How To Tour Washington DC With Kids

The cherry blossoms and the Washington monument

The nation's capital should be on every family's bucket list. It's an amazing education for children. And it can be very affordable since most of the museums in Washington DC are FREE. 

You have 3 airports to pick from near Washington DC. You can fly into Washington Dulles, Reagan National or Baltimore Washington Airports. Southwest flies into Dulles and BWI, however, BWI is usually cheaper. On the flip side, the Washington metro does not reach Dulles airport, however, there is a shuttle bus from the airport to the closest metro stop. 

If you fly into BWI, you can take the MARC or Amtrak trains to Union Station. FREE shuttles are provided at BWI to take you to the closest train stop. 

The National Cathedral in Bethesda

Once in Washington DC, where to stay? Hotels are pretty pricey, but try awardmapper.com to see if you can use points. Airbnb.com is another option. You can also opt to stay a bit out of town and ride the metro into the city.

 While in DC, try to reserve a Pentagon tour. The Pentagon is home to 23,000 employees and the nation's heart of defense. Besides the building, there is a 9/11 memorial and artifacts inside including Saddma Hussein's gold machine gun. Be warned, it is a lot of walking.

Besides the Pentagon, there are 19 Smithsonian museums which are FREE to the public. The most popular are the Air and Space Museum, the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, the National Archives Museum and the National Zoo. You could spend a whole day at each of these museums. Plus on the mall, spend some time visiting the monuments and the memorials.
The National Cathedral is worth a drive-by or if you have time, go inside.
In addition to the Smithsonian museums, you can also check out the Newseum, the Holocaust Museum (if you are visiting with older children), the International Spy Museum and The US Bureau Of Engraving and Printing (tickets for daily tours are distributed on a first come, first serve basis).
For food, try the food trucks that line the mall. You will find lots of kebab type items. Very yummy and inexpensive.