Earlier this month I was lucky enough to be offered a place on a trip sponsored by Destination DC to see and experience what Washington DC is all about. Having never been to DC before I made full use of my 72 hours there which as you will soon see what action packed and full of sightseeing.
We flew from Heathrow to Dulles International which is the main airport of the city although there are two others that service more local flights, Reagan Airport and Baltimore Airport meaning that the city is within easy reach from anywhere in the US. We arrived late on the Friday to the Kimpton Donovan and had just enough time to get showered and changed before heading for something to eat the hotel’s restaurant Zentan. The Donovan is a modern, edgy, pet friendly hotel and the Zentan certainly fits with that theme, the food was Japanese with a funky twist and the Sushi was fantastic. There was a relaxed yet buzzing atmosphere and you could easily understand why the restaurant was busy with the quality of the food and service provided.
The following morning, we took the Metro across DC to L’Enfant Plaza for a bike tour with Bike and Roll. The Metro was quick, easy and incredibly clean, a little different to what you tend to find over here in the UK! The bike tour was fantastic and was conducted in a relaxed manner which allowed us to really appreciate the main sites of DC, we were able to get around easily as most of the area near the attractions is pedestrianised. We started off at the Jefferson Memorial, carried on down to the Martin Luther King Memorial, then stopped at the Lincoln Memorial where we were able to look out over the Washington Monument and take a bit of time to appreciate our surrounds. All along the way our tour guide Adele was incredibly knowledgeable and stopped at each landmark to give us interesting facts and history about each monument and the story around it.
Looking out from the Lincoln Memorial over the Reflecting pool and see the World War 2 Memorial was truly amazing, all with the Washington Monument rising above. Pictures do a great job of giving you the taste of the experience however being there and seeing it first-hand really stands out as one of my best memories of my trip. Following on from our stop we carried on down to the Vietnam Veterans Wall which was flanked by statues dedicated to the fallen soldiers and for service women. We were given an incredible amount of information and history about all the monuments and their history however she does a far better job than I could ever do so I will leave it to her and for you to experience when you go. We stopped off at the World War 2 Memorial and were again given a full run down of the history, what was nice to see was the number of Veterans who were being guided around the Memorial and how much they appreciated it. Our final stop was the Washington Monument where we had 10 minutes and once again took in our surroundings.
Following on from the Bike Tour we headed across to the Nationals Baseball Stadium for the Beer Fest that they had on, it was a great chance to relax for a few hours and appreciate some locally brewed beer before heading out to Georgetown for a bit more history. Georgetown is a beautiful colonial style area full of cobbled streets and shops, some of our group headed off to check out all the shops when a few of us found a nice bar to relax in.
In the evening we were taken on a wonderful guided street tour of U street and the surrounding areas. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and was able to give us a deep understanding of the history of the city and the importance of the restaurants around the area. We had some beautiful food at Ben’s Chili Bowl which has hosted some incredible guests including Martin Luther King Jr and President Obama. The food was incredible as were the murals outside painted on the side of the building, the mural includes such historic black figures as Prince, Obama, Muhammad Ali and Roberta Flack.
After our starter at Ben’s Chili Bowl we headed across to an Ethiopian restaurant where the food was interesting and incredible experience. We finally finished in Tico which had a more modern and Mexican feel to it and served one of the most amazing desserts that I have ever eaten, the Cafe Con Leche.
The next day was a little more relaxed starting off with Brunch at Pearl Street Warehouse, a diner-style eatery which transforms into a raucous bar with live music and entertainment in the evening. It’s a shame we went here for brunch as I think this place would be incredible in the evening, the atmosphere would be electric as due to the close nature of the diner and the general all American all fun feel of it.
Following on from brunch we headed across to the Smithsonian, I only just managed to have a walk around National Museum of Natural History and National Air and Space Museum before the day was out and we needed to change and get ready for the evening meal. I could have spent the entire day at the Smithsonian and still not seen everything, it was while I was here that it really hit me that it’s impossible to do all of DC in 3 days.
With 19 museums, 9 research centres and a zoo you could easily take up 2 days just trying to see everything within the Smithsonian Institute however with so much to see you would miss out a lot of what Washington has to offer. While at the Smithsonian we also had a quick walk to the White House and the Capitol Building before making our way to the POV Rooftop Bar at the W Hotel. From here we were able to have outstanding views of DC and I was able to celebrate my birthday in style while overlooking the Washington Monument and the White House.
Our final night was spent at Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar where we served a host of incredible tapas dishes that almost never seemed to end. Having never had authentic Cuban food I have to say this was definitely the best meal of the trip and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this restaurant to anyone and everyone.
Before heading to the airport for our return flight we had a humbling visit to the Arlington National Cemetery which was truly amazing, it was fantastic to see such homage given to fallen soldiers. There were 400,000 gravestones and it really brought home the sacrifice that was made and the volume of human life lost. In a change of pace, we headed across to the Leesburg Corner Premium Outlet for a bit of last minute shopping.
