11 essential tips for visiting Arlington National Cemetery

Plan a respectful and meaningful visit to Arlington National Cemetery with these essential tips on transportation, walking distances, tours, summer heat, visitor rules, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and nearby memorials.

The first time I visited Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., was in 2004, when my Uncle Ara Mooradian, MIA in the Korean War, received a memorial service with full military honors – horse-drawn caisson, soldiers on horseback, a 21-gun salute, the Missing Man Formation, the whole deal. Nothing short of impressive and deeply moving, especially for my mom, Ara’s younger sister, who had waited 53 years since his disappearance for this honor.

Now, every time I am in D.C., I head over to Arlington to visit Uncle Ara’s headstone. It is on a short hillside off Porter Drive in Section MF. There, I sit for a few minutes and talk to both the good-looking uncle I never knew and my mom. I have a tie to Arlington that may be different from many, but that doesn’t mean your visit to Arlington National Cemetery will be any less memorable. 

The ceremony to honor my uncle, Capt. Ara Mooradian, USAF (MIA Korean War), was so much more than I imagined, with its full military procession, a “Missing Man” flyover, and a 21-gun salute.

Even without a personal connection, Arlington is definitely a must-see in D.C. and well worth the time. Rows upon rows of tens of thousands of identical white markers across 624 acres slaps you in the face about the reality of war and its losses. And this is only a small portion of what our country and its families -- my family -- have given as the greatest sacrifice. Uncle Ara, the bombardier on his B-29, never returned from his bombing mission over North Korea that fateful day in October 1951, although a number of his crew members returned after the war in a prisoner swap. I’m sure there is a story behind every single one of those 400,000 headstones rolling over the hills of the perfect green lawns at Arlington.

Here are 11 must-read tips for your visit to Arlington National Cemetery:

• Access is easy, but wear your walking shoes. The Metrorail’s blue line stops at the Arlington station, though that’s a bit loose. From the station to the Arlington National Cemetery Visitors Center is “only” about a tenth of a mile, but you have to maneuver the Metrorail station first, get over an overpass, and go down a long road. It feels much longer than it is. If someone with you is not very mobile, you’ll want to take a taxi. Find maps and other info here at WMATA, the Washington Metro Area transit site.

• Allow plenty of time for a visit. With transportation to the site, touring, and time to look around the visitor center, you will need a good chunk of the day. I suggest allotting at least four hours, and as much as five or even six. The Metrorail from town alone will take 35-50 minutes, depending on your starting point. In other words, don’t try to squeeze in a quick visit. 

• Bring water and any snacks you may need, as well as flowers for a grave. There are no services, snacks, or sales of food, beverages, or flowers. It is a military cemetery and museum, and it is pretty isolated (no corner markets), so be sure to have whatever you need. On the grounds, only water is allowed. No picnics. If you have a grave to visit, buy flowers in advance, since nothing is available on-site, but pay attention to the rules about that, too.

• In the summer, when many will visit, it can be very hot. I cannot stress that enough. Very hot. The walk from the metro station is treeless. The walk through the cemetery has a few spots of shade but little breeze. Take hats and sunscreen, and be prepared to rest on benches here and there.

• Watch out for the mosquitoes! Depending on the time of day, the time of year, the temperature, or the watering schedule, you may find yourself being eaten alive. One year, I took a journal and planned to sit on the hillside next to Uncle Ara’s gravestone to write. That didn’t happen. My face, ankles, arms, and any exposed part of my body were devoured. I had to run for it. Use repellent.

• The Visitors Center at Arlington National Cemetery is air-conditioned and has bathrooms, neither of which you will find elsewhere on the grounds. Use and enjoy.Pay attention to visitor rules. The guidelines are strict. This is a military cemetery, not Disneyland. And no pets are allowed.

• Take time at the Arlington National Cemetery Visitors Center to grab a map, book a tour, look up a relative on the kiosk and print the information there (if you did not do that at home first), and read the historical displays about the cemetery before your visit on the grounds. Find out about other memorials and things to see here..

• To take a tour or not? It depends on your personal preferences. Hop-on, hop-off group tours on narrated trams are available, too.

• Should you take a shuttle? It’s “only” about .8 to .9 miles from the Visitors Center (one of the most popular destinations) to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where everyone wants to go for the Changing of the Guard, but it can still feel like a long way. You can always walk out (free) and then grab a tour shuttle back (return trips have, in the past, been free for all). Depends on your preferences and abilities, of course. 

• If there is someone less able in your group, Arlington offers some special access and services, so do check in advance about what may be available.

Now, what about the rest of your day if you are out in the Arlington area? Take the Metrorail one stop farther to the Pentagon, then walk around the side to the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. Up for more walking? Then keep going up the hill to the spectacular Air Force Memorial.

Once back in town, if you find your way to the National Mall, as everybody does, be sure to check out the Korean War Memorial and its Wall of Remembrance. The Wall of Remembrance, one of the newer memorials in D.C., opened in 2022 and has my Uncle Ara’s name on it. I was very honored to be invited to the unveiling for families.