Location: Washington, DC is located midway along the eastern seaboard of the United States, south of Maryland, north of Virginia and 233 miles south of New York City.
Length: The District of Columbia is 67 square miles and divided into 4 quadrants: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast. The U.S. Capitol building marks the center where the quadrants meet.
Time To Allow: As much time as you have!

Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

Few areas in the United States boast such a wide variety of activities for travelers. Whatever your interest, from museums and historical memorials to theatre, funky neighborhoods and shopping, the Washington DC area has it all. The best way to tour inside the District is to park your car! Washington DC is a great walking town and it's also very easy to travel via the subway system, the Washington Metro.

Suggested Itinerary

Start your visit at the National Mall where you can visit the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Vietnam Veterans Memorial the Jefferson Memorial and more. If you want to see the U.S. government in action, take a free 45-minute tour of the U.S. Capitol.

If museums are more your style, you've picked the right city. One of the fourteen museums of the Smithsonian are a great place to begin. Don't forget to include the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum or the newest Washington DC attraction, the International Spy Museum.

For dining and boutique shopping, don't miss the cobblestone streets and Old World feel of historic Georgetown. To find a cuisine to fit most any taste, visit Adams Morgan, one of DC's most trendy areas. Or, head over to Dupont Circle and take a side-trip to view the fabulous architecture of the embassies and homes along Massachusetts Avenue.

Other than New York City, the Washington DC metro area has the most shopping facilities on the East Coast. From traditional malls like Pentagon City or Tysons Corner to large outlet stores like Potomac Mills Outlet Center and Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, you can find all kinds of shopping just a short drive from the center of DC.

For history buffs, don't forget to visit Mount Vernon, the plantation home of George Washington. On your way back to DC, stop in Old Town Alexandria and see other historic sites like Robert E. Lee's boyhood home and Washington's "town house".


The following organizations offer trips in the Washington, D.C. area:

Spies in Washington, D.C.
North American Journeys
Want to hear about the most intriguing tour to hit Washington, DC in years? Let us take you into the shadowy world of spying. You’ll visit the International Spy Museum, sail on The Odyssey Clue Cruise and see a hilarious whodunit at the Kennedy Center. You’ll take a Spy Tour of Washington, DC, explore the fascinating world of cryptology, and more!

Williamsburg & Washington, D.C.
Tauck World Discovery
Follow in the footsteps of history on a journey through America, from the Revolutionary War to present day. Travel from Philadelphia through the beautiful Pennsylvania Dutch countryside to poignant Gettysburg; explore Shenandoah National Park en route to Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, and Washington, DC.

Patriots of America
Tauck Bridges
See American history come alive on a fascinating journey that takes you down America's road to independence, from colonial times to present day. Visit famous national landmarks with costumed guides; join forest rangers on a hike through trails first forged by frontiersmen. View Amish families living like they did more than one hundred years ago and interact with "colonists" living in the 1700's.

Washington, D.C. City Salute & Visit to Virginia Countryside
North America Journeys
There’s no capital city like Washington, D.C., with its glorious monuments, treasures, and icons of US achievements. A tour here is a chance to share all that America has been, is, and will become. Unique to Washington, D.C., entrance fees rarely exist, and that includes the world-famous Smithsonian museums, art galleries, National Zoo, US Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress and most architectural landmarks. There are spacious parks and gardens, the famed National Mall, and numerous cultural venues. Theatre performances and musical concerts present world-class entertainment and group rates are available. A plethora of shopping satisfies even the most discriminating spenders.