We spent a week exploring Washington DC for the first time, from the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall to Smithsonian museums, Georgetown, U Street, and the National Zoo.

Before this trip, Washington was one of those places we mostly knew from the news, movies, and history books. Seeing it in real life was different. This video is our personal look at the city, with a little history, a lot of walking, museums, food, some surprisingly complicated parking signs, and all the small things that made DC feel less like a symbol and more like a real place.

We’re a Ukrainian couple living in the U.S., and this was our first time really exploring the capital. Along the way, we visited the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress, Washington Monument, White House, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, the Smithsonian museums, Georgetown, U Street, and the National Zoo.

If you’re planning a trip to Washington DC, I hope this gives you a good feel for what the city is actually like, not just a checklist of places to see.

CHAPTERS

00:00 First Time in Washington DC
01:07 U.S. Capitol
03:23 Supreme Court
03:51 Library of Congress
05:21 Washington Monument
07:13 Summer Heat in Washington DC
08:27 Traffic, Police & Fences
09:07 The Ellipse & Lafayette Square
09:37 The White House & Constitution Gardens
10:52 Scooters & Bike Rentals
12:14 World War I & World War II Memorials
13:31 National Mall & Reflecting Pool
14:23 Lincoln Memorial
15:23 Washington DC Memorials
16:30 Jefferson Memorial
17:22 Getting Around DC: Public Transit vs Driving
18:36 U Street & Ben’s Chili Bowl
19:45 National Air and Space Museum
21:15 Parking in DC: Decoding the Signs
21:48 National Museum of American History
25:11 Georgetown
26:33 A Local Ice Cream Stop
27:22 National Zoo
30:00 Thanks for Watching

Thanks for watching. If you’ve been to Washington DC, let us know what we missed.

#WashingtonDC #TravelDocumentary #DCTravel