This post is in collaboration with the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service.
In February, the Babes reunited for our first trip all together in over a year. We packed our Olivia Pope and first lady-inspired outfits to visit Arlington, Virginia, just outside of our nation’s capital.
Arlington may not be a place you think about visiting, but don’t sell it short. There’s plenty to see and experience, and our itinerary was packed for our three days there. Read below on what to do in Arlington, Virginia!
What to Do in Arlington, Virginia
Getting to Arlington, Virginia
When heading over to Arlington, Virginia, you’ve got a lot of great options to get there. First, you could fly into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which is what most of us did. It’s right there in Arlington’s Crystal City neighborhood and has tons of flights going all over, both domestically and internationally. Once you land, you can hop in a cab, grab a rideshare, or even catch a shuttle to your hotel – super easy! DCA is hooked up to the Metro’s Blue and Yellow Lines, so you can zip around Arlington hassle-free.
If you’re coming in through Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD – 21 miles from Arlington) or Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI – 37 miles from Arlington), no worries! They’re both within reach too, with IAD connected to Arlington via the Metro’s Silver Line and BWI accessible through trains, buses, cabs, and rideshares.
Arlington is also drivable from many places including Philadelphia, where Iesha drove in from. The drive was under 3 hours and she swung by IAD to pick up Elise on her way, so it worked out perfectly. Whether you’re flying in or road tripping it, Arlington is super easy to get to!
Where to Stay in Arlington, Virginia
Each of Arlington’s neighborhoods has its own distinct personality – from the futuristic feel of Crystal City, to the small-town charm in Shirlington. There are lots of hotels to choose from, and it just depends on what you’re looking for. Our home away from home was the Hilton Arlington National Landing in Crystal City. It was a great location only minutes away from DCA and a short drive to everything in Arlington. The hotel also offers a free shuttle that transports to and from DCA, which is so convenient.
The Hilton Arlington National Landing is within Arlington’s National Landing area, a collection of three neighborhoods, Crystal City, Pentagon City and Potomac Yard which features a vast amount of shopping and restaurants. The hotel itself was great and had lots of amenities. Although we didn’t get to enjoy it, there were Peloton wellness rooms to get some exercise and a 24-hour fitness center.
We enjoyed dinner at the hotel restaurant, this first night as well as happy hour in the lobby bar. They make a mean Espresso Martini! The Landing is a great spot to camp out and get some work done first thing in the morning or meet someone for a cocktail after a day of exploring Arlington.
There was a conference going on while we were there, so the hotel was very lively with attendees and locals. With ballrooms, conference rooms, and meeting rooms galore, The Hilton Arlington National Landing is an excellent choice for events. Plus, they have EV chargers which is great. Another important note: they are a pet-friendly hotel! Unfortunately we didn’t meet any furry friends during our visit but as dog-lovers ourselves, we love a hotel that welcomes pets.
Another great option for accommodations is the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City conveniently connected to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. We didn’t get to stay here, but we did stop by for their afternoon tea at Santé, which was absolutely fabulous!
How to Get Around
During our stay, Lexus was nice enough to lend us the RX 450h+ Luxury plug-in hybrid SUV. But even if you don’t have your own car in Arlington, there are tons of options for public transportation, including rail and bus, Uber/Lyft, and even more than 100 bikeshare stations. When we weren’t cruising in our Lexus, we actually walked a lot – Arlington is a pretty walkable county, and most of the stops on our itinerary were a short walk or car ride away.
We each had heated or cooling features on our seats, a large screen for maps, and directions on the driver’s side windshield so you don’t have to keep looking at the screen when you drive. All of the features are where you’d expect them to be and artfully arranged to help keep your focus on the road ahead. You feel like you’re driving a spaceship with all the features! The SUV helps keep you alert with tons of safety features. Another feature we enjoyed was the panoramic sunroof. We could all look up and around and see all the views of Arlington.
If you don’t have your own car in Arlington, there are tons of option for public transportation, including rail and bus, rideshare, and even bikeshare. When we weren’t cruising in our Lexus, we actually walked a lot – Arlington is very walkable!
What to Do in Arlington, Virginia
Embrace the History – Arlington is a great spot for remembering our nation’s past and brings history vividly to life. You’ll find Arlington National Cemetery, Military Women’s Memorial, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Air Force Memorial, Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove on the Potomac River, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, Marine Corps War Memorial and more.
We visited Arlington National Cemetery and did the hop-on, hop-off trolley tour. There are six stops in the cemetery, and tours pick up and drop off every half hour. We saw several notable graves, including former presidents John F. Kennedy and William Taft. You can also see gravesites of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall. Get off at the last stop before the welcome center for the most insane views of Washington, D.C. Fun fact: many of the iconic video footage and photos you see on TV and in movies of D.C. are actually taken from Arlington!
While on the tour you also see the Memorial Amphitheater, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the Changing of the Guard which takes place every hour on the hour October through March, and every half hour from April through September. This is one thing that should be on everyone’s Arlington itinerary, whether you’re traveling for work and have some free time, a girls trip or family vacation to D.C.
