Enjoy reading the ultimate guide for what to do in America’s capital. Welcome to Washington, D.C., a cultural cornucopia. A cornucopia is a special horn that produces endless food, and is derived from Greek mythology - instead of producing endless food, Washington, D.C. produces endless enjoyment and cultural enrichment.

Washington, D.C. is possibly the most beautiful, cultural, diverse city on this planet. Holding the world-renowned White House, the stunning Capitol Building, the sky-scraping Washington Monument, a selection of delicious restaurants and more, there’s never a dull moment in this city!

NTS is excited to introduce the first UltraGuide article, which is basically a place or restaurant that we’ve reviewed extensively, visited and researched. In this article, you’ll be able to plan a trip to America’s capital, read our immersive and accurate reviews, and get to see an exclusive photo album. Enjoy showering yourself in indulgent articles, with intriguing facts and photos that can be found at all angles.

Washington, D.C. is its own district - unlike all other cities in the United States, it’s not in any state. Instead of a state government, the city has a slightly different government, with a mayor running the city. Some parts of the city, as it is America’s capital, belong to Joe Biden’s government, but all other parts of Washington, D.C. belong to the mayor, who is currently Muriel Bowser.

Enjoy reading about the nation’s capital!

PART I: THE MUST-DO LIST

Washington, D.C. may be a smaller city compared to other cities, but it’s bursting with interesting monuments, artifacts and museums. Some things are super intriguing, so we put together a ‘must-do’ list.

1. The US Capitol

The US Capitol is a beautiful building, hosting the offices of thousands of important government officials. It’s also absolutely stunning - intricacy is showcased everywhere, from the meticulously built perfect dome to the pristine white columns. The gardens are pretty massive as well - always neatly trimmed, like each strand of grass has been perfectly preserved.

Many find it fun to tour the Capitol, and whilst they do, touching the Capitol is truly incredible. In fact, it’s more than that - it’s enlightening, inspiring, like you truly become American upon the touch. At the moment, mass reconstruction and repainting is in the process, but it’s beauty remains, and the US Capitol lives to be a symbolic architectural wonder of America.

Despite all of the years put in to building and planning this building, more were needed. When the British burned down many important US structures in the 1800s, the Capitol was amongst them. They singed the dome that Americans were so proud of, they destroyed and wreaked havoc everywhere throughout Washington, D.C. - but the Americans’ resilient spirits brought back the Capitol we see today.

2. The White House

Of course, we wrote an extensive article about the White House, so it’d be pointless to re-write it here. However, from a touring perspective, we would like to reiterate that planning a trip 4to Washington, D.C. requires much planning and patience. No less than three weeks in advance, and no more than three months, you must apply to tour the White House with your Member of Congress. For non-US residents, you must go through a more complicated procedure to actually get inside.

For most families, they’re unprepared for this, but that’s totally fine - you can still get really close to the White House, and view its amazingness in real life.

To access our wonderful White House article, click here.

3. The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is one of the most extensive book collections in the world. Holding over 39 million books, and other prints, films, movies and more, the Library of Congress serves as a research device to the government, a very attractive spot for tourists, and also an interesting topic to read, understand and learn about.

If you ever want to publish a book in the United States, it’s illegal not to send a copy to the Library of Congress. Every book ever published in the country can be found in the 838 miles (1,350 kilometers) of bookshelves within this majestic structure, plus much more. In other words, it’s the largest library on our planet, by far.

Setting aside what’s actually in the library, the building itself is truly majestic, imposing and magnificent. The detail displayed everywhere is just breathtaking and mesmerizing, so as part of our UltraGuide, we seriously recommend this building to get a tour of, or to just view from the outside.

4. The Memorials

Many important people of America have memories built into spectacular pieces of art. The Jefferson Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and the WW2 memorial are all always bustling with busy crowds coming to pay their respects. Let’s take a deeper dive into these amazing architectures.

a) THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL

The Lincoln Memorial, as shown in the photo below, is a perfect arrangement of opulent columns, a rectangular roof, and shown in the latter photo, a beautiful and intricate sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln.

Other speeches have been engraved on the walls, remembering President Lincoln and his legacy. Over 2 million people visit the memorial from all over the world to celebrate America’s former president.

b) THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL

Thomas Jefferson’s deep interest in mythology was the cause of the beautiful domed memorial that’s standing today. Today, many people visit to enjoy the architecture, history and culture the memorial holds - across a shimmering river, it’s alluring and aesthetically pleasing in every way.

5. The Washington Monument

Whilst we recognize this is yet another memorial, we decided - after extensive debate - that the Washington Monument deserves it’s own section, not because it’s more important than the others, but rather because it’s a bit different and more unique.

Firstly, the appearance is striking. A 500 feet structure (to be technical, 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches) tower above you, causing you to stare in awe at the intense detail and perfection that the building has nailed.

At the time it was built, the Washington Monument was the tallest building on Earth - but as time drew on, of course other structures beat it. However, America couldn’t accept that - the Washington Monument had to at least be the tallest something. After research, people found that it was the tallest stone structure - a very proud accomplishment for America.

As well as the appearance, the fact that you can go inside it is incredible. By taking a small elevator to the 500-feet level, you’re permitted the most awe-inspiring views, and they include the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the Library of Congress. In fact, the first photo on this article was taken from the Washington Monument!

For those who have claustrophobia, don’t be put off! The Monument’s actually much wider than photos show, and we even asked a claustrophobic person if they felt “trapped” within the Washington Monument, and they said, ‘No. There was a lot more space at the top than I imagined, and they did a very good job at limiting the amount of people inside, and you could leave whenever you wanted.’ When we asked for a name, the tourist said ‘Karen Jones.’

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Image Sources: USA Today, Old Town Trolley Tours, The Y Travel Blog & TheFoundingFotographers