Best self-guided walking tour of Georgetown, D.C.
This walk has it all: history, shopping, restaurants, cafes and charming only-in-Georgetown surprises. You will stroll along the lively riverfront, follow the scenic C&O Canal with its historic locks, wander through peaceful cobblestone alleys, admire historic homes, and pause at irresistible bakeries, boutiques, and restaurants. You’ll end with a true sense of the neighborhood and plenty of ideas for where to explore or linger. We recommend starting at the river but, since the walk is a loop, you can start at any place that is convenient for you. A map with a key is at the bottom of this post. If you want to see the map as you read through the following, click here for a printable PDF of the map and key
1. Georgetown Waterfront Park
When you ask your Uber driver to bring you to Georgetown Waterfront Park you will most likely get dropped off at the entrance to Washington Harbour, a modern shopping and dining complex. You will see many brides and grooms here! Stroll along the waterfront and enjoy views of people kayaking, crewing, or taking sightseeing cruises. With the river ahead of you, turn right, and you will reach the actual 10-acre park. In addition to the waterfront promenade, there are walkways, benches, and large open lawn areas. When you are done at the park…
Head towards 31st Street, which marks the eastern edge of the park. If you exit from Washington Harbour, turn left and then turn right on 31st Street to head inland. Thirty-first Street is a lovely street that will bring you to the canal towpath before you reach Stop #2: Baked & Wired. (The towpath and bakery are just steps apart.) If you are not interested in the bakery, skip to Stop #3. If you want refreshments or just love looking at bakeries as much as I do, head for Baked & Wired. You may want to do so anyway, since it is nice to stroll along Lock 4 in both directions.
2. Baked & Wired (1052 Thomas Jefferson St NW)
This is a small bakery where you can pick up coffee, tea, or one of their popular cupcakes. (Try the red velvet.)
Walk 0.1 mi | 2 min north to the Towpath. Lock 4 is just steps away. Turn left to walk along it.
3. C&O Canal Towpath (Lock 4)
Once used by mules to tow boats, this scenic stretch features colorful brick homes and historic locks. At the moment, the canal is dry because the locks are undergoing a $12.7 million restoration by the National Park Service. The project began in March 2024 and is expected to last through Winter 2026. Even without water, the towpath is very pretty.
Scenic Lock 4 is a one-block stretch between Thomas Jefferson Street and 31st Street. With Thomas Jefferson Street to your back, cross 31st Street and turn left, walking towards (and past) the Rosewood Hotel. (Wolfgang Puck’s Cut restaurant is in the front corner of the hotel, facing the canal.) Walk past the hotel and make an immediate right into the alley behind it. Walk through the block-long alley to Wisconsin Ave. Walk across Wisconsin and continue on to the start of Grace St.
4. Grace Street
This short, historic street is lined with fun, small cafes and bakeries on your left. Look for a pretty brick plaza tucked into the large brick building on your right.
Georgetown is full of tucked-away plazas like this one along Grace Street.
Continue 0.1 mi | 2 min west on Grace St, to…
4A. Cecil Place
This is a tiny street that leads down to the river and is lined with row homes. Take a peek down it, then…
Follow Grace Street as it turns to the right. In front of you will be a really nice…
4B. Scenic canal walk and sitting area
Walk towards the canal. In front of you, you will see another pretty plaza/sitting area.
Turn left, and walk the equivalent of a few blocks with the canal on your right. You’ll come to cement stairs that bring you to a pedestrian bridge that will take you across the canal.
Walk over the pedestrian bridge and walk one block to M Street. Turn left. Cady’s Alley is half a block ahead on your left.
5. Cady’s Alley
If you were walking on M Street, you would probably walk right by the nondescript entrance to Cady’s Alley. Don’t! It’s a charming cobblestone street anchoring some lovely upscale shops. Enter where the sign says, “Cady’s Alley” and walk down the outdoor stairs to the plaza. Ahead of you, you will see pretty Kafé Leopold. Walk through the café’s outdoor sitting area and turn right onto Cady’s Alley. You will discover a charming, historic, peaceful oasis just one block away from frenetic, heavily trafficked, boutique-lined M Street.
Walk to the end of Cady’s Alley. On your left, you will see a tiny little sitting area with three blue Adirondack chairs overlooking the towpath. Turn right onto 34th St. and walk one short block to M St. On the corner of 34th and M St. you will find the Forrest-Marbury House
6. Forrest-Marbury House (3350 M St NW)
The Forrest-Marbury House is where Washington met in 1791 to plan the capital. Today it is the Embassy of Ukraine.
Continue 0.2 mi | 4 min west to Prospect St, then right to Halcyon House.
7. Halcyon House (3400 Prospect St NW)
Georgian mansion (1789) with plenty of lore.
Continue 0.1 mi | 2 min west to Prospect House.
8. Prospect House (3508 Prospect St NW)
Georgian mansion (1788) visited by John Adams and Lafayette.
Continue along Prospect Street until you reach the next corner, which is 36th Street. (It begins on your right and dead ends at the stairs.) On your left, you will see the…
8A. Exorcist Stairs (Prospect St at 36 St.)
These stairs were featured in the last scene of The Exorcist when the priest threw himself down them. When we visited, the firemen were walking up and down them for exercise!
