Top Tourist Attractions in Washington, DC
Browse more guides: United States travel | Americas destinations Top Tourist Attractions in Washington, DC Last updated: April 2026 · 12 min read DC is one of the few major US cities where the best stuff is free. Smithsonian museums plus the memorials are 90% of the trip and they don't cost a cent. But but but the catch: the National Museum of African American History & Culture needs timed-entry tickets booked weeks ahead, and most travelers find out the morning they show up. I've stayed in DC five times across different seasons, and visited monthly back when I lived in Baltimore. So this isn't a "I read the Smithsonian website once" guide. It's the version I send friends. TL;DR: - Top 5 must-do: National Mall sunset walk (Lincoln, WWII, Vietnam, and Korean War), Smithsonian Air & Space, NMAAHC, US Capitol guided tour, Arlington National Cemetery. - Booking warnings: NMAAHC tickets release 30 days ahead at 8 am EST and sell out same day for...