Walkable Washington D.C. – Walking loop to see 10 Memorials
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Walking the Washington D.C. Memorials
Washington, D.C., is a very walkable city with incredible memorials. We love walking the memorials so wanted to share our easy loop so you can follow our steps and see a majority of the memorials on your own. The memorials we detail are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and you don’t need a reservation or a ticket to enjoy them, which is wonderful because you can enjoy walking this loop at any time of the day, which we have done. Take a morning walk, an afternoon stroll, or an evening wind down. You can feel comfortable walking this loop at any time of the day and any time of the year.
Where to start the walking loop of 10 memorials.
We enjoy staying at Hilton properties and have stayed at a few different locations that are easy distances to the memorials, so we incorporate that distance into our walking loop. We usually stay at the Capital Hilton or The Hampton Inn Washington D.C / White house. We recommend staying at either of those locations and starting the tour from the hotel, or you can start the tour at step 1 and easily find your way. Another option is to start at any one of the steps we detail and just follow along from there to make the same loop but in a different order. Whatever works the best for you.
Step 1. World War II Memorial
The World War II Memorial is a national memorial dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces during World War II. The memorial consists of 56 granite pillars representing U.S. States and territories. The warmer months are prettier with the fountains in operation.
We found it fun finding our home states while visiting this memorial. When you are ready to move on to the next memorial you will walk to your right as you are facing the reflecting pool. Take the walking path that isn’t right next to the reflecting pool to walk to the next memorial.
Step 2. Vietnam Women’s Memorial
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial is a memorial dedicated to the women of the United States who served in the Vietnam War. It serves as a reminder of the importance of women in the conflict. We appreciate this memorial because it honors the 265,000 military and civilian women who served around the world during the Vietnam War. These women made a difference and we think it is important that they are acknowledged and remembered.
The next memorial is adjacent to the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and just a few steps to walk.
Step 3. Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors service members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The walls are engraved with the names of those service members who died or remain missing as a result of their service in Vietnam and South East Asia during the war.
From here you will walk down the path leading to the large structure that is at the West end of the National Mall.
Step 4. Lincoln Memorial
This is our favorite memorial. The Lincoln Memorial honors Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president of the United States. The view from this memorial is stunning. You can look down on the Reflecting Pool, back on the first memorial you visited, the Washington Monument, plus you can see the Capitol building located at the other end of the National Mall. The inscriptions on the walls surrounding the Abe statue are very inspiring.
When you walk down the steps from this memorial you will take the path to your right and a short walk will get you to your next step.
Step 5. Korean War Veterans Memorial
The Korean War Veterans Memorial memorializes those who served in the Korean War. Our favorite time to visit this memorial is in the evening when the lights cast a glow over the 19 statues. They expanded this memorial to include the names of those who died in the war.
From this memorial, you will walk back towards the reflecting pool and will follow the path along the water heading back towards the first memorial you visited. You will walk past the United States Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center and not too many steps after that you will turn right for the next memorial. (if you get back to the first memorial you have walked too far.)
Step 6. District of Columbia War Memorial
The District of Columbia War Memorial commemorates the more than 26,000 “residents and citizens” of the District of Columbia who performed military service in World War I, including the 499 who gave their lives in that service. This was the first war memorial erected in West Potomac Park and was dedicated by President Herbert Hoover on November 11, 1931.
From this memorial, you will walk towards the road (Independence Ave SW) which has a few lanes of traffic so take care when crossing the street. Walk across the street and you will find the next memorial.
Step 7. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial includes the Stone of Hope, a granite statue of civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. that honors his legacy and the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice. We recommend you take a little time to read and reflect on the 14 quotes taken from his speeches, sermons, and writings which are engraved throughout this memorial.
Once you leave this memorial you will stay along the water to get to the next memorial. When facing the water, turn right to start walking. You can see the Jefferson Memorial across the water, but you have 2 more memorials before you get there. This part of the walk is absolutely gorgeous in the spring when the Cherry blossoms are blooming. It’s also stunning at night with the reflections on the lake.
Step 8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is laid out in 4 outdoor rooms, one for each of his terms of office. (12 years in total). FDR guided America through the Great Depression and World War II. This is the only presidential memorial to depict a First Lady.
After leaving this memorial, continue walking in the direction you were heading along the lake. When you get to the small bridge you can look across to the right or West and catch a glimpse of the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, which is highlighted if you catch this right at sunset. As you continue along the sidewalk you will start to curve to the left, at that point, you will walk across the street for your next memorial.
Step 9. George Mason Memorial
The George Mason Memorial is a memorial to Founding Father George Mason, the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights that inspired the United States Bill of Rights. This is a beautiful memorial to visit in the summer as you can enjoy the flowers in the garden along with the 72-foot-long trellis.
As you leave this memorial, go back across the street and turn right to continue following the sidewalk along the lake. You will see your next large Memorial as you continue walking.
Step 10. Thomas Jefferson Memorial
The Jefferson Memorial was built in honor of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, an intellectual force behind the American Revolution, and the founder of the Democratic-Republican Party.
If you wish to finish the walking loop, you can continue walking along the lake and back to the National Mall. If you have had enough walking, you can grab an Uber or Lyft from here to get you to your next adventure.
There is a wonderful interactive map included on the National Park Service website that has the National Mall and the Memorials, and you can access that map by clicking HERE.
Added Step. Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is a pillar of Washington D.C. and we felt completes our loop nicely. This monument was built to honor George Washington, the first President of the United States. When standing at the 555-foot tall marble obelisk you can look to the East to see the domed U.S. Capitol, look to the North to see the White House, look to the West to see the Lincoln Memorial, and look to the South to see the Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
You can close the loop by ending at the World War II Memorial, or you can walk back to your hotel from this point. Our loop in the map below shows us walking back to the Hampton Inn this time, which allows you to swing by the White House. You’ll also note that we had a little stop at the end of our walk where we stopped for a bite to eat and a refreshing drink after our lovely evening stroll.
Conclusion: Walking Loop of 10 Memorials
We hope you take this same walking loop of the 10 Memorials that we have enjoyed so many times when visiting Washington D.C.
We thought we would also include a few final thoughts that might prove valuable if you are touring with others who might not enjoy walking as much as you do. If you are starting your walk and ending your walk at the Hampton Inn Washington D.C./White House, it is a 5.71-mile walk, and we completed our walk in 2 hours. You’ll most likely want to give yourself more time for your walk as you will want to spend some time at each memorial.
If this loop is a little longer walk than you are looking for, there are also rental bikes and rental scooters that you can use along the route.
Now that you have a step-by-step guide for walking to 10 of the memorials in Washington D.C., we hope you enjoy your visit!
If you have enjoyed this walking guide, we also welcome you to read our step-by-step guide for walking to the museums in Washington D.C. which you can read by clicking here.