Washington DC Travel

City Guides

• Beyond DC
  Beyond DC offers loads of information on city planning as it pertains to Washinton, D.C. The website provides profiles of neighborhoods.
• Cultural Tourism DC
  This website features historic neighborhoods and events. Includes guided, walking, and bus tours. You can print out their maps and brochures for the walks.
  • Passport DC
    For four weeks in May, visitors and residents can celebrate and sample international culture and heritage in Washington, DC. Many of DC’s more than 200 embassies and international cultural centers will open their doors to showcase their culture, art, music, dance and food.
• New York Times Travel: Washington, DC
  Read recent travel articles about Washington.
• WETA Local Washington
  Information on Washington DC from WETA, their public television station.
• Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation
  The official tourist guide to Washington DC. Includes a list of 101 things to do in DC for free. Choose "Visitor Information" for what to do and where to stay, eat, shop.
• Washington Post: Going Out Guide
  Find reviews and directions in our guide for entertainment, museum exhibits, monuments and memorials, movies, restaurants, theater, hotels, events and activities in DC, Maryland, Virginia.
  • Washingtology
    "Going deep in D.C. | When you poke around, you find stuff you never knew was there."
  • Best Bets
    Washington Post writers' lists of the area's best in dozens of categories.
• Washingtonian: Visitor's Guide
  Links to sections of the Washingtonian magazine of particular interest to tourists, such as Dining, Getting Around, What's Happening, Tours, and Weather.

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Attractions

A great advantage to Washington D.C. is that the majority of their museums are free!

• District of Columbia Public Library
  Stop by one of their 27 locations. They'll even help you find a library by metro stop.
• Library of Congress: Visiting the Library
  If you are a library user, you might want to check out the Grand Daddy of them all.
• National Arboretum
  If you visit DC during the spring, summer, or fall, stop in and see what's in bloom. The Japanese koi in the lily ponds by the Administration building will delight the child in everyone.
• National Gallery of Art
  Contains a huge collection of art that you will need more than one day to see.
• Newseum
  Although this new museum is not free, it is one of the most interesting in DC.
• Rock Creek Park
  Part of the National Park Service, Rock Creek Park offers extensive trails in a natural setting.
• Smithsonian Institution
  This main site links to the Smithsonian museums and galleries, all of which are free. Among them are:
  • Air and Space Museum
  • American History Museum
  • National Museum of the American Indian
    A great place for lunch!
  • National Zoo
  • National Museum of Natural History
• U.S. Capitol
  Information on visiting the Senate and the House of Representatives.
• The White House
  Provides history and information on tours.

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Food and Dining

• DC Foodies
  This is a blog by Jason Storch where people can read about his adventures in dining in the D.C. metro region. It provides information about food events, new restaurant openings, and the latest restaurants that he's eaten at.
• Fresh Farm Market
  Check here for a farmers' market in the D.C. area. They have markets in Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom, Penn Quarter and H Street NE.
• Washington Post: Food
  Includes articles, a searchable database, and an Annual Dining Guide.
• Washingtonian: Restaurants and Dining
  Search for a restaurant by name, neighborhood, price, or cuisine. Also includes their list of 100 Very Best Restaurants and 100 Best Bargain Restaurants.

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News & Events

• National Cherry Blossom Festival
  An annual event in late March and early April that celebrates the original gift of 3,000 cherry trees by the city of Tokyo to the people of Washington, DC in 1912.
• Washington City Paper
  Online weekly listing arts, music, movies and events from the alternative entertainment weekly.
• Washington Flyer
  This "Official Magazine of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority" offers an entertainment and travel email newsletter.
• Washington Parent
  Check out the activities and events for children in the DC area.
• The Washington Post
  • Going Out Guide
    Includes bars and clubs, books, movies, museums and galleries, music, restaurants, shopping, sports and recreation, television, and theater and dance.
• Washingtonian Magazine Online
  a monthly magazine for the DC area.
  • Events
    Every month The Washingtonian magazine publishes a select guide to the best theater, music, dance, art, and special events that the Washington area has to offer.

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Maps & Transportation

• CommuterPage.com
  CommuterPage.com® is presented by Arlington County, Virginia, which sponsors the award-winning Commuter Assistance Program (CAP), serving people who live and/or work in, or travel through Arlington by providing programs and services that help them find a smarter way to work.
• Go DC Go!
  Includes Find It Fast!, an Interactive Map to find the best way to get to your destination.
• Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
  Provides information on both Washington Dulles International (IAD) and Reagan Washington National (DCA) airports.
• Station Masters
  Includes a metro map and individual station maps for each station in the Washington Metro system listing points of interest.
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
  provides bus and rail transit service to Washington, DC and the neighboring Maryland and Virginia communities. Bus and rail schedules available in Adobe PDF format.
  • Trip Planner
    Choose your starting point and destination to get the best route.
    
  • Maps
• Washington Post: Traffic
  This website will advise you of traffic alerts as well as offering a Traffic Map, List of Roads, Rail and Bus Conditions, and a Metrorail Map.
• Washington Walks
  The best way to tour any historic city is by foot. Regularly scheduled drop-in walking tours from April to October.

Nearby Destinations

• The Crab Houses of Maryland’s Eastern Shore
  A New York Times article about eating crab on the east shore of the Chesapeake Bay.
• Maryland Life
  This lifestyle magazine will give you suggestions for what to see and do and where to eat in Maryland.

Last updated Wednesday October 10 2012.