Since we have kids in school and my husband is a teacher, our travel comes at very limited times. Spring Break is one of those times we choose to get away regularly. We decided to visit Washington DC over the holiday and were amazed how much the kids enjoyed it.
How to Visit Washington DC in Two Days with Family
Here I will outline how we spent our time and give you an idea of what to expect. For reference, our kids are 5 and 9 and all the Smithsonian Museums are free.
Side note:
Don’t forget to book a hotel in advance! Washington can get very busy and booking.com can compare hotels for you and help with available choices.
First evening (Visit Washington DC)
Udvar-Hazy Center
We arrived in the Washington DC area in the afternoon after visiting some family and started at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum near Dulles called the Udvar-Hazy Center. This museum is perfect for the air travel enthusiast in the group.
For starters, this museum has a lookout tower where you can hear the air traffic control at Dulles and you can watch plans land and depart.
However, the main attraction is the hangar full of planes. When you walk in the main museum, guests step into a large hangar with planes, artifacts, and a Space Shuttle. There are planes that are modern and some from early days of aviation.
The Space Shuttle seemed to be the overwhelming favorite with our family and standing next to it was just incredible.
We spent a little more than two hours in the museum before it closed.
Next Morning, Washington DC Metro
We rented an apartment in Arlington that was less than a half mile walk to the Metro Station and it was perfect. When we arrived, we thought we had it figured out, but a woman working at the entrance came over and helped us figure out the route we wanted to take. I cannot recommend talking to the Metro attendants enough! She was incredibly helpful, informative and so friendly!
This was quite the experience for us as our kids had never ridden a subway before so it was a great learning experience.
Visit Washington DC Mall
After we got off the Metro, we were right on the Mall and immediately we saw the Washington Monument and the Capital Building. We started walking towards the Washington Monument since we knew we wanted to go past it and get to the Lincoln Memorial.
The walk was pretty long for the kids. When you walk from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, it is about a mile. Then you need to walk back. We had to take turns carrying the 5 year old.
Washington DC Mall tips:
Take your time with small kids to appreciate all the memorials along the way.
The Washington DC Mall Food Trucks
Unfortunately, there are not many restaurants near the mall area. But, there are food trucks every where on the way to the Washington Monument. There is every food you could imagine and guests can even have a picnic on the grass.
Washington DC Food Truck Tips:
Expect food to be expensive at these food trucks. Also, make sure to have cash on hand because some do not accept credit.
Washington Monument
This monument is an iconic DC landmark and a must see when you visit the city. Guests can get passes to go to the top but they do book up quickly. We decided against it because you have to be there at a certain time and we weren’t sure how the kids would handle all the walking.
Lincoln Memorial
Our oldest had learned about the Lincoln Memorial in school so this was a big must do for her.
This larger than life memorial is incredibly impressive and Abraham Lincoln is very big. All the details and stone work impress me.
The Lincoln Memorial is popular and incredibly crowded every time we go. If you are patient, you can get a picture that looks like you’re the only one there!
Visit Washington DC Museum of Natural History
This was a major hit with our kids. The Museum of Natural History is a large museum where guests could spend all day. Usually, this is a museum people think of when they think of the Smithsonian.
Greeted by a large elephant, guests will chose a section to start and continue through the museum. We started in the Hall of Fossils because our kids wanted to see real dinosaur bones and so did we! This was obviously a popular part of the museum but there was plenty of room to enjoy the dinosaurs.
The Ocean hall was also a fun place for the kids. The museum has a 30 foot squid on display and it is astonishing. There is also a small aquarium to view some tropical fish.
Lastly, the Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals was a huge draw for the kids. There were so many different specimens or rocks and gems that it was easy to miss something. The polished stones at the end were so beautiful and it was capped off by the Hope Diamond.
I feel we could have spent more time here but they closed at 5:30 and everyone was ushered out.
Museum of Natural History Tips:
Water is allowed in the museum but not food. Make sure to get as much time in this museum as you can.
Last Day, Visit Washington DC National Zoo
On our last full day in Washington DC, we decided to go to the National Zoo. We bought parking for our day so we could drive and leave to come home when we were done. If you decide to drive, you must purchase a parking pass for $30.
This zoo is an incredible spot to check out some great animals with free admission. Here you can see elephants, panda bears, orangutans and many more. Many of the exhibits are indoors and they only let in a certain amount of people at a time.
National Zoo Tips:
There were not many food options available and many of the stalls were closed. The food that was available had gigantic lines until around 2:30. There is plenty of overpriced ice cream!
Guests are allowed to bring in outside food and water.
Plan for a whole day at the zoo and just know the crowds get larger as the day goes on.
Don’t forget to make a reservation.
This zoo is very large so make sure to have comfortable walking shoes.
Can you Visit Washington DC in Two Days?
Yes, you can visit but you will not be able to enjoy all that there is to offer. This was a perfect trip for our family with small kids because we got some highlights. When we go back in the future, we will see more museums and monuments. I honestly feel that people could spend a few weeks in DC and still not see all there is to see.
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