Guide to Having a Sustainable Vacation in Washington, DC

With an increasing number of LEED-certified hotels in the District, there are plenty of green options with environmentally friendly practices and amenities. The Motto by Hilton is a LEED Silver-certified hotel in the heart of Chinatown. While there, you will find refillable water stations throughout the hotel, a vegetated roof area for hosting events and smart LED lighting and air conditioning with infrared sensors that auto-shut when you are not in the room. The newly opened Eaton Hotel is another unique sustainable option. The LEED Gold-certified property features natural and organic mattresses, along with 100 percent natural bathroom amenities. The extensive rooftop houses an herb garden and wind turbine, while the cuisine at chef Tim Ma’s restaurant, American Son, is mindfully sourced, featuring organic meats and vegetable towers.

Walking and biking are among the greenest options and give you the advantage of immersing yourself in the arts and culture of the city, exploring more neighborhoods and passing through beautiful sustainable gardens such as the U.S. Botanic Garden’s Bartholdi Park. The region’s residents take advantage of these methods too, as 58 percent of commuter trips in DC are by bike, walking or public transit, according to Buildings Magazine. Washington, DC was the first city in North America to launch a bikeshare system, which now has more than 4,000 bikes and 500 stations. Capital Bikeshare is one of the most popular ways to get around, with a single trip costing only $2 and a 24-hour pass just $8. The first 30 minutes of each trip is free with a fee for each additional half hour. Visitors can easily get and return a bike at one of hundreds of stations.

Washington, DC has plenty of options for tour guide services that value the environment. With the largest inventory of rental bikes in DC, Unlimited Biking allows locals and tourists of all ages to explore the city by day or night, including various tours like “Capital Sites” and “Monuments at Night” and seasonal offerings such as “Blossoms by Bike” and “Christmas on Wheels.” There's also REI, which offers kayak and paddle rentals at National Harbor and hosts guided day tours and classes, including trips to Shenandoah National Park and New River Gorge in West Virginia.

Rock Creek Conservancy

There are many ways to decrease your carbon footprint and volunteer with others during your time in the District to help protect our beautiful ecosystems. Serve DC is a government agency that is part of the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and offers neighborhood clean-ups and pop-up markets to increase access to fresh, local food. Restore and enhance the trees through the nation’s capital with Casey Trees, a non-profit that plants over 3,000 trees across all eight wards annually. Get your hands dirty and the rivers clean with Potomac Conservancy. Look out for trash and river cleanups from Fletcher’s Cove to Theodore Roosevelt Island. Rock Creek Conservancy offers trash cleanup and invasive plant removal, which is suitable for the whole family.

There are plenty of restaurants throughout the District that are good for the planet and good for you as well. Chaia, with two locations in Georgetown and Chinatown, brings its “farm-to-taco” philosophy to seasonal vegetarian tacos. A Baked Joint is a short walk from attractions such as the National Portrait Gallery and features local and organic produce, as well fresh bread made on-site. Head to NoMa, where you can explore Union Market’s more than 40 local vendors, including everything from locally-produced kombucha at Craft Kombucha to 100 percent plant-based Israeli street food from Shouk. Explore more delicious farm-to-table restaurants in DC.