Drive guide · 2 days, 4 campuses

Georgetown, Howard, the Naval Academy and Loyola Maryland in 2 Days: A Washington, Annapolis and Baltimore College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing Georgetown University and Howard University in Washington on day 1 and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore on day 2: how each visit works, where to park, base access rules at the Naval Academy, three hotels from budget to upscale, drive times, things to do with siblings and seasonal weather, every fact sourced.

Healy Hall at Georgetown, a dark gray stone Gothic building with a tall clock tower and spires, behind a lawn with bare trees, benches and two small evergreens under a clear blue sky
Healy Hall, Georgetown University (Dec 2018). Photo: Warren LeMay · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
Georgetown University (Washington, DC) · Howard University (Washington, DC) · United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) · Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD)
Days
2 weekdays: Georgetown in the morning and Howard in the afternoon on day 1; the Naval Academy in the morning and Loyola Maryland in the afternoon on day 2. Arrive in Washington the evening before.
Fly into
Reagan National (DCA), about 11 minutes from the Courtyard Dupont Circle with no traffic, and fly home from BWI, about 30 minutes from Loyola. BWI round trip works too: it's about 54 minutes from the hotel.
Best base
Courtyard by Marriott Washington, DC Dupont Circle, about 10 minutes from Georgetown's front gates and 6 minutes from Howard by car.
Car or transit
Georgetown has limited parking and recommends public transit or rideshare, so day 1 works without a car. Rent a car for day 2: Dupont Circle to Annapolis is about 49 minutes and Annapolis to Loyola about 55 minutes with no traffic.
Registration
Georgetown, Howard and Loyola take visit sign-ups online. Naval Academy admissions briefings need no appointment, but every adult needs a REAL ID or passport to get on base.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare four very different schools around the Chesapeake in two days: Georgetown University on its Hilltop Campus in the historic Georgetown neighborhood; Howard University in northwest Washington; the United States Naval Academy on the Annapolis waterfront; and Loyola University Maryland, whose Evergreen campus in North Baltimore covers 81 wooded acres and is an accredited arboretum.

Dupont Circle sits between Georgetown and Howard, so day 1 is short hops; day 2 swings east to Annapolis and north to Baltimore and ends near BWI.

Why this order

  • Day 1 morning: Georgetown's Hilltop visit is about 2 hours, a 45-minute information session led by an admissions officer followed by a student-led campus tour of about 75 minutes.
  • Day 1 afternoon: Howard's weekday visit pairs an information session with a campus tour, about two hours in all, and Howard is about 14 minutes from Georgetown with no traffic.
  • Day 2: the Naval Academy's admissions briefings, about an hour and led by an active-duty Navy or Marine officer, need no appointment; Loyola's student-led campus tours run about 60 minutes and need a reservation.
Plan ahead: Naval Academy base access and DC parking
  • Naval Academy: visitors 18 and older need a REAL ID, U.S. passport or enhanced driver's license; everyone goes through a bag check and magnetometer, and access for foreign nationals is restricted.
  • Naval Academy: visitors without a Defense Department ID park off base in Annapolis and walk in through Gate 1.
  • Georgetown: parking is limited, so the university recommends transit or rideshare to the front gates at 37th and O streets NW; paid visitor parking is in the Southwest Garage off Canal Road.
  • Howard: Howard's visit page tells drivers to park along Georgia Avenue.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Howard runs tours in the fall (after Labor Day through November), spring (mid-January through April) and summer (early June to late July), weekdays only and not on holidays.
  • Naval Academy Admissions is closed November 26–29, December 24–27 and December 31 through January 3, so check before booking a holiday-week trip.

2. The suggested 2-day plan

  • Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Washington and Baltimore rush hours can easily double them, so leave a cushion on day 2.

Arrival evening: fly into Reagan National and check in at Dupont Circle

  1. Reagan National Airport (DCA) → Courtyard by Marriott Washington, DC Dupont Circle (1733 N St. NW)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~11 min, 4.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    Taxi or rideshare; pick up a rental car on day 2
  • Georgetown notes that Reagan National is about 5 miles from its campus, Dulles about 25 miles and BWI about 40 miles.

