In Ellis Family Vacation, Devale and Khadeen Ellis take their sons to Washington, D.C., and this bookable itinerary is built around the same capital. It pairs the monuments and museums the city is known for with a food tour and a cupcake to keep the family fueled. The link below opens the full trip, where you can change, edit, or lengthen any part of it.

The Mall and the Memorials

Washington is the nation’s capital, and the National Mall is its front yard, a long stretch of lawn lined with memorials and museums, with the Lincoln Memorial at one end. The Full-Day DC Tour with a Scenic River Cruise covers a lot of it in one go. You stop at the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Roosevelt Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, and the World War II Memorial, drive past the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court, and Capitol Hill, and see the U.S. Navy Memorial and the Pentagon. A river cruise on the Potomac then gives you the skyline from the water, a change of pace that is easy on small legs.

Plan some quiet time at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, another stop the itinerary suggests. The White House appears on the itinerary’s list of sights as well, so it is easy to see while you are in the area.

Museums Worth the Time

Washington is full of free museums, and the itinerary picks a few that suit a family. The National Museum of African American History and Culture tells the story of African American life and history, and it is a place for the family to take in together. The National Gallery of Art offers a calm, air-conditioned break with paintings and sculpture, and the Smithsonian Castle, the original Smithsonian building, is a good place to get your bearings.

Garden, Theater, and a Cupcake

The U.S. Botanic Garden is the green break in the middle of the city, a glass conservatory of plants from around the world, including orchids, where kids can slow down and look. Then it is on to Ford’s Theatre, a historic landmark in downtown Washington where you can learn the story behind the building.

For something sweet, Georgetown Cupcake is on the itinerary’s list of places to visit, and the Taste of Georgetown Walking Food Tour turns the neighborhood into a walking lunch. The Wharf and Eastern Market add waterfront strolling and market browsing, and Logan Circle gives you a leafy residential corner to wander. Your base for all of it is Riggs, the itinerary hotel, so the whole family has a comfortable place to land.

Open the trip below to see the full itinerary, then adjust the stops and extras to fit the way your family wants to travel.