Places to Go for Day Trips From Washington DC for a Quick Getaway

Located in Virginia just 7 miles south of Downtown DC, Alexandria is the perfect blend of natural beauty and historic buildings. The city holds an important place in the early history of the United States, and maintains a large part of this history in the city center, popularly known as Old Town. Here, one can walk on cobblestone pavements, while walking past houses that have existed for centuries, each with their own unique story.

Best time to visit: : April - June

Places to visit: : Old Town Alexandria, George Washington Masonic National Memorial

Closest airport: : Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Metro facility available: : Yes

Gettysburg National Military Park is the site of the three-day Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. To begin, visit the Museum and Visitor Center before hopping to the battlefields. This place has a bookshop and restaurant too for the visitors. Other major attractions include: Soldiers' National Cemetery and the David Wills House and the Gettysburg Civil War Reenactment (held annually on July 1st - 3rd) Participants dress up in authentic military costumes to enable visitors to relive history.

Address: : Museum and Visitor Center, 1195 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Distance from Washington D.C: : 80.2 miles

Timings: : 6am-10pm

Located in Virginia, Mount Vernon is one of the most iconic houses in America. With grand and beautiful interiors, this place has a lot of rooms out of which the Small Dining Room is one of the most striking rooms in the house. The mansion is all surrounded by English-style gardens landscaped with pathways and lawns. Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant is the most famous here offering famous specialties like Virginia peanut, chestnut soup and colonial turkey pie.

Address: : 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon, Virginia

Distance from Washington D.C.: : 15 miles approximately

Timings: : 9am-4pm

Founded in: : 1758

Usual time spent: : Up to 3 hours

Official site: : www.mountvernon.org

Monticello is a Neo classical architectural piece of work with 43-rooms, a vast entrance hall, an elegant parlor; an impressive library and a bright dining room, all covering 11,000-square-foot of area. The majestic Dome Room is the most iconic room with a domed ceiling and circular windows. Open-air pavilions and terraces surround the building. Different guided tour options are available for visitors to explore the place like the house and gardens tour or a sunset tour of the house.

Address: : 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway, Charlottesville, Virginia

Timings: : 9am-6:30pm (weekdays) and 9am-6pm (Sunday)

Distance from Washington D.C.: : 115.7 miles

Located in Maryland's Blue Ridge the surroundings of Harpers Ferry are marked as a National Historic Park. Clustered with old buildings around the church, it is definitely a scenic beauty. Tourists can enjoy old streets and participate in historic trade workshops like tinware making or baking. Shenandoah Street is all filled with museums and other interactive exhibits for the visitors. The place hosts special events like the 1865 West Virginia Ladies Ice Cream Festival which are worth visiting too.

Address: : 171 Shoreline Dr, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, United States

Timings: : 9am-6pm

Established: : 30 June 1944

Distance from Washington D.C.: : 65.7 miles

Solomons Island is basically a waterfront community which is a home to recreational boating. Located in Maryland, this place has a pleasant village like ambience. Serving the local specialty as fresh seafood, visitors can enjoy great meals at various restaurants built here. It offers a chance to explore the beauty of the island via the boat tour around Solomons Harbor and the Patuxent River to its visitors. Other popular attractions include the Calvert Marine Museum and the Annmarie Garden Sculpture Park.

Address: : 11100 Asbury Cir, Solomons, MD 20688, United States

Timings: : 9am-5pm

Distance from Washington DC: : 64.3 miles

Home to a lot of historic and important buildings like the Governor's Palace, the Capitol Building, George Wythe House and the Brush-Everard, Williamsburg transports visitors to history. Horse-drawn carriages and historical street performances with characters in period costumes is the best part. Other popular attractions include: The DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Anderson's Blacksmith Shop, R. Charlton's Coffeehouse and the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.

Address: : 101 Visitor Center Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States

Distance from Washington D.C.: : 152.5 miles

St. Michaels is an extremely peaceful coastal town in Maryland. Tourists enjoy this place a lot due to a variety of offerings it has like historic churches, colonial houses, and old Victorian homes. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum located along the waterfront is also one of the most popular tourist spots to learn about the heritage of this place. A 19th-century lighthouse and a picture worthy harbor with yacht marinas are also some cherry on the cake.

Distance from Washington, DC: : 44.58 miles

Overlooking the very heartbeat of the state of Maryland- the Chesapeake Bay- the city of Annapolis certainly stands as its definitive guardian. This city is known for its exclusive views of the charming bay and historic buildings that lend it its iconic status. As the state capital, Annapolis is the key to the state; home to the capitol building and gatekeeper to the consequential biography of Maryland.

Best Time: March to May