These are the best places to travel this summer

Alexandria

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

Shop

Get even more with a Lonely Planet guide.

Shop Book

LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM

Stay connected in Alexandria

with

Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.

Get your eSIM

Overview

The charming town of Alexandria is 5 miles and 250 years away from Washington. Once a salty port, Alexandria – known as ‘Old Town’ to locals – is today a posh collection of red-brick homes, cobblestone streets, gas lamps and a waterfront promenade near the Potomac River. It's often described as one of the best-preserved historical districts in the nation. Boutiques, outdoor cafes and bars pack the main thoroughfare, making the town a fine afternoon or evening jaunt. Two miles north of Old Town, the residential Del Ray neighborhood is a pleasant place to stroll, especially along the eatery-lined Mt Vernon Ave. Alexandria is also a jumping-off spot for excursions to Mount Vernon.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site

    Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site

    Alexandria

    Washington, DC’s best-preserved Civil War fort is surprisingly hidden away in a residential Alexandria neighborhood. But there it is, a vivid foray into…

  • Interior exhibit

    Freedom House Museum

    Alexandria

    This demure Federal-style row house holds a tragic story. At a time when Alexandria was the nation’s second-largest slave center (after New Orleans), a…

  • Alexandria Black History Museum

    Alexandria Black History Museum

    Alexandria

    Paintings, photographs, books and other memorabilia documenting the African American experience in Alexandria, one of the nation’s major slave ports, are…

  • Lyceum: Alexandria's History Museum

    Lyceum: Alexandria's History Museum

    Alexandria

    For a quick primer on Alexandria’s history, stop by this small city museum in a beautiful Greek Revival building dating from 1839. A somewhat dusty array…

  • The historic Carlyle House, in Alexandria, Virginia.; Shutterstock ID 302612909; Your name (First / Last): redownload; GL account no.: redownload; Netsuite department name: redownload; Full Product or Project name including edition: redownload

    Carlyle House

    Alexandria

    If you have time for just one historic house tour in Alexandria, make it this one. The house dates from 1753 when merchant and city founder, John Carlyle,…

  • The compounding room

    Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum

    Alexandria

    In 1792 Edward Stabler opened up his apothecary (pharmacy) – a family business that would operate until 1933, when the Depression forced its doors to…

  • George Washington Masonic National Memorial

    George Washington Masonic National Memorial

    Alexandria

    Alexandria’s most prominent landmark features a fine view from the observation deck of its 333ft tower. Modeled after Egypt’s Lighthouse of Alexandria, it…

  • Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery

    Contrabands & Freedmen Cemetery

    Alexandria

    During the Civil War, the Union-controlled southern city of Alexandria, VA, became a safe haven for formerly enslaved African Americans. Though they had…

View more attractions

Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Alexandria, Virginia, is one of the most charming and historic towns in the Mid-Atlantic. Here’s our guide to the top things to do.

Read article

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Alexandria