A trip to Washington DC is a rite of passage for every American. I recently took my teenage boys for spring break to see the sites and visit what we could in 5 days. Since many of the museums and sites are FREE it’s an economical destination. The biggest question I had was where are we going to stay. I chose the Conrad DC which is part of the Hilton for Luxury collection and we were not disappointed.
The hotel sits 5 blocks north of Pennsylvania Avenue and a couple of blocks from the nearest Metro station. We easily walked to the National Archives, National Portrait Gallery, and even the National Mall. Lyfts were plentiful so if we didn’t walk or take the Metro we could hop in a Lyft and be anywhere in less than 20 minutes. Next to the hotel is the City Center DC with several restaurants (Tatte Bakery and Cafe, Centrolina, and Del Frisco’s) and many luxury boutiques (Bvlgari, Christian Louboutin, Longchamp, Jo Malone Fragrances, etc). It’s also a convenient location if you are visiting for an event at the Capital One Arena as it’s only a few blocks away.
If you’ve ever visited a Conrad hotel you will know it’s a modern interpretation of a luxury hotel. The spaces are oversized, high ceilings, but warmed with wood accents. Our room was a deluxe double queen room with a large window overlooking the city and a bathroom with large shower that doubled as a soaking tub. There are several suite options and you can book into the Sakura Club which offers personalized service and several food offerings daily.
The main restaurant, Estuary, offers breakfast (complimentary for 2 daily with Hilton for Luxury or Virtuoso bookings), lunch, dinner, and late-night lounge dining. The food was fantastic! We ordered room service most mornings and stopped in one evening after our trolley tour for a late night snack.
Service was wonderful. Each staff member spoke to us as we passed and the doormen were always helpful with suggestions of where to go and the best way to get there.
What did we do while we were in DC? Some museums and tours need to be booked in advance so always check at least 2-3 months before your trip. On our arrival day we planned for lunch near our hotel (Tatte) and pre-booked a time to visit the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (FREE, unless you want to see the IMAX movie). It’s currently undergoing renovations to be ready for America’s 250th birthday in 2026 so several exhibits were unavailable to view. We also visited the Natural History Museum (FREE – be sure to check out the jewelry including the Hope Diamond). On our way back we were greeted by the presidential motorcade.
The next day we started with a visit to the National Archives (FREE) to see the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Constitution, Magna Carta, and so many other cool historical artifacts. I didn’t get advance tickets but we stood in line at opening and just waited a few minutes. I’m so amazed by the architecture of the buildings in Washington DC. At times I felt like I was in Paris the way the streets and buildings were arranged.
My favorite part of the trip was the White House tour (FREE). They just started touring a couple weeks before our trip so it felt really special to be one of the first ones to visit after so many years of it being closed to the public. I reached out to our state representative’s office 6-7 weeks prior to our trip to ask for tickets for this and to tour the Capitol. They came through with White House tour but not the Capitol tour which was fine since we could walk up and wait in line to tour the Capitol. Security is tight and you are not allowed to bring a bag or purse so make sure whatever you want to bring can fit in a pocket. There are exceptions for families with medical needs and small children but be sure to read over the information provided to you. After several metal detectors we were inside the gates. Some of the rooms we viewed (you’re not allowed in most, just pass through or look in the doorway) were the Vermeil Room, Library, China Room on the lower level followed by upstairs in the East Room, Green Room, Red Room, Blue Room, State Dining Room, before being escorted out the east entrance. I’ll have to take this tour again and really soak up the design of the furniture, portraits, and theming in each room. Be sure to stop in the foyer on your way out for a family or group photo.
My family was finished for a bit after these tours so they went back to the hotel to rest and I visited the Portrait Gallery (FREE). As an Interior Design major with an Art minor I could have stayed in this museum for hours. Take a break and hang out in the interior courtyard and people watch. While I was there I saw a group of students taking photos before prom or some other school function and wedding photos.
Last event for the day was the Monuments by Moonlight Trolley Tour which I highly recommend. You ride either in an old trolley or bus (we were in a bus) and tour various DC monuments. The tour made 3 stops; Tidal Basin to see the FDR, MLK, and Washington Monuments, and Jefferson Memorial from a distance, Lincoln Memorial to see that, Vietnam Veterans, and Korean War Veterans, and finally at the Marine Corps Memorial. It’s such a solemn memorial, especially at night.
Next day we ventured to Arlington Memorial on the Metro. It’s free to enter the memorial and walk around but you can purchase tickets for the guided trolley tour. The grounds are quite large and hilly so you may want to ride the trolley. Time the trolley so you are at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the hour when the have the changing of the guard ceremony and sometimes a laying of the wreath ceremony. We then took the Metro back and stopped off in Foggy Bottom to walk around and have lunch. If it had not been raining we would have visited Old Town Arlington.
Dinner that evening was in Georgetown at Martin’s Tavern. It’s tiny so be sure to make a reservation a few weeks in advance. Since it was March 16th they brought in Irish dancers to entertain the crowd. Food was very good and the crowd seemed to be filled with locals. If you keep an eye out you can usually find a politician dining. The table next to us was named the Madeline Albright Booth. After dinner we stopped off at Levain Bakery for their famous chocolate chip cookies.
Our last full day we toured the Capitol (FREE). Since we didn’t have pre-arranged tickets we waited for about 30 minutes to enter. Everyone is broken into small groups for a short tour. We didn’t see much even though congress wasn’t in session but it was neat to be able to walk the halls where lawmakers have walked for years. Be on the lookout for the state statues. Each state can commission 2 statues that represent their state or famous individuals from their state. States can only change their statues every 10 years without special permission. Reach out to your representative before you go for tickets to the gallery. You can visit even if congress isn’t in session.
We then walked a LONG way to the National Museum of American History (FREE). Some of the more famous exhibits are the ruby red slippers from Wizard of Oz, First Ladies’ exhibit of their dresses and dishes, Star Spangled Banner (no photos) and nearly 3 million other artifacts. My family was done after this so they went back to the Conrad and I kept walking.
Next up was the Washington Monument and the National Gallery of Art (FREE). I want to visit DC just to tour this museum again. I spent almost an hour here and could easily spent another 2 or 3 just exploring.
Our last night’s dinner was at Old Ebbitt Grill next to the White House. Another fabulous dinner and reservations are highly recommended.
We had a late flight so after breakfast we took the Metro to the National Zoo (FREE). I didn’t realize how hilly the area is just getting to the zoo and also the zoo itself. Make sure you wear good walking shoes. We spent about an hour checking out the pandas that were sleeping, birds, cats, otters, red pandas, otters, and my boys visited the reptiles.
A trip to Washington DC is full of wonderful American history, beautiful architecture, a lot of walking and fun. We certainly had a full 5 days in DC although we could have done so much more. We will be back!