Must-see Arlington

from 2021 Official Arlington Visitors Guide

Explore Arlington’s Memorials

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, Jake McGuire Here for one day? Get to know Arlington’s top sights on this tour featuring notable landmarks, local eats and fashion finds.

9 a.m. Start your day in Rosslyn at East West Coffee Wine. Fuel up with their signature East West Breakfast — a heaping plate of eggs, cheese, meat, veggies and fruit.

12 noon Inside Arlington National Cemetery is the newly restored Arlington House, overseen by the National Park Service. Formerly the home of General Robert E. Lee and Mary Custis Lee, the U.S. Army seized the house when the Civil War began and turned the plantation into a military cemetery. The ranger-led tour explains how the property was also a Freedman’s Village, a thriving area of community and commerce for African Americans in the 1860s.

9:30 a.m. Walk to the Marine Corps War Memorial, portraying a towering clutch of soldiers raising the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima. From this special vantage point, you’ll see three of Washington, D.C.’s most famous buildings.

1 p.m. Hop in a ride-share to Pentagon Row to try pillowy Korean-buns or rice bowl at Bun’d Up overlooking the Pentagon Row Courtyard. (The Courtyard transforms into a skating rink with dual-sided fireplaces in the winter.) Then, take a spin through Fashion Centre at Pentagon City with 150 stores and restaurants under a fourstory atrium.

4:30 p.m. It’s a 15-minute walk to the gleaming spires of the Air Force Memorial. The stunning, threepronged structure symbolizes the jet contrails behind the Air Force Thunderbirds. The four bronze statues represent members of the Air Force Honor Guard.

6 p.m. Catch a ride to the lively Clarendon neighborhood for dinner and drinks at Buena Vida/ TTT Mexican Diner, a three-story Mexican-themed restaurant and rooftop bar.

10 a.m. Enter Arlington National Cemetery at the Joint Base MyerHenderson Hall Gate. Follow the signs (or download a map at arlingtoncemetery.mil) to the Memorial Amphitheater, passing by the monument to the Space Shuttle Challenger. At the Welcome Center take an interpretive trolley tour to the Kennedy Gravesites, U.S. Coast Guard Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Stop to see the Changing of the Guard ceremony. Visit the Military Women’s Memorial near the cemetery’s main entrance.

3 p.m. Walk through Pentagon City’s pedestrian tunnel to reach the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, expected to reopen in fall 2021 following repairs. The 184 stone benches honor the Pentagon employees and the passengers aboard American Airlines Flight 77 who died during a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.

8:30 p.m. After a satisfying meal, return to your comfy hotel room to take in the glittering D.C. skyline. Sweet dreams!

BREAKFAST + LUNCH: SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

Croissants • Scones • Avocado Toast • Muff-a-lotta • Pimiento Cheese • Biscuits • Counter Culture Coffee • Gumbo • Jambalaya • Gulf Shrimp Burger • Daily Greens • Cubano • Beignets • Cookies • Pralines • Abita Beer • Bayou Bloody • Hurricanes • Daiquiris • Canned Wines