10 Best Views in Washington DC

A planned city of public buildings, Washington DC is noted for its monuments and memorials, Smithsonian museums and a wealth of cultural activities that visitors can access, but it's also a place with the ideal geography for panoramic views and perfect sunsets if you're in the right place.

From a cathedral or a hotel rooftop, from an old clock or a bell tower, here are the best places to discover Washington DC from above.

The Watergate Building office complex offers a sweeping view of the Potomac River and the cities of Washington DC and Virginia, and also has a rooftop restaurant that is open all day. In addition, the Watergate building became world famous for the Nixon-era scandal, which ended in the resignation of the President of the United States in 1974.

Top of the Gate, as the restaurant is called, was distinguished as one of the ten best rooftop bars in the United States, so in addition to offering an unbeatable panoramic view, it also offers visitors quality drinks.

It is possible to access the bar without booking a table in advance, but given the restaurant's fame and popularity, it is advisable to make a reservation. Cocktail prices are affordable, Mediterranean cuisine is offered and credit cards are accepted.

• Price... Cocktails are sold from 16 euros and Mediterranean dishes from 25 euros.
• Location... Near the Potomac River at 2650 Virginia Ave, Washington DC.
• Hours... Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 4.30pm to 11pm.

The neo-Gothic style of the Washington National Cathedral may fool you into thinking it is a thousand-year-old building, but it was actually built throughout the 20th century and only completed in 1990, making it the sixth largest cathedral in the world and the second largest in the United States, behind only the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. However, being on a high point in the city, at 92 metres it not only stands out for its architecture, but also offers one of the highest panoramic views of Washington DC.

The Cathedral has two towers and you can access both. The Bell Tower is reached by a 333-step spiral staircase and the Angel and Monster Tower is reached by a staircase to the highest point, from where it is possible to enjoy a 360-degree view of Washington DC at almost 100 metres above sea level.

In addition, from the towers you can appreciate the Cathedral's eye-catching details, which range from a crystal called Space that has a fragment of a moonstone embedded in it to a Darth Vader mask that was included as a decorative figure on a corner of the side wall as part of a design competition won by one of the Cathedral's last architects.

You can access one tower or the other, alternately, or both in a tour that lasts a total of two and a half hours. Are you up for a view of Washington from the top of the Cathedral?

• Price... Tickets to enter the central nave cost 10 euros, while the Belfry tower costs 37 euros and access to the tower of Angels and Monsters costs 46 euros. The pass for both towers costs 70 euros.
• Location... 1100 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC.
• Hours... Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

The Post Office tower was for a long time the second tallest building in the city, behind only the Obelisk in Washington, DC.

Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, one of the most famous thoroughfares in the US capital, it was converted a few years ago into a luxury hotel, but retains an observatory from which it is possible to see Washington DC and Virginia from its imposing 96-metre height.

The clock, the oldest in the city and still in operation after undergoing extensive restoration, is crowned by a bell tower the same size as that of Westminster Abbey, and is located underneath the observation deck.

• Price... Access to the observatory is free.
• Location... 3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC.
• Hours... Open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The George Washington Monumentwas built as a tribute to the first president of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers after whom the city was named. Until the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889, it was the tallest building in the world at 169 metres high and has an observation deck at the top from which you can see Washington DC and Virginia.

The Monument, like most of Washington's monuments, is open every day, except holidays, from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon and it is possible to get to the observation deck in less than a minute via a lift that on the way shows the different stages of the construction, which took forty years to complete. This is why you can see that the Obelisk has two colours, a lighter one at the base up to 45 metres and a more reddish one up to the top, as it was built with marble from different quarries that eroded over time to reach its current appearance.

Access to the monument is free of charge, but tickets must be booked in advance, at least one day before the visit, as the number of visitors per day is limited in order to preserve the monolith.

• Price... Admission is free, there is only an admission fee of one euro. Advance booking is required.
• Location... 2 15th St, Washington DC.
• Hours.... Every Monday from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm.

The Newseum was a museum dedicated to the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and freedom of the press. Among other attractions, it had an open terrace on its sixth floor from which it was possible to see from the Capitol to the White House from the heights of Pennsylvania Avenue.

The museum, which had free admission, closed its doors to the public due to lack of funding in 2020, but it continues to lend its facilities for graduate classes at Johns Hopkins University and for private events, so it is still possible to reach its observation deck if you can get there through one of these alternatives.

A project is currently underway to reopen the museum, which has among its collection the largest original fragment of the Berlin Wall outside Germany and the antenna from one of the Twin Towers found by rescuers after the 9/11 attacks.

• Price... Currently closed to the open public, only available for visits as part of Johns Hopkins University classes and private events.
• Location... 565 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington DC.
• Hours.... On dates of Johns Hopkins University events and classes.