Visit the Museums – Since it was raining for part of our visit, we planned some indoor activities along with the outdoor tours. We visited the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington (MoCAA), which is free to the public. MoCAA is one of the largest non-federal venues of its kind in the Washington area and houses three floors of exhibition galleries.
In addition to exhibitions, MoCAA has three classrooms and 12 working studios for artists to use. There were so many fun and colorful pieces and a lot of Instagram photo ops, including the temporary Reclining Liberty sculpture by Zaq Landsberg at the front of the building.
Additional museums you’ll find are the Arlington Historical Museum, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Museum and Visitors Center.
Shop till You Drop – The Babes love a good shopping excursion, so we headed to Fashion Centre at Pentagon City for some retail therapy. They have department stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s, as well as stores like Coach, Sephora, Zara and more. Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is also adjacent to Westpost at National Landing, a lively plaza surrounded by shops, restaurants and other places to walk around and explore.
Enjoy a Walk and some Public Art – Who doesn’t love a good Instagram moment with a mural? Take a self-guided tour to see 14 artworks that are all within one square mile of each other in the Rosslyn neighborhood. Grab your girlfriends, sneakers and a coffee and enjoy all the local color.
Watch the Planes Land at Gravelly Point Park – One of the first things we did after landing is take our Lexus to Gravelly Point Park. The location is just north of DCA’s main runway and is one of the best places in the United States for airplane spotting. You can ride a bike, bring a picnic lunch and play Frisbee with your family, or just take a cool photo and move on.
Spa Day – Local Arlington spa, Azure Dream Day Spa, is the perfect spot to unwind. We all enjoyed 60-minute massages; Elise had prenatal, Megan and Jessica had deep tissue and Greta had stress relief. We all left feeling so relaxed and ready for a nap! The spa also offers other services like facials, hair removal, permanent makeup, pedicures, and more.
Take in the Local Theatre – Who doesn’t enjoy some local theatre, even better if it’s a musical! During our visit, the Signature Theatre, located in the Shirlington neighborhood, was showing Private Jones, an adventure about a deaf Welsh sniper in World War I. The cast features actors who are deaf and hard of hearing and was a fun musical experience that was unlike anything we’d seen before! If you’re looking for an evening activity, have dinner and a show.
Where to Eat
Bayou Bakery – Do you love coffee and beignets? Carve out some time for breakfast at Bayou. This is a casual bakery in the Courthouse neighborhood that serves a mean avocado benedict. It’s very laid back and a great way to start a morning of activities in Arlington. This easygoing and relaxed bakery is owned by renowned chef David Gaus, who has been featured on various cooking shows and is the author of a book that was a James Beard Award finalist.
Ruthie’s All-Day – After a morning of walking and exploring the Arlington National Cemetery, we were ready for wood-smoked barbecue at Ruthie’s All-Day. This is a family-friendly, open all day restaurant and bar that is a modern take on a meat and three. We enjoyed a variety of dishes that were all delicious, but one thing we all enjoyed was their incredibly tasty mac and cheese.
Surreal – We recommend taking a splurge and enjoying some globally inspired dishes at Surreal. When you’re dining, you feel like you’re in a park with luscious plants, large windows, and a bar made of rocks imported from Greece. The chef is a 2023 James Beard semifinalist, and the menu is a great mix of classics like Margherita Pizza as well as dishes with a unique and playful edge. We also recommend you don’t skip dessert!
WHINO – Greta and Jessica went out one night for a nightcap at WHINO which is an Arlington bar and art gallery located in the Ballston neighborhood. There they enjoyed delicious glasses of wine and creative cocktails. The space has cool murals on the walls and ceilings from various muralists, and they also have a gallery where you can find unique pieces from local artists.
Northside Social – Another casual breakfast spot for coffee, a snack or fresh baked goods is Northside Social in the Clarendon neighborhood. Here, we all got our caffeine fix with coffee and lattes and enjoyed their quiche, croissants and breakfast sandwiches. It’s super close to the MoCA, so you can stop by on your way to fuel up with caffeine and good food.
Our Mom Eugenia – Another dinner restaurant that we loved was family-owned Greek restaurant, Our Mom Eugenia, in the Shirlington neighborhood. We dined on Greek wines, virgin mojitos, Greek salad, Kolokithokeftedes, Saganaki and more. You really felt like you were in Greece with the Santorini blue walls, music strumming and delicious authentic dishes.
Good Company Doughnuts & Café – We ended our trip on a sweet note at Good Company Doughnuts & Café in the Ballston neighborhood – one of the two locations in Arlington. This is a veteran and family-owned café with doughnuts baked fresh every day. We all ordered doughnuts to go and enjoyed our coffee on our final Arlington outing. We recommend the Peanut Butter Cup, Raspberry Filling and Hurricane doughnuts to try!
We enjoyed our three full days in Arlington and hope this travel guide helps you when you’re visiting. Make sure you visit our other travel guides here.
