TRAVEL GUIDE: 24 HOURS IN DC

Formerly known as The District of Columbia, WASHINGTON DC is a small district by the Potomac river and surrounded by Maryland and Virginia as it’s neighboring states. DC, the capital of US has so much history and beauty to it, that 24 hours wouldn’t be ample to explore what DC has to offer. A city with streets always bustling with tourists, DC is welcoming, charming and my favorite.

Having lived here for 11 years, makes me no stranger to DC’s magnificence, but there is still about 80%, that remains unfold. Today, I am taking you on a virtual tour of DC and visiting the top five things/places you must see when here. I might not be the best travel planner, but this 24 hour DC itinerary will surely leave you marveled and immensely in love with the Nation’s Capital !

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The best way to see the city is either by foot or rent a bike. Capital Bikeshare makes it really easy for you to rent their bikes on the go. All you need is a credit card and that’s it. The city is well connected and the public transportation including subway is remarkably easy. Another option for sightseeing is the hop-on-hop-off tour buses. There are 24, 48 hour packages, depending on your travel plans. These can be easily bought online, ahead of time or at the visitor centers located across downtown.

As for the weather Sept-April are colder months and May-August is warm, so dress appropriately and don’t forget to bring your comfy shoes along….

THE NATIONAL MALL

The long grassy National Mall is home to the iconic monuments: the Lincoln Memorial and The National Monument. At the east end is the domed National Capitol and on the North end is the White House. While Lincoln Memorial is free access, one can buy elevator-ride tickets to go all the way to the top of the National Monument. Talking about the Capitol, aka the Parliament house, no building in DC can be taller than the top most point of the Capitol.

The National mall is always busy and swamped by school buses and tour groups. Flanked by the Smithsonian museums, coming up next, and the food trucks along the sidewalks, the National Mall plays host to a lot of festivals and outdoor concerts.

THE TIDAL BASIN

The Tidal Basin is a partially man-made reservoir between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel in Washington, DC. It is part of West Potomac Park and is a focal point of the National Cherry Blossom Festival held each spring in late March. Come April, the time for Cherry Blososm festival and the tidal basin becomes the star of the city. Flanked by thousands of Japanese Cherry blossom trees, these pink flower-laden trees give the feel of a pink necklace around the reservoir. There is a parade to kick start this festival, followed by a Gala and the famous kite festival. If you ever get a chance to visit DC, April be the time.

THE MEMORIALS

Every street you go to around the National Mall will have a Monument/ Memorial to commemorate the past . The one pictured below is World War II Memorial. The memorial built to celebrate the heroes of the Greatest Generation remains one of the most visited sites on the National Mall, with more than 4.2 million visits in 2014. Each year, more than 300 Honor Flights bring World War II veterans, as well as those who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars, to the memorials dedicated to their service. Other must-visit memorials are ” The Vietnam Veterans Memorial “. ” Martin Luther King Jr. memorial “, ” Korean War Veterans Memorial “, and the ” Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial“.

SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS

The Smithsonian offers eleven museums and galleries on the National Mall and six other museums and the National Zoo in the greater National Capital Area. It is the biggest institution across America that takes pride in managing most of the museums here in the East coast. Most of the museums like the African American Museum, National Museum of American History ( both pictured below), American art museum and the Natural History museum are free, but a couple might need an entry ticket. There are so may options to choose from, that if you are a museum person, you could spend weeks here in DC touring these museums.

SCULPTURES AND DC ARCHITECTURE

There is beauty and magnificence abound around the whole city. The best way to explore and marvel the city is by foot. The architecture, the history, the side walks, everything is so astonishing. Owing to the international historical blend, couple remarkable structures that you will witness across the city are tall columns and arches. Very European in feel and aesthetics, DC is a planned community, “designed by the French-born Pierre-Charles L’Enfant. ” Don’t blame no one if your SD runs out of space taking pictures of the beautiful buildings.

Sculptures are another unique man-made art you will see across the city. Every sculpture has some history to it and it would be worthwhile learning about them, when in DC.