National Mall Monuments Walking Guide 2026: Route, Times

Booking choice: The National Mall walking tour, from $75 per person. Check dates Compare the options below

Walking the Mall costs nothing and needs no ticket. It is also long: the NPS puts the distance from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial at two miles.

Here is a route, the nearest Metro stations, the current closures and where a guide saves you hours.

The quick answer

Walk east to west from the Capitol to the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, then loop the Tidal Basin to the MLK, FDR and Jefferson memorials. Plan a half day, wear sturdy shoes and carry water.

What is the best self-guided route?

Start at the Capitol and walk west, then add the memorials at the Tidal Basin.

The Capitol and the Mall.
The Washington Monument.
The World War II Memorial.
The Lincoln Memorial.
The Korean War Veterans and Vietnam Veterans memorials.
The MLK, FDR and Jefferson memorials around the Tidal Basin.

Visitors walking along the polished black wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with the Washington Monument behind — Walkers along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with the Washington Monument behind.

How far is it and how long does it take?

It is two miles from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and more with the Tidal Basin.

The Mall runs about 1.2 miles from the Capitol to the Washington Monument, and the NPS gives two miles to the Lincoln Memorial. With stops and the Tidal Basin loop, plan a half day.

If your legs complain, a short ride between stops saves them.

A seated ride covers the same ground in about two hours, with a guide telling the stories.

Check dates for the electric cart tour

Which Metro station should you use?

Smithsonian for most of the Mall; Federal Triangle or L'Enfant Plaza for the Washington Monument.

The NPS names Smithsonian (Blue, Orange and Silver lines) as the nearest station for the busy parts of the Mall, with Federal Triangle and L'Enfant Plaza also near the monument. For the west end near the Lincoln Memorial, check the WMATA trip planner for Foggy Bottom and Arlington Cemetery.

What closures affect a walk right now?

Fenced lawns between 3rd and 14th Streets are closed through 24 January 2027; the walkways stay open.

The Reflecting Pool had repairs in 2026, and reports about its reopening differ. Check nps.gov/nama for the current status before you plan the Lincoln end.

The Lincoln Memorial glowing at sunset beside a still reflecting pool — The Lincoln Memorial at sunset.

What should you wear and bring?

Sturdy shoes, water and sun protection in summer, layers in winter.

The NPS advises appropriate shoes for long standing and walking. Eating and drinking are not allowed inside memorial spaces, and bicycling or skating is not permitted there.

A statue of a soldier in a poncho with a helmet at the Korean War Veterans Memorial — A soldier statue at the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

What do you see at each stop?

Six memorials, each with its own date and story.

Lincoln Memorial, dedicated 30 May 1922.
Jefferson Memorial, 13 April 1943.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 13 November 1982.
Korean War Veterans Memorial, 27 July 1995.
World War II Memorial, opened 29 April 2004.
MLK Memorial, dedicated 16 October 2011.

Bronze figures of women tending a wounded soldier at the Vietnam Women's Memorial — Bronze figures at the Vietnam Women's Memorial.

Do you need tickets for any of it?

Only for the Washington Monument elevator and the Lincoln Memorial Undercroft.

Everything else is open to everyone. See the monument ticket guide and the Undercroft guide for how to book.

When does a guided tour save you time?

When you want the sights, the stories and the Tidal Basin in two or three hours.

The guided walking tour starts outside the Lincoln Memorial Gifts and Cafe, covers four memorials and ends at the Washington Monument with a ticket included. It is a daytime tour. Prefer wheels? Read the bus, bike or cart comparison.