Looking for things to do alone in Washington DC? Solo travel in Washington DC is amazing because there are so many activities!
Washington DC is one of the most well-known cities in the United States. That's because of all the famous sights. For example, you can find the White House in the city.
Besides all the famous sights, Washington DC has more to offer! There are many beautiful places in the city and great activities.
Furthermore, solo travel in Washington DC is also great! That's because there are countless things to do when you're alone in the city.
There are many activities during which you can meet new people, get to know the city or have a great time by yourself! Whatever you're looking for during your solo travels in Washington DC, it's there.
Below are the 44 best things to do alone in Washington DC.
Table of Contents
1. Do a Free Walking Tour: Amazing Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC To Get To Know the City
When you are alone in the city of Washington DC you should definitely do a free walking tour. This is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC.
One of the best of these is the one by DC by Foot. Their National Mall Tour is very interesting.
Together with a group and a good guide you'll explore the sights of the National Mall. You'll walk by the Washington Monument, the WWII Memorial, and more sights. Along the way, you get very interesting information.
Furthermore, you can ask the guide everything you want!
What's great as well is that it is a great place to make new friends from the group of people that also does the walk! That's why this is amazing for solo travel in Washington DC.
2. Explore the City by Yourself with a Self-Guided Walking Tour
Another one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC is a self-guided tour. For this, it's only you and the city, nothing else, which is a great experience!
This is the perfect way to discover the city on your own!
You can listen to an audio guide that allows you to learn a lot about the places you are walking along.
What's great is that you can decide your own pace. So it's great for solo travel in Washington DC.
DC Walkabout is where you find a few audio guides that are great for exploring the city alone!
3. Tour the White House
When you are in Washington DC, it is great to see the White House. The outside is great to see, but the inside is even better.
You can do a self-guided tour of the building where you can completely focus on the White House, which is awesome! This is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC for sure.
Be sure to send a request before visiting, otherwise, you cannot do the tour.
4. See the National Mall During a Tour by Electric Vehicle
Of course, you could walk at the National Mall and explore the sights. But you can also do a National Mall group tour by electric vehicle! It's incredible for solo travel in Washington DC!
This is a great way to see many of the most famous sights!
Furthermore, it is great that you are doing this tour with other people, whom you can talk with during the tour! This makes it one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC.
5. Go Ping-Ponging at Spin: Great Thing to Do Alone in Washington DC To Make New Friends
If you love ping pong, this is one of the most fun things to do alone in Washington DC for you!
At Spin, you can ping pong with strangers.
You can watch very good ping pong players play a game here, which is great to see. But you can also play it yourself and make new friends! This makes this place great if you want to meet new people during solo travel in Washington DC.
One of the best things at Spin is Players' Night. This takes place every Friday night. During this event, you can play against a pro in a variety of games!
Furthermore, you can have a drink afterward here.
6. Go to an Event at the United States Botanic Garden
Are you in Washington DC and want to see nature? Then, go to an event at the United States Botanic Garden!
This garden is a beautiful place with lots of great nature. There are a lot of different species of plants.
Moreover, there is a section with rare and endangered plants. Furthermore, there is a section with plants that grow in the desert.
Throughout the year, there are a lot of different types of events at the United States Botanic Garden.
For example, there are lectures, demonstrations, tours, and more events.
Also, what's interesting is that the garden dates back to the year 1820.
7. Join a Book Club
Another great activity to do in Washington DC when you are doing a solo trip is joining a book club! This is one of the most fun things to do alone in Washington DC if you love reading.
At the DC Public Library, you can attend The Audacious Books Read Along. This is an event that happens every fourth Tuesday of the month.
At the meetings of the book club, you are discussing a book together with strangers. This is a very fun activity to make some new friends and also it is very motivating if you want to read more! That's why it's perfect for solo travel in Washington DC.
There is a reading list with the books to read for every month of the year.
8. Have Dinner at a Communal Table: Amazing Thing to Do Alone in Washington DC to Meet New People
One of the best activities is having dinner at a communal table. It is the perfect way to meet new people!
It is great to have dinner together with others and there are several places for this in Washington DC!
One of the best places for this is Via Umbria. Here you can attend "Dinner at the Chef's Table" every Friday and Saturday.
During this event, you can try out delicious Italian food while sitting with others.
9. Go to the National Museum of Natural History and Attend a Lecture
The National Museum of Natural History is one of the best museums in Washington DC. The museum is amazing for solo travel in Washington DC.
It is a museum without an admission fee, which always makes it a great place to visit.
Here, you find a collection of plants, rocks, fossils, and much more. In fact, you find here the largest collection of natural history in the world, which is incredible!
