Top Things to Do in Washington DC and How to Get There

Washington DC packs an unusual number of must-see attractions into a relatively small, often traffic-snarled footprint. Knowing what to see is the easy part; knowing how to actually move between the National Mall, Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria and National Harbor in a single day — without losing hours to parking and road closures — is where most visitors run into trouble. Here is both halves of that plan.

The National Mall: plan to be dropped, not parked

The Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the memorials all sit along or near the Mall, and the single biggest mistake visitors make is trying to drive and park near any of it. Street parking is scarce, meters are strictly enforced, and most of the nearby garages fill early on weekends and during cherry blossom season. A chauffeur drop-off at whichever end of the Mall you are starting from, with a pickup arranged for later at a different point, lets you walk the Mall in one direction instead of backtracking to a parked car.

Georgetown: historic streets, almost no parking

M Street and Wisconsin Avenue's shops, restaurants and the C&O Canal towpath make Georgetown one of DC's best walking neighborhoods — and one of its hardest to park in, especially on weekend evenings. A drop-off at the neighborhood's edge, with a pickup arranged after dinner, avoids circling for a spot that frequently does not exist. Our Georgetown limo service page has more detail on getting in and out smoothly.

Old Town Alexandria: a short trip with a very different feel

King Street's cobblestones, waterfront and historic storefronts make Old Town Alexandria a natural half-day trip from downtown DC, close enough for an easy round trip but distinct enough in character to feel like a separate outing. It pairs well with a Mall or Georgetown morning and an Old Town dinner, provided the transfer between them is arranged rather than improvised at rush hour.

National Harbor: the waterfront, the wheel and MGM

Across the Potomac in Maryland, National Harbor's boardwalk, the Capital Wheel and the MGM National Harbor casino and resort make it a strong evening or full-day add-on, particularly for visitors staying near the Mall who want a change of scenery without a long drive. See our National Harbor transportation guide for the full logistics.

Arlington National Cemetery and the memorials across the river

Arlington National Cemetery, the Air Force Memorial and the view of DC from the Virginia side of the Potomac are easy to underrate when planning a DC-only itinerary, but they are a short trip from the Mall and worth the half-day for most first-time visitors. Our Arlington National Cemetery transportation page covers logistics specific to the cemetery's own access rules.

A sample one-day itinerary

• Morning: dropped at the Mall's west end for the monuments and memorials, walking east toward the Smithsonian museums.
• Midday: picked up near the Smithsonian for a short transfer to Georgetown for lunch and a walk along the canal.
• Afternoon: transfer to Old Town Alexandria or across the river to Arlington, depending on the day's pace.
• Evening: transfer to National Harbor or back downtown for dinner, with a final return to your hotel.

Why one reserved vehicle beats piecing it together

Each of these neighborhoods is a reasonable rideshare or Metro trip on its own. Stacking four or five of them into a single day, with luggage, kids, or guests who move at different paces, is exactly where a single chauffeured vehicle pays for itself: no re-hailing a ride at every stop, no renegotiating the plan because a rideshare driver cancelled, and a car that simply waits or circles back on your schedule rather than someone else's.

For an hourly as-directed itinerary covering several of these stops in one day, request a quote or call (877) 609-1919 — tell us your must-see list and we will build the route around it.