Top Georgetown DC Things to Do (& Popular Attractions to Skip!)

If you’re visiting Washington D.C., Georgetown has to be on your list of things to do. Georgetown was a highlight of my trip to DC with delicious food, local shopping, and the best photo ops in the city! These are the top Georgetown DC things to do!

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10 Things To Do in Georgetown DC

This is my list of what to do in Georgetown Washington for a wonderful day exploring the best neighbourhood in D.C. From gorgeous walks, to delicious sweet treats, and even discover some historical sites too!

1. Walk or Bike Along the C&O Canal Locks

One of the most unique attractions in Georgetown are the C&O Canal Locks. Today it serves as a beautiful half mile walk behind the main streets of Georgetown. But it’s actually a part of a much larger path, the C&O Canal Towpath. The entire path spans just under 185 miles from Washington to Cumberland, Maryland.

It’s also not just a pretty place to walk either but a historical part of Georgetown too. The canal dates back to 1828 when it was used to transport materials through the state (p.s. book a historical walking tour of Georgetown to find out more!). So although part of the path is quaint with some hidden shops and restaurants, you’ll end up in a more industrial environment too.

Today, it’ll take you about 30 to 45 minutes to walk the path in Georgetown (not including photo stops, which are necessary!).

P.S. There’s supposed to be water in the canal but it was removed in 2023 to fix the canal walls, so please excuse my photos from 2026 with luscious grass instead!

a fairy tale scene. grass grows lusciously in place of where water want once. Ivy covers an old brick building on the left side. And an overgrown tree hangs over the pebble path on the right. All the way down the path is an old stone bridge. Two people walk closely a bit further up the path, they're the only ones here. On the right of the path is a large old brick building with large curved windows. The sun is shining bright, and there's very little shade created from the tree overhead.

2. Taste Your Way Through Georgetown (With Too Many Cupcakes!)

Georgetown is also known for their food scene, especially their cupcakes. They have not one, but two cupcake shops that are worth visiting. The most famous, of course, is Georgetown Cupcakes, named after its’ home town.

Georgetown Cupcake started in 2008 in Georgetown by two sisters. They grew famous from starring on the hit TLC show DC Cupcakes (watch it on Prime before you visit!) and now have shops nationwide. They remain a DC favourite today for their delicious cupcakes and new flavours. Their original, and most popular flavour is the Red Velvet cupcake. And I will say, it was very delicious.

But a local favourite, that’s actually been around for longer (from 2001), is Baked & Wired. It’s also a family run shop with home baked goods. At first glance, the cupcakes are also more impressive, they’re bigger (but also more expensive) and most of them have a filling. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the one from Georgetown Cupcakes. It was way too sweet for me. It might have been the flavour, lemon raspberry, but usually that’s a hit. My partner and I even shared one, and we couldn’t even finish it (and he has a bigger sweet tooth than me!).

So hit up the famous trendy spot, the hidden local fave, or try both and decide which is the better sweet fix! But you have to have at least one cupcake in Georgetown!

P.S. Georgetown is a big foodie scene, you can book a food tour to find all the best spots in town (with a bit of added history!).

a small cupcake with buttercream and a chocolate and caramel drizzle on top sits on a napkin. There's a glass flower pot with fake pink flowers to it's left and a vibrant pink to go coffee cup to it's right. Blurred in the background is the bustling street in Georgetown dc on a bright sunny day. — Georgetown Cupcake

a large cupcake with simple white frosting and a small red heart sprinkle. Behind it is a horrid green leather couch. — Georgetown Cupcake

3. Shop Till You Drop on M Street in Georgetown Washington DC

The shopping in Georgetown is what makes this neighbourhood even better! I normally can’t enjoy small neighbourhood shopping because it’s very upscale boutique shops (that I mostly can’t afford). But that’s not the case in Georgetown Washington DC!

And don’t worry, for the boutique aficionados, they still have their fair share of small shops. They just also have a lot more variety as well.

M Street is one of the main streets in Georgetown to shop. The street is lined with every shop from upscale boutiques like Alice & Olivia to the every day essentials at TJ Max… so there’s really something for everyone. And even if shopping isn’t for you, it’s still worth the stroll. The architecture is the unique and quaint despite the larger street.

4. Continue Shopping on Wisconsin Av.

The shopping doesn’t stop once M Street does. Turn up Wisconsin Avenue for even more local stores. This is where you’ll find more boutique and smaller shops. A must visit is Shop Made in DC for the best Washington souvenirs made by local artists.

And even if you don’t want to buy anything, the architecture is still worth seeing on this street too!

a vertical photo of a four story bright blue painted house in georgetown. The bottom two floors is a restaurant. There are black and white striped umbrellas outside to offer users some shade.

