If you’re coming to Washington for URAC Connect this October, you’ve already done something smart without knowing it. The conference is at the Washington Marriott Georgetown in the West End, which puts you a few blocks from the Foggy Bottom/GWU Metro, a short stroll from Georgetown, and within walking distance of the Lincoln Memorial. For a first-time visitor, it’s hard to find a better home base.
I’ve been guiding tours in Washington for nearly fifteen years, and fall is my favorite season here. The summer crowds have gone home, the weather is usually comfortable for walking, and October brings a spooky energy to the old neighborhoods that you won’t find any other time of year. Here’s how I’d spend the hours around your sessions.
After Your Last Session: The Monuments at Night
Most conference attendees assume they won’t have time for sightseeing. The truth is that some of the best of DC happens after dark. The memorials are open around the clock, beautifully lit, and far quieter than they are at midday.
Our Evening National Mall Tour with Lincoln Undercroft Tickets takes you through the memorials and includes access beneath the Lincoln Memorial, a space most visitors never see. If you’d like a more relaxed evening, Memorials and Moonlight covers the major memorials as the city settles in for the night, and you pay your guide what you felt the tour was worth at the end.
From the Marriott, you can walk to the Lincoln Memorial in well under half an hour. Grab dinner, meet your guide, and you’ll be back at the hotel in time to prep for the morning.
It’s Ghost Season in Washington
You’re already joining us for a private Ghosts of Georgetown tour, but if you want more we have a few options:
If you want something a little darker, head across the river for Ghosts of Alexandria. It runs nightly at 8 PM and is led by historians and local Alexandrians who know the stories firsthand. It’s still family friendly, but it’s the scarier of our two ghost tours.
Prefer your history with a side of gossip? Capitol Hill Scandals digs into the affairs, duels, and cover-ups that happened in the shadow of the Capitol dome. Considering how many of you work in policy and regulation, I suspect you’ll enjoy it.
Your Neighbor: Historic Georgetown
Georgetown is my personal favorite place in the city, and you’ll be staying at its doorstep. Our Historic Georgetown walking tour covers the Federal-era homes, the C&O Canal, and the people who shaped this neighborhood long before Washington became the capital.
For dinner, Martin’s Tavern has been serving presidents and senators for generations, and 1789 is a classic for a special night out. Both are an easy walk from the hotel.
If You Have a Free Morning or Afternoon
If your schedule opens up, spend it on the National Mall. Our National Mall tour runs daily at 10 30 AM and includes those hard-to-get Washington Monument tickets.
Tickets to the top of the Washington Monument are also hard to come by. They’re released on Recreation.gov and often disappear within minutes. The easiest way around that is to join our National Mall Small Group + Washington Monument Tickets tour, because we handle the ticketing for you.
For a first visit, I also recommend our Capitol Hill tour, which includes a docent-led visit inside the US Capitol and entry to the Library of Congress. While you’re in the Library, get a reader card. You don’t need to be a DC resident or even an American citizen, and it’s a souvenir you can’t get anywhere else.
History lovers should look at our National Archives & American History Museum tour to see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in person, or follow John Wilkes Booth’s path on our Lincoln Assassination tour, which is my favorite tour to give. For more time inside the Smithsonian with an expert, check out our Museum Tours.
A note for the health care crowd: the National Museum of Health and Medicine, home to some truly fascinating medical oddities, is worth the trip if you have a spare afternoon. It’s out in Silver Spring, Maryland, so plan accordingly.
Arrive Early or Stay for the Weekend
With conference sessions wrapping up on Friday, October 16, a weekend in DC is easy to justify. Start with our Arlington National Cemetery tour, which is timed so you’re in a good spot for the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It’s one of the most moving things you can see in the region.
From there, you can explore Old Town Alexandria during the day and return for the ghost tour at night. We also arrange private tours of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, often paired with Old Town. If you’d like to venture a little farther, our Annapolis: Colonial & Maritime History Walking Tour makes a lovely day trip.
Want to see a side of DC that most visitors miss? Try the U Street Music History Walking Tour, Embassy Row, Anacostia SE DC, or taste your way through Capitol Hill on our Eastern Market Food tour.
What’s Happening in DC During URAC Connect Week
Your conference week lines up with a busy stretch on the DC calendar. Here are a few events worth working around your sessions.
- Come From Away at Ford’s Theatre (through October 18): The Tony-winning musical returns to the historic theatre where Lincoln was shot. Pair it with our Lincoln Assassination tour and you’ll see the building with completely new eyes.
- The Score at Harman Hall (through October 18): Brian Cox plays Johann Sebastian Bach in the only American run of this production.
- Passport to Patriotism (through October 18): This free exhibit at the Art Museum of the Americas features work by more than 30 American artists, and it’s an easy walk from the conference hotel.
- D.C. United Noche Latina (October 14): Catch D.C. United against the New York Red Bulls at Audi Field, with music and Salvadoran pupusas celebrating the region’s Latino community.
- New exhibits on Capitol Hill and the Mall (opening October 16): The Folger Shakespeare Library opens To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare, and the Hirshhorn debuts a Carlotta Corpron photography show. Both are free. The Folger is a short walk from the Library of Congress, so it fits neatly after our Capitol Hill tour.
- Shuck It! Festival (October 17): Oysters, craft beer, and live music on the Georgetown waterfront at Tony & Joe’s.
- Turkish Festival (October 18): Folk dancing, concerts, and a food bazaar fill Pennsylvania Avenue for this free Sunday festival.
October is also the month of Together We Dine, a citywide celebration of DC restaurants, so keep an eye out for special menus and chef events wherever you eat.
Getting Around
Leave the car at home. If you’re flying into Reagan National, the Blue Line runs straight to Foggy Bottom/GWU, a few blocks from the hotel. Capital Bikeshare and scooters are everywhere downtown for short trips, and nearly everything on this list is reachable by Metro.
Ready to Explore?
You’ll be in Washington for the conference, but it would be a shame to leave having seen only a hotel ballroom. Browse our full lineup of tours or book now, and join our Washington DC Travel Tips Facebook group, where more than 120,000 travelers trade advice and our guides answer questions every day.
We’ll see you on the streets of DC!