The Mall on foot, and the water it curls around
Washington, D.C. · 2 nights · Oct · Nov · Apr · May · up to 8
Washington is a walking city pretending to be a driving one, and the Mall is longer than the map suggests — two miles end to end with nothing to break it up. Do it once, properly, then stay off it. Georgetown and Capitol Hill are where people actually live and the food is better in both. Two nights, because the museums are free and will otherwise quietly eat the trip.
The ending
A path around a tidal inlet planted the whole way with cherry trees, a domed memorial on the far side, and water flat enough to hold the entire colonnade.
That is Tidal Basin at the Jefferson Memorial. See how private it is and when it’s open, or build the rest of the trip around it.
Do
- Georgetown Walking Tour
- National Mall Sunset Walk
- Eastern Market Food Tour
- Potomac River Boat Cruise
Eat
- Tail Up Goat
- Rasika
Stay
- Riggs Washington DC
- The Dupont Circle Hotel
Should we come for the cherry blossoms?
Only if you want to share them. Peak bloom is about a fortnight and the basin is shoulder to shoulder for all of it. The trees are still there in October and so is the water.
Where should we stay?
Not on the Mall. Dupont or Penn Quarter puts you a walk from dinner, which is the one thing the monumental core cannot do.