12 days in Washington DC & New York City Itinerary

The capital of the United States, the District of Columbia contains the lion's share of the country's most treasured monuments, memorials, and public museums.

Bring the kids along to National Air and Space Museum and National Zoological Park. Go for a jaunt from Washington DC to Hot Springs to see Jackson River about 4h 15 min away. And it doesn't end there: learn more about the world around you at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, explore the world behind art at National Gallery of Art, get your bearings at Library of Congress, and get a sense of history and politics at United States Capitol.

For photos, other places to visit, more things to do, and tourist information, use the Washington DC online road trip planner.

San Francisco to Washington DC is an approximately 7.5-hour flight. You can also drive; or do a combination of subway and train. The time zone difference moving from Pacific Standard Time (PST) to Eastern Standard Time (EST) is 3 hours. Traveling from San Francisco in June, things will get somewhat warmer in Washington DC: highs are around 86°F and lows about 69°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 11th (Tue) to allow enough time to take a train to New York City.

Writer Pearl Buck once called New York City “a place apart,” and this giant urban center remains unlike any other in the world.

Attractions like Central Park and Empire State Building make great kid-friendly stops. Step out of New York City with an excursion to Bronx Zoo in Bronx--about 36 minutes away. Next up on the itinerary: explore the world behind art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, go for a walk through The High Line, get a new perspective on nature at American Museum of Natural History, and make a trip to Times Square.

For maps, ratings, and more tourist information, read our New York City tour planner.

Traveling by train from Washington DC to New York City takes 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can fly; or drive. While traveling from Washington DC, expect a bit cooler days and about the same nights in New York City, ranging from highs of 80°F to lows of 65°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 18th (Tue) early enough to travel back home.