Things To Do in Washington & Washington Dulles Airport Layover Ideas

There is lots to see and experience in Washington DC, so take advantage of any extra time to see what you can.

Udvar-Hazy Center (a Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)

A great layover option is the nearby Udvar-Hazy Center, which is a Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, and where thousands off aviation and space artifacts that cannot be exhibited at the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall are on display. Admission is free. A museum bus runs from the Main Terminal (ground level) at location 2E. Buses leave IAD Washington Dulles International Airport for the Museum every 45 minutes from 10:30-17:15 on weekdays, and every 60 minutes from 11:15-17:15 on weekends. Return buses from the museum run with the same frequency from 10:45-17:30 on weekdays, and 11:30-17:30 on weekends. The bus fare is less than USD 1. Leave yourself 2-3 hours for your visit.

Union Station

Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination the center of Washington, D.C. Built on a massive scale, including a facade stretching more than 600 feet, a waiting room ceiling 96 feet above the floor, allegorical sculpture in the Beaux-Arts style, and expensive materials such as marble, gold leaf, and white granite, the station opened in 1907. At its height during World War II some 200,000 people passed through it every day. Today Union Station is again one of Washington's busiest and best-known places, visited by 32 million people each year and has many shops, cafes and restaurants. Inside and outside, Union Station is an amazing structure with lots of shopping, eateries, and people watching.

The National Mall

The National Mall is a unique National Park, filled with an intense concentration of monuments, memorials, museums, and monumental government buildings instantly recognizable to people all over the world. Top national attractions here, all within walking distance of each other, include:

• The White House
• US Capitol Building
• Washington Monument
• Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
• Vietnam War Memorial
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
• Jefferson Memorial
• National Gallery of Art
• Air and Space Museum
• National Natural History Museum
• Holocaust Museum

While there are multiple maps along the Mall - especially by Metro stops - take a map with you to avoid missing highlights obscured by other highlights. Wear comfortable walking shoes and follow your nose. All museums are free.

As always, make sure you leave plenty of time to get back to IAD Washington Dulles International Airport and clear security in time for your connecting flight. Enjoy your transit city rather than whiling away the time leaning up against your luggage in the departures lounge.