Washington D.C. Day Trip from New York: Monuments & Memorials

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.78 (396 reviews) 88% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration15h

GroupUp to 48

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

A Day in Washington: From Arlington to the National Mall

You board a guided bus at Times Square and spend the day visiting Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, the U.S. Capitol, and war memorials on the National Mall. Lunch and museum time are on your own; the bus handles the driving and the context. Bring your passport or state ID for cemetery entry, and plan for a full day out—you leave early and return in the evening.

15h

Step-by-step itinerary

Washington DC monuments and memorials tour

Depart from Times Square NYC
Visit Arlington National Cemetery
See US Marine Corps War Memorial
Visit Lincoln Memorial
See Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Visit Korean War Veterans Memorial
Tour National Mall and monuments
Free time for lunch
Photo stop at The White House
Photo stop at U.S. Capitol
Drive along main avenue with key buildings
Free time at National Air and Space Museum
Return to New York City

The Experience

Hands gripping a camera, eyes fixed on the marble steps ahead—that's how the morning starts, before the bus even pulls away from Times Square. The drive to Washington D.C. takes a few hours, and you're sitting in an air-conditioned coach with a guide who knows the route and the stories behind each stop. First thing: Arlington National Cemetery, where you walk among the graves and stand in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's mandatory to bring your passport or state ID to enter, so that's sorted before you go. The cemetery sits quiet even when it's crowded, and the guide gives you the context without rushing you through.

After Arlington, the bus heads to the National Mall, and that's where the day opens up. You'll see the Lincoln Memorial from the outside, the U.S. Capitol from the bus, the White House from the perimeter—all the landmarks that show up in history books, except you're standing there looking at them. The guide points out the Marine Corps War Memorial (six soldiers frozen mid-flag-raise, based on the Iwo Jima photograph), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with names carved into black granite, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial with its nineteen steel statues. You get free time to grab lunch somewhere on the Mall, and if you want to slip into the National Air and Space Museum, that's yours to do. The bus doesn't rush you; it's built into the day.

The route also takes you down Pennsylvania Avenue, where incoming presidents make their inaugural parade, and you pass the FBI Building, the National Archives, the Ministry of Commerce—the buildings that actually run the country, not just the monuments to it. It's the kind of day trip from New York where you see the major sites without having to figure out the Metro, buy separate tickets, or worry about timing. The air-conditioned bus is your base, and the guide keeps the pace steady enough that you're not exhausted by evening but not bored either. You're back in New York by nightfall, having crossed into another state and seen the seat of American government in a single day.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or Times Square pickup (confirm with the operator), air-conditioned bus transport to and from Washington D.C., guided visits to Arlington National Cemetery, the National Mall, and exterior views of the White House and U.S.
Capitol, plus stops at the Lincoln Memorial, Marine Corps War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Korean War Veterans Memorial.
Free time for lunch on the National Mall and optional museum visits are built in.
The guide provides context at each stop, and you return to New York in the evening.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Intertravel NYC

Is this one for you?A good fit if you're staying in New York and want to see Washington D.C.'s major monuments without renting a car or navigating public transit yourself. The full day out—leaving early and returning by evening—is what makes visiting Arlington, the National Mall, and multiple memorials possible in one trip.