Trip | Washington, DC in 3 days with friends | Washington, DC | 3 days
Day 1 – The National Mall
Any time | Stay | Hyatt House Washington DC/The Wharf, 725 Wharf St SW, Washington, DC | Or wherever the group is staying
9:00 AM | Do | Washington Monument, 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC | Timed tickets required; closed one day a month for maintenance, so check the date
10:30 AM | Do | World War II Memorial, 1750 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC | On the walk west along the Reflecting Pool
11:00 AM | Do | Lincoln Memorial, 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW, Washington, DC | Open 24 hours; take the group photo on the steps
12:45 PM | Eat | Old Ebbitt Grill, 675 15th St NW, Washington, DC | Near the White House; book ahead
2:30 PM | Do | Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 10th St NW and Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC | Free; give it two to three hours
7:00 PM | Eat | Jaleo, 480 7th St NW, Washington, DC | José Andrés's tapas bar; call ahead for groups larger than eight
Maybe | Do | Thomas Jefferson Memorial, 1100 Ohio Dr SW, Washington, DC | Open 24 hours and quiet after dark
Day 2 – Capitol Hill to The Wharf
9:00 AM | Do | U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, First St and East Capitol St, Washington, DC | Free guided tour; book ahead and allow time for security
10:45 AM | Do | Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St SE, Washington, DC | Free timed-entry tickets required; closed Sundays and Mondays
12:15 PM | Eat | Eastern Market, 225 7th St SE, Washington, DC | Crab cakes or blueberry-buckwheat pancakes at Market Lunch, inside; it closes by 2:30 PM
2:00 PM | Do | Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 650 Jefferson Dr SW, Washington, DC | Free timed-entry passes required; enter on Jefferson Drive
5:30 PM | Do | Municipal Fish Market, 1100 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC | One of the country's oldest fish markets; then walk the piers
7:00 PM | Eat | ilili, 100 District Square SW, Washington, DC | Lebanese mezze for the table; book ahead
Day 3 – Georgetown
9:00 AM | Eat | Baked & Wired, 1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW, Washington, DC | Coffee and cupcakes to start
10:00 AM | Do | Georgetown Waterfront Park, Wisconsin Ave NW and K St NW, Washington, DC | Walk the river toward Key Bridge, then head up to M Street
12:00 PM | Eat | Clyde's of Georgetown, 3236 M St NW, Washington, DC | A Georgetown saloon that seats groups easily
1:30 PM | Do | Dumbarton Oaks Museum, 1703 32nd St NW, Washington, DC | Free, no ticket needed; closed Mondays
2:15 PM | Do | Dumbarton Oaks Garden, 31st St NW and R St NW, Washington, DC | Opens at 2 PM, Tuesday to Sunday; buy tickets online ahead
4:00 PM | Travel | Georgetown > Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, 1 Aviation Cir, Washington, DC | There's no Metro in Georgetown. Walk or ride to Foggy Bottom-GWU for the Blue Line to the airport, or take a rideshare