Besides seeing the collection of the museum, you can also attend a lecture here. Attending one of the lectures is one of the most interesting things to do alone in Washington DC.
There are lectures here that focus on certain parts of natural history. This is very interesting to experience together with others. Furthermore, it allows you to learn a lot of new things!
10. Rent a Bike and Explore the City
There are many places in the city where you can rent a bike. This is a great way to explore the city on your own, which is awesome!
There are many biking trails in the city of Washington DC.
Some are more scenic than others. And some go by the famous sights of the city.
Also, the bike is a great way to move around in the city during your solo trip to Washington DC!
11. Do a Food Tour With a Local: Perfect Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC If You Love Food
Also one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC is to do a Washington DC food tour with a local.
During a tour, you can try out the best food at the Union Food Market. Union Food Market is a great place with a large variety of food!
Doing a food tour is great if you are traveling solo. That way you can find out new food you might like, and you can dine together with others!
12. Join a Guided Cycleboat Ride Tour at Potomac Paddle Club
You find this next one of the best things to do for solo travel in Washington DC at Potomac Paddle Club.
Here you can do a guided cycleboat ride.
You can do a mixed tour where you can see some of the most famous sights of the city from the water.
Together with others, you cycle while sitting at a table to paddle the boat.
During the boat ride, you can have drinks as well, which is great!
The mixed tour is a great way to make some new friends!
13. Do a Stand-up Paddleboard Yoga Class: Nice Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC That’s Very Unique
This is definitely one of the most unique solo activities in Washington DC.
When you are in the city you can do a stand-up paddleboard yoga class. You need to have experience in paddleboarding before doing this class. The company Boating in DC offers the class.
During this class, you do yoga on a paddleboard on the water. This is both a very relaxing and challenging experience.
Furthermore, you are doing this class together with other people, which is very fun!
The class lasts 60 minutes in total.
14. Go for a Run With a Group
Another one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC is to go for a run with a group.
Ladies Run Washington DC is a group that organizes ladies runs throughout the years. These runs are great for both beginners and experts. Keep in mind that this is for ladies only.
These runs are lovely if you want to meet new friends! Furthermore, it is a great way to get active when you are in the city of Washington DC.
15. Go to a Lecture at the Library of Congress: Great Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC That’s Very Interesting
This is one of the most interesting activities. The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States. You can find this place on Capitol Hill.
What's amazing about this place is that it is one of the largest of its kind in the world!
You find here books and other material from all over the world. There are more than 38 million books at the library.
You should definitely go here to explore the library from the inside during your solo trip. It's one of the most fun things for solo travel in Washington DC for sure.
Besides that, there are many lectures at the Library of Congress.
These lectures are great to attend and are about a variety of topics.
Here you can learn a lot, which is great! Furthermore, it allows you to connect with others when you are in Washington DC.
16. Go to an Event at the United States National Arboretum
The U.S. National Arboretum is a beautiful arboretum with a lot of nature. Going to an event at the arboretum is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC with nature.
There are a lot of beautiful trees here. Moreover, there is a large variety of trees here, which is great!
Furthermore, there are several gardens at the U.S. National Arboretum. These different gardens all contain different types of trees.
For example, there is a section with flowering trees that are very pretty.
The events that you can attend here include art exhibits, workshops, and tours.
17. See the City From a Segway Through a Tour
Another great way to explore the city is while riding a segway. You can do so during a Washington DC segway tour, which is perfect for solo travel in Washington DC.
During the tour, you'll explore some of the most famous landmarks of the city.
You drive by the White House, the Capitol Building, and more.
What's great is that you are doing this tour together with other people. Thus it is a great way to make new friends, with whom you can explore the city!
18. Do a Tour and Explore the Street Art of Washington DC: Amazing Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC For Art Lovers
This is another one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC. You can explore the street art of the city during a tour. The name of this tour is "Explore the Street Art of DC / NoMa".
During this tour, you'll see great street art and murals in the neighborhood of NoMa.
There are lots of artworks, and you'll see both old and new works.
What's great is that you'll learn about the different artworks as well.
Another great thing about doing this street art tour is that it is together with other people. This makes it possible to meet new people which is great during solo travel in Washington DC.
19. Watch the Senate in Session
If you're looking for things to do alone in Washington DC, a great activity is watching the Senate in session. You can do so whenever the Senate is in session!
It is an interesting thing to experience alone. That's because you can focus on what the Senate says without thinking about anything else! This makes for a very unique experience.
20. Join Art Classes at The Amazing Art Studio
Another activity for your solo trip to Washington DC is to take part in art classes. You can do that at The Amazing Art Studio!
At this studio, you can do a large variety of classes together.
For example, together with others, you'll learn how to paint on canvas! This is very fun and a great way to make new friends.
