King St–Old Town Metro to the Torpedo Factory
Alexandria was laid out on the Potomac in 1749, and its Market Square, dating to 1753, is among the oldest continuously operating marketplaces in the country. The shopping runs along King Street, a brick-sidewalk mile from the King St–Old Town Metro station down to the river. It holds the region's largest cluster of independent boutiques, plus antiques, bookshops and a few national stores.
This route starts at the Metro and walks downhill to the water and ends at the river. Give it a full day. None of the shops below post hours on the pages we checked, so call ahead if one of them is the reason for your trip, especially early in the morning or in the evening.
The Top of King: Antiques, Toys and Running Shoes
The first cluster sits in the 1200 and 1300 blocks. Lowery's Dial (1225 King St), which moved down from the 1400 block, is an antiques and vintage shop with curiosities, antique furniture, art, books and silver.
Pippin Toy Co. (1310 King St) opened in late 2023 and sells toys, books and games for kids. Runners should stop at Pacers Running Old Town (1301 King St), where the staff will help you pick the right shoe.
The Middle Blocks: Paper, Makers and Home Goods
Penny Post (1201 King St) is a stationery shop for designed greeting cards, pens, paper and desk goods. It also runs free monthly Correspondence Clubs for people who still write letters. Shop Made in VA (1121 King St) is the sister store to Shop Made in DC and sells only work by Virginia designers, artists and makers. A few doors down, Red Barn Mercantile (1117 King St) mixes antique and new furniture with decor, kitchen and bath goods, local designers' work and Alexandria-themed gifts.
Half a block off King, The BEST Gift Shop (122 S Patrick St) sells work by artisans with disabilities from across the United States.
Back on King, the 1000 block is for jewelry and beauty. Eliana Curated (1003 King St) sells Italian-made 14K gold designs, upcycled vintage earrings and pieces set with lab-created diamonds. Bellacara (1000 King St) stocks high-end cosmetics, skincare and hair care from lines such as Kiehl's and Dermalogica.
In the 900 block, Frances Valentine (924 King St) is the New York label that opened here in 2023, with its inspiration taken from founders Elyce Arons and Kate Spade. The World Crafted on King (915 King St), the former Ten Thousand Villages, sells fair-trade handcrafted goods. Two blocks on, Simon Pearce (721 King St) sells the brand's handmade glass and pottery for the table and the home.
The Side Streets: Books, Boutiques and Old Silver
Some of the best browsing is a block off King. Turn north onto Cameron Street for four shops close together. Friends to Lovers Bookstore (301 Cameron St) is all romance novels; Visit Alexandria calls it the first romance bookstore in the DC area. donna lewis (309 Cameron St) fills three floors in a brick courtyard with European designer labels that are hard to find in the region, and it serves espresso while you shop. Old House Provisions (315A Cameron St) is where founder Drew Altizer makes custom shoes on the premises, alongside a small menswear selection. Gossypia (325 Cameron St) sells artistic clothing, jewelry, and wedding and formal dresses, plus a large collection of Latin American folk art and nativity scenes.
One block north of King, The Antique Guild (113 N Fairfax St) specializes in antique jewelry, silver flatware and hollowware from the Victorian through Art Deco periods.
Then cross King and head south onto Royal Street. Old Town Books (130 S Royal St) is the independent general bookstore, with book clubs, author events and a separate children's and young-teen shop, Old Town Books Junior, next door. Boxwood (1205 King St) sells colorful home and lifestyle objects from local and international artists.
Tip: Market Square and City Hall are under renovation, and the Market Square Garage is closed to the public while the work goes on. The trolley stop at N Fairfax and King has moved to 302 King St during the work.
Lower King and the Waterfront
The last blocks run down to the Potomac. Comfort One Shoes (200 & 201 King St) has two storefronts facing each other, with comfort-focused men's and women's shoes from brands around the world. At the foot of the street, The Lucky Knot (101 King St) is a preppy clothing and accessories shop owned by three sisters, with Vineyard Vines, Vera Bradley and Lilly Pulitzer accessories. Around the corner, The Old Town Shop (104 S Union St) sells Old Town gifts and novelties alongside goods made by Virginia artists.
Finish at the Torpedo Factory Art Center (105 N Union St), the waterfront building of working artists' studios and galleries. You buy directly from the makers here, including Dejan Studio Jewelry and GalleriaGeorgiAna.
Coffee, