

Museum of American History and Natural History Museum

Drive back to Baltimore Sunday night. It will be tight. If we miss the Washington Monument time we will try to go up the Old Post Office. We are also still waiting on White House Tour, which could change our schedule.