Penn Quarter, a 20-minute walk east of The White House, is known for the historic architecture juxtaposed against bustling Chinatown and the raucous cheers of sport fans flooding the Capital One Arena. When in DC, get tickets to a Wizards basketball game or watch the Capitals hit the ice for a hockey match. 

After the game, stroll past swanky hotels such as the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC and boutiques from French and Italian fashion houses that are dotted throughout the Downtown business district. Cap things off with a classic Old Fashioned cocktail at The Mirror – a speakeasy tucked away at the bottom of a flight of stairs on K Street NW. 

Hungry? The macaroni in vodka sauce at old-world Italian eatery Grazie Nonna is a local favourite. Or if you have a taste for the written word, pop into Planet Word within the historic Franklin School on the corner of 13th and K Streets – it’s the only museum in the US dedicated to inspiring a love of language.

Rent a kayak or paddleboard and take in the seasonal sights of Georgetown as you glide down the Potomac River. Along the way you’ll spot Federal-style architecture wreathed with amber and red autumn foliage or the dreamscape pinks of the city’s own cherry blossoms in the spring. 

Georgetown is synonymous with upmarket dining. Book ahead for a quintessential DC dining experience at 1789 Restaurant & Bar, making sure to order the signature branzino bouillabaisse before bedding-down in the Fairmont Washington Hotel, DC Georgetown.

Around the corner from the US Capitol and Supreme Court, you’ll find a centuries-worth of archives and artefacts from the suffrage and equal rights movement at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument.

From here, rent a bike and work off that lunch by completing the 3 kilometre stretch of the National Mall – a landscaped park that’s home to the city’s major attractions (such as the Washington Monument) plus several hidden gardens, including the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

To book your next stay in Washington DC visit Qantas Hotels or to find out more about the city’s vibrant neighbourhoods, visit washington.org

Sprawling out from the stately Dupont Circle park and fountain, you’ll find a captivating mish-mash of eclectic eateries, dive bars and dance clubs, a thriving LGBTQ+ community and the stately buildings of Embassy Row.

Walk in the footsteps of changemakers such as Rosa Parks before threading your way through secret passages and hidden doors (there are 70 of them) at the O Museum in the Mansion, housed in five interconnected town houses. Nearby at The Phillips Collection gallery you’ll find an immense collection of art amassed over the course of the past century including van Goghs, Goyas and Picassos.

You’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to dining in neighbouring Adams Morgan, known for its buzzy bar and dining scene. Our pick? Lapis, a family-run Afghan restaurant where the family matriarch is also the head chef. Order the bolani: crispy pan-seared Afghan flatbread filled with beef or pumpkin, potato and onions. Later, head back towards Dupont to bookstore-slash-restaurant Kramers and heat things up with a spicy ginger punch spiked with tequila and jalapeños. Need somewhere to stay? Lyle Washington DC is an eight minute walk from Kramers. 

U Street is the birthplace of jazz icon Duke Ellington and was home to a rich culture of African-American jazz clubs from the ’20s through to the ’40s. Even now it remains the central hub for nightlife, with the legendary 9:30 Club hosting acts such as The Dandy Warhols and the Cold War Kids. On Saturday mornings in the warmer months, the 14&U Farmers’ Market transforms the sidewalks into a gauntlet of tents filled with baked goods, cheeses, coffee, ice-cream and more. 

Just a few blocks up the road is Meridian Hill Park, where on Sunday afternoons you’ll catch a community-led drumming circle playing into the evening as locals lounge, read, picnic and play soccer among the towering oaks.

The original Ben’s Chili Bowl is a classic DC attraction. Order a half-smoke (a coarser, spicier version of a hotdog) before walking 10 minutes to the historically preserved neighbourhood, Shaw. Here, you can sample traditional kalakuri khinkali (soup dumplings filled with pork, beef and fresh herbs) at Supra, DC’s first Georgian eatery before heading to the Cambria Hotel to rest up for the night. 

With a vibrant arts scene and rich local history, this quirky neighbourhood on the Anacostia River to the south of the US Capitol is filled with plenty of offbeat attractions peppered amongst a dazzling bar and restaurant scene. 

Hop on the jitney – a six-passenger motorised ferry – at Recreation Pier and head for East Potomac, where you can throw yourself into a game of foot golf (think soccer, with giant golf balls and holes). Afterwards, rent a bike and make your way around the 7 kilometre paved path that loops around the shoreline to take in epic city views and wind past lines of Kwanzan cherry trees. 

Back in the city’s Wharf district, nestled amongst the quaint bookstores on the piers is ARTECHOUSE, an immersive space where art meets reality-blurring tech. Keep walking south along the river to All-Purpose Pizzeria, which not only serves up Jersey-style pizza but hosts a bottomless brunch, too. Make Hyatt House Washington DC your base.

As night settles, head back towards Capitol Hill and through the emerald-green doors of The Wells. Books and vintage Hermès scarves fill the walls and exceptional cocktails (order a martini with olive oil gin) fill the glasses.

To book your next stay in Washington DC. visit Qantas Hotels or to find out more about the city’s vibrant neighbourhoods, visit washington.org