Congress Chair Guy Young shares top ‘hidden gems’ of Washington, D.C.
Welcome to the vibrant city of Washington, D.C. Guy Young, M.D., Chair of the ISTH 2025 Annual Congress Planning Committee (ACPC) shares his top recommendations for visiting Washington, D.C., from tourist attractions to the best restaurant—plus a few hidden gems to add to your must-see list.
Top tourist attractions in Washington, D.C.
You may recall from previous communications that I lived in Washington, D.C. for four years during my fellowship and early career, and I absolutely loved living there. Although my roots are in New York City—the suburbs of Long Island, actually—and while there is much I miss about New York City, I think D.C. is a much more livable city. More importantly for you, I think that there is even more to do in D.C. than in New York City.
Briefly, the most famous places to go and see are on or adjacent to the National Mall, with the U.S. Capitol on the east end (and the Supreme Court across the street on its east side) and the Lincoln Memorial on the farthest west end.
I recently flew into Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA)—the closest one to the city center. I took a couple of photos which are below and labelled to give you some orientation to the city. Certainly, a map app will help you even more, but these photos give a nice perspective of the National Mall.
Between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall is a wide expanse of grass and walkways with the Washington Monument rising from the central part and the World War II Memorial in the middle a bit further to the west. Flanking the grassy expanse on the east end are the various museums of the Smithsonian Institution. These include several art museums and several history museums, including The Museum of Natural History, The Museum of American History and the Museum of African American History and Culture. In addition, the National Air and Space Museum sits on the south side of the mall.
There are also several monuments and memorials to individuals (George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt), as well as to the soldiers who fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. These are all scattered within or just adjacent to the National Mall. Of note, the Smithsonian Museums and the Monuments/Memorials are all free to enter.
While the entire area is walkable, it could amount to a lot of walking and for those trying to save time or their legs, there is a hop on/hop off bus the circulates between all of these throughout the day—alas, that is not free. One of the things I enjoyed most while living in D.C. was going to the Jefferson Memorial in the evening and simply sitting on the steps and taking in the view of the Tidal Basin, the Washington Monument and the White House.
There is a purposeful cut to the line of trees lining the National Mall so that one can look directly from the Jefferson Memorial to the White House which was specifically designed so that the U.S. President could always have a direct, unobstructed view toward the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial.
Hidden gems of Washington, D.C.
Now on to what I consider some hidden gems. While D.C. is of course an urban city, one thing to point out is that unlike most large and important world cities, there are no skyscrapers (go to New York City if that is your thing). The reason is that no building can be taller than the Washington Monument, which stands at 555 feet (169 meters).
Rock Creek Park
If you are seeking some greenery, there is a true and actually hidden urban oasis that runs nearly the length (from north to south) of the city and that is Rock Creek Park. This is a heavily wooded and preserved “park” that follows a small stream called Rock Creek. It is typically quite a bit cooler than the surrounding city as it is in the shadows of the trees and has a small but cold running stream flowing down the middle. There are walkways where you can take a nice walk. For the joggers out there, it is a great place to go for an early morning (or evening) run. It does slope gently down from the north end to the south end, so keep that in mind.
National Zoo
Another urban oasis is the Smithsonian National Zoo. I know not everyone is fond of nor agrees with animals in enclosures, but for those who do, it is a great zoo and one of the few places in the U.S. to see pandas. It is also a great place just to go for a walk, jog or simply enjoy an urban forest. Both Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo are free to enter, but you will need to take the Metro or a taxi/ride share to get there.
The National Cathedral
Beyond these natural options, there is some great architecture as well throughout the city. Much of that is around the National Mall, but if you are interested in Gothic architecture, the National Cathedral is a must-see. It is a stunning and huge structure and sits in a more elevated section of the city; parts of it can be seen from far away depending on where you are. You will need to take the Metro or taxi/rideshare to get there from the Convention Center area or the National Mall. (Fun fact: Not that it is all that interesting, but about 200 yards north of the National Cathedral is where I lived for several years during my fellowship in an apartment building called McLean Gardens.)
International Spy Museum + The National Archives
A few other worthy places to see or go include the International Spy Museum just south of the National Mall (this one has a modest entry fee) and the National Archives just north of the National Mall (visit) where you can see the original Constitution and Declaration of Independence, as well as many other famous and not so famous documents. The original Magna Carta can be found there as well.
Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
For a more somber experience, but one that offers a great view of the National Mall, is Arlington National Cemetery just across the Potomac River in northern Virginia. It also has the famous Iwo Jima Memorial.
Speaking of somber, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in D.C. is truly incredible and also just off the National Mall. As the son/grandson of Holocaust survivors, I have been to several such museums around the world and the one in Washington is the best one I have been to. (Bring tissues!)
National Air and Space Museum and Annex
Finally, for those interested in air and space technology, I had mentioned the National Air and Space Museum, which is truly amazing, but a hidden gem is the Air and Space Museum Annex, which sits just on the edge of Dulles International Airport. It is quite far from the National Mall, however, one suggestion is that if you fly out that evening, as many European flights do, you could head to the airport earlier in the day and visit this very cool place. It is essentially a giant airplane hangar and houses some incredible and fully intact aircraft and space vehicles of the past. That could be a great way to end your trip to D.C.
Restaurants
The food scene in D.C. is fantastic. You can find more or less every type of national or ethnic food you like. It would take several more pages for me to get into that, so I won’t get into too much detail. That said, definitely don’t stick with just the places near the Convention Center, which is rather limited nor just near the National Mall or Downtown.
The OpenTable mobile app is an excellent way to explore and reserve restaurants. Also, do note that really good food can be found for not super expensive prices, especially if you move into the more residential areas. There is no true traditional “Washington, D.C. food,” but some of the more local options include soft-shell crab (though we’ll be near the end of the season) and southern soul food, which is best sampled in the neighborhoods away from downtown.
Getting around
I definitely recommend using the city’s publication transportation (Metro) as much as possible to get around. It is both faster and cheaper. While traffic in the city is nowhere near the chaos or slowness of Bangkok for those who were at ISTH last year, it can be quite congested during peak times of morning and afternoon rush. The Metro is very safe, clean and much less expensive compared to taxis/rideshares.
Having said that, not all areas of D.C. are super close to a Metro station, so there may be some additional walking involved or a combination of Metro and taxi/rideshare. As of this writing, the one downside is that you will have to purchase a SmarTrip Card or add a virtual card using the Metro app.
But hopefully good news may be coming imminently. The Washington Metro is testing a tap and go system where all you need to do is tap your credit card (the actual card or virtual card via your phone) and it is hoped to launch by the end of May. We plan to make an announcement on the ISTH Congress channels if/when that is confirmed. In the February Congress Chronicle, I discussed the three airports serving D.C. and how to get from those to the hotels and Convention Center.