Washington, DC
Washington DC self-guided walking tour.
An original loop around the National Mall’s memorials: the Washington Monument, the World War II, Vietnam Veterans, Lincoln, Korean War Veterans, Martin Luther King, Jr., Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson memorials. Read the stops here, then open the mapped route on your iPhone.
Start at the Washington Monument
Begin on the plaza at the base of the Washington Monument, off 15th Street. Much of the loop is in full sun, with shade mainly under the trees along the Reflecting Pool and the Tidal Basin, so carry water in warm months. Paths around the Tidal Basin can be detoured during seawall works; check National Park Service alerts before you go. The route follows mapped pedestrian paths, but it has not been walked on site by DailyWander.
- On iPhone, get DailyWander if you do not have it.
- Return to this page and tap Open the tour in DailyWander. Check the preview, then choose Open in DailyWander.
- In the app, review the route and choose Start this route or Save route. Keep this guide handy for the stop notes.
Museum visits, tickets and meals are separate and are not included in the walking time. Follow local signs, closures and diversions.
Eight stops, in walking order
The route uses public viewpoints. Check the linked sources for current access before planning a visit inside.
Stop 1
Washington Monument
Begin on the paved plaza at the base of the Washington Monument, ringed by American flags. The marble obelisk, designed by Robert Mills, was built in two phases and finished in 1884; the National Park Service gives its height as just over 555 feet. Look partway up for the change in stone colour between the construction periods. The elevator to the top needs a timed-entry ticket. Then head west, downhill toward 17th Street.
Stop 2
National World War II Memorial
Cross 17th Street at the signal and step down into the World War II Memorial, dedicated on May 29, 2004. Granite pillars for each state and territory of the war years circle a large fountain pool, with an arched pavilion at each end. A wall of 4,048 gold stars honours the more than 400,000 Americans who died in the war. The fountains are usually turned off in winter.
Stop 3
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Follow the path along the north side of the Reflecting Pool, then bear right into Constitution Gardens for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Maya Lin’s polished black granite wall, dedicated in 1982, forms a wide V that points toward the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. It lists the names of more than 58,000 Americans in chronological order. The Three Servicemen statue and the Vietnam Women’s Memorial stand nearby. Please keep voices low here.
Stop 4
Lincoln Memorial
Walk southwest to the Lincoln Memorial and climb the steps. Architect Henry Bacon modelled the building on the Parthenon, and it was dedicated on May 30, 1922. Inside, Daniel Chester French’s seated Lincoln, about 19 feet tall, faces east over the Mall, with the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural Address carved on the side walls. The chamber is free to enter. Turn around for the long view down the Reflecting Pool.
Stop 5
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Come back down the steps and take the path southeast to the Korean War Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1995. Nineteen stainless-steel statues of soldiers on patrol move through a field of low plantings. Their reflections in the polished granite wall beside them double the group to 38, a reference to the 38th parallel. The National Park Service lists the memorial as open 24 hours a day.
Stop 6
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Cross Independence Avenue at the crosswalk and follow the path toward the Tidal Basin. Walk through the split Mountain of Despair to the Stone of Hope, where sculptor Lei Yixin carved Dr. King’s figure emerging from the granite. The official dedication date is August 28, 2011, and the National Park Service describes it as the first memorial on the National Mall to honour an African American individual. Quotations line the curving wall.
National Park Service: Building the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Stop 7
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Continue south along the Tidal Basin into the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, dedicated on May 2, 1997. Designer Lawrence Halprin laid it out as a sequence of open-air rooms of red granite, waterfalls and bronze sculpture: one for each of Roosevelt’s four terms, plus a prologue room with a statue of him in a wheelchair. Look for the breadline figures and the statue of Eleanor Roosevelt.
National Park Service: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
Stop 8
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Follow the Tidal Basin path past the cherry trees and over the inlet bridge to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. Architect John Russell Pope echoed Jefferson’s own Monticello and University of Virginia Rotunda, and President Franklin Roosevelt dedicated it on April 13, 1943. Inside the round colonnade, a 19-foot Jefferson looks out over the water. To finish, follow the basin north, cross Independence Avenue and climb back to the Washington Monument.
Keep the route with you
The tour link opens a route preview with an iPhone handoff. You can also download the GPX and open it from Files → Share → Daily Wander. The app shows the route; this page supplies the stop descriptions.
Washington DC walking-tour questions
How long is this Washington DC walking tour?
The mapped loop is about 3.3 miles (5.3 km). That is roughly 65 minutes of moving time at 3 mph; allow 2½–3½ hours with stops.
Are the National Mall memorials free and open at night?
The National Park Service says the National Mall memorials can be visited 24 hours a day, with rangers on duty during the day and evening. There is no fee to visit the outdoor memorials, and the Lincoln Memorial chamber is free.
Can I go up the Washington Monument?
Yes, with a timed-entry ticket for the elevator to the observation level. The National Park Service releases advance tickets on Recreation.gov and hands out same-day tickets on site; the monument closes on some days for holidays and maintenance, so check before you go.
Can I follow the route on my iPhone?
Yes. Tap Open the tour in DailyWander, check the route preview and choose Open in DailyWander. If you need the app, install it first and return to this page. The page supplies the stop notes; the app shows the walking route.
Does the walk return to the start?
Yes. The loop starts and finishes at the plaza at the base of the Washington Monument.
Can I download the GPX instead?
Yes. Download the GPX from this page, save it in Files on iPhone and share it to Daily Wander. The route geometry is available under the Open Database License.
Make another walk from your hotel
For a different distance or a loop from another starting point, use the US walking-route planner. DailyWander can suggest a separate loop from the location you choose.
More self-guided tours: Charleston, Savannah, New Orleans French Quarter, New Orleans Garden District, Nashville, New York and Amsterdam.
Original itinerary by VANTH Studio. Reviewed October 10, 2026. Route geometry from OpenStreetMap via the FOSSGIS pedestrian router; distance measured along the track. Actual time depends on your pace, stops and diversions. Access to venues is controlled by their operators.