Day 1: Georgetown University in the morning, Howard University in the afternoon

  1. Courtyard Dupont Circle → Georgetown front gates (37th & O streets NW)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~10 min, 2.9 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    GUTS shuttle from Dupont Circle, or rideshare to 3700 O St. NW
  2. Georgetown → Howard University, Mordecai Johnson Administration Building (2400 6th St. NW)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~14 min, 4.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    Rideshare or taxi
  3. Howard → Courtyard Dupont Circle

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~5 min, 1.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    Rideshare or taxi
  • Georgetown's admissions office is in the White-Gravenor Building, Room 103: enter the front gates at 37th and O streets and turn right.
  • Have lunch in the Georgetown neighborhood between visits; Georgetown's own list of favorites is in the eating section below.
  • Howard visits meet in the lobby of the Mordecai Johnson Administration Building; registration is required.

Day 2: the U.S. Naval Academy in the morning, Loyola University Maryland in the afternoon, then home

  1. Courtyard Dupont Circle → Naval Academy, Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center (52 King George St., Annapolis)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~49 min, 32.7 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    Car required
  2. Naval Academy → Loyola University Maryland (4501 N. Charles St., Baltimore)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~55 min, 35.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    Car required
  3. Loyola → BWI Marshall Airport

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~30 min, 14.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving and Metro
    Car required
  • From Washington, take Route 50 east to Rowe Boulevard (Exit 24), then College Avenue to King George Street. Park in a city garage or lot and walk in through Gate 1; the free Annapolis Current trolley also circles downtown.
  • Admissions briefings are on the second floor of the Visitor Center; Visitor Center tours of the Yard follow the briefings, with tickets sold at the Visitor Center.
  • Book an afternoon Loyola tour so the drive from Annapolis fits, and set your GPS to Loyola's Jenkins Parking Lot.

3. Campus by campus

Healy Hall at Georgetown, a dark gray stone Gothic building with a tall clock tower and spires, behind a lawn with bare trees, benches and two small evergreens under a clear blue sky
Healy Hall, Georgetown University (Dec 2018). Photo: Warren LeMay · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Georgetown University (Washington, DC)

Where visits start
  • Hilltop Campus visits are about 2 hours: a 45-minute information session with an admissions officer, then a student-led tour of about 75 minutes that is mostly outdoors, so dress for the weather. Each event needs its own registration.
  • Georgetown also offers tours of its Capitol Campus downtown and a self-guided tour packet if you can't make a scheduled visit.
Visitor parking
  • Paid visitor parking is in the Southwest Garage, reached from Canal Road NW, at $5 an hour; it's also where accessible parking is, with drop-off at the front gates.
  • Free two-hour street parking nearby is limited and ticketed after two hours; neighborhood garages include 3251 Prospect St. NW and 1080 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
Getting there
  • Georgetown recommends transit: GUTS shuttles run from the Dupont Circle and Rosslyn Metro stations, the C91 bus serves campus, and rideshares can drop you at the front gates, 3700 O St. NW.
What to know
  • The Georgetown photo in this guide shows Healy Hall's clock tower on a clear winter day. Georgetown's visit page points families to Wisconsin Avenue, M Street and the Potomac waterfront park.
Contact
Georgetown Office of Undergraduate Admissions, White-Gravenor Building, Room 103; 202-687-3600.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Georgetown: Visit · Georgetown: Plan Your Campus Visit

Howard University's Founders Library, a red brick Georgian building with a white clock tower and green cupola, behind a wide lawn and tall trees under a blue sky with white clouds
Founders Library, Howard University (Aug 2017). Photo: Derek E. Morton · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Howard University (Washington, DC)

Where visits start
  • Howard's campus visit is an information session plus a campus tour, about two hours, Monday through Friday; there are no weekend or holiday tours, and registration is required.
  • Visits meet in the lobby of the Mordecai Johnson Administration Building, 2400 6th St. NW. A self-guided tour booklet is available if you can't book a time.
Visitor parking
  • Howard's visit page tells drivers to park along Georgia Avenue. Parking & Transportation Services is in the basement of the Johnson Administration Building, Suite 11 (202-806-2000).
Getting there
  • Howard is about 6 minutes by car from the Courtyard Dupont Circle and about 4 minutes from the Comfort Inn Downtown with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Howard photo in this guide shows the clock tower of Founders Library across the main yard.
Contact
Howard University Office of Admission, Mordecai Johnson Administration Building, 2400 6th St. NW, Washington, DC 20059.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Howard: Visit Howard · Howard: Self-Guided Tour Booklet · Howard: Parking & Transportation

Midshipmen in khaki and white uniforms standing in formation on a brick plaza in front of Bancroft Hall, a long gray granite building with a columned central entrance, at the U.S. Naval Academy
Noon formation at Bancroft Hall, U.S. Naval Academy (Jul 2022). Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD)