Keep going along Prospect Street and the third house after the stairs is the…
8B. Transformer House
Dr. Newton Howard, a cognitive scientist at Georgetown University, installed the six-to-ten-foot tall statues, made from repurposed car parts, outside his $4 million rowhouse in January 2021. He said the statues were a message about the potential for cooperation between humans and artificial intelligence or robots. Some neighbors and the Old Georgetown Board (OGB), which has jurisdiction over the exterior architecture and aesthetics of the historic district, opposed the statues, citing concerns about their placement on a public sidewalk and their potential to detract from the neighborhood's historic Victorian character. The Board unanimouslhy ruled that the statues needed to be taken down. Howard ignored them, citing the right of free speech and the fact that children love them and even leave flowers for them. Not only did he ignore the ruling, but according to DCist, he replaced the Optimus Prime statue with an even bigger one, and put the smaller one on his roof. The legal battle continues.
Do Stops #9 and #10 if you are walking at night (36 and 37 Streets are charming at night but a bit scruffy in the day) or if you are interested in seeing the Georgetown University campus. If not, skip to stop #11. The walk along 36th and 37th Streets will loop you back to stop #11.
For Stop #10: Cross the street to where 36th Street begins and walk along it to see…
9. 36th Street NW
Admire the Georgian and Federal style buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
36th Street ends at P. Street. Turn left onto P Street, then left again onto…
10. 37th Street NW
You’ll pass more historic and colorful homes. On your right is the Georgetown campus and Healey Hall, the magnificent Gothic Revival building that serves as a symbol of the university and is its main administrative hub.
Walk 2 blocks to N Street. Turn left and walk to the corner of N and 36 Street. Here you will see…
11. Holy Trinity Church (Corner of 36 and O Streets)
John F Kennedy worshipped here and, as you will soon see, lived just a few blocks away.
With the church to your left, walk along N Street towards…
12. Cox’s Row (3327–3339 N St NW)
These are four Federal rowhouses built in 1817 by Georgetown’s first mayor.
Continue along N Street and, near the end of the block, you will reach…
13. Kennedy Residence (3307 N St NW)
Home of John & Jacqueline Kennedy in the 1950s.
Walk to the corner and turn left onto 33rd St. Walk one block north to O Street. Turn right onto O Street and walk to…
14. St. John’s Episcopal Church (3240 O St NW)
Built 1796–1809; parishioners included Jefferson and Dolley Madison.
Continue on O Street for 2 min to Wisconsin Ave, then turn right to…
15. Martin’s Tavern (1264 Wisconsin Ave NW)
Historic tavern where JFK proposed to Jackie. Don’t be shy about walking in to see Booth #3 (where the proposal happened) even if you are not eating here. The tavern welcomes visitors and even has a brochure printed to give you all the info about other notable people who ate there.
Exit Martin’s Tavern, turn left and walk up Wisconsin Avenue to…
16. Boulangerie Christophe (1422 Wisconsin Ave NW)
This is a lovely bakery with a covered outdoor sitting area in the back. The sourdough breads, french pastries, and the sandwiches all look great. And the crepes come highly recommended.
Cross Wisconsin Avenue and walk east on O Street, which stops further south on Wisconsin and then starts again directly across the street from Boulangerie Christophe. Walk a few minutes to 31 St and turn left. 31st Street is very pretty and begins a slight uphill climb to the ritzy part of town. Walk along it until you reach…
17. Tudor Place (1644 31st St NW)
This is a beautiful home with a lovely garden that has many benches and tables scattered throughout where you could sit.
Continue on 31st Street to R Street. Directly ahead of you will be the entrance to…
18. Dumbarton Oaks & Gardens (1703 32nd St NW)
The gardens are especially maginificent when the wisteria is in bloom.
After you exit, turn left onto R Street and walk until you reach the cemetery. You will pass a few pretty parks along the way.
19. Oak Hill Cemetery (2801 R St NW)
Take a peek inside if you wish, or continue on until R Street ends and you will turn right onto 28 St. Turn left on Q Street to see…
20. Dumbarton House (2715 Q St NW)
Turn right on Q Street after you exit and then turn right on 29 St. Walk a few blocks to…
21. Mount Zion United Methodist Church (1334 29th St NW)
Continue heading south on 29 Street until you reach M Street.
21A. Pennsylvania Avenue.
On your left, you will see the start of Pennsylvania Avenue, home to many of DC’s most important buildings, including the White House and the Capitol Building. It features so prominently in our government that it is often referred to as “America’s Main Street.”
Turn right on M Street. This is Georgetown’s VERY busy shopping street with narrow sidewalks and lots of traffic. Pop in and out of any shops that interest you and eventually make your way to…
22. Old Stone House (3051 M St NW)
This is DC’s oldest building that is still standing on its original foundation. There is a small garden out back.
Near the Old Stone House, Osteria Mozza (2900 M St NW) is a really nice place to grab lunch or dinner.
If you want to head back to the canal area or the waterfront park, walk south on 31 Street which is just west of the Old Stone House.
22A. Georgetown Waterfront Park
This is where our walk began and where we officially finish. I hope you enjoyed it!