Washington D.C. 7-day itinerary

Start at the Lincoln Memorial before 8am: nearly empty, deeply powerful. Stand on the "I Have a Dream" step inscription. Walk past the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 58,318 names on black granite. Continue along the Reflecting Pool to the WWII Memorial and Washington Monument. Free timed-entry tickets for the monument's elevator (recreation.gov) take you 554 feet up for 360-degree views. The 2-mile walk to the Capitol is the most symbolically charged stretch in America.

All 21 Smithsonian museums are free. Start with the National Air and Space Museum (Wright Flyer, Apollo 11, Spirit of St. Louis) and the National Museum of Natural History (Hope Diamond, dinosaur hall, ocean hall). The Hirshhorn Museum has excellent modern art in a circular brutalist building. Lunch from the Mall food trucks ($8–12). Look for the Korean BBQ and Ethiopian trucks. You'll return to the Mall for more museums later. Today is just the appetizer.

Return to the Mall after dark. The memorials illuminated against the night sky are DC's most powerful experience. Walk the full loop: Capitol to Lincoln Memorial, then south to the MLK Memorial, Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin, FDR Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial (the soldier statues in ghostly light are haunting). Rent a Capital Bikeshare bike ($2/ride) to cover more ground. Dinner at Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street. The half-smoke ($7.50) is DC's signature food.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the most important museum in Washington. The bronze-clad building descends three stories underground into the history galleries (slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, civil rights) before rising upward through culture, music, and sports. The Emmett Till memorial, Greensboro lunch counter, and a segregation-era train car are devastating. Allow 3–4 hours. Free timed-entry passes required, so book months ahead.

Walk to Capitol Hill for a free tour of the US Capitol (book at visitthecapitol.gov). The Rotunda's Apotheosis of Washington fresco and the National Statuary Hall are breathtaking. Then the Library of Congress. The Main Reading Room viewed from the gallery is one of the most beautiful spaces on earth. The Gutenberg Bible and Thomas Jefferson's personal library are on permanent display. Lunch at Eastern Market: crab cakes ($12), pupusas ($4), and fresh-squeezed lemonade from a 150-year-old covered market.

Stay on Capitol Hill for the evening. Barracks Row on 8th Street SE is DC's oldest commercial corridor: restaurants, bars, and the historic Marine Barracks (free Friday evening parades in summer). Dinner at Rose's Luxury on 8th Street, one of DC's most celebrated restaurants with a no-reservations policy (line up at 4:30pm for 5pm seating, $18–30 shareable plates). For drinks, Ambar does unlimited Balkan small plates during happy hour ($30 all-you-can-eat).

Walk Georgetown, DC's oldest neighbourhood dating to 1751, predating the nation's capital itself. The cobblestone streets, Federal rowhouses, and the C&O Canal towpath feel like a different city. Georgetown University's Gothic campus is worth a wander. The Exorcist Steps on Prospect Street are the famous staircase from the film. Breakfast at Baked & Wired: cupcakes ($4.50), coffee, and a line-free alternative to Georgetown Cupcake next door.

Visit Dumbarton Oaks ($10), a historic estate with stunning formal gardens (10 acres of terraced beauty) and a museum of Byzantine and Pre-Columbian art. Walk Massachusetts Avenue's Embassy Row. Each embassy flies its flag and many have remarkable architecture. The Phillips Collection ($16, free weekdays before noon) on Dupont Circle is America's first modern art museum. Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party alone is worth the visit. Lunch at Kramers bookstore-cafe ($14–20).

Dupont Circle buzzes at night. The fountain, cafes, and bookshops create a Left Bank atmosphere. Walk to U Street, "Black Broadway" where Duke Ellington grew up. Ben's Chili Bowl (since 1958) serves the iconic half-smoke ($7.50). Busboys and Poets is a bookstore-cafe-bar with a social justice focus and excellent comfort food ($14–20). For nightlife, 9:30 Club is one of America's best live music venues ($20–50), or the Black Cat for indie rock ($10–15).

The National Gallery (free) has two buildings: the West Building (European masters: da Vinci, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh) and the East Building (modern art: Calder mobile, Rothko, Picasso). The underground connection tunnel has a moving walkway with a Leo Villareal light installation (Multiverse) that's mesmerizing. Allow 2–3 hours for the highlights. The sculpture garden outside has a fountain (ice rink in winter) and pieces by Lichtenstein and Miro.

The National Museum of American History (free) has the actual Star-Spangled Banner, Dorothy's ruby slippers, Julia Child's kitchen, and Abraham Lincoln's top hat. It's America in one building. Walk to Penn Quarter, DC's downtown dining and entertainment district. The International Spy Museum ($25) is surprisingly engaging with interactive exhibits. Lunch at Founding Farmers ($16–24 mains) for sustainable American comfort food. The National Building Museum (free lobby, $10 exhibitions) has a stunning Great Hall.

