Things To Do
King Street, Old Town
King Street is a charming part of Old Town that has a TON of restaurants and shops that are worth exploring. You can walk down to the waterfront as well.
BARCA Pier & Wine Bar
Fun happy hour and/or dinner spot on the water in Old Town! Reservations recommended.
Virtue Feed & Grain
Walkable restaurant if you are staying in Old Town, Alexandria! Reservations recommended.
Taverna Cretekou
Greek restaurant located in the heart of Old Town with a back patio. Walkable if you are staying in Old Town. Reservations recommended.
National Mall
We know it's a no brainer, but the National Mall is a must for any out-of-towners looking to check off some DC tourist boxes. Bring your tennis shoes and lots of water! (Or consider renting bikes through Capital Bike Share if you aren't up for a long stroll.) Our favorite monuments are the Jefferson, the Lincoln, and the D.C. War Memorial. There are also lots of Segway tours and bus tours around the mall and we recommend a quick google search for those.
Kayaking on the Potomac
A unique way to catch some views of the monuments while spending the day on the water in Georgetown. Budget and family friendly. We recommend exploring Georgetown in general - lots of restaurants and shops. Note: Uber/Lyft recommended! Not very close to any metro stops.
Renwick Gallery
Our favorite museum in DC. Unique art and history exhibits, located directly across the street from the White House (usually only takes about 30-45 minutes to explore the whole place). No cost to enter, but check their website to see if a ticket/time reservation is needed.
Swizzler
Best burgers in town (in our humble opinion)! This is the food concept that Jesse and Ben (Best Man) started in college at Wake Forest University. Two food trucks, a catering business, and one brick and mortar space later, Swizzler is a DC staple for regenerative, grass-fed beef. Located in the Navy Yard near the National's ballpark. (And if you can't make a trip to the store...don't worry! One of the food trucks will be serving late night bites at our reception.) Closest metro stop: Navy Yard-Ballpark (Green)
Garden District
Beer garden on 14th St. with top notch bar food (we especially recommend the fried pickles). And, this happens to be where we had our first date in 2015. Closest metro stop: U Street (yellow/green lines)
Zaytinya
One of our favorite restaurants in DC. They serve Mediterranean tapas (our favorites are the Htipiti, Baba Ghannouge, Crispy Brussels, and any of the lamb dishes). Located near many museums and reasonably close to the National Mall. Reservation strongly recommended, but you can also typically snag a couple seats at the bar without a reservation if you have a small group. Closest metro: Metro Center (red/orange/silver/blue lines)