Washington DC: what to see

The Mall runs from the foot of the US Capitol to the Potomac River. The National Park Service protects the memorials and over 1,000 acres of green space here, and the park is open 24 hours a day. The Lincoln, Jefferson, FDR, Martin Luther King Jr., Vietnam, Korean War and World War II memorials are all within walking distance. The NPS suggests early morning or early evening as the calm times to visit (NPS park page).

At the west end of the Mall; the park address is 1100 Ohio Drive SW. Daniel Chester French's statue of Abraham Lincoln is made of 28 pieces of Georgia marble. The chamber and exterior are free and open to the public, while the Undercroft exhibit needs tickets.

The obelisk rises more than 555 feet above the city. Entry is by timed ticket: advance tickets on recreation.gov are typically released 30 days before the visit date, and extra same-day tickets are handed out on site from 8:45 every morning. The monument closes on December 25, and the NPS asks visitors to reach the screening area at least 15 minutes before their entry time (NPS).

The Capitol Visitor Center is underground on the east side of the building. All tours are free and guided only. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins join the next available tour; arrive by 2:30 pm (visitthecapitol.gov). Allow time for security and check the prohibited items list first.

The Thomas Jefferson Building is at 10 First Street SE, across the street from the Capitol. It is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and until 8 pm on Thursdays; closed Sunday and Monday. Entry is free with a free timed pass: you can reserve up to 20 online up to 30 days ahead, and same-day passes go online at 9 am (loc.gov).

One of the Smithsonian's 17 free museums in the DC area, at 650 Jefferson Drive SW. It holds the 1903 Wright Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module Columbia and the Mercury capsule Friendship 7. Admission is free, but every visitor, of any age, needs a free timed-entry pass. Hours are 10 am to 5:30 pm. The second site, the Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, does not use timed passes.

At 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, in the northwest of the city. Visits are ticketed and prices vary by format: self-guided sightseeing with an app and audio tours, an hour-long guided tour, or a tower climb. Tickets are sold on the cathedral's site. Open City cafe is next door on South Road.

For a Russian-speaking visitor this may be the most interesting museum in town. Marjorie Merriweather Post's estate at 4155 Linnean Avenue NW holds the Faberge Catherine the Great Easter Egg (1914), the 1884 nuptial crown made for Empress Alexandra's wedding to Nicholas II, pieces of the Orlov Service from the Imperial Porcelain Factory (1762 to 1765) and Konstantin Makovsky's "A Boyar Wedding Feast" (1883). Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, closed for several weeks in January. The suggested donation for adults is $20.

The old neighborhood on the Potomac is crossed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The national historical park follows 184.5 miles of towpath, and biking is allowed on it. In Georgetown, Georgetown Heritage runs rides on a replica canal boat with the NPS; tickets are on Georgetown Heritage's site (NPS).

Across the Potomac in Virginia. Open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. The main entrance at 1 Memorial Avenue is about a five-minute walk from the Arlington Cemetery Metro stop. The tram tour stops at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and at John F. Kennedy's grave.