What is the Washington DC self-guided walking tour?
The Washington DC self-guided walking tour is an audio walk you take on your own with the World City Trail app, which leads you from stop to stop and narrates what happened at each one. Plan on about 3 hours in total; the 5 km between the 10 stops take around 71 minutes on foot. The route runs the length of the National Mall, so museums and memorials follow one another along a single open line.
At the Capitol the narration starts with William Thornton's design of 1793 and the bronze Statue of Freedom on the cast-iron dome, and at the Library of Congress you hear about the Thomas Jefferson Building and its round Main Reading Room. Outside the Air and Space Museum the story is the Wright Flyer and the Apollo 11 command module Columbia, and at the Museum of American History the flag behind The Star-Spangled Banner and the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. The aluminium tip of the Washington Monument, set in place in 1884, was the largest single piece of that metal cast up to then, and at the Lincoln Memorial you learn why the 87 steps echo the first words of the Gettysburg Address.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 71 min · 5 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
From stop to stop
Stories, legends, facts
Every stop has its own narrated chapter: the history, the local legends and a few surprising facts, with the full text on screen for anyone who prefers reading.
Google Maps in your pocket
The route is 5 km long, about 71 minutes of actual walking, and Google Maps shows the direction each time you move on.
No timetable
There is no meeting point and no group waiting. Step into a café or a museum, then return to the route later or the following day.
Recommendations nearby
The app suggests places to eat and local shops close to the stops, and it lets you pick another starting point or rearrange the stops.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who gets most from this walk
First-time visitors
Within a few hours you know where the main sights of Washington DC are and what each one stands for.
Independent travellers
No group to keep up with and no guide to wait for: stay longer where you are curious and move on where you are not.
Tight schedules
Around 3 hours is enough for the centre, which leaves the rest of the day for other plans.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The Mall from end to end
10 stops · about 71 min walking · start: United States Capitol · finish: Lincoln Memorial
The walk opens at the United States Capitol and crosses to the Library of Congress before heading west along the National Mall. The National Air and Space Museum and the National Gallery of Art come first, then the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History. Past the Washington Monument the route reaches the World War II Memorial at the Rainbow Pool and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and it closes at the Lincoln Memorial. The app lets you start at a different stop, and you need no admission ticket anywhere.
Open the route map ↗
1United States CapitolStart
The United States Capitol is the seat of Congress, and construction began in 1793 to a design by William Thornton. Its cast-iron dome was finished in the 1860s, and the bronze Statue of Freedom stands on top. Look up from the grounds to see the figure.
2Library of Congress (Thomas Jefferson Building)
The Thomas Jefferson Building opened to the public in 1897 and is the first building of the Library of Congress. Its Beaux-Arts interior is decorated with gold leaf and paintings, and the circular Main Reading Room sits beneath the great dome. Look for the statues of women that line the reading room.
3National Air and Space Museum
The National Air and Space Museum opened on the National Mall on July 1, 1976. Its galleries display the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St Louis and the Apollo 11 command module Columbia. These three objects are among the most famous in the museum.
4National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art was established in 1937 by a joint resolution of Congress for the American people. Its West Building, completed in 1941 to designs by John Russell Pope, is built of pink Tennessee marble and has a domed rotunda modelled on the Pantheon in Rome. Its European paintings include works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and Monet.
5National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History displays dinosaurs, minerals and human evolution. It belongs to the Smithsonian Institution and has a large rotunda at its centre. Walk through the halls to see collections of the natural world.
6National Museum of American History
The National Museum of American History opened in January 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. Its collection includes the flag that inspired The Star-Spangled Banner and the ruby slippers worn in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. It is also part of the Smithsonian Institution.
7Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is a marble obelisk designed by Robert Mills, 555 feet tall according to official figures. The stone structure was finished in 1884, dedicated in 1885 and opened to visitors in 1888. Its aluminum tip, placed in December 1884, was then the largest single piece of aluminum ever cast.
8National World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial was dedicated on May 29, 2004, beside the Rainbow Pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Its two pavilions are framed by 56 pillars, one for each state and territory of the time.
9Korean War Veterans Memorial
The Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated on July 27, 1995. Frank Gaylord's 19 larger-than-life stainless steel statues show a patrol in full combat gear. Beside them, a 164-foot granite wall is etched with more than 2,500 photographic images of soldiers.
10Lincoln MemorialFinish
The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922, and designed by Henry Bacon. Inside, Daniel Chester French's marble statue of Abraham Lincoln stands about 19 feet tall, and the Gettysburg Address and Second Inaugural Address are inscribed on the walls. Count the 87 steps, a nod to the opening words of the Gettysburg Address.
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Anonymous (verified owner) –
Nice and educational