5. See the View of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge from the Waterfront Park

If you want to walk some more, with another great view, head to the Georgetown Water Front Park. It’s a park with a wide walking path along the Potomac River. Walk towards Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge for a breathtaking view!

If you’re interested, head to the Washington Harbour for a meal or coffee on the river. If you’re visiting in the winter, they have an ice rink to skate on (November to February). You can also cross the Potomac River to Alexandria (Virginia) from here by ferry – just be sure to book a round trip ticket!

6. Travel Back in Time at the Old Stone House

Georgetown is the oldest neighbourhood in the District of Columbia, dating back to 1751! So although it isn’t much, take a minute to see the oldest original house in DC. This is one of the most unique things to do in Georgetown DC. The old Stone house is from 1766, and still stand in the middle of M Street.

As I said, the house isn’t very big, but it’s completely free to walk inside and tour. It’s also a tourist shop if you’re looking for any DC souvenirs.

P.S. Go on a historic tour of Georgetown DC to find out even more about the past.

an old stone house is partially hidden by a small tree trunk that growing a lot of leaves covering the top of the two story house.

7. Head off the Beaten Path to Admire the Colourful & Unique Homes of Georgetown

I did not realize how beautiful Georgetown Washington DC would actually be. M Street and Wisconsin avenue are Georgeous. Seriously, these street could easily be a movie set. These streets are also on a much larger scale, so it’s also worthwhile turning off of M street or Wisconsin to walk down a smaller side street.

Not only will they be less populated, but there’s also a lot more shade (which is a nice reprieve from the hot Washington sun!). But even though every building is attached along the street, every unit is different, both the architecture and paint colour. It’s happy, bright, and just a pleasure to walk around. A popular stop is to visit the vibrant pink Call Your Mother restaurant for a photo op (and delicious food!).

the street of georgetown were each home is attached yet completely different architecture and paint colour. Although almost the entire street is tree lined and the leaves are grown in offering some shade. Both sides of the street are completely parked up.

8. Visit the Exorcist Steps in Georgetown Washington DC

Georgetown is famous for being the filming location for the iconic horror film, The Exorcist. If you’ve seen the Exorcist, you’ll recognize quite a few locations in Georgetown. If you haven’t seen the exorcist, you might want to see it before you visit… if you can handle this 70s horror that is!

The movie was filmed on location in Georgetown, so there are a few places to visit. The most iconic scene though, was the priest falling down steep steps. These are real steps in Georgetown, and are now known as the Exorcist Steps.

The Exorcist steps are (sadly) one of the tallest steps in the United States (75 steps). And a stunt double actually fell down all of them during filming. They’re pretty impressive though, dating back to 1804 where they excavated the side of a cliff to build them, and they’re quite steep to walk up. After the film, they became an official landmark!

Once you’re here, the Exorcist house that was used as the outside filming location is next door to the top of the steps.

P.S. If you’re a real fan of the Exorcist, or into ghost stories, you might be interested in a historic ghost tour of Georgetown, including all the famous Exorcist locations. And be sure to watch The Exorcist before you visit Georgetown Washington DC!

75 steps from the bottom to the top in not a lot of space so they're very steep. You can barely see it, but there are people walking at the very top. The stairs are next to a brick building and a stone wall.

9. Walk Through Georgetown University

Georgetown University is worth a visit for a few reasons. It was actually also a filming location for The Exorcist. But it’s a historical landmark too as it’s the oldest Catholic and Jesuit University in the U.S., from 1789 (and also one of the most expensive universities to attend in the United States – which says a lot, considering university is already so expensive!).

While in Georgetown Washington DC, walk around Georgetown University campus admiring the old architecture, especially Healy Hall. Campus isn’t too far from The Exorcist Steps.

healy hall at Georgetown University is an old stone building with a clocktower in the middle . there's a statue sitting on the right side of the building. The sky is blue with some clouds, and the trees and grass offer nice greenery to enjoy on campus.

10. Have a Photo Op with Life Size Transformers

This is a fun one to visit once you’re in the area as well! There are life size transformers in front of someone’s house in Georgetown. They’re next door to the Exorcist house and steps, so they’re hard to miss!

These make the perfect photo stop, even if you aren’t a fan of the franchise! The fabrication of these are just incredible.

a real yellow and blue transformer outside someones house in Georgetown, they are larger than the front door. They are made from old mechanical parts to look like robots.

Top Things to do in Georgetown DC You Might Want to Skip

There are a few popular Georgetown DC things to do that might not be worth your time. These are my thoughts about why I think they can be skipped, just to give you another point of view.

