Washington DC Travel Guide

Our Washington DC travel guide! I have a personal connection to Washington DC - I was born here! But that doesn't mean I fully understood this most American of American cities. Washington DC is a complicated city but absolutely worth your time. From the magnificent monuments to the world-class museums to the phenomenal food, Washington DC is a city worth exploring. And in our Washington DC travel guide, we show you how.

00:00 - Intro
01:46 - Transport
05:20 - Food
10:00 - Money

[attachetravel]

Have you been to Washington DC before? Any tips you can share?

[ProfessorAB]

I feel like you showed so much of this beautiful city yet barely scratched the surface of it.
Again an amazing episode, thankyou 🙏

[MontyMars]

The historic district in Alexandria is an amazing walk. Georgetown at night is fun. And if you can go around this time of year the Cherry Blossoms will inspire awe.

[frednich]

We went to Ben's. I thought the hot dogs were overrated, but... I really appreciate the historical background you gave it. Now I'm glad I went and I'll go again. Great video as always

[notcancanomar]

Really happy to see you make this episode of my hometown! You did it justice, Alex 😁

[martinc.]

I have visited this great city. The National Air and Space Museum is a must! They have two venues: one on the National Mall, and another one in Chantilly, VA, that is WELL worth the trek.

Since I've seen questions about accessibility in a couple of previous videos: the DC subway is recognized as one of the easiest to use in the US for people with mobility issues (including wheelchair users, like myself). The city itself is easy to navigate too.

I arrived in and left DC by train, and while the trip was pleasant and easy, Union Station was the highlight of those two days. What an amazing building!

[cavebots]

Just came back from D.C. and I was so surprised at the walkability! Glad I listened to locals and tried Ben's Chili when I went.

[LtNduati]

Hot take - DC is actually a nice city. I visit often for work, and used to visit often growing up in South Jersey. It’s always different every time I go, but I like it, more than most would freely admit lol

[pknee]

Great Video! Used to live in DC for 2.5 years, and I still barely scratched the surface. Seemed like there was history on every street.

[motlaw]

Hoisin duck wrap today. Wish I was eating that half smoke though. Woof. Lovely video. That metro looks incredible !

[maxwellwellmax]

Cant say Im interested in visiting DC, but always glad to see one of your videos!.

[AncientAstronaut]

Great episode as usual, but just a little undercooked. I only say that because DC has a lot more to offer in terms of food, neighborhoods, and the incredibly beautiful green spaces. The city is so much more than just the National Mall area!

[AgentOrange]

Just one note about adding the smart trip card to your iphone. It only allows one rider per phone because it actively tracks your location. So if you have multiple people are you planning on getting through the terminals, have paper tickets ready for those without phones.

[Matt-wcmf]

Hey! My home town!

I understand why you left it off, seeing as it's nominally Baltimore's airport, but you could also very easily also fly into BWI for your DC adventures. The MARC Penn Line from BWI into Union Station is about the same amount of travel time as the Silver Line from Dulles, but requires a little bit of faffing about with shuttle buses to get to the station. Also the international connections are not nearly as numerous at BWI as Dulles, but there are still flights from London, Frankfurt, Panama City, and Reykjavik.

That usual Mid-Atlantic summer weather from about late May to early September is like being steam cooked (90°F/30°C, 90% humidity), and is very miserable when you're doing all that walking around town. Avoid summer in DC like the plague. Spring and Fall are the much more pleasant times to visit. In the Spring, you might even be able to catch the Cherry Blossoms and the Cherry Blossom Festival (mid March to Mid April).

While DC itself may not have a signature food, it's well encapsulated by the Chesapeake Bay region, and is a great spot for Chesapeake Bay staples like Maryland Blue Crab, shrimp/crawfish bakes, and clams/mussels/oysters (Don't forget the Old Bay seasoning!). Though if you want the really good stuff, a quick jaunt to Annapolis is well worth it too.

While DC does have a substantially higher crime rate than a lot of other major cities in the US, it tends to be concentrated in the less touristed parts of the city in South East. The Mall and all the monuments are generally kept just as "safe" as any other major city in the US.

DC is a great sports town. Fall and Winter has the Capitals (hockey), Wizards (basketball) and U of Maryland Basketball. Spring and summer has DC United (soccer), Nationals (baseball), and Mystics (Women's basketball). Football season has the Commanders (NFL, formerly Red***ns), and U of Maryland Football. All venues are at least roughly accessible by Metro and are worth checking out depending on what time of year you're in town.

[Brad-kuyu]

Loved this video, one of your best. I had no clue and never learned about the riots after MLK Jr's death. What an awesome person you got to speak to. My dad took us to DC as kids and everything was so large and grand. He really went all out with a limo to Embassy Suites and one of my best memories was walking with my parents all dressed up to a very nice restaurant on a cool October night in DC about 27 years ago.

[DJ-ldum]

Thank you for representing my hometown so well.

[andrewtc]

Great episode. The Virginia / Ben's chili section was fantastic!

[IQTrip]

Definitely want to visit DC after watching this! Brilliant tip too on doubling the tax as the tip!

[rl]

Thank you for this video❤ Another favorite thing to do in DC is walk around Wharf, and take water taxi to Georgetown or the National Harbor.

[patrickmcnamara]

Fantastic video Alex! While I’ve only been to Reagan airport on a layover, this video makes me think I should see more than just the terminal.