Tours, tickets and day trips in Washington
The sights with published visitor numbers, the heritage listings, and the towns close enough for a day out.
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| National Museum of Natural History | 6,900,000 | 2015 |
| National Air and Space Museum | 6,900,000 | 2015 |
| George Washington Memorial Parkway | 6,237,361 | 2020 |
| Lincoln Memorial | 6,042,315 | 2010 |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park | 4,888,436 | 2020 |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial | 4,555,371 | 2010 |
| John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 4,223,131 | 1980 |
| National Museum of American History | 4,100,000 | 2015 |
| District of Columbia Public Library | 3,593,201 | 2017 |
| Smithsonian American Art Museum | 3,150,000 | 2018 |
The busiest is National Museum of Natural History at 6,900,000 visitors in 2015. At that volume, anything with a gate is worth a timed ticket or an early start.
Day trips from Washington
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington to Baltimore | United States | 57 km (36 mi) | about 56 min |
| Washington to Richmond | United States | 154 km (95 mi) | about 2 h 30 min |
| Washington to Philadelphia | United States | 199 km (124 mi) | about 3 h 14 min |
| Washington to East Hampton | United States | 216 km (134 mi) | about 3 h 30 min |
| Washington to Hampton | United States | 216 km (134 mi) | about 3 h 31 min |
| Washington to Newport News | United States | 219 km (136 mi) | about 3 h 34 min |
| Washington to Allentown | United States | 232 km (144 mi) | about 3 h 46 min |
| Washington to Norfolk | United States | 237 km (147 mi) | about 3 h 51 min |
| Washington to Virginia Beach | United States | 245 km (152 mi) | about 3 h 59 min |
| Washington to Chesapeake | United States | 240 km (149 mi) | about 3 h 55 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to book tours and tickets
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
What is the most visited attraction in Washington?
National Museum of Natural History, with 6,900,000 visitors in 2015 (Wikidata).
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.