National Mall monuments and memorials
The best Washington, DC monuments
The Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam and Korean War memorials and the Tidal Basin memorials. Here is how to see the National Mall, with honest advice on paying for a free Monument ticket, how much walking it takes and waiting in line.
See our 8 picks
The main Washington, DC monuments stand along the National Mall, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. The park is open 24 hours a day.
Walking past them all is free. To go up the Washington Monument, you need a free timed ticket.
For a guide and no long walk, our top pick is the 2-hour e-cart tour, from €46.
Our 8 picks for National Mall tours and Monument tickets
Five guided tours first, then three Washington Monument tickets. The official Monument ticket is free; the paid ones sell a reserved time slot. The one non-refundable ticket comes last, marked.
- from €46 per person Our top pick
National Mall, 2 hours
Monuments by e-cart
2 hours 4.7 (621) reviews on GetYourGuide
Monuments e-cart tour
A 2-hour ride around the monuments in an open e-cart, with a live guide and photo stops. Pushchairs and walkers are not allowed on board, says the listing.
Best for Sore feet, hot days, older kids
Check availability: Monuments e-cart tour on GetYourGuide - from €53 per person
10+ stops, 3 hours
National Mall by bus
3 hours 4.6 (221) reviews on GetYourGuide
National Mall bus tour with 10+ stops
A 3-hour guided bus tour with stops at more than 10 sites, including the Capitol, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. You can add a Washington Monument or museum ticket. Not for people with mobility problems.
Best for A first day, seeing the most
Check availability: National Mall bus tour with 10+ stops on GetYourGuide -
from €58 per person 2 hours 5.0 (27) reviews on GetYourGuide
Small-group Mall walk with a Monument or Lincoln ticket
A 2-hour walk with a licensed guide: the Lincoln Memorial, the Reflecting Pool and the WWII Memorial. Kids get a scavenger hunt. By day you get a Washington Monument ticket; in the evening, a Lincoln Memorial Undercroft visit.
Best for Families
Check availability: Small-group Mall walk with a Monument or Lincoln ticket on GetYourGuide -
from €49 per person 2 h 30 min 4.9 (28) reviews on GetYourGuide
Night walk with a Washington Monument ticket
A 2.5-hour evening walk for up to 12 people, past the Lincoln Memorial and the war memorials. A Monument ticket is included; the guide does not go up with you. Not for wheelchair users.
Best for Evening walkers
Check availability: Night walk with a Washington Monument ticket on GetYourGuide - from €22 per person
National Mall, 2 hours
Capitol to Lincoln walk
2 hours 4.3 (13) reviews on GetYourGuide
National Mall history walk, Capitol to Lincoln
A 2-hour walk with a licensed guide from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. It passes the Vietnam, Korean War and WWII memorials.
Best for A guide on a small budget
Check availability: National Mall history walk, Capitol to Lincoln on GetYourGuide -
from €21 per person 1 hour 4.8 (44) reviews on GetYourGuide
Washington Monument ticket and guidebook
A timed ticket to the top of the Washington Monument, plus a digital guidebook. There is no guide. You still pass a security check, says the listing.
Best for Going up, at a set time
Check availability: Washington Monument ticket and guidebook on GetYourGuide - from €22 per person
Reserved time slot
Washington Monument ticket
1 hour 4.5 (234) reviews on GetYourGuide
Washington Monument fast-track ticket and guidebook
A reserved Monument ticket and a digital guidebook. The National Park Service does not charge for these tickets, the listing says. You pay for the booking, and you still wait a few minutes for security.
Best for Going up without the 30-day rush
Check availability: Washington Monument fast-track ticket and guidebook on GetYourGuide - from €22 per person
Fixed plans only
Monument direct entry
1 hour 4.8 (589) reviews on GetYourGuide
Washington Monument direct entry
Non-refundable. A reserved Monument ticket with a digital guidebook. The official ticket is free, says the listing; you pay for the booking.
Best for Fixed plans only
Check availability: Washington Monument direct entry on GetYourGuide
National Mall tours and Monument tickets compared
| Tour | From | Duration | Free cancellation | Up the Monument | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monuments e-cart tour | €46 per person | 2 hours | Yes | No | Sore feet, hot days, older kids | The best-rated way to see the Mall without the long walk. |
| National Mall bus tour with 10+ stops | €53 per person | 3 hours | Yes | As an upgrade | A first day, seeing the most | The most stops in one morning, with a guide the whole way. |
| Small-group Mall walk with a Monument or Lincoln ticket | €58 per person | 2 hours | Yes | Daytime option | Families | A small group, a kids' game and a ticket in one booking. |
| Night walk with a Washington Monument ticket | €49 per person | 2 h 30 min | Yes | Ticket included | Evening walkers | The monuments lit up at night, in a small group. |
| National Mall history walk, Capitol to Lincoln | €22 per person | 2 hours | Yes | No | A guide on a small budget | The cheapest guided walk here, from €22. |
| Washington Monument ticket and guidebook | €21 per person | 1 hour | Yes | Yes | Going up, at a set time | The cheapest reserved Monument slot, from €21, with free cancellation. |
| Washington Monument fast-track ticket and guidebook | €22 per person | 1 hour | Yes | Yes | Going up without the 30-day rush | A reserved slot with free cancellation. |
| Washington Monument direct entry | €22 per person | 1 hour | Non-refundable | Yes | Fixed plans only | Highly rated, but you cannot cancel it. |
€46 per person2 hours 4.7 (621)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- No
- Who it suits
- Sore feet, hot days, older kids
- Why we picked it
- The best-rated way to see the Mall without the long walk.
