During my travels and career, I lived in the capital Washington D.C. in 2015. I found the city to be exciting and gained a lot of useful life experience living there. Being home to some of the most powerful people on the planet, it has so much to offer travelers. Both in its historical significance, beautiful locations, and overall atmosphere you’ll find it a hub of daily activity.
This list is composed of attractions that every visitor to Washington D.C. should check out while on their trip to the D.C. area.
5. World War II Memorial
As you can guess from the name, The World War II Memorial is a significant location remembering the 16 million American citizens who served and fought, and 400,000 Americans who died while in the United States Armed Forces.
The veterans memorial itself consists of a staggering 56 pillars, representing the U.S. states and territories. You’ll also see included a pair of small triumphal arches for the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, surrounding an oval plaza and fountain. The monument is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.
Standing beside this impressive monument will give you shivers thinking about what it represents. Those many people who it stands for and the implication of its place in military and world history. It is a truly powerful site to see. You’ll find many American veterans and guided walking tours stopping here throughout the day.

4. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum, formerly now the National Air Museum, was formed on August 12, 1946, by President Harry Truman, after an act of Congress signed it into law. The museum holds over 60,000 artifacts and more than 20,000 cubic feet of archival materials and exhibits. Historic aircraft and space artifacts, such as the 1903 Wright Flyer and the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, can be found in the museum just outside the capital.
Many exhibitions are held here relating to basic space and flight and historical military aircraft. The archival collections include images, manuscripts, technical drawings, documents, film, and oral histories covering the American history of flight. You are guaranteed not to be disappointed if you take the day to go here.

3. The Tidal Basin
The beautiful Tidal Basin is located between the Potomac River and the Washington Channel in Washington, D.C It is an amazing man-made reservoir and is part of West Potomac Park near the National Mall. It is a focal point of the National Cherry Blossom Festival held each spring. Thousands of people turn out the catch the colorful cherry blossom trees illuminating the area. It’s really beautiful and if you are in D.C. in Spring it can not be missed. You are sure to get some very Instagram-worthy photos here.

2. Lincoln Memorial
Another highly recommended site we suggest you see and one we all know is the Lincoln Memorial. It’s one of the many free things to do here and is a staple of the area. If you ask most Americans today they can identify the Lincoln Memorial as the site of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
It was built to honor the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was built in 1922 to heal national divisions caused by the Civil War. Standing beside it you can be envisaged all the historic events it had seen in years gone by such as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the Vietnam anti-war protest, and the 2017 Women’s March on Washington. I can promise you, that you can’t help but feel inspired in this great city!

1. The White House and Washington Monument

My two favorite sites in Washington D.C. so they are both number 1 are The White House and Washington Monument. Home to arguably some of the most powerful presidents on earth the White House is undeniably a must-see in Washington DC. Sitting centrally in the city and surrounded by most of the other sites we have previously mentioned in this article, it’s extremely interesting to think of how many important decisions were made within its walls.
A beautiful building in and of itself, you can easily enjoy it the same day as the Lincoln Memorial, National Monument, and the World War II Memorial as they are so close to each other. You can walk from location to location or event rent a bike for a nice loop around this integral part of Washington D.C.

The Washington Monument has the most amazing overlooking view of the city. The Washington Monument is an obelisk within the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the American Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States (1789–1797).
The extensive history of the capital of the United States is up there with some of the other most interesting cities this country has to offer for sightseeing. If you can get to D.C. I assure you these things to do in Washington are not to be missed.