If a shutdown of the federal government happens next month, it could have a real impact on what is open during your visit. You might want to keep an eye on that before making your bookings.
There are public transportation methods to get from both Dulles and BWI to downtown Washington. Yes, if the flight into them is only $50 less than to National, it’s not worth it. If it’s $100 less, it’s hard to tell. If it’s $200 less, it’s probably worth it to fly from them. I just wanted to say this because a lot of people assume that because BWI contains the word “Baltimore,” it’s a long distance from Washington. It’s not. It’s 32 miles from the center of D.C., while Dulles is 27 miles from the center of D.C. and National is 4 miles from the center of D.C.
Really. I think we took a tour, then walked around the cathedral & grounds. Plus the nice giftshop. Definitely worth a visit.
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is accessible my Metro & beautiful in a gaudy, neo-Byzantine way. And I promise the Roman Caholics won’t try to throw holy water on anybody!