Washington, D.C. (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

We try to visit DC every couple of years, and next time we were thinking of paying for one of those guided city tours. We don't need the sites pointed out to us, but those tour guides always seem to have good information and anecdotes about the sites that you don't hear anywhere else. I thought that maybe we could save a couple hundred dollars if we could find a book that has that type of information. I bought the Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C., and I also checked out the Frommer's Guide. They were very informative, but they didn't get me excited about any of the sites. They were pretty much just reference books (with very limited photos). However, when I opened up the Eyewitness Travel book, I was blown away. The color photos and color floor plans/cutaways of the buildings are outstanding. It really got me interested in places that I wouldn't have thought twice about if I had read just a text description.

The book also tells about the history of certain...Read more

The Eyewitness Guide to Washington, DC starts off with a brief introductory section that includes a history of the city, general information, as well as a summary of the major galleries, museums, and memorials. This section is almost reminiscent of a Frommer's guide as it includes a best of list and a sample itinerary, which are both staples of that guidebook franchise.

Next, the book moves on to a section-by-section examination of the city. There are five geographical areas within the city as well as two more beyond that are broken down here. Each section offers a reasonable amount of information on major attractions. With the maps, photos, and 3-D style cutaway representations of some of the major buildings the Eyewitness Guide is far superior to others when it comes to giving you a sense of the physical reality of Washington. No amount of words can communicate as thoroughly what a place is like compared to these pictures. I found this invaluable in helping me...Read more

Another success for the DK Eyewitness series. Well thought out, with the excellent graphics that are DK's hallmark. Well indexed, user friendly, and pocket sized. As a DC resident I own a lot of DC guidebooks; this is the one I'd recommend first, to both visitors and new arrivals alike.