Dumbarton Oaks

Dumbarton Oaks is a mansion, garden and museum in Georgetown Washington DC. It’s just outside the main city centre though, making it less accessible.

The architecture of the museum is actually quite interesting, but you don’t see a lot of it… And the museum content might be not be for you. It’s a collection of artefacts from around the world, which can be a hit or a complete miss depending on your interests. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me, and didn’t feel relevant to Washington at all. I recommend checking out their website before your visit to see what’s on display.

The positive side is that the museum is completely free, so if you’re already in the area it can be worth popping in.

the outside of the museum at dumbarton oaks is a colonial red brick exterior with dark black window shades. There's a red brick sidewalk in front of it, and green trees all around it.

The main attraction at Dumbarton Oaks isn’t the museum, but their gardens. They’re apparently gorgeous – unfortunately though, these aren’t free, or in my mind, worth the ticket price.

At the time I visited (2026) tickets were 17 USD (which at the time was $25 CAD / person). As much as I love walking through gardens, I also feel there are so many free gardens that are probably just as good. You are in DC after all, where the U.S. Botanical Gardens are free, and I would check out the Enid A. Haupt Garden as well before paying for the Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks.

Dumbarton House is another attraction on this land, though it’s even farther from the town centre (next to the cemetery) and it’s temporarily closed.

Alternative to Dumbarton Oaks: Tudor Place

Tudor Place is just down the street from Dumbarton Oaks, so it also isn’t close to the main centre of Georgetown. I missed the last entry so couldn’t visit. But this is a historical house in the U.S. which actually provides history about DC. And they even have a gardens of their own. So it might be a better alternative to Dumbarton Oaks, for half the price!

Or if you’d rather stay in the main area of Georgetown, book a historic walking tour instead.

a small statue of a boy sits in the middle of vibrant greenery, with small leaf plants on the ground, with taller bushes, and small trees in the background. There is one large tree soaring above, but adding a nice frame to the photo on the left side down to the right top corner of the photo.

How to Get to Georgetown Washington DC

Getting to Georgetown is probably one of the main downsides of visiting.

Although the metro is great to use in Washington city centre, it doesn’t go through Georgetown. The closest metro station is a 25 minute walk (Dupont Circle), which isn’t really feasible. There are a lot of buses that go through Georgetown though.

I was traveling with a baby in a stroller, so the easiest option for me was to drive to Georgetown. The drive is relatively easy compared to the parking. It’s mostly residential permit parking on the streets, so all the spots are full.

I did end up finding street parking, but it took a long time, and it’s only 2 hours so my partner had to run back to add more time. There are a few small outdoor lots, I recommend just parking in one of those for the day and saving your time.

On the positive side, all the Georgetown DC things to do are relatively close to each other and you can walk to them (besides Dumbarton Oaks and Tudor Place – which I already mentioned).

Where to Stay in Georgetown

I originally wanted to stay in Georgetown for my visit to Washington, but without a metro in the area it becomes much harder to access other attractions in DC. I ended up staying at the Homewood Suites on Massachusetts Avenue in the city centre.

But if you are still interested in staying in Georgetown, stay on the C&O Canal Locks in the Georgetown House Inn. It offers a shared kitchen, and walking distance to all the major things to do in Georgetown DC.

Alternatively, if you want to stay in more of the action on Wisconsin Av. book The Georgetown Inn. It’s more of a classic hotel with a fitness room and business centre if you’re interested in having those amenities.

Where to Stay in Washington, D.C.

If you want to stay more centrally located in Washington D.C., here are some suggestions of where to stay.

When booking a hotel in Washington, you have to decide what you want to do because nothing is closed to each other. The most convenient hotel is to book near a metro station, or if you’re interested in Smithsonians, then book near the National Mall.

I stayed at the Homewood Suites on Massachusetts Avenue. It was halfway between the White House and Dupont Circle (a 15 minute walk to each). The closest metro is also about a 10 minute walk. I chose it because it gave me a two bedroom suite with a kitchen, breakfast, and the option for laundry (perfect for traveling with your family!). See rates and availability on Booking.

I originally booked The Hamilton Hotel as it’s slightly closer to a metro and the White House. I also booked Hotel Madera for it’s proximity to Dupont Circle, and being the closest to a metro station (a 6 minute walk). I also liked Hotel Madera because some rooms had a balcony.

But if I were to visit Washington again, I would try to stay closer to the Smithsonian Museums. The downside is that there aren’t a lot of options here, one of the top rated hotels is citizenM Washington Capitol, just a 12 minute walk from the Air and Space Museum, and 4 minutes to the closest metro.

Or see more hotel options on Booking . com.