Passport DC takes place every May during Washington, DC’s International Cultural Awareness Month. Participants include 70 embassies in the DC area and more than 40 of DC’s cultural institutions. The embassy open houses are my fav. Click here for the list of the best embassies in a nutshell.
UPDATE: In 2017, we updated our list with a bit more info here: Cheat Sheet for the Best Open Houses During Passport DC.
In 2016, May 7 is “Around the World Embassy Tour” and May 14 is “Short Cut to Europe: European Union Embassies’ Open House.” During these events, embassies all over the city open their doors to showcase the best of their culture, food, and fun.
Over my past four years in DC, I have taken notes on the best embassies to optimize for the next year (aka: remember which ones were the coolest and gave away free stuff). Check out my tips for an enjoyable Passport DC experience.
11 best embassy open houses
In a nutshell
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Embassy of the Dominican Republic
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Embassy of Bolivia
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Embassy of the Czech Republic
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Embassy of the Netherlands
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Embassy of Japan
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Embassy of Belgium
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Embassy of Finland
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Embassy of the United Kingdom
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Embassy of Costa Rica
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Embassy of Hungary
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Embassy of Guatemala
Tips for an enjoyable Passport DC experience
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Start early to avoid some of the lines. Embassies open at 10 a.m., close at 4 p.m.
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Pick up a map at the first embassy you visit.
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Admittance for all embassies are free, and some have food, etc. inside for purchase. Have cash on hand.
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Some embassies have metal detectors and security. Travel light to pass through quickly.
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You will get re-usable bags at many of the embassies to put your goodies in. Or bring a backpack to carry it all.
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There are free shuttles that take you to the different embassies. Or consider visiting the embassies on bike using Capital Bikeshare.
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Wear comfortable shoes. You are going to be walking and standing a lot.
Although we mention just a few of the fabulous embassies that you can visit, we recommend you see as many as you can. The open houses offer a unique opportunity to go around the world in an afternoon.
For an Around the World (May 7) embassy map, click here.
For a Shortcut to Europe (May 14) map, click here.
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Hi, I'm Sarah! I write and illustrate the comic Adventures with Vrah (adventureswithvrah.com), where I discuss the 3 D's: Death, Depression, and Diarrhea. I'm also one of the Fish from my travel blog, Two Fish Traveling (twofishtraveling.com). I LOVE squirrel monkeys. And crocodiles. And fireworks.
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This honestly sounds like so much fun. I imagine Washington DC probably has access to more embassies than most national capitals. I wonder if Ottawa does this.
This year you seemed to have a lot of fun at some Caribbean embassies. Did any of those crack the top 10?
Good to see my native land of the Czech Republic representing so well.
You should absolutely come visit for Passport DC! It is so much fun. We had a blast again this year, and visited a few new embassies that we hadn’t been to before- Barbados, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Gabon, and others. It’s really special to visit each embassy and learn about the culture. And sampling the food and drink isn’t half bad, either. We will need to write an update to this article for next year. The four aforementioned definitely cracked the top 10. Stay tuned!
When you come, we will prioritize a visit to the Czech Republic embassy. The ambassador’s residence is GORGEOUS. Maybe we can even swim in the pool.