National Mall bus tour with 10+ stops
€53 per person3 hours 4.6 (221)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- As an upgrade
- Who it suits
- A first day, seeing the most
- Why we picked it
- The most stops in one morning, with a guide the whole way.
Small-group Mall walk with a Monument or Lincoln ticket
€58 per person2 hours 5.0 (27)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- Daytime option
- Who it suits
- Families
- Why we picked it
- A small group, a kids' game and a ticket in one booking.
Night walk with a Washington Monument ticket
€49 per person2 h 30 min 4.9 (28)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- Ticket included
- Who it suits
- Evening walkers
- Why we picked it
- The monuments lit up at night, in a small group.
National Mall history walk, Capitol to Lincoln
€22 per person2 hours 4.3 (13)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- No
- Who it suits
- A guide on a small budget
- Why we picked it
- The cheapest guided walk here, from €22.
Washington Monument ticket and guidebook
€21 per person1 hour 4.8 (44)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- Yes
- Who it suits
- Going up, at a set time
- Why we picked it
- The cheapest reserved Monument slot, from €21, with free cancellation.
Washington Monument fast-track ticket and guidebook
€22 per person1 hour 4.5 (234)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Yes
- Up the Monument
- Yes
- Who it suits
- Going up without the 30-day rush
- Why we picked it
- A reserved slot with free cancellation.
Washington Monument direct entry
€22 per person1 hour 4.8 (589)
Details
- Free cancellation
- Non-refundable
- Up the Monument
- Yes
- Who it suits
- Fixed plans only
- Why we picked it
- Highly rated, but you cannot cancel it.
- Group size: the night walk takes up to 12 people.
- None of the 8 includes hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
DC monuments and memorials at a glance
The National Park Service lists eight big memorials on the Mall. The park is open 24 hours a day.
The Smithsonians line the Mall too, from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum to Natural History.
- Lincoln Memorial
- Washington Monument
- World War II Memorial
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial
- Korean War Veterans Memorial
- Thomas Jefferson Memorial
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Washington Monument: tickets and how to get them
You need a timed ticket to go up the Washington Monument. The ticket is free.
Book online at recreation.gov about 30 days ahead. Each online ticket has a $1.00 fee that you cannot get back.
A few same-day tickets are handed out at the Monument from 8:45 a.m. These carry no fee.
Our guide to Washington Monument tickets shows the free official route step by step.
The Monument is open daily except December 25. Hours change by season, and bad weather can close it. Expect a security check.
| Official ticket | Paid reserved slot | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free ($1.00 online fee) | From €21–22 |
| When to book | About 30 days ahead, or same day from 8:45 a.m. | Any time slots are left |
| Security check | Yes | Yes |
More guides on the Mall
Lincoln Memorial and the Reflecting Pool
The Lincoln Memorial stands at the west end of the Mall. It was dedicated on May 30, 1922, and it is open 24 hours.
Henry Bacon designed the building. The long Reflecting Pool lies in front of its steps.
The Abraham Lincoln statue
Daniel Chester French made the seated statue of Lincoln. It is 19 feet tall.
The Lincoln Memorial pool
The pool in front of the memorial is the Reflecting Pool. The small-group walk goes past it.
Where the Lincoln Memorial is
The official address is 1100 Ohio Drive SW, Washington, DC 20242.
War memorials: Vietnam and Korean War
Every guided walk here passes the Vietnam, Korean War and WWII memorials. They honor the people who served in those wars.
On the small-group walk, you look for names on the Vietnam Wall. At night you see the Korean War statues, says the listing.
At the WWII Memorial, the walk looks for "Kilroy" hidden among the columns, says the listing.
Tidal Basin memorials: Jefferson, Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Three memorials stand by the Tidal Basin. They honor Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is lit up at night. The evening walk stops there.
How long to walk the Mall in one day
Yes, you can see the main monuments in one day. The guided walks cover them in 2 to 2.5 hours.
Add time for the Tidal Basin and for the Monument if you go up. Wear good shoes.
The Mall walk ends at the Capitol. A Capitol building tour needs a booked slot, so plan it first.
Washington, DC Mall tours: choose one
Pick the e-cart tour if walking is hard. Pick the bus tour to see the most in one morning.
Families do well on the small-group walk, with its kids' scavenger hunt. For the monuments at night, take the night walk.
On a small budget, the history walk from the Capitol to Lincoln costs from €22.
For more bus and hop-on options, see our Washington, DC tours.
Maps and getting around the Mall
Not ready to book? Print our DC monuments map and walk it yourself.
Park rangers lead free activities, including night walks, says the National Park Service.
The Metro is the easy way to reach the Mall.
Before you book a Mall tour or Monument ticket
Try the free ticket first
Book the Monument on recreation.gov about 30 days ahead, the day the slots open. It costs only the $1.00 fee.
Or go early for a same-day ticket
A few free same-day tickets are handed out at the Monument from 8:45 a.m.
Know what you pay for
A paid Monument ticket buys a reserved slot, not a different view. You still pass security.
Check the cancellation
Seven picks have free cancellation. The direct-entry Monument ticket is non-refundable.
Check the walking
The bus tour and night walk are not for people with mobility problems. The e-cart is the easiest.
Find the start
The night walk meets at the Albert Einstein Memorial. The e-cart tour starts at 333 G St NW.
Questions about the DC monuments
Where is the Lincoln Memorial?
When was the Lincoln Memorial built?
Who designed the Lincoln Memorial?
How tall is the Lincoln Memorial?
Is the Lincoln Memorial open?
How long does it take to walk all the monuments in DC?
Can you walk the National Mall in one day?
More National Mall tours, live
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
Browse all on GetYourGuideSources (5), facts checked on 25 October 2026
Written by the Things to Do in Washington DC editorial team.