Also, you can paint pottery, make glass art, work on board art, and do much more at this studio. Furthermore, you can go here more often to do classes. This can be great if you live in Washington DC.
21. Do a Nighttime Trolley Tour of Washington DC
Doing a nighttime trolley tour of DC is very interesting for solo travel in Washington DC.
This is a guided trolley tour that takes place when it is dark outside. And during it, you can see the lights of the city, which is amazing to see.
Moreover, during the tour, you will see some of the most famous sights in the city. For example, you'll visit the National Mall during this tour. And you get information about those sights at the same time.
22. Go to Classical Music Events Through a Meetup Group: Nice Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC If You Like Music
Do you like classical music? Then, this might be one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC for you.
You can join "The DC Classical Music Meetup Group".
Through this group, you can connect with others in the city to go to opera and classical music events. This makes attending the event more fun and it is a great way to make new friends in the city.
23. Do a Secret Doors and Themed Rooms Tour
Want to do something unique during solo travel in Washington DC? Then the "Explore Secret Doors & Themed Rooms" experience is great!
During this experience, you do a self-guided tour of the O Street Museum and explore themed rooms. These rooms contain secret doors that are great to see.
Also, the building here is very historic, which makes it even more fun to visit the museum.
24. Do a Tour of the US Capitol
The United States Capitol is the building of the United States Congress.
One of the most interesting things to do alone in Washington DC is to see the building. And what's even more interesting is to do a tour of the building.
During the tours, you can see the US Capitol from the inside and learn about the building from a guide.
Keep in mind, that you need to make a reservation if you want to do a tour here.
25. Play Games With a Group: Incredible Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC To Make Friends
If you like to play games, you can join the "DC Gaming Group". I'm sure you'll love this group if you want to have fun during solo travel in Washington DC.
This is a group that organizes gaming events in the city. And you can join these events and play games with a group of other people, which is a lot of fun.
The group organizes all kinds of gaming events. For example, there are console games and pc games during these events, but also tabletop games.
26. Join a Bracelet-Making Workshop
Here's one of the unique things to do alone in Washington DC which is great if you like to be creative.
You can do a DC bracelet-making workshop.
During this, you'll learn all the techniques that you need to make your own bracelet.
Also, you get the tools to do this, and then you can make the bracelet yourself.
Furthermore, this experience includes a tour of a jewelry studio, which is interesting.
And what's great is that this experience is a small group experience. This means that you can socialize with others during this workshop!
27. Do a Garden Tour at the Hillwood Estate
The Hillwood Estate is the former home of Marjorie Merriweather Post.
At the estate, you can find a decorative arts collection. This collection includes, among other objects, Fabergé eggs. Also, there is art at this place.
Besides that, there is a beautiful garden at the Hillwood Estate. And doing a tour of the garden is one of the best activities for solo travel in Washington DC if you like nature.
These are guided tours during which you can learn about the garden, which can be very interesting!
28. Do a Washington DC Monuments Bike Tour: Nice Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC To Learn About the City
A great way to explore the city during solo travel in Washington DC is by doing a DC monuments bike tour.
During this tour, you'll see historic monuments in the city by bike.
For example, you'll visit the Washington Monument during this tour.
Along the way, a guide gives you a lot of information about what you see. So you can learn a lot by attending this tour.
Also, because this is a tour by bike, you can see a lot of places in a short amount of time, which is great!
29. Join a Classic and Indie Movie Club
If you like classic and indie movies, this is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC for you.
You can join the "DC Classic and Indie Movie Club".
This movie club connects people in the city to see classic and indie movies together. The group organizes events for this.
Also, the events end with having a drink or food to discuss the movie together. This makes seeing the movies even more fun. And these discussions are also great if you want to socialize with others!
30. Join a Free Guided Tour of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts theater. More than 2000 shows and events take place here every year.
One of the most interesting things to do alone in Washington DC is to join a free guided tour of the center.
During this tour, you can see some of the highlights of the center. Also, you can see places that the regular public doesn't visit.
31. Go to the National Postal Museum and Join a Docent-Led Tour
The National Postal Museum is an interesting place to go to during solo travel in Washington DC.
At this place, you can learn about postal history.
And a great way to get the best experience here is by doing a docent-led tour of the museum. Through this tour, you can see the highlights of the museum.
32. Join a Guided Night Bike Tour of Washington DC: Perfect Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC At Night
Doing a night bike tour of Washington DC is a very unique experience.
If you want to explore the city's sights in a unique way, this is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC for you.
During this tour, you'll visit the National Mall and see some of the most iconic sights of the city at night. It is very beautiful to see the illuminated sights.
