Washington DC 3-Day Core Itinerary

Activities

1. 13:00 IAD Airport → Silver Line Metro 50 min USD 6 → Penn Quarter hotel check-in 1.5h

   Take the Silver Line Metro directly from IAD Airport (Dulles International) to downtown Penn Quarter — 50 minutes, USD 6 with SmarTrip card. Alternative: Uber USD 50-80 + 40 min, but Metro is far better value. Check into Penn Quarter hotel (Willard InterContinental, Waldorf Astoria, JW Marriott, or Riggs). Drop bags, freshen up.

   Cost: USD 6 TIP: Buy SmarTrip card USD 2 + load USD 20 immediately at any Metro station vending machine. Silver Line direct from IAD opened 2022 — far easier than the old shuttle bus system.
2. 15:00 National Mall walk: Washington Monument (169m) → Vietnam Veterans Memorial → Korean War Memorial — all free, all 3km segment 3h

   Start at Washington Monument (the 169m white obelisk in the National Mall center, free elevator with timed ticket if booked 30 days ahead). Walk west along the National Mall toward Lincoln Memorial. Stop at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Maya Lin's 1982 black granite wall with 58,000+ names) and the Korean War Veterans Memorial (1995, 19 stainless steel soldiers in poncho gear — significant for Korean travelers). All free, always open.

   Cost: Free (Washington Monument timed ticket optional) TIP: Day Pass USD 13.50 for unlimited Metro all day. National Mall walking shoes essential (3km segment). Vietnam Memorial paper-rubbing of specific names — free directories at the visitor station.
3. 18:00 Lincoln Memorial sunset + Reflecting Pool — DC's iconic canonical photo 1h

   Sunset at Lincoln Memorial steps — the canonical DC photo. Climb the 58 steps to the Lincoln statue (Daniel Chester French 1922). The 'I Have a Dream' speech marker is on the steps where MLK spoke in 1963 (engraved on the granite). Reflecting Pool stretches 600m east toward Washington Monument with golden-hour light. Free + always open + always magical.

   Cost: Free TIP: Sunset times: Apr 19:30, Jul 19:45, Oct 18:30, Jan 17:10. Arrive 30 min before sunset for golden-hour photos. The 'I Have a Dream' marker on step 18 from the top is the must-find spot.
4. 19:30 Old Ebbitt Grill 1856 dinner (DC's oldest restaurant, presidential regular, USD 30-80) 2.5h

   Dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill (1856, DC's oldest restaurant, 2 blocks from the White House). Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, Warren Harding, and McKinley all dined here. Order from the Chesapeake oyster bar (12+ varieties), the signature crab cake, and the Old Ebbitt Burger. Happy hour 15:00-18:00 has USD 1.50 oysters.

   Cost: USD 30-80 TIP: Reservation 1 week ahead via OpenTable for Fri-Sat dinner. Walk-in OK weekday lunch with 20-min wait. The Hemingway Room or Old Bar are the atmospheric seating zones. Card + cash.
5. 22:00 Penn Quarter cocktail at Round Robin Bar (Willard, since 1847) or 9:30 Club concert (U Street) 1.5-2h

   Wind down at Round Robin Bar inside the Willard InterContinental (since 1847, where Henry Clay introduced the Mint Julep to DC in the 1840s). Cocktails USD 18-25. Alternative: U Street 9:30 Club concert (indie/rock, USD 30-50 ticket).

   Cost: USD 18-50 TIP: Round Robin Bar walk-in OK most weeknights. Card + cash. Smart casual.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 US Capitol guided tour + Library of Congress dome + Capitol Visitor Center — all free, book 90 days ahead 2.5h

   Free guided tour of the US Capitol (Congress meeting building, 1800 founded, dome 88m). Book online via visitthecapitol.gov 90 days ahead (tickets release at midnight ET, sell out for popular dates in hours). Tour covers Rotunda, Statuary Hall, House and Senate galleries. Then walk through underground tunnel to Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building, 1897, world's largest library 170M+ items, Main Reading Room observation deck free).

   Cost: Free TIP: Book Capitol tour 90 days ahead exactly when tickets release. Bring photo ID. Library of Congress Main Reading Room observation deck (Wed + Sat free public access 13:00-15:00) is the iconic gold-dome photo.
2. 12:00 Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum — Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer + Apollo 11 Command Module + free 3h

   The most-visited US museum (8M+ visitors/year). Wright Brothers' original 1903 Flyer (the first powered airplane), Apollo 11 Command Module (returned 3 astronauts from the Moon in 1969), Spirit of St. Louis (Lindbergh's 1927 transatlantic plane). Book free timed entry 30 days ahead via si.edu/visit. Allow 3+ hours.

