When I visited, I couldn’t believe how far apart everything was from each other. All the museum and most major landmarks are indeed on the main row, but it’s a MASSIVE area. Lots of walking! Definitely worth it, though.

As a native, born and raised Washingtonian thank you for pointing out the the Metro escalator etiquette.😂 Please stand to the right! I used to work two blocks from the White House and this was a pain during the morning rush-hour when you're trying to get to the office on time. Also, the National Museum of African-American History and Culture's (NMAAHC) Sweet Home Cafe has the best food out of all the museums. There's even a recipe book you can purchase. The museum has three stories underground. I strongly suggest you set aside a full day and start from the bottom and work your way up. Stop for lunch halfway through and then head upstairs. And DC weather is best in the spring during the Cherry Blossom Fest and "early" summer. Another cool place is driving up to the Baltimore Harbour. It's a straight shot and only about 40 minutes from D.C.

There's a lot of strange stuff. Some enjoyable, some not so much. I lived in DC for about 12 years. Enjoyed figuring out all the tunnels below the Capitol. Also the Capitol subway that takes lawmakers from the office buildings and back. The Zoo is really wonderful. Driving is just insane, partly due to all the circles and squares. There is a lot of good food, you just have to know where to look. Many places in Adams Morgan have great food.

The city center is mostly for tourists and office workers, this is why locals are kind of more reserved and hurried there; and yes, service and attitudes to casual interaction in general are more 'direct and professional and straight to the point' than 'overly friendly upon first meeting you', I find it's definitely an uncomfortable shock sometimes as a DC native going elsewhere in the country and having to strain somewhat personal conversations with cashiers etc. and 'stand right walk left' applies to sidewalks too. It's an active walking city like New York, the sidewalks and trails are often used for commuting and commuters just wanna get to work as fast as they can like anywhere else. As was alluded, the best areas to get a real local feel for the city are outside the immediate mall and downtown area- the swath from Georgetown over through Rock Creek Park to Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Adams Morgan, Shaw, Columbia Heights.etc. and over to H St. and Capitol Hill are vibrant walkable urban rowhouse neighborhoods with a unique urban feel, tree-lined streets, sidewalk cafes, bookstores and corner groceries, and are the heart of the city's (surprisingly lively, at least pre-pandemic) nightlife. The next ring out is where older rowhouses peter out to 'wardman rowhouses', bungalows, apartments and ranchers and cape cods, and neighborhoods like Friendship Heights, Takoma/(Park) (likes to think itself as crunchy but no), Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase, Sherman Circle/Brightwood. Brookland, as well as in suburbs like Arlington, Alexandria (which also has a really cool colonial-era (pre-DC) urban core of its own) Silver Spring, Bethesda, College Park/Hyattsvile, are loads of decidedly non-touristy but really cool enclaves of immigrant communities and well-kept urban/suburban neighborhoods with loads of hidden gems often found in nondescript retail strips and strip malls and the tourist attractions in these areas are typically much less 'packed' than downtown. DC has become one of the nations best cities for food but it's all found outside the city center, and the scene is staggeringly multicultural: Annandale has an incredible concentration of excellent Korean food, great Ethiopian food is everywhere but especially in Silver Spring, Shaw and Alexandria, great Chinese food in Rockville, great Vietnamese food all throughout but especially Falls Church, Afghan food all throughout the northern Va suburbs, West African cuisines are scattered but concentrated in vaguely northeastern Md suburbs, and everyone has their particular allegiance for Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa and Salvadorian Pupusas. These immigrant cuisines are typically less watered down for the American palate than elsewhere in the country as they cater more directly to the diasporic population that settled in the capital, for example, DC has more ethiopians than any city outside ethiopia. Eastern Market is the last remaining old-school city market, and Union Market is newer and more upscale. DC suburbs have loads of ethnic groceries where the bulk of suburbanites actually grocery shop to save money as an alternative to overpriced Safeway, and restaurant prices go down as you get farther from the tourist center. Lastly, DC area parks are hidden gems, places like Great Falls, Huntley Meadows, Sligo Creek, Rock Creek, Scotts Run Falls, etc outside the tourist belt are great for taking a breather from the rat race

In DC, once you leave the touristy areas, things tend to cost a lot less for equivalent or better quality food, so it's not as bad as you might think pricewise. If you come, bring a bicycle (or take the bikeshare) and you'll be able to leave those parts.

