Timeline
06:40
Washington Monument and WWII Memorial
Walk from the Monument to the WWII Memorial. Find a spot with a clear view down the Mall. The sun will rise directly behind the Washington Monument, creating a striking silhouette against the morning sky.
07:05
Washington Monument and WWII Memorial
Watch the sunrise. The alignment lasts for a few minutes. Take in the scale of the monument as the light changes from grey to gold.
07:45
Head to Greenberry's for coffee and a pastry. It is open from 07:00 on weekdays, so you can grab a warm drink to celebrate the start of the day. Note that it is closed on weekends.
Local tip
Greenberry's is closed on weekends. If you are visiting on Saturday or Sunday, skip this stop or check the route to another café.
Check before you go
- Greenberry's is open Mo-Fr 07:00-15:00. It is closed on weekends.
Worth knowing
- Sun position is calculated. We have not confirmed the view is unobstructed.
- Greenberry's is open at 07:45 only on Mo, Tu, We, Th, Fr
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Washington, D.C. (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).