Amanuel Biedemariam, a concierge at the luxury Renaissance Mayflower hotel, recommends Café Milano in Georgetown for first-rate Italian cuisine and a ripe people-watching scene. DC Coast and the Tabard Inn, with their historic charm and proximity to the White House, are also great options for foodies around town.

Biedemariam says no trip to D.C. is complete without a trip to the U.S. Capitol; Arlington National Cemetery, where the Eternal Flame for John F. Kennedy, Jr., can be found; and the National Gallery of Art, the city’s premier arts destination, with two museum buildings and an outdoor Sculpture Garden dedicated to antiquities and modern works.

Flight connoisseurs should head to the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall for a glimpse of the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module and more aviation artifacts.