Mark, as someone who lives in the NoVA and DC area, there is a warning about the National Mall I think you should add. Always be on the lookout when you are at the Smithsonian/ National Mall because there's people there who be finding ways to aggressively panhandle people. I've had a woman put a bracelet on me without my consent and she demanded a donation. I even remember some guy coming up to my dad years ago acting like he's a cop and giving us these smile stickers and also aggressively asking for a donation from him. So keep an eye out for anybody who's carrying anything because they'll give it to you whether you asked for it or not and demand a donation and even follow you around and harass you if you don't

Oof, you are not kidding about summertime in DC - it is brutal! But yes, it is a beautiful city and region with lots to see and do.

I was raised in the Midwest (Kansas City) and have lived in DC now for 20 years (in the city itself, S.E. DC, close to the US Capitol, not the suburbs). First, thank you for suggesting that visitors explore beyond the National Mall and downtown when eating out, etc. As a local, I particularly appreciated your shout-out to Ivy City. That definitely showed you are current in your knowledge of the city. I do think, however, you are doing both your viewers and DC a real disservice in saying that DC is "not a friendly city" and that visitors will generally not find locals who are happy to give guidance and help. I just visited Kansas City, so I've been thinking a lot recently about the differences in culture between DC and the Midwest: In general, you might not get the immediate warmth and chattiness from people in DC that you will encounter in the Midwest or the South. That's particularly true in everyday business dealings, such as in restaurants, drug stores or car-rental counters, etc.: There's less "service with a smile" here. People can be more reserved. But I can guarantee your viewers that if they stop and ask for help, suggestions or guidance anywhere in DC, they will find friendly locals very happy to help. People in DC are extremely proud of their city, and particularly since DC gets a bad rap too often, people here love to show visitors what a wonderful, livable city it is.

I live in the DC area. You know how people afford to live here? They don’t live within the district. The live in the surrounding counties in MD or VA

the cleanliness of the city was a shock as in how absolutely magnificent the tourist areas are kept, like honestly might be one of the cleanest major cities in the u.s. definitely on the east coast

Been here 23 years. And your #10 is why I moved here. Three hours in any direction opens you to a whole world of possibilities. I love it here.

Harpers Ferry is an epic spot. My favorite place to teach people how to kayak in white water.

To help with the long walks around the mall, check out the DC Circulator. You can use your metro card and it's $1/ride to get around to different parts of the national mall - and to some other areas via other Circulator lines. 😊

One shocker for native nyc folks is that the Metro is not like subway in New York - while in New York City folks pay 2.75 one way to travel as far as they wish - in DC the metro prices changes depending on how far you are traveling traveling some place close is one price super far is another that can really be shocker for a native New Yorker

Another important tip for foreign tourists: It's almost impossible to tour the White House. (Tours have been put on hold anyway due to Covid.) If they ever resume White House tours only Americans can get a reservation for a tour. You must contact a congressmen for White House tickets weeks in advance. Due to the tight security, you must supply your Social Security number along with other forms of American ID to get a ticket. (The Secret Service does background checks to ensure you're harmless.) The whole process makes it nearly impossible for foreign tourists to enter the White House. A lot of foreign tourists are disappointed because they can't do a White House tour. It's one of the most famous buildings in DC, known throughout the world.

I actually found DC to be BEYOND friendly.

I love DC. Lived there in the early 80s. It wasn’t that great but going back to visit, it’s awesome

5:19 the National Mall is packed every day during the summer, especially during the weekend. That is peak tourism months. Nobody hangs around there in the cold. lol. It's like going to the park.

Also the Smithsonian cafes are expensive for lackluster food

Fabulous city....my daughter lives there and there is so much to do. There is ALOT of walking involved though. Summer is super HOT! (I'm from a suburb of Chicago) Make sure you stay at least a week....so much to do!

My hometown ❤️ Miss going to museums for free

As a native Washingtonian, I approve of your insight ⭐️

Love the Alexandria mention!! I live right near King Street and it really is a cool place people don’t think about much when they visit DC. Glad you got to stop in!!

My family has visited Washington DC multiple times and it's a great city to visit

I remember growing up as a child, the spy museum admission was $8 and we were SHOCKED at the price! Later on, family visited us and we went again and were surprised that the price had been raised to $18. What a shock we got. I can’t believe it’s $25 now…

As a Washington I know this death stare of which you speak--but never the recipient. And it occurs where there's a coverage of happy families from the Midwest in vacation mode with really busy professionals having to be somewhere NOW. It all works if people NOT clog up the left lane. Have a damn picnic if you want on the right lane.

Im from the midwest and have lived here in the DMV area for 3 years and you are spot on about it not being a friendly city. The locals here almost seem shocked if you are talking to them or being friendly. I drive for lyft on the side and have really noticed it there.