So, there it is, my 72 hours in Washington DC. I had an incredible time and enjoyed every minute of it, whatever it is that you are looking for DC has in abundance. My major highlight was the Smithsonian, while I wish I could have seen all of the museums I was blown away by the two that I saw and just how much knowledge is contained in the institute. The view from the POV Rooftop Bar at the W Hotel was breath taking as well and a nice glass of champagne while overlooking the White House and Washington Monument is something I’ll definitely remember.
Whether you’re looking for sightseeing, amazing food or just a nice relaxed weekend where you can easily get out and about and enjoy the local restaurants DC has it. I would go as far as to say that 72 hours really isn’t enough to experience all that the city has to offer and I would have no hesitation in heading back.
Our experienced personal travel consultants will ensure you find the most suitable holiday, whilst taking care of every last detail. Everything from start to finish will be effortless.
We can use any hotel, in any destination, so we will craft an itinerary to suit your exact needs. Also, as we can provide any itinerary, the only holiday we'll offer, is the one that's right for you.
Our ATOL bonding provides you with the financial protection you need and as a member of the Travel Trust Association, you'll have 100% financial protection. Covering you for any eventuality.
As a tour operator & travel agent, we'll search the market to ensure that we find you the best price. Also as an online business, we can ensure our prices are as competitive as possible.
We travelled with eShores to Andalucia last year, and Emily did an amazing job of compiling an itinerary with good but affordable hotels - we would heartily recommend each one that she chose for us, and all the arrangements between cities worked beautifully. This year we have gone back to her for another holiday and…
This is my second holiday with eshore. The service I received was excellent. Kelly was very professional, understood all my requirements and booked a fantastic holiday for us. It was a very pleasant experience dealing with Kelly and definitely recommend friends to book holidays with her. A real 5 star service.
As always, our go-to girl came through with a fab itinerary for our very last minute booking to USA. Kadie arranged another 3 city break and made sure everything fitted in with our requirements. Always use eShores for our bespoke long distance travels and they never fail to provide excellent service.
eShores is a fantastic company for crafting tailor made itineraries. I have just booked my fourth trip with them, this time to Colombia. Gavin was exceptionally helpful and nothing was too much trouble in meeting my wishes even though it requred a lot of back and forth adjustments. If this is anything like my previous…
Matt Got us everything we wanted for our USA trip
I have yet to take the holiday so I can't comment on the hotels and transport provided etc but Nick was very helpful with the booking. Despite me asking numerous questions he sorted out exactly what I asked for within my budget. Thank you
So far our experience with eShores has been great. Of course the real test will be when we are on holiday so hopefully this will continue :)
Nick did exactly what I asked for, was prompt and helpful. Couldn't have asked for anything more.
We had been recommended eshores by a friend who had holidayed in Croatia. We phoned and then used email to communicate with Chris Eaves who made the whole process very easy. He adjusted the holiday to exactly how we wanted it and was very speedy in his replies. We are hoping the holiday goes as…
The trip has been planned with our requirements fulfilled and also given options to change where we wanted. Looking forward to the trip and hope that all goes as smoothly as the booking side
So this is my second time using eshores and I won’t be going anywhere else to book my future holidays. I gave Claire a horrible job in finding what I needed and kept changing the brief but she persevered and found me the best holiday. I’m going in September and can’t wait. I’ll be back…
Excellent prompt service from Michelle. Hotels she suggested all look amazing and the itinerary for the four areas of Italy looked perfectly planned .
Nick was very understanding in as much as we did flex the itinerary quite a bit before booking and we have a holiday package which more than meets our needs.
Great and friendly customer service from Andy, as before. Andy always goes out of his way to find a holiday that matches our requirements.
Excellent service again from Dave. Having booked with e shores on a number of occasions they now understand our parameters. Price, days types of hotels etc.
Having dealt with eShores for several years, and with Dave Felton in particular, the latest holiday arranged by the Company was done smoothly, professionally and to our total satisfaction. Well done and keep up the great service.
Talked with Dave asking for assistance to finf flights for my sister and injured niece from Edinburgh to Perth in W.A. avoiding the Middle East. Dave again came up trumps with flights to suit and at a good price. First class service much appreciated.
Our holiday with Eshores was excellent. Hannah went above and beyond getting us exactly what we wanted and suited us. We couldn’t recommend them enough. The holiday was excellent and all the hotels (this was a multi centre holiday) were well situated particularly the Aston Kona by the sea on The Big Island it truly…
Quick and easy to contact and arrange a basic holiday in Europe. Good price too.
Greek island hopping sorted to perfection. Anna listened to everything I wanted and came up with a detailed plan which exceeded all my expectations. Every island on my to do list and with a choice of hotels. Thank you Anna.
Go back