Do you think it's possible to have a drink while overlooking the White House lawns as if you were in the President's own backyard? The answer is yes. Vue is one of the most famous terraces of the Washington DC jet set and offers a sweeping view of the city with an unmissable perspective of the Obelisk.

The bar crowns the terrace of the Washington Hotel and is the social meeting point of the American capital, with a modern style and entertaining music. In addition, the bar and restaurant menu includes a wide range of cocktails that start at 20 euros.

Although the terrace is free to enter and you don't need to be a guest of the hotel to get in, I recommend you book a table in advance as it is one of the most visited places in the city by locals and tourists, especially in the summer season.

• Price... Admission is free, you don't need to be a guest of the hotel. Reservations are accepted. Cocktails start at 22 euros.
• Location... 515 15th, Washington DC.
• Hours... Every day from 5pm to 2am.

The John F. Kennedy Center is the cultural reference par excellence in Washington DC. The way to discover the Ken Cen, as the locals call it, is to attend one of the plays on its extensive theatre calendar or try the popular brunch buffet offered on The Roof Terrace. Either way, visitors can access the terrace from which they can enjoy a 360-degree view of everything from the Jefferson Memorial on the banks of the Potomac River to the Watergate Hotel.

In addition to the panoramic view, the Kennedy Center's rooftop tour offers a shopping circuit with two gift shops and a café. There are also free guided tours of the building and the facilities of the seven theatres it houses, which are home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera.

Shows at the Ken Cen don't tend to be cheap but I recommend keeping an eye out for last minute ticket sales, which are available at significant discounts - you could see a production of the Washington Ballet for less than twenty euros!

• Price... Access to the restaurant is free, you enter the building with your ticket to one of Ken Cen's shows.
• Location... 2700 F St, Washington DC.
• Hours... Tuesday to Sunday 5pm to 8pm.

The Capitol is one of the main attractions of the American capital and the spectacle is magnified during the evening hours when its fully illuminated dome begins to stand out. All this is possible to watch while sipping a cocktail and crab fondue at Smoke and Mirrors, the main restaurant of the AC Hotel Washington DC Capitol Hill.

For many, it is one of the restaurants with the best view in Washington DC and also one of the most elegant. With a varied menu it is possible to combine sophisticated dishes with signature cocktails that start at fifteen euros at the skybar on the 18th floor.

Access is free and, like most rooftop restaurants in Washington DC, it doesn't require visitors to be staying at the hotel, but I recommend booking to avoid unwanted waits.

• Price... Access to the restaurant is free, no need to be staying at the hotel. Cocktails start at 18 euros.
• Location... 867 New Jersey Ave, Washington DC.
• Hours... Tuesday to Saturday from 4pm to midnight.

Located in Maryland, The Capital Wheel is a Ferris wheel inspired by the Roue de Paris. From its 55-metre height it is possible to see Washington DC and Virginia and is also visible from planes landing and taking off from Ronald Reagan Airport. Equipped with 42 air-conditioned cabins, the entrances to each of these are on the port side to provide a clear view of the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Capitol and the National Mall gardens.

The Ferris wheel operates daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and one of the best times to visit is at sunset, provided the day is clear. The skyline of Washington DC, devoid of skyscrapers, allows you to see the sunset reflecting off the Potomac River and the reflecting pool.

The Capital Wheel is an interesting alternative to the main Washington DC loop, which is built around the National Mall. From the Ferris wheel you can see a different side of the area and also the full magnitude of the US capital as a carefully planned city.

• Price... Tickets for the Ferris wheel cost 13 euros and it is possible to access a VIP service in which you share the cabin with only three other people for 47 euros.
• Location... 141 American Way, Forest Heights, Maryland.
• Hours... Monday to Thursday from 16.00 hours to 22.00 hours. Friday to Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m.

There is a myth in Washington DC that skyscrapers taller than twelve stories are prohibited in the city because congressmen do not want to allow buildings taller than the Capitol. In fact, buildings taller than that are not allowed, but the real story is less speculative and is based on a local law that tries to preserve local heritage. Either way, 12 Stories Bar went as high as a building can go in the metropolitan area of the US capital and from there it marks the pulse from the top floor of the Intercontinental Hotel.

12 Stories Bar is located in The Wharf area, and offers a sophisticated menu that combines creative cocktails with skewers and oysters, all accompanied by an unmissable panoramic view of the Potomac River.

• Price... Cocktails on the menu start at 16 euros, and advance reservations are required to gain access to dine at the restaurant.
• Location... 75 District Square 12th floor, Washington DC.
• Opening hours... Wednesday to Sunday from 16.00 hours to 00.00 hours.