Day Trips from Washington, D.C.: Mount Vernon, Alexandria, Gettysburg & Annapolis
The best day trips from Washington, D.C. start half an hour away. Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate on the Potomac, is 16 miles south and pairs naturally with Old Town Alexandria’s cobbled King Street — the most popular combination, about $65–95 with transport from downtown, or reach Alexandria on your own by Metro or water taxi. Annapolis, Maryland’s sailing capital and home of the Naval Academy, is 45 minutes east. Gettysburg, the Civil War’s decisive battlefield, is 90 minutes north; guided battlefield bus tours with a licensed guide run about two hours on site. With a car, add Harpers Ferry or Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive, each about 90 minutes. Bookable tours for each are compared below.
200 tours · prices per person, book with partner
Washington Dc
DC Monuments Night Tour with 10+ Stops, National Mall, Tickets
from$63/ person
via Viator
Washington Dc
White House and National Mall Highlights with Lincoln Memorial
from$52/ person
via Viator
Washington Dc
DC History & Monuments 5+Stops Guided Small Group Cruiser Tour
from$55/ person
via Viator
Washington Dc
Washington DC Night-Time City Tour with Visit to Mount Vernon
from$158/ person
via Viator
Day Trips from D.C. in Washington DC — FAQ
What are the best day trips from Washington, D.C.?
Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria (30 minutes, usually combined), Annapolis and the Naval Academy (45 minutes), Gettysburg National Military Park (90 minutes), Harpers Ferry (75 minutes), Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive (90 minutes) and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (an hour by MARC train).
How do you get to Mount Vernon from Washington, D.C.?
Guided half-day tours with transport from downtown take about five hours and include the estate entry. On your own, take the Metro Yellow Line to Huntington then the Fairfax Connector 101 bus, or the Potomac Riverboat cruise from the Wharf or Alexandria in season. Mount Vernon admission is about $28 for adults.
Is Gettysburg worth a day trip from Washington, D.C.?
Yes for history lovers — it is 90 minutes each way, and the licensed-guide bus tour of the battlefield plus the museum and Cyclorama fill four to five hours. Ghost tours run in the evening if you stay for dinner. Small-group tours from D.C. handle the drive and the guide in one booking.