I’m sure when most people think of Washington, DC the first thought is the president and then the millions of movies that were filmed here. I will admit I didn’t know much about the city when I bought my plane tickets but after some research I was very excited about my trip and the city did not disappoint! They offer so many free museums and attractions around the city, perfect for travellers on a budget! They also have some really cool Instagram locations in Washington that I have listed below along with photo tips. You will have a blast wandering around the city discovering all these cool locations!
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Watermelon House
Location: 1112 Q St NW
The coolest mural in the city is at the Watermelon house. The story behind this house is that the owners wanted their house painted a fire engine red and after they saw the colour, it reminded them of a “pepto bismol” colour so they decided to actually paint it to look like watermelon and now it’s a popular spot for photos! Beside this mural is a small kiwi wall that I never knew about until I visited!
Photo Tip: This is at the side of someones house so please be respectful and quiet when taking photos here.
Blagden Alley
Location: Blagden Alley NW
So many instagram photo opportunities in Blagden Alley! This location is definitely unassuming, you walk down an alley between 2 rows of houses and you will find a cluster of small shops, cafes and art studios with lots of fun murals for photos! This location is where you can find the LOVE wall from the second photo.
Tip: An amazing spot for coffee after your shoot is at La Colombe Coffee Roasters
Union Market
Location: 1309 5th St NE
Union market is a great place in the city to try some delicious and local food and browse local brands. In the summer they have a patio with music playing and fun games outside. At the back of the market where the loading dock is you will find this amazing mural.
Photo Tip: I went in the middle of the day and there was no one around. Also there are a couple other murals and signs around the building that could be cool for photos!
Greenworks Florist
Location: O St. NW & 35th St. NW
An icon in Georgetown is this flower shop, when I went here in the summer of 2019 they had closed so i’m not sure if you will find this pink shop if you visit today. I have heard they moved locations so they might have another store front in the city that’s similar to this one or visit this location to see if the building remains the same!
Colourful Houses in Georgetown
Pick up a cupcake, grab a coffee and wander the streets of Georgetown to snap a million photos of the colourful houses. I found that the closer you are to Georgetown University, the more colourful houses you’ll find. The farther away you walk you will find gorgeous stately homes that are also great for photos!
The Wave Wall
Location: 3510 O St NW
A fun Japanese inspired wave mural that is found in the heart of Georgetown. It can easily be missed because it’s down a narrow alleyway and it’s only a block over from Greenworks Florist shop.
United States Capitol
Location: First St SE
One of my favorite buildings in DC and what I originally thought was the White House. Imagine my surprise when I found out the White House is a pretty unremarkable building compared to the rest. This is a great location for sunrise since no one is around and is a gorgeous spot to watch sunset on the lawn.
Photo Tip: You can’t set up your tripod on the concrete section in front of the building because of state laws. Therefore, you can only set up your tripod on the lawn like I did above.
Capitol Hill Books
Location: 657 C St SE
The most popular book store in Washington is the perfect spot for an Instagram photo. The store front is lined with books and inside is packed to the ceiling with every book you could ever want!
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Location: 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW
One of the most popular Instagram locations in Washington is at the Lincoln Memorial reflection pool. It is the perfect shallow pool to reflect the Washington Monument. At sunrise the sky is a gorgeous colour and you can manage to get photos without tourists surrounding the pool. The first few photos are taken at the Lincoln Memorial steps over looking the reflecting pool. I was very surprised at how many tourists and runners were here at sunrise (6:30am) so be prepared to share the space and Photoshop will be your friend! 😉
Photo Tip: If you are shooting solo you can’t place your tripod on the marble section of the Lincoln Memorial. You can place it on the concrete for photos instead. The security guard was nice enough to let me snap a bunch of photos very quickly before I had to move.
Thomas Jefferson Memorial + Tidal Basin
Location: 16 E Basin Dr SW
This location is very popular during cherry blossom season when hoards of tourists flock to the waters edge to capture the beautiful flowers with the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in the background. In August this location was very quiet at 9am, so there’s not need to go very early.
Lincoln Memorial
Location: 2 Lincoln Memorial Cir NW
From this vantage point you can capture the Lincoln Memorial beautifully with the morning light. Also, if you time your photos right you can avoid capturing any people walking by or on the steps.
Other Instagram Locations Worth a Visit:
Library of Congress: Free admission to a beautiful library and a gorgeous place for photos. The interior is jaw dropping!!
Botanical Garden: Free admission to indoor and outdoor gardens. So many different type of climates and plants to see!
CityCenter DC: This high end shopping center has an outdoor walkway and they change the overhead decor every season
Logan Circle: An iconic spot in the city to snap a few photos of some beautiful houses
There are so many beautiful Instagram Locations to discover in Washington, DC and new ones are popping up all the time! I hope you can visit some of the ones that I listed above and have an amazing time visiting the Capitol!
I love DC but haven’t spent much time looking for the best instagram locations…was actually planning a trip to see the cherry blossoms this weekend but I’m saving this for when we do actually get to go!
The cherry blossoms look so beautiful, hope you get a chance to see them next year! DC has amazing photo spots, a lot more than I thought!
I love how colourful all of these photos are! so much fun!
thanks so much Kim!!
These all look such cool places! I love that watermelon mural and the bookshop is so cute! Hope to visit one day ?
Thank you Jen, hope you can visit too! The watermelon house is so fun!
I had no idea that Washington DC has so many instragramable places! I especially love the Watermelon House. It’s backstory is really interesting and I love how creative they were when they did not like the color
Btw. Your pictures are stunning!
Thank you so so much Steph! Washington is full of cool photo spots and the watermelon house is a unique one!
Love how colorful this is. I did not realize that there are so many art murals and colorful spots in DC
ahah me either, definitely a nice surprise! Thank you Karthika!
Your photos are so colourful! Love them.
Thanks so so much! I appreciate it!
Your photos are beautiful! I haven’t been to Washington DC in ages, and definitely didn’t realize it was so photogenic!
I’m sooo happy to hear that! This was my first time visiting and I was pleasantly surprised!
You’ve found such quirky and beautiful spots. You’ve inspired me to visit!
So happy to hear that, thank you Francesca! DC is full of gorgeous spots!
I live in DC and you included a few spots I actually didn’t know about! Like that watermelon house – looks like I know where I’m taking my afternoon walk tomorrow haha. But isn’t DC such a beautiful city?! So glad you got to visit!
ahaha the watermelon house is such a cool one and one of my faves! Glad I got to visit as well, so beautiful!
I love your edits- they’re so beautiful! ?
Thank you so much Shafinah! It was fun to edit these 🙂
Wow, super cute places for photos in DC. I didn’t realize there were so many photos to take places. Pinning so I have this guide when I visit again.
Ahah me either Chrissy, I was pleasantly surprised! Thanks so much!
I love the fun pops of colours and your outfit coordination is on point! Haha
Thank you Katy! Most of the clothing coordination were not on purpose! ahahah