Arlington, Virginia sits just across the Potomac from the National Mall, and for most visitors the name means one place: Arlington National Cemetery, the 639-acre burial ground where more than 400,000 service members, veterans and their family members rest beneath rows of white headstones. It is one of the most visited sites in the Washington, D.C. area, and one of the most misunderstood — people arrive expecting a quick photo stop and leave having walked several miles uphill in the sun.
What Arlington National Cemetery actually is
The cemetery opened in 1864 on land that had belonged to Confederate general Robert E. Lee’s family, and it has been an active military burial ground ever since. Roughly 25-30 funerals still take place here on an average weekday. It is administered by the U.S. Army, not the National Park Service, which is why its rules — on vehicles, dress, and behavior — feel stricter than a typical monument on the National Mall.
Walking entry through the visitor center near the Arlington Memorial Bridge is completely free and requires no ticket or reservation. Bags go through a security screening similar to an airport checkpoint. The cemetery is enormous, and unlike the flat two-mile stretch of the Mall, much of it slopes uphill — a genuine factor for anyone with mobility concerns or small children in tow.
Vehicle access is restricted, not free-flowing
This is the detail that trips up the most visitors: you generally cannot just drive in and park. Private vehicle access is limited to people with an ADA disability placard, and to visitors with a documented reason such as an active-duty burial or a scheduled grave visit arranged in advance. Everyone else arrives on foot, by Metro (the Blue Line stops directly at Arlington Cemetery station), by tour bus, or by taxi/rideshare dropped at the visitor center.
Once inside, a paid shuttle tram (Arlington Cemetery’s official narrated tour bus) loops between the major sections, which is the practical way to cover ground if you don’t want to walk the full distance. Walking the whole cemetery on foot, section by section, easily adds up to 3-4 miles round trip.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier runs on a fixed schedule
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its Changing of the Guard ceremony is the cemetery’s centerpiece and the one event visitors plan their whole visit around. The guard change happens on a set schedule that does not bend for crowds or weather:
| Season | Changing of the Guard frequency |
|---|---|
| April 1 - September 30 | Every 30 minutes |
| October 1 - March 31 | Every hour |
| Overnight | Guard change still occurs, but visitor access is limited |
Arrive at least 15-20 minutes before a scheduled change to get a decent viewing spot along the plaza — this is consistently the most crowded single point in the cemetery. Rangers and cemetery staff do not answer questions the way National Park Service staff do at the Mall’s memorials; this is an active military honor guard, not an interpretive program, and silence and respectful dress are expected, not optional.
Reaching the far sections takes real effort
Two of the cemetery’s most-requested stops sit well beyond the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and both require either a genuine walk or the paid shuttle:
- John F. Kennedy’s gravesite, marked by an eternal flame, sits on a slope below Arlington House with views back toward the Lincoln Memorial across the river. It’s roughly a 10-15 minute walk uphill from the visitor center area.
- Arlington House (the Robert E. Lee Memorial), at the top of the hill above JFK’s grave, is currently undergoing phased renovation and reopening in stages — check current status before planning to go inside, though the grounds and the view over Washington remain a highlight even from outside.
Neither location is a quick detour. Visitors who skip the shuttle tram and try to see the Tomb, JFK’s grave and Arlington House all on foot in under two hours often run out of time or energy, especially in summer heat.
Accessibility, children, and mobility limits
The cemetery’s terrain is the single biggest planning factor for visitors with mobility limits or young children, and it deserves more than a passing mention. The paths between the visitor center, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the far sections are paved and well maintained, but the grades are real hills, not gentle inclines — closer to the slope of a parking garage ramp than a sidewalk. Wheelchair users and anyone who tires on inclines should plan around the shuttle tram rather than attempting the JFK/Arlington House stretch on foot; the tram is wheelchair accessible and stops close to the main points of interest, which removes most of the difficulty.
Families teaching children about service and sacrifice tend to do best by keeping the visit short and focused: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ceremony, with its clear ritual and fixed timing, holds a child’s attention far better than an open-ended walk among headstones. Strollers work fine on the paved paths but struggle on the steeper sections near Arlington House, so a carrier is worth considering for the uphill stretch if you’re bringing a toddler. Staff and the Old Guard soldiers on duty near the Tomb do not interact with visitors the way rangers do at the National Mall memorials — quiet is expected, and it helps to explain the ceremony to kids before you arrive rather than during it.
For visitors who want the ceremony explained rather than simply witnessed, a walking tour pairing JFK’s memorial with the Changing of the Guard times the route so you’re not scrambling between the two on your own clock, and a small-group Changing of the Guard tour keeps the group size down for families who’d rather not join a large crowd at the plaza.
Arlington the cemetery vs. Arlington the city
It’s worth clearing up a common mix-up: Arlington is also a full-sized Virginia city of over 230,000 people, with its own downtown high-rises, restaurants and office towers clustered along the Potomac waterfront near the Rosslyn and Crystal City neighborhoods. That side of Arlington — dining, hotels, the Tysons-Leesburg suburban corridor — belongs to Northern Virginia as a whole and is covered on that region’s page, not here. This page stays focused on the cemetery itself: its hours, its walking demands, and the short hop from downtown D.C.
Getting there from Washington, D.C.
