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Activity Southwest Waterfront, National Mall & Downtown

The Wharf

An activity in Southwest Waterfront, National Mall & Downtown, moderately priced ($$) and worth about 3 hours. Best time to go: Evening.

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Why go

Southwest waterfront district of piers, bars, restaurants and The Anthem concert hall on the Washington Channel.

It is one of 9 curated places we feature in National Mall & Downtown, alongside 2 bars & cafés, 2 places to eat and 2 sights. The closest of our other picks is National Air and Space Museum, 0.7 mi away as the crow flies.

Type
Activity · Nightlife
Neighborhood
Southwest Waterfront
Price
$$
Time needed
3 hr
Best time
Evening

Nearby

Our closest curated picks, including 3 beyond National Mall & Downtown. Distances are straight-line, not walking or driving.

  1. 1
    National Air and Space Museum

    Wright Flyer, Apollo 11 command module and the Spirit of St. Louis.

    Sight · Washington, DC · 0.7 mi straight-line
  2. 2
    National Museum of Natural History

    Smithsonian museum of the Hope Diamond, dinosaur hall and ocean hall; free, and open on Jan 1.

    Sight · 0.8 mi straight-line
  3. 3
    National Gallery of Art

    Free galleries including the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas.

    Sight · Washington, DC · 0.9 mi straight-line
  4. 4
    New Year's Eve on the National Mall

    In 2025, Freedom 250 projected a 250-foot birthday candle onto the Washington Monument and fired fireworks at midnight.

    Activity · 0.9 mi straight-line
  5. 5
    National Museum of African American History and Culture

    Smithsonian museum tracing African American history from slavery to today.

    Sight · Washington, DC · 0.9 mi straight-line
  6. 6
    Rasika

    Ashok Bajaj's modern Indian restaurant in Penn Quarter, known for its crispy spinach palak chaat.

    Food · 1.1 mi straight-line

On these curated routes

The Wharf is a stop on our Washington, DC New Year's Eve route. Open it to see the full day-by-day plan.

More to do in National Mall & Downtown

The Wharf is our only activity pick in National Mall & Downtown; here is what else we recommend there. See the full National Mall & Downtown guide.

When to go: weather by month, based on Washington, DC

Our climate figures for National Mall & Downtown come from nearby Washington, DC. Average daily highs in Washington, DC run from 40°F in January to 88°F in July; June is usually the wettest month. For The Wharf itself, we suggest: Evening.

Modelled monthly averages for Washington, DC from NASA POWER, not a forecast. Washington, DC weather by month (covers National Mall & Downtown).

Getting there

Map links open a live search for The Wharf, so hours and directions come straight from the map app.

Coordinates
38.87939, -77.02470
Destination
National Mall & Downtown, District of Columbia
Website
wharfdc.com

The Wharf: quick answers

How much time do you need at The Wharf?

Plan on about 3 hours at The Wharf. That is our curated estimate for a typical visit; groups that linger will want more.

When is the best time to visit The Wharf?

Our pick: Evening. Insider tip: New Year's Eve here means ticketed shows and bar parties; buy tickets weeks ahead.

Which TripsCircle routes include The Wharf?

The Wharf appears on Washington, DC New Year's Eve, a curated route you can open on TripsCircle and plan with your group.

Add The Wharf to your crew's plan

Save it to a shared TripsCircle itinerary, settle the timing with a quick poll, and split the costs with everyone going to National Mall & Downtown.

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Lists & regions

Also in National Mall & Downtown

Curated recommendation, not live listing data. Confirm hours, prices, bookings and access before you go.