As a local in DC I have to say your research was spot on! Especially about the different neighborhoods like Ivy City or Cleveland Park. Subscribed! Going to check out your videos whenever I travel

At the age of 40, I am finally going to the U.S of A, later this year. Flying from London Stansted, via Reykjavik to BWI. That first fact made me thump my table with joy. Can't wait to get Stateside!

I visited this city quite a while ago, and loved it. The sights are really wonderful and the main thing, as Mark points out, is how spacious the city is.

Wow host it's a great place ☺️🥰 thank so much for sharing this with us.

@Wolters World you made it to DC :) It is a nice city. It's actually two cities in one. There is the government side which gets all the attention. Than there's the ordinary side of the city where the everyday residents live and don't think much of the federal government. Especially when you move away from the national mall area and the immediate downtown. I'd also recommend visiting Arlington VA and Silver Spring MD for a non touristy view of DC.

It is always a pleasure to see your videos! Greetings from Switzerland.

Nice to see you're here :) Was just at the Hirshhorn a few hours ago!

Very different indeed... Thank you for the informative video. Nice sharing...

Thanks for sharing. Loved your tip #9 on how fast DC changes. I've only been here for 5 years and two ENTIRE neighborhoods were built in Navy Yard and Trinidad with brand new shopping and resturaunts!

I visited Georgetown last December and all the food I ate was amazing. The bars and clubs were really fun as well

I’ve been all over Europe, but my first solo trip was to DC 6 years ago. It’s the trip that really sticks out in my mind.

As a DC/NoVa native, you hit it right on the nail. Great job! My favorite place to go eat when I’m down at the monuments is Ollie’s Trolley. It’s a little bit of a walk, but so worth it.

Thank you I needed this because I went to DC to visit my sister a few months ago and I didn't literally didn't know what to do besides go to museums

Im so glad you mentioned the friendliness and lack thereof. I’ve lived in the area for the majority of my life and it’s definitely noticeable. I think it’s important to be on your guard but also remember to be helpful towards others! If anyone reads this and considers visiting DC I would definitely suggest getting a hotel outside of the city in maybe Rosslyn or Alexandria, the DMV is definitely an expensive area but you will get much better hotel rates and affordable dining right outside of city lines and the metro is accessible and usually runs well. Great video!!! You were spot on with everything

If you take metro to the zoo, get off at Cleveland park and walk downhill to the zoo, which is halfway between Cleveland park and woodley park. When you leave, walk downhill to woodley park! Your legs will thank you!!!

I was just about to comment about all the cool things to do within an hour or two of DC proper when you delivered #10. We live smack between DC and Baltimore, and we are absolutely spoiled for choice. Mountains, beach, city, country, and so many museums in between. Don't forget the Goddard Visitor Center and National Cryptologic Museum.

There's very limited parking in DC and LOTS of traffic. I would seriously recommend staying someplace close to a railroad station and taking the train into the city.

Great video Mark

I agree with you mark good city to visit, been here many times

Fall and spring are beautiful time to come here. Northern Virginia and Maryland are beautiful area to visit too while you’re in DC.

On one of my first visits to DC we walked 15 miles around town in 105 degree. When we returned to our hotel, we had flat feet. One hour later we walked 2 miles back and forth to eat dinner. 😅😅😅

Omg yes! I watched all of Robs videos about DC but I still went on July 4th. As an asthmatic it was a horrible mistake bc of the heat and humidity. Everything appeared to be within a walking distance from our hotel but boy was it quite a walk! We uber eats most of the time bc the surrounding restaurants were just ok. I can’t wait to go again when its cooler out bc it really is a great place to visit.

love the energy in the video

Hahaha loved the note on Rob with Trip Hacks DC - yes he is very helpful!

I wished I had known you were in DC, I would signed you up for a tour inside the WH bc I work there! Cherry blossom season is for sure when the most tourist is EVERYWHERE - it’s so crazy! It’s true, the living cost is for sure so expensive. I heard staffers from Capitol Hill barely make a living which is so unfortunate. But our salaries are pretty good mainly bc three match it with the cost of living.

I've lived in D.C. for many years and recommend visiting in the fall and spring. On the rare occasion that I go down to the national mall I make sure I bring a large water bottle that I can refill and snack bars/snacks.

Took a family trip this past March. It was fantastic. We stayed outside of the city in Maryland in a hotel which has free breakfast, kitchen, and sometimes served dinner. Brought lunch with us and ate on the Mall. Took the Metro to get to DC. Would love to go again.

I am laughing so hard. The left side of the escalators at the metro is so true.

Also as a DC area native I would strongly recommend taking a day to hop over to National Harbor just across the river. Plenty of restaurants and shopping and gambling. You can ride a boat over from Alexandria or Georgetown...