DC's Chinatown is small but has the ornate Friendship Archway and a cluster of restaurants. Walk to Penn Quarter for evening entertainment. The Shakespeare Theatre Company ($20–100) and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company ($30–60) are nationally acclaimed. Dinner at Zaytinya by Jose Andres: Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese mezze plates ($12–18 each, order 3–4 to share). For cocktails, Columbia Room on Blagden Alley is DC's most celebrated cocktail bar (reservations essential, $18–22).

Metro to Arlington National Cemetery (free entry). Walk the rolling hills of white headstones. Over 400,000 service members are buried here. Visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier for the changing of the guard ceremony (every hour October–March, every 30 minutes April–September). JFK's grave with the eternal flame overlooks the city. The Memorial Amphitheater and the Arlington House (Robert E. Lee's former home) are also on the grounds. Allow 2–3 hours.

Take the Metro or water taxi to Old Town Alexandria, a beautifully preserved 18th-century port town on the Potomac. King Street is lined with independent shops, restaurants, and galleries in historic buildings. Visit the Torpedo Factory Art Centre (free, 82 artist studios), Christ Church (where Washington worshipped, free), and Gadsby's Tavern Museum ($5). Lunch at Virtue Feed & Grain, a restaurant in a 1940s feed warehouse with exposed brick and American comfort food ($16–24).

Walk the Alexandria waterfront at sunset. The Potomac glows gold and the monuments are visible across the river. Dinner at Hank's Oyster Bar ($18–28 mains) or the casual Fish Market on the pier ($14–22). Take the water taxi back to Georgetown ($16) for a nighttime walk along the waterfront. Or stay in Alexandria for drinks at Captain Gregory's, a speakeasy hidden behind a faux doughnut shop (reservations recommended, cocktails $14–16).

The Smithsonian National Zoo (free) in Woodley Park has 2,700 animals across 163 acres. The giant pandas were the signature attraction (check current residents). The great ape house, elephant trail, and the Amazonia exhibit are highlights. The zoo sits in Rock Creek Park. The surrounding trails are excellent for a morning walk. Breakfast at Open City on Connecticut Avenue ($12–16 for eggs and coffee), a neighbourhood cafe with a book exchange.

Walk from the zoo to Adams Morgan, DC's most diverse neighbourhood. 18th Street is lined with Ethiopian, Salvadoran, Vietnamese, and Eritrean restaurants. Lunch at Mama Ayesha's for Middle Eastern platters ($14–18) or Donburi for Japanese rice bowls ($12–16). Walk to Columbia Heights for the DC murals scene. Ben's Chili Bowl has commissioned massive murals on U Street. The neighbourhood's rapid evolution reflects DC's broader cultural shifts.

Adams Morgan is DC's liveliest nightlife neighbourhood. Madam's Organ is the iconic blues bar: live music nightly, taxidermied animals on the walls, and a rooftop deck (cover $5–10). Songbyrd Music House has indie bands and a vinyl record shop. For cocktails, Jack Rose Dining Saloon has 2,700 whiskeys, one of the world's largest collections. Late-night food at Amsterdam Falafel ($8–10 with unlimited toppings) is the DC late-night institution.

Walk the Tidal Basin loop (2 miles) past the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and MLK Memorial. During cherry blossom season (late March–early April), the 3,000 pink cherry trees ringing the basin create one of the most photographed scenes in America. Outside of bloom season, the basin is still beautiful and far less crowded. The Jefferson Memorial at sunrise with the Washington Monument reflected in the water is a quiet, powerful moment.

Pick your final Smithsonian: the Renwick Gallery (free, crafts and decorative arts in a stunning building near the White House), the National Portrait Gallery (free, every US president's portrait including the viral Obama portrait by Kehinde Wiley), or the Postal Museum (free, surprisingly fascinating). Walk past the White House (security perimeter limits proximity but the North Lawn view is iconic). Souvenir shopping at the museum gift shops. Smithsonian shops have unique, quality items.

Farewell dinner at one of DC's best: Rasika on Penn Quarter for modern Indian ($20–35, palak chaat is the signature dish), Zaytinya for Mediterranean mezze ($12–18 per plate), or keep it classic at Old Ebbitt Grill, DC's oldest saloon (1856), steps from the White House, with a raw bar and political atmosphere ($20–35 mains). One final walk past the illuminated Capitol at night. DC proves that a city of power can also be a city of profound beauty.