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40+ Romantic Things To Do in DC 😍
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items Washington DC is such a romantic city, and after two years of living there, I'm now realizing how much there is to do with your partner! Here are a ton of romantic ideas when you run out of date night spots in the DMV area:
Map
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Go Sightseeing at the National Mall 🏛️
Explore The Tidal Basin 🌸
See Different Parts of the City 🏙️
Visit one of DC's Museums! 🖼️
See a Popular Attraction 🎟️
Spend Some Time Outdoors 🌲
Go Sightseeing at the National Mall 🏛️
The National Mall can be extremely romantic if you experience it in the right way! Here are some ways to make it romantic:
Walk the reflecting pool and see Lincoln lit up - it's a magical experience, I promise!
Visit The Lincoln Memorial At Night
One of the most romantic dates was when Dylan packed a picnic bag full of sncks and wine!
Have a picnic by the Reflecting Pool
The walking paths in front of the white house are gorgeous, and a romantic way to spend time with your honey!
Walk the garden in front of the White House
Book a trip up the national monument to get a fantastic panoramic view of the countries capitol!
Take a trip up the National monument
Explore The Tidal Basin 🌸
The Tidal Basin is gorgeous, especially in the spring. Bring your sweetie here for good times and pretty views.
A romantic date idea is renting pedal boats on the Tidal Basin, especially during cherry blossom season!
Rent Pedal Boats
Right as you enter the Tidal Basin, the MLK Jr. Memorial is a powerful monument that you cannot skip.
See The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
This is by far the most romantic thing to do, in my opinion! It feels like a Disney movie around the Tidal Basin during cherry blossom season.
See The Cherry Blossoms in the Spring
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Continue walking around the basin to the magnificent Thomas Jefferson Memorial. The steps are perfect for a picnic!
Walk to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial
See Different Parts of the City 🏙️
There are so many cute neighborhoods in DC, it can be fun to explore different parts of the city for a fresh perspective.
Head to M Street to do some shopping in the beautiful neighborhood of Georgetown
Go Shopping in Georgetown
U-Street is a great place for nightlife and live music!
Find a Speakeasy on U Street
DuPont circle is another great place for its nightlife, restaurants, bookstores, and shops.
Explore Dupont Circle
This is a great neighborhood for younger couples! They have breweries, trendy restaurants, and some historic sites.
Take a walk through Logan Circle
The Wharf is one of my favorite places in DC, and it's extremely romantic. You can grab dinner, eat some s'mores, and enjoy the sunset.
Watch the Sunset Over The Wharf DC
Union Market has a ton of cute vendors that have phenomenal food. It's a great place for a date!
Grab brunch at Union Market
Yards Park is underrated, in my opinion. There are a ton of great restaurants near the water.
Enjoy River Views at The Yards Park
The National Harbor is one of my favorite places for date night. It's so magical because you can get a nice dinner then take a trip up the Ferris Wheel!
Take a short drive to National Harbor
Visit one of DC's Museums! 🖼️
An affordable date idea is to hit up one of DC's museums! Most are free and the others are worth the money!
This was one of my favorite museums in DC because it's so fascinating looking at American figures and their portraits!
National Portrait Gallery
The national gallery of art and its sculpture garden are a fun way to spend a day with your partner! The sculpture garden is my favorite.
National Gallery of Art
Dylan and I really enjoyed our time here, but wish we would've dedicated at least a few hours to hit every exhibit!
National Museum of the American Indian
What's a better way to bond than to learn about the rules of espionage together!? This is such a fascinating museum in DC!
International Spy Museum
The Phillips Collection is a modern art museum in DuPont with rotating exhibits!
The Phillips Collection
The Hillwood Estate has an eloquent art museum and outdoor garden, perfect for exploring with your partner
Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens
See a Popular Attraction 🎟️
DC has so many cool and romantic spots to spend the day with your loved ones! My favorite is Gravelly Point.
The US Botanic Garden has an outdoor garden and indoor museum with different biomes! It was super fascinating to walk through it!
Smell the flowers at the United States Botanic Garden
Dylan and I visited during the Fall and it was breathtaking! It's a large area so you can spend hours there.
Walk the grounds at the National Arboretum
If you're looking for a way to spend the day, the zoo is always an option! They have one of the biggest collections of animals I've ever seen in a zoo.
Spend the day at the National Zoo
Gravelly Point is a romantic picnic spot because you can watch the airplanes fly overhead into JFK!
Watch the planes at Gravelly Point
This is a fun take on an art museum, as it feels extremely immersive and realistic!
Visit the amusing ARTECHOUSE DC
Spend Some Time Outdoors 🌲
There are many great ways to experience DC's outdoors! Most involve spending time by the river or heading to a nearby park.
Strolling through the paths at Rock Creek is such a romantic way to spend a day!
Explore the trails at Rock Creek Park
Meridian Hill is so close to my heart! Dylan and I would picnic here frequently.
Picnic at Meridian Hill Park
Dylan and I rented kayaks off the Potomac River for his birthday! What a fun way to spend time outdoors!
Kayak the Potomac River
For my birthday, Dylan bought us a sunset cruise on the Potomac. It was a fun way to end the day with a beautiful sunset over the river.
Take a sunset cruise on the Potomac
Theodore Roosevelt island is a hidden gem near Georgetown, and it's a great place to take a stroll with your sweetie.
Take a walk on Theodore Roosevelt Island
Dylan and I drove here so may times because you truly cannot find a view like this anywhere!
Explore the breathtaking Great Falls Park
Seek out Entertainment! 🍿
If you like live shows, music, or fun activities with your honey, check this list for date inspo!
For date night, check out a play at the famous Fords Theatre!
See a play at Shakespeare Theatre Company
For some classy jazz music, head to Blues Alley in the historic Georgetown
Listen to live jazz atBlues Alley
I love this place! You can order drinks on the indoor golf course as you play!
Play indoor mini golf at Swingers Crazy Golf
The Kennedy Center hosts shows all the time, and I totally wish I would've gone when I lived there!
See a show at the Kennedy Center
Politics and Prose was one of my favorite book stores because a coffee shop was downstairs! Dylan and I spent hours browsing many times.
Grab a coffee as you browse books at Politics and Prose
A concert is always a great date idea, and this venus is affordable!
See a show at the 9:30 Club
My mom and I went on this Ghost Tour and loved it! It'd be such a great date idea.
Go on a Ghost Tour
Go on a Dinner Date🍜
Last but not least, here are some fun takes for a dinner date!
This antique restaurant is a great place to have dinner after roaming around Georgetown
1789 Restaurant & Bar
You've heard of the Watergate Scandal, but what about dining on their rooftop!? It's expensive but the views are spectacular!
Top of the Gate
This is a cute French cafe on Connecticut Street. I wanted to visit every time I passed it home from work!
Le Diplomate