Where visits start
  • In-person admissions briefings run Monday through Saturday, last about an hour and are led by an active-duty Navy or Marine Corps officer. No appointment is needed; they're on the second floor of the Visitor Center at 52 King George St.
  • Tours of the Yard follow the briefings; tickets are sold at the Visitor Center's information desk.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors without a Defense Department ID park outside the Academy and walk in through Gate 1 (the Visitor Control Center) or Gate 8. The city of Annapolis runs public garages and lots downtown, and the free Annapolis Current trolley circles downtown.
  • Visitors 18 and older need a REAL ID, U.S. passport or enhanced driver's license; under-18s without ID must be escorted. Expect a bag check and magnetometer screening.
Getting there
  • Annapolis is about 49 minutes from the Courtyard Dupont Circle and about 36 minutes from BWI with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Naval Academy photo in this guide shows a noon formation outside Bancroft Hall. The Visitor Center has a 13-minute film, The Call to Serve, a Halsey Field House exhibit and a gift shop, and noon formation is held daily during the academic year, weather permitting.
Contact
U.S. Naval Academy Admissions: 410-293-1858.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Naval Academy: Base Access · Naval Academy: Directions · Naval Academy Visitor Center

Loyola Maryland's Humanities Center, a large Tudor-style building with half-timbered gables and red trim, behind a curving brick walk and lawn with tall bare trees in winter sun
Humanities Center, Loyola University Maryland (Jun 2014). Photo: Crhayes31288 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD)

Where visits start
  • Information sessions and campus tours run most weekdays and select Saturdays, and reservations are required; register under the student's name. Tours last about 60 minutes and are led by a current student, and information sessions about 30 minutes.
  • The Office of Undergraduate Admission is in the Humanities Center, and a self-guided tour map is available there.
Visitor parking
  • Set your GPS to the Jenkins Parking Lot. It has hourly paid parking, and admission guests get their ticket validated; it's reached from East Cold Spring Lane and Bunn Drive. Overflow lots are announced by email.
Getting there
  • Loyola is about 55 minutes from the Naval Academy and about 30 minutes from BWI with no traffic.
What to know
  • The Loyola photo in this guide shows the Tudor-style Humanities Center, home of the admission office. The National Aquarium in Baltimore's Inner Harbor is about 14 minutes away by car.
Contact
Loyola University Maryland, 4501 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21210. For accessibility needs, call 410-617-2549 at least 96 hours ahead.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Loyola: Visit · Loyola: Directions & Parking · Loyola: Campus Map

4. Where to stay: two nights near Dupont Circle, minutes from Georgetown and Howard

Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Hotel · Our pickMid-range

Courtyard by Marriott Washington, DC Dupont Circle

1733 N St. NW, Washington, DC

Why here

  • It's about 10 minutes by car from Georgetown's front gates, 6 minutes from Howard and 11 minutes from Reagan National, and the GUTS shuttle to Georgetown leaves from Dupont Circle.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour gym and an on-site restaurant and bar; valet parking and breakfast cost extra. Confirm before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Comfort Inn Downtown DC/Convention Center

1201 13th St. NW, Washington, DC

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's the closest of the three to Howard, about 4 minutes by car, and about 10 minutes from Georgetown's front gates.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists free breakfast and free Wi-Fi. Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

The Hoya Hotel at Georgetown

3800 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington, DC

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's right at Georgetown for the day-1 morning visit, and about 11 minutes by car from Howard, but it's the farthest of the three from Annapolis on day 2.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists free Wi-Fi, the Oak & Laurel restaurant and on-site parking. Confirm details before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Book two nights near Dupont Circle: Georgetown and Howard are each about 10 minutes or less away, so day 1 needs no car. Pick up a rental car on the morning of day 2 and drop it at BWI, about 30 minutes from Loyola.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

Georgetown neighborhood (Georgetown's own picks)

Georgetown's visit-planning page recommends these near campus. Check current hours before you go.

Eat

Call Your Mother Deli

3428 O St. NW

A student-favorite bagel and sandwich shop a few blocks from campus, per Georgetown.

Details →

Eat

The Tombs

1226 36th St. NW

A classic Georgetown student favorite serving American food, per Georgetown.

Details →

Eat

Martin's Tavern

1264 Wisconsin Ave. NW

A local landmark where John and Jackie Kennedy got engaged, per Georgetown.

Details →

Eat

Maman

1353 Wisconsin Ave. NW

A French-inspired bakery and café, per Georgetown.

