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Washington D.C. for the Budget-Conscious Family

It costs absolutely nothing to visit all 14 museums of the Smithsonian Institution. You'll find the best hotel rates on the weekends, when the movers and shakers skip town. Don't be shy about asking for special prices. Most popular month: April, when the Mall's cherry trees blossom.

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Our Picks

3 Hotels 5 Restaurants 10 Activities

Destinations: Mount Vernon · The Mall · White House/Downtown · Penn Quarter · Georgetown · Dupont Circle · Adams-Morgan · U Street · Capitol Hill · Foggy Bottom · NW Washingon

Themes: Affordable Vacations · Arts + Culture · Family

Inspired by: Three Cities for a Song

Hotels (3)

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Washington Marriott

Foggy Bottom | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Just a brief walk from Georgetown and Dupont Circle, this West End luxury hotel on a tree-lined stretch of 22nd Street has easy access to the monum
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Marriott at Metro Center

White House/Downtown | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

A locale on top of a Metro station puts this downtown Marriott just a quick train ride from the District's best attractions, but the hotel is also
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Holiday Inn on the Hill

Capitol Hill | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

1 - 3 of 3 Results

Restaurants (5)

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Ben's Chili Bowl

U Street | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Up until very recently, the only VIP deemed worthy of a free meal at the Ali family chili shrine was longtime devotee Bill Cosby, who made the venu
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Lebanese Taverna

Adams-Morgan | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

This Woodley Park Lebanese restaurant was opened by Lebanese immigrants Tanios and Marie Abi-Najm in 1990, after the success of their first restaur
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The Diner

Adams-Morgan | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

A neighborhood 24/7 eatery, the Diner is located in Adams Morgan. The restaurant is relaxed and no-frills; simple tables are accompanied by bar sto
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Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company

Foggy Bottom | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Founded by John Snedden, Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Co. first opened in Glover Park in 1990. Now a regional chain with locations in Virginia,
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Pizzeria Paradiso

Dupont Circle | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1991, Pizzeria Paradiso serves what many consider the best pizza in the city. Now one of three regional locations, this lively, no-frill
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Activities (10)

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C&O Canal National Historical Park

Georgetown | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Now a historical site spanning 184.5 miles, the Chesapeake & Ohio canal was originally used to ferry goods like coal, lumber, and grain down the Po
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Bureau of Engraving and Printing

The Mall | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Established in 1862, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), a block-shaped structure of steel made with fireproof concrete, limestone, and gra
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National Cathedral

NW Washingon | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

Designated a national house of prayer by Congress, this neogothic Episcopal cathedral is the sixth largest church in the world. Construction began
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Thomas Sweet Ice Cream & Chocolate

Georgetown | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

With its fresh, homemade ice creams and fat-free frozen yogurts, there is typically a line to enter the Georgetown branch of Thomas Sweet. The whit
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Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Virginia | Washington, D.C. | Washington D.C. Suburbs

Mount Vernon, built in 1757 on the Potomac River, served as the home of George Washington for more than four decades. A portion of the original est
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National Gallery of Art

The Mall | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

The two architecturally opposed buildings that make up this museum jointly contain one of the world’s most extraordinary art collections. The domed
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International Spy Museum

Penn Quarter | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

A must-visit for both wannabe spy kids and their John le Carré-reading parents, this terrific interactive museum gives you the chance to try your h
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National Zoo

NW Washingon | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

A 163-acre reserve carved out of Rock Creek Park, the Smithsonian's zoological arm is a long-standing family favorite, where creatures from aardvar
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National Air and Space Museum

The Mall | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

The world's most-visited museum is heavenly for adults and a must for kids. A seemingly endless assemblage of artifacts from the history of flight—
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Lincoln Memorial

The Mall | U.S. + Canada | U.S. | Washington, D.C.

When Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps here in 1963 and said, "I have a dream," he spoke with Lincoln's antislavery legacy quite literally
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Similar Trips (8)

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Washington, D.C. Hot Spots

The Mall, White House/Downtown, Penn Quarter, Georgetown, Dupont Circle

The capital city that John F. Kennedy once panned for its “Southern efficiency and Northern charm” continues to rebuild itself into the world-class cultural and culinary capital it was always meant
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Cultural Family Trip to D.C.

The Mall, Georgetown, Dupont Circle, U Street, Chinatown/Convention Center

Visiting Washington, D.C., can feel like the school trip from hell: no matter who you are, no matter what you’re interested in, you’re stuck with the same obligatory sights. We say, Table that noti
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Green Travel in Washington, D.C.

White House/Downtown, Capitol Hill, Chinatown/Convention Center, Foggy Bottom

Eco-minded travelers can tour the capital city in an electric roadster, book a treatment at the country's first LEED-certified spa, and shack up at a wind-powered hotel.
Mini Trip: Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Penn Quarter, Dupont Circle, Gold Coast, Chinatown/Convention Center, Foggy Bottom

Catch a performance at the Kennedy Center's free Open House Arts Festival, wine and dine, and go undercover at the International Spy Museum.
London's Art Scene

London, Mayfair, Clerkenwell, Hyde Park/Green Park, Bloomsbury

Once considered a backwater of crusty Old Master dealers, London is now a contemporary art powerhouse, with more creative and commercial artistic clout than anywhere outside New York.
Discovering India's Resplendent Textiles

Maryland, Mumbai, Gujarat + Western India, Dupont Circle

Since ancient times, textiles have been associated with important rituals and social occasions in India. In fact, India’s history is so interwoven with textiles that it is hard to separate the two.
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Washington, D.C.'s Emerging MidCity

Washington, D.C., Dupont Circle, U Street, NW Washingon

As D.C.’s inner city blossoms, roughly six contiguous areas north of downtown are being grouped as MidCity. At its heart, Logan Circle and the U Street Corridor have been among the city’s most emba
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Dining in Washington, D.C.

Arlington, McLean, White House/Downtown, Penn Quarter, Georgetown

Where do political heavyweights head to seal the deal?From Capitol Hill to the Penn Quarter—and just beyond the Beltway—Washington's dining scene has come of age. Actually, D.C. today is reaping th...