Washington DC, USA

The capital of the world's wealthiest and most powerful nation possesses a graceful dignity that's captured in its monuments, museums and memorials. Only a handful of cities rival Washington, DC's history and influence, and visits to the Lincoln Memorial, the White House or the Smithsonian leave lifetime impressions, as do somber moments spent at the Arlington National Cemetery, the U.S. Holocaust Museum or the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. WashingtonDC.com's guide to the nation's capital embraces its neighborhoods and major attractions, hidden rooftop restaurants and power dining spots, as well as events ranging from street fairs and DJ nights to the national Cherry Blossom Festival held every spring.

With all there is to see and do in this city, Washington DC city tours offer the most comprehensive glimpse into the inner workings of the city and the most popular sights. There are DC tour options for travelers of every sort; those fascinated by espionage are sure to love the Washington DC Spy City Tour, while photographers may enjoy seeing the beauty of the lit-up monuments at night with the Washington DC Night Tour. Those who like to get as much as possible from a tour might like the full day tour of Washington DC, which visits almost all the most popular and key sights of the city with a far-reaching six-hour tour that includes stops at memorials, the Capitol Building, monuments, the Pentagon and the FBI Building. 

Things to see in Washington DC

Madame Tussauds

For more than 200 years, Madame Tussauds interactive wax attractions worldwide have invited guests to get up close and personal with incredibly life-like wax figures of icons, celebrities and pioneers in the entertainment, music, sports and political arenas. Madame Tussauds provides guests with the opportunity to create memories with idols – past and present. With exact replicas of Hollywood A-Lister and World Leaders that are so amazing, you’ll believe you are face to face with the real person. Flash your pearly whites next to our newest figure, President Barack Obama, for an unforgettable photo opportunity. Madame Tussauds, the world-renowned wax attraction, brings together famous faces from around the globe to the heart of New York’s Times Square, the famed “strip” in Las Vegas, the nation’s capital in Washington D.C., and coming soon to Hollywood, California.

Air Force Memorial

At the Air Force Memorial, the sky really is the limit. But you don’t have to be a former fighter pilot to grasp the magic of flight, or the meaning of one of the newest memorials in the greater Washington, D.C. area. So make a short stop at the Air Force Memorial and ponder how much of the nation’s military might is predicated on the continuing use of air power and how prominent a role it has played in battles past.

 

Washington Monument

At 555 feet, 5.5 inches, the Washington Monument is the tallest stone structure in the world. It is also the tallest structure of any kind in Washington, D.C., meaning that at some point during your visit — after the fifteenth or twentieth glimpse of it from a lot farther away than you’d have guessed you could see it — you’re bound to start wondering what the city looks like from the windows at its top.

The White House

The White House may well be the most powerful and abiding symbol of American government. The building bears palpable witness to our country’s history. Based on a design submitted by an immigrant and chosen by George Washington, only to be torched and looted by the British just fourteen years after its completion, the White House has been rebuilt, revised, renovated, and restored by Presidents and First Ladies from James Monroe to Jacqueline Kennedy.

 The District has a total area of 68.3 square miles (177 km2), of which 61.4 square miles (159 km2) is land and 6.9 square miles (18 km2) (10.16%) is water. It is no longer 100 square miles (260 km2) due to the retrocession of the southern portion of the District back to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1846. The city is therefore surrounded by the states of Maryland to the southeast, northeast, and northwest and Virginia to the southwest.

Washington D.C. map

Washington has three major natural flowing streams: the Potomac River and its tributaries the Anacostia River and Rock Creek. Tiber Creek, a natural watercourse that once passed through the National Mall, was fully enclosed underground during the 1870s. The creek also formed a portion of the now-filled Washington City Canal, which allowed passage through the city to the Anacostia River from 1815 until the 1850s. The present Chesapeake and Ohio Canal starts in Georgetown and was used during the 19th century to bypass the Great Falls of the Potomac River, located upstream (northwest) of Washington.