What to see? Where to eat? What to do? Where to go?
I am also looking for some reasonable hotels around the area…thanks!
Re: Washington D.C
First off, try to stay outside the city, hotels are very expensive in DC. Try Vienna, Virginia. From there you can get on the Metro train that will take you into the city. The metro station will give you a map that has the names of all the stops for the various places to see. You will need at least 3 days to see most of the important stuff.
Take the train into the city and stop at the Smithsonian station, this is in the middle of the mall (Note, this is not a shopping mall), the mall is a strip of land where you will find the Lincoln Memorial at one end, the Washington Monument in the middle, and the Capitol building on the other end. The mall is a very LONG strip of land, so be prepared to walk and wear comfy shoes. Also along the mall, you will find various Smithsonian museums, including the Museum of Natural History and the Air & Space Museum. Also make sure you go to the Library of Congress (check out the original Gutenberg bible), the US Supreme Court, the National Archives (check out the original Declaration of Independence), Iwo Jima memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and the White House.
Give your self plenty of time, carry a bottle of water. The restaurants in the city are expensive, try to find cheap, hole in the wall places to eat.
Re: Washington D.C
Places to see:
1. The Capitol
2. Washington Monument
3. White House
4. Lincoln Memorial
5. Jefferson Memorial
6. Smithsonian Museum of Natural History
7. Smithsonian Museum of Natural Sciences
8. Smithsonian Air & Space Museum
9. National Art Gallery
10. National Botanical Garden
12. Shops at Georgetown
13. Pentagon
14. Arlington National Cemetry
15. Crystal City Mall
I'm sure I'm missing a few, but these are ones that come to my mind right now. There are several federal buildings within close vicinity (walking distance) to The Mall that have really good architectural designs. Most of them you can only see from outside.
Places to eat:
If you only eat halal, then your choices are somewhat limited within the city. There is a place in Georgetown named Quick Pita that serves good Shawarmas. There is a good Pakistani restaurant near the Pentagon called Kabab Palace. There are couple of restaurants in Northern Virginia that serve very good food...Aabshaar & Ravi Kabab House.
Places to Stay:
Depends on your budget. If you want to find the most affordable place within the city, there is Comfort Inn and Howard Johnson. They are both on NewYork Avenue and a 5 minute cab ride away. The area doesn't seem too safe though. As aahmed suggested, you may want to find a place in Northern Virginia like Vienna which is close to the subway station. Although the ride is about 30 minutes to the city, I think it will be a much better option in terms of safety and better accommodation within your budget.
You can find some good and useful information at www.washingtonian.com
Re: Washington D.C
sidra54, try the udvaar-hazy air and space museum its close to Dulles airport. they have a space shuttle, anola gay, imax theaters and plenty more.
ahmed_jahanzeb, thanks... good info.