Arlington National Cemetery is one of the closest major sites to downtown D.C., and it’s easy to reach without a car:
| Method | Time from the National Mall | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metro (Blue Line) | 15-20 minutes | Arlington Cemetery station sits at the entrance |
| Rideshare/taxi | 15-25 minutes | Traffic on the bridge varies by time of day |
| Walking + bridge | 30-40 minutes | Via Arlington Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial |
| Driving | 15-30 minutes | Limited on-site parking; arrive early or use Metro instead |
Because the cemetery sits just across the Memorial Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, many visitors combine it with a morning at the National Mall memorials before crossing over for the afternoon — see our guided vs. self-guided National Mall comparison for how to sequence a combined day.
A private guide can also help make sense of the cemetery’s scale and history without you needing to navigate the map yourself; a historian-led walking tour of the cemetery with a historian covers the Tomb, JFK’s gravesite and Arlington House in a paced route, while a tour that includes the CIA Memorial Wall adds a lesser-known section most visitors miss entirely.
For families or small groups who’d rather set their own pace, a private tour for up to ten guests avoids the uphill walking by keeping the group together in a vehicle between sections. Visitors combining Arlington with the U.S. Capitol and other downtown sites on the same day sometimes prefer a full-day tour pairing the Capitol with cemetery entry, which handles transport between the two.
Pairing Arlington with the rest of Northern Virginia
Because Arlington National Cemetery only takes half a day, most visitors combine it with at least one other stop on the Virginia side of the Potomac rather than heading straight back into downtown D.C. Mount Vernon, George Washington’s estate on the river south of the city, makes a natural afternoon pairing for visitors already thinking about American history and service; it sits far enough south that it’s its own trip rather than a quick add-on, so plan for it as a second half-day rather than squeezing it in after the cemetery closes. Closer by, Old Town Alexandria offers a complete change of pace — cobblestone streets, waterfront dining, and none of the solemnity of the cemetery — and is an easy 15-20 minute drive or a short Metro-and-walk combination from Arlington.
Visitors staying multiple nights in the area sometimes base themselves in the Arlington/Alexandria corridor rather than downtown D.C., since hotel rates in Northern Virginia tend to run lower and the Blue and Yellow Metro lines put the Mall within 20-25 minutes. The wider Northern Virginia region page covers the Tysons-Leesburg suburbs, Arlington’s own downtown neighborhoods, and the practical case for basing a trip there instead of in the district itself.
Visitors arriving from outside the immediate area sometimes route their whole trip through Washington rather than flying directly — a one-day tour from New York with lunch included and a day excursion from New York both build in time for the Capitol and the Mall alongside a stop at the cemetery, while a one-day tour from New Jersey covers the same ground for visitors starting further north. None of these replace the value of dedicating real time to Arlington itself, but they show how tightly the cemetery is woven into the wider day-trip circuit around the capital.
Planning your visit
Wear real walking shoes — the paths are paved but the grades are steep in places, and flip-flops or dress shoes make the JFK/Arlington House stretch genuinely uncomfortable. Bring water, especially in summer; there is limited shade once you’re past the visitor center. Photography is permitted throughout, but visitors are asked to remain silent and remove hats during an active Changing of the Guard ceremony or a funeral procession passing nearby — funerals are not staged for tourists and take priority over sightseeing at every turn.
If your schedule is tight, prioritize the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier changing of the guard first (it’s on a fixed clock and won’t wait), then decide based on remaining time and energy whether to walk or shuttle to JFK’s grave and Arlington House. Pairing this half-day with a night in Old Town Alexandria or a stop for the wider Northern Virginia suburbs rounds out a longer day trip; see our Arlington day trip from Washington, D.C. guide for a full itinerary.
Frequently asked questions about visiting Arlington National Cemetery
Is Arlington National Cemetery free to enter?
Yes. Walking entry is completely free with no ticket required. The only costs are optional: the narrated shuttle tram, parking if you drive and find a paid spot, or a guided tour with a historian.
Can you drive into Arlington National Cemetery?
Only in limited cases. Private vehicle access is restricted to visitors with an ADA disability placard or a documented gravesite visit; most visitors arrive by Metro, on foot, or by tour bus and walk or ride the shuttle tram once inside.
How often does the Changing of the Guard happen?
Every 30 minutes from April 1 through September 30, and every hour from October 1 through March 31, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony continues overnight on a reduced schedule, though public access is limited after hours.
How far is it to walk to JFK’s grave and Arlington House?
Roughly 10-15 minutes uphill from the visitor center to JFK’s gravesite, with Arlington House a further short but steep climb above it. The paid shuttle tram covers this same ground for visitors who’d rather not walk it.
Is Arlington National Cemetery the same as Arlington, Virginia?
No. Arlington National Cemetery is one site within the larger city of Arlington, Virginia, which also has its own downtown, restaurants and office towers along the Potomac. This page covers the cemetery only; the wider city belongs to the Northern Virginia suburbs.
How long should I plan to spend at Arlington National Cemetery?
Half a day, roughly 3-4 hours, is enough to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ceremony, JFK’s grave and Arlington House without rushing. Visitors trying to add much more in a single visit often run short on time or energy given the walking involved.
What should I wear to visit Arlington National Cemetery?
Comfortable, closed-toe walking shoes are essential given the steep, paved grades between sections. Modest, respectful dress is expected, particularly near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during a Changing of the Guard.
Do I need to book a tour, or can I visit on my own?
Self-guided visits are common and free, but a guided tour helps with orientation across 639 acres and adds context most self-guided visitors miss, including sections like the CIA Memorial Wall.