Also, at the same time, a local guide tells you about the sights. So you can learn a lot of new things through this night tour.
33. Join a Tour of the National Gallery With an Art Historian
This is also one of the most interesting activities during solo travel in Washington DC. You can do a curated tour of the National Gallery of Art with an art historian.
There is a lot of art to see at this museum and that's why this tour is great!
Through this tour, you can see the best works of art of the museum and get the best experience of the museum.
Also, because an art historian leads the tour, you can learn a lot about the art, which is very interesting!
34. Do a Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Nationals Park
Nationals Park is a baseball stadium that is the home of the Washington Nationals.
If you like baseball, you can see a game here.
Furthermore, you can do a public tour of Nationals Park. This tour is one of the most amazing things to do alone in Washington DC if you love sports. Through this, you can get a behind-the-scenes experience and see a lot of places in the stadium. For example, you can see places where the players often only are.
35. Join a Vegetarian Meetup Group: Very Nice Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC for Vegetarians
You can join the "Vegetarian Dining Club" is amazing. This is perfect for solo travel in Washington DC if you're vegan.
This is a group that organizes all kinds of vegetarian and vegan dining events.
Through the group, you can explore vegetarian and vegan restaurants. You connect with others and then have dinner at those restaurants.
This is a fun way to get to know the vegetarian and vegan restaurants of DC and a great way to make new friends.
36. Do a Full-Day Guided Tour of Washington DC and See the City’s Highlights
The "Washington DC in One Day" is a tour that takes about 6 hours.
The tour is perfect if you have a short amount of time in the city and want to do a tour of everything.
Through this tour, you can see the most famous sights in the city and learn a lot about those places from a guide.
You'll travel by coach from each sight to the other. And there are walking tours at the sights.
37. Join a Docent Tour of the National Portrait Gallery
At the National Portrait Gallery, you can see portraits of famous American people.
A docent-led tour of this museum is one of the most interesting things to do alone in Washington DC. During this, you'll learn about the highlights of the museum. This is a great way to experience the best that the museum has to offer.
38. Do a Guided Ghost Tour of Washington DC
The "DC Secrets and Scandals Ghost Tour" is a tour that takes place in the evening. This tour is one of the most unique activities for solo travel in Washington DC.
During it, you'll visit several haunted places in the city.
At each spot, you can learn about the history and stories of that place. This can be very spooky!
Also, what's great about this tour is that you can see the city's famous buildings at night.
39. Go to the National Building Museum: Very Interesting Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC If You Love Art
The National Building Museum is a museum that focuses on architecture and construction.
You can attend interesting exhibitions at this museum that often change.
And these exhibitions focus on very specific topics of architecture or design. For example, one exhibition at this place focused on animal sculptures.
40. Hike With a Group in Washington DC
Do you like hiking? Then joining a hiking group is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC.
You can join the "Sunday hikers of MoCo" Meetup group.
This group organizes hikes that take place on Sundays. These are light hikes that are great to explore new places with other people. Also, the hikes are a great way to get active and make friends at the same time. This makes the group perfect for solo travel in Washington DC!
41. Join a Guided Walking Tour of Capitol Hill
You can do a guided walking tour of Capitol Hill.
To be more specific, this tour focuses on the US Capitol and the Library of Congress.
During the tour, you visit both of these buildings and do a small-group walking tour. Your guide will give you a lot of information about history and politics. And you get to see the buildings from the inside, which is very interesting.
42. Ride a Hop-On Hop-Off Bus in Washington DC: Great Thing To Do Alone in Washington DC To Explore the City
Do you want to see the sights during solo travel in Washington DC? A hop-on hop-off bus tour of Washington DC is also a great way to explore the city.
This is a bus that follows a special sightseeing route in the city. This route goes along some of the most famous landmarks in the city.
For example, it rides along the Lincoln Memorial, the US Capitol, and the National Monument.
Along the way, you can listen to live commentary and learn new things.
What's great is that you can hop off the bus when you are at a sight that you want to explore. And once you want to continue the tour, you can hop on the bus again!
If you want to get to know the city, this is definitely one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC.
43. Do a Docent-Led Guided Tour of the National Archives Museum
The National Archives Museum is a very interesting museum. You can find the original Declaration of Independence and other important documents here.
During solo travel in Washington DC, you can do a guided docent-led tour of this museum.
During this, a guide will show you the museum's highlights in about one hour. And at the same time, you get a lot of information, which is very interesting!
44. Do a Self-Guided Tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History is a very interesting museum. You can find a very large collection of objects related to natural history here.
What's great is that you go here for free and you can do a self-guided tour of the museum.
If you want to learn new things about the earth, this tour is one of the best things to do alone in Washington DC
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