It is incredible how gorgeous the National Mall is at night. The monuments will inspire you even more than during the day and you'll avoid the heat. Also because everything is so far apart, make sure to go to the bathroom before you start. There are restrooms at some of the major memorials but as you said, they are far apart. Many of them close after 8 pm too. The Lincoln Memorial restrooms are open 24/7 and I believe so are the restrooms at the Jefferson Memorial... but in-between at night, good luck.

I went to DC recently and took a train up to NYC for a day trip what an awesome experience! I plan on going back and maybe going to Philly for my day trip this time

Washington D.C. has everything from celebrity chefs to Michelin starred restaurants. It is common to find highly rated Zagat restaurants too. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit the city hard and many restaurants were forced to closed due to the pandemic. We have chains, dive bars, and affordable places too. Just go beyond the mall.

One thing that always surprises me is the amount of relatively low key events going on. Travelled once for a beer festival it was ok, got back to the hotel area and there was a huge beer festival going on right on my doorstep, that was far more fun! Went to a cider fest one time, and right next door was a world food event, to be honest, the cider fest wasn't the best, but the food festival rocked!

Welcome to my home town to the Wolterses! I hope that you can be here during the spring, when we have one decent week of weather and maybe some cherry blossoms.

Good morning from New Jersey, near Philadelphia. My friend Dave and I visited DC twice (May 5-6, 2012 and July 30-August 2, 2010) to see the Philadelphia Phillies play the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Neither of us drives a car. We took Amtrak from Philadelphia 30th Street Station to Union Station in DC, a two-hour ride. In 2010, going down, we sat near Larry Anderson, one of the Phillies' announcers. We stayed at the Comfort Inn in College Park, MD, down the street from the University of Maryland's main campus and five blocks down Calvert Street from the Metro station. I think there was an Applebee's on one side of the hotel and a diner on the other. We took the Metro wherever we went. It's clean and takes you to a lot of places, but it can be expensive because fares depend on time of day and distance traveled. Great for tourists but many locals complain, because they use it to go to work or to home, not to go anywhere fun. We had a great time though.

It's awesome how you're able to travel so much. I wish I could be so lucky.

DC is a wonderful city. After having spent 6 years in Asia and the last 6 years in Europe, it’s great to land in America-in the capital city, no less. Things are expensive in comparison to most cities in the US, but after living in Switzerland for the last few years, I feel like besides eating out, everything is pretty reasonable. Perspective, right?

Personally, I like the hot weather, a few years back I intentionally went in July, it hit 106 at Arlington National cemetery, it was great

Pretty good list!

Yeah, I've lived my entire life in central Pennsylvania. I can tell you that the people in New York City and Philadelphia are friendlier than the folks in D.C. Make of that what you will. Pittsburgh has friendly people.

I live ab 30 miles from DC, everything he said was spot on. Our summers suck and can get really hot and muggy (its a swamp lol). The metro is a good way to get around when its running well (recently the trains are once every 20-30 mins). Manassas is a fun day trip, lots of history and a nice downtown. Yeah its expensive but you can balance it out with the free museums and not renting a car while in the city. Homelessness has gotten worse in the past few years, hopefully something will be done about it.

The thing that shocked me most was that PARKING DOES NOT EXIST. I took the subway but even there it was hard to find a parking spot. Mount Vernon and Monticello were very impressive.

I've been visiting DC every Saturday for almost a whole year and still have plenty of places to go see.

I've live in DC since the 90s. The transportation is great. I enjoy the seasons especially spring and fall with the colors. The fireworks on the 4th are awesome and Capitol Hill has a small-town neighborhood feeling. This is a dog lover's town, fur babies everywhere. And you can get plenty of work as a dog walker. I miss going to the House and Senate buildings to see everything in real time. Parties, receptions, lectures and events. With covid and January 6 there's no telling when the public will be allowed to return. And of course the galleries to see votes in congress are off limits too. It was much more user-friendly before 9/11 but there's still a lot to love about this place. I'm glad to see a positive perspective. People put this place down and know nothing about it.

Elsewhere in the city food isn't bad price-wise. I would suggest leaving the Mall for cheaper food in Navy Yard or Capitol Hill.

Lived in DC 7 years. I'm really surprised you said things seemed far away. To me DC is so small when you don't take the metro and see how close the downtown stops are, you can walk everywhere. The closest place to eat well by the museums imo is Penn Quarter. Thanks for telling people not to stand in the way of the escalators! DC is friendly on par with most east coast cities, but we have to put up with an extremely high amount of tourists and rowdy foolish protesters of all political varieties, many of which don't respect the locals by crowding sidewalks and metros with bad self awareness. Hence the coldness and yelling at escalator blockers. For anyone visiting - enjoy, but please remember this is our home not just a place for sightseeing and politics.

