Washington D.C. in Two Days: Memorials and Free Smithsonian Museums

Washington is the rare capital where the main sights cost nothing: the memorials, the Mall and the Smithsonian museums are free. Two days is enough for the memorials, two museums and the Capitol if you plan the walking.

Day 1: the Mall at sunrise, museums after

Start at the Lincoln Memorial before 7:00, when the reflecting pool is still and the tour buses have not arrived. Walk east past the Vietnam Veterans and Korean War memorials to the World War II Memorial, then look up at the Washington Monument, 169 metres of marble. Spend the afternoon in one or two Smithsonian museums: Air and Space for aviation, Natural History for the Hope Diamond, American History for the flag and the First Ladies' dresses.

Day 2: Capitol, Library and Arlington

The Capitol tour is free but needs an online reservation; the visitor centre entrance is on the east side. Add the Library of Congress across the street, which is more beautiful inside than most people expect. In the afternoon cross the river to Arlington National Cemetery for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Practical notes

• Smithsonian museums open at 10:00 and close at 17:30; plan the walking around that.
• Security checks at the Capitol and museums mean no food or large bags.
• Summer is hot and humid: the Mall has little shade, so carry water.

Evening is the best time for the memorials again: they are lit, the crowds thin out, and the walk between them is calm.