   Cost: Free (timed entry online) TIP: The Udvar-Hazy Center (Dulles Airport, 30-min drive) has Space Shuttle Discovery + Concorde + SR-71 Blackbird — separate full day if you're an aviation buff.
3. 15:00 Smithsonian Natural History (Hope Diamond 45.52 carats) + American History (Star-Spangled Banner) — both free 2h

   Two adjacent Smithsonians on the National Mall north side. Natural History (1910 founded, 145M+ specimens): Hope Diamond (45.52-carat blue diamond in the Gem Hall, queue 30 min), dinosaur hall, Egyptian mummies. American History: Star-Spangled Banner (original 1814 flag that inspired the national anthem), First Ladies' inaugural gowns, Julia Child's kitchen.

   Cost: Free TIP: Hope Diamond is the must-see. The Gem Hall lights it from below — surprisingly small but extraordinary blue depth. American History Star-Spangled Banner gallery is at the entrance — don't miss.
4. 17:30 National Gallery of Art (East + West Buildings) — Da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci + free 1.5h

   Free art museum on the National Mall. West Building (1941 classical, 13th-19th century European + American art): Da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci (the only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the Americas), Vermeer's Girl with the Red Hat, Monet, Picasso. East Building (I.M. Pei 1978 modern): Pollock, Rothko, Warhol. Underground walkway connects.

   Cost: Free TIP: Da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci is the must-see — small painting in West Building, often quiet. Sculpture Garden (free) has ice rink in winter (Nov-Mar).
5. 19:30 minibar by José Andrés ★★ Michelin tasting menu (USD 295-395, honeymoon canon) 3h

   DC's #1 special-occasion restaurant — chef José Andrés's 24-seat avant-garde tasting counter. 24 small courses over 2.5-3 hours. Liquid nitrogen sphere desserts, cotton candy with foie gras, edible art. Anniversary, honeymoon, milestone-birthday canon.

   Cost: USD 295-395 (+ wine pairing USD 195) TIP: Reservation 4-6 weeks ahead via Tock (releases first Tuesday of each month). Smart casual + jacket recommended for men. Cards only. Tax + tip brings total to USD 500-700/person. Adjacent barmini for warm-up cocktail tasting USD 150.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Arlington National Cemetery + Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Changing of the Guard — all free 2.5h

   Free entry. Take Blue Line Metro to 'Arlington Cemetery' station. Visit JFK Eternal Flame grave (Kennedy family graves including Jackie + RFK), Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Changing of the Guard every 30 min Apr-Sep / hourly Oct-Mar, 24/7/365), Korean War Memorial on cemetery grounds. Moving experience — silence required, no cell phones in ceremonial areas.

   Cost: Free (shuttle USD 3.25 if needed for long walks) TIP: Changing of the Guard at top of every hour (Apr-Sep also at 30-min mark) — arrive 10 min early. JFK Eternal Flame grave is a 15-min walk from entrance — uphill. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is the canonical ceremony.
2. 12:00 Mount Vernon (George Washington's 1734-1799 estate) — USD 28, 30-min drive south of DC 3.5h

   George Washington's estate (built 1734, where he lived 1734-1799 and is buried). 500-acre Mount Vernon includes the mansion (guided tour), tomb, slave quarters memorial, working farm, distillery + gristmill (Washington's businesses). USD 28 admission. 30-min drive south of DC.

   Cost: USD 28 admission + USD 60 Uber round-trip or Spirit Cruises USD 60 TIP: Drive 30 min via I-95 (Uber USD 30 one-way). Alternative: Spirit Cruises boat tour USD 60 90-min from Old Town Alexandria — scenic Potomac River + lunch included. Plan 4 hours total including transit.
3. 16:30 White House exterior view + Lafayette Square + Hay-Adams Lafayette brunch USD 80-150 2h

   Walk to White House exterior view from Pennsylvania Avenue (closed-to-traffic pedestrian zone) and Lafayette Square. Free + always open. Then go to The Lafayette restaurant at the Hay-Adams Hotel (1928, directly across Lafayette Square from White House) for brunch with the single best White House view in DC. Cabinet members, journalists, and dignitaries pack the Sunday brunch.

   Cost: Free exterior + USD 80-150 brunch TIP: White House exterior best at Lafayette Square north side. Brunch reservation 1-2 weeks ahead (specifically request White House view table). Smart casual to smart attire — jackets common at Hay-Adams.
4. 19:00 IAD/DCA Airport return + departure (Silver Line Metro USD 6 / Blue Line USD 2) 1.5h

   Return to airport. IAD (Dulles International) via Silver Line Metro USD 6 + 50 min. DCA (Reagan National, domestic + limited international) via Blue/Yellow Line Metro USD 2 + 15 min. Direct flights from Seoul (ICN) to IAD only — Korean Air KE93 + Asiana OZ221, 14h. No direct ICN-DCA.

   Cost: USD 2-6 Metro TIP: Allow 3+ hours before international flights for TSA. IAD has long walks from Metro station to international terminal — additional 20 min.

Meal Recommendations