I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in 2017. You really get a feel for how big it is when you are having to run the whole thing! 😂

Yes, the heat in the summer is oppressive. And I like it hot!

We visited the monuments one evening and your right. We were starving and there were no restaurants to eat at

As a person who visits DC frequently I can say his observations are spot on. The locals aren't friendly(but not mean either), the amount homeless people are shocking but they aren't aggressive like the homeless in some cities. For food you have tons of great options "Call Your Mother" Deli is amazing if you're well to wait for your breakfast. Also if you're into 420 I71 laws are awesome. For tourists just use the shops as the delivery people can sometimes give you bunk.

I literally experienced all of these same shocks!

Love your videos!!!! do you know if is there luggage storage for passangers arrriving to DC’s Union Station? Thanx!!!

I live so close and we never go 😬😬😬 definitely need to make a trip

If you look just outside DC for places to stay, it can be cheaper. Places like Alexandria are right on the metro with cheaper hotels and food (though definitely not cheap!). Metro can be great, but keep an eye on the website for service disruptions! We're still catching up on repairs neglected in the 80s and 90s, along with some recent train issues.

Spot on, oh you forgot the parking ;)

What shocked me when I went to DC as all the security checks on entering pretty much EVERY building. One time we wanted to go into a food court at the base of an office building and had to go through the equivalent of airport security, including showing our passports and going through a scanner (both us and my handbag! Afterwards we found out the building held the HQ for the post office🤦‍♀️

My last DC trip was 2016 and i remember seeing a TON of food trucks. Probably because of the lack of restaurants. I also traveled by way of Virginia, so we parked at a train station outside of Dc as to not deal with driving s

Nice video. George Washington’s gravesite @8:05

Union Market in NoMa is a great upscale food hall that has reasonable-for DC, prices.

Great to see Rob from Trip Hacks DC get a mention, he is definitely worth a follow for all things DC related. His videos helped us a lot when we visited in 2019, wish we had taken a tour with him, will definitely look to do that if we ever go back.

It might be best to save Williamsburg for another trip because it's not that close to d.c.

If you happen to visit DC in Fall, drive to Skyline drive it is beautiful and worth the trip.

Thank you so much for this video! I just arrived DC yesterday and this video came just in time 🤩🇺🇸 p/s: I was there too when the Marine 1 flew over me 🤣 Coming from New York, DC is a great place to relax 😇

What happened in the last 6 years? When I was in Washington DC in 2016, there were surprisingly & absolutely no homeless to be seen. Our tour guide said they had all intentionally been housed in public housing or some kind of buildings to get them off the street of our national capital. What has changed since??

Thanks on the tip to annoy the locals on the metro when they see me I’d like to see the death stare will turn into excuse me, sir and I will respectfully move out of the way

Very accurate 👍

Yes you're correct about the tidiness of the Metro. I found it better compared to New York, but the last time I was in New York was 2014. Still is less crazy at New York as New York is just busy busy busy.

Two of my favorite people! Take a tour from Rob if you are visiting DC.

1:53 Born in raised in DC. You have to make a lot of money to live here

I lived in downtown DC for around two years. The cost of living is high. The pace of work is heavy. People are chronically stressed, however to have an out going social lifestyle is encouraged. People are extremely rude and it is hard to break in socially. However, I was in love with this city, there is something so special about actually living there. There are several different areas within the city that have such unique energies and GREAT food. I highly recommend checking out more of the city than just the mall and Constitution Avenue sights. City Center and Logan Circle were my two favorites.

Travel tip for DC. Our HR department which handles per diem and expenses has noted with the 50% increase in waiters/restaurant servers base pay in DC you should be tipping 10% to 12% now, and in early 2027 when full minim wage kicks, and servers no longer depend on tips to make full pay, you will not need to tip at all. Or just a couple of dollars if service is outstanding.

I used to live in Maryland and occasionally drove for UBER in Washington, D.C. WHAT SHOCKED ME was one day when i was on Alabama Avenue and I asked my passenger what that Hi Tech Street Light was. He told me it was a SHOTSPOTTER, which the police use to monitor locations (like the one I was on then) for frequent gunshots. I was shocked and it was a quick drop off.🙏

For restaurants and shops head up 7th street toward Capitol One Arena. They line the street. Tons of restaurants on 6th and 9th. You can find cheap (Mcdonalds) or as expensive as you want or in-between.