Details →

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Smithsonian's National Zoo

3001 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC

Admission is free, but every guest, infants included, needs a free entry pass reserved ahead. Grounds are open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with last entry at 3 p.m.

Official page →

With siblings

Naval Academy Visitor Center and noon formation

52 King George St., Annapolis, MD

Siblings can watch the 13-minute film and the noon formation (daily in the academic year, weather permitting) while the student is in the admissions briefing.

Official page →

With siblings

National Aquarium

501 E. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD

In the Inner Harbor, about 14 minutes by car from Loyola; entry is timed, so book ahead.

Official page →

With siblings

A Bison, Hoyas, Midshipmen or Greyhounds game

Washington, Annapolis or Baltimore

Check the Howard, Georgetown, Navy and Loyola athletics calendars for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • Georgetown recommends transit or rideshare and charges $5 an hour in the Southwest Garage; Howard visitors park along Georgia Avenue; Naval Academy visitors park off base in Annapolis; Loyola visitors use the Jenkins Lot and get their ticket validated.
  • Dupont Circle to Annapolis is about 33 miles and 49 minutes, and Annapolis to Loyola about 35 miles and 55 minutes, with no traffic.

Flying in and out

  • Fly into Reagan National (DCA), about 11 minutes from the Courtyard Dupont Circle, and home from BWI, about 30 minutes from Loyola, with no traffic.
  • If you'd rather fly round trip through BWI, the drive to the Dupont Circle hotel is about 54 minutes with no traffic.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Washington Reagan National Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 68°F highs and 48°F lows, with about 3.2 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 90°F/72°F, with about 4.3 inches of rain, so plan for heat on the outdoor tours.
  • Fall: October averages about 69°F/52°F, with about 3.7 inches of rain; November about 58°F/42°F.
  • Winter: January averages about 45°F/30°F, with about 4.9 inches of snow.

Parent checklist

  • Register for a Georgetown Hilltop visit and a Howard campus visit for day 1, and an afternoon Loyola campus tour for day 2.
  • Bring a REAL ID, U.S. passport or enhanced driver's license for every adult going onto the Naval Academy grounds.
  • Book two nights near Dupont Circle and a rental car for day 2 that you can drop at BWI.
  • Note where each visit starts: Georgetown's White-Gravenor Building, Room 103; Howard's Mordecai Johnson Administration Building lobby; the Naval Academy Visitor Center's second floor; and Loyola's Humanities Center.
  • After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.

8. Student-athlete recruiting visits

For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.

Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.

Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.

4 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
  • Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
  • Division I (Georgetown University, Howard University, United States Naval Academy and Loyola University Maryland): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
  • Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.

Planning around the season

  • Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
  • Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.

Trip planner

Plan this trip

Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.

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Sources

All checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.

  1. Howard University Admission: Visit Howard
  2. Howard University: Campus Visit (official sign-up)
  3. Howard University Admission: Self-Guided Tour Booklet (PDF)
  4. Howard University Auxiliary Services: Parking & Transportation
  5. Georgetown University Undergraduate Admissions: Visit
  6. Georgetown University: In-Person Campus Visits (official sign-up)
  7. Georgetown University Undergraduate Admissions: Plan Your Campus Visit
  8. U.S. Naval Academy Admissions: Connect (admissions briefings)
  9. U.S. Naval Academy: Base Access
  10. U.S. Naval Academy: Directions
  11. Naval Academy Tourism: Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center
  12. City of Annapolis: Parking
  13. Loyola University Maryland: Visit
  14. Loyola University Maryland: Campus Tours (official sign-up)
  15. Loyola University Maryland: Directions & Parking
  16. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  17. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  18. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Washington Reagan National Airport, VA (USW00013743)
  19. Expedia listing: Courtyard by Marriott Washington, DC Dupont Circle (star class, address and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Washington-Hotels-Courtyard-By-Marriott-Washington.h794550.Hotel-Information)
  20. Expedia listing: The Hoya Hotel at Georgetown (star class, address and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Washington-Hotels-The-Hoya-Hotel-At-Georgetown.h125338994.Hotel-Information)
  21. Expedia listing: Comfort Inn Downtown DC/Convention Center (star class, address and amenities, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Washington-Hotels-Comfort-Inn-Downtown-DCConvention-Center.h999953.Hotel-Information)
  22. Smithsonian's National Zoo: Visit the Zoo
  23. National Aquarium, Baltimore
  24. Howard Bison Athletics: Calendar
  25. Georgetown Hoyas Athletics: Calendar
  26. Navy Midshipmen Athletics: Calendar
  27. Loyola Greyhounds Athletics: Calendar