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🇺🇸 Washington DC — your itinerary

5 days · 15h of activities · $0 per person in tickets & dining

Map of Washington DC

Day-by-day plan

Day 1 — Arrival

2026-08-05
1h · $0
Light afternoon after travel — ease into the city.
  • 14:30
    → 15:30
    Afternoon
    🎭Smithsonian Museums (National Mall)
    19 free museums including Air & Space, Natural History, American History, and the National Zoo — a week isn't enough.
    1h · Free · must-see

Day 2

2026-08-06
2h 30m · $0
  • 09:30
    → 10:30
    Morning
    🏛️Lincoln Memorial & Reflecting Pool
    Stand where MLK delivered "I Have a Dream" — most powerful at sunrise before crowds arrive.
    1h · Free · must-see
  • 14:00
    → 15:30
    Afternoon
    🎭United States Capitol
    Free guided tours of the US Capitol — book weeks ahead on your Congress member's website.
    1h 30m · Free · must-see

Day 3

2026-08-07
5h 30m · $0
  • 09:30
    → 11:30
    Morning
    🎭Arlington National Cemetery
    Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Changing of the Guard, Kennedy gravesites — profound and moving.
    2h · Free · must-see
  • 14:00
    → 17:30
    Afternoon
    🏛️National Mall Monument Walk
    Walk from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial past the Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, Vietnam Wall.
    3h 30m · Free · must-see

Day 4

2026-08-08
4h · $0
  • 09:30
    → 12:00
    Morning
    🎯Georgetown Waterfront & Historic District
    Federal-era architecture, M Street dining, canal towpath walk, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.
    2h 30m · Free to walk · recommended
  • 14:00
    → 15:30
    Afternoon
    🎭Library of Congress
    World's largest library with breathtaking Great Hall — free and largely overlooked by tourists.
    1h 30m · Free · recommended

Day 5 — Departure

2026-08-09
2h · $0
Quick morning visit before heading to the airport.
  • 09:00
    → 11:00
    Morning
    🎭National Portrait Gallery & American Art Museum
    Free double museum including Obama portrait — in a stunning Greek Revival building.
    2h · Free · recommended

Budget breakdown

1 traveler · 5 days
CategoryPer personPer person
Attractions & activities
Entry tickets and activity fees from your plan.
$0$0
Restaurants (dinner each day)
Midpoint of cost ranges; lunch usually $10-20 extra per day.
$0$0
Lodging (estimate, mid-range)
4 nights × ~$140/night
$560$560
Local transport (estimate)
5 days of metro / taxis / ride share.
$75$75
Total trip estimate$635$635

Mid-range estimates. Travel hackers can cut 30-40%; luxury 2-3×. Lodging assumes mid-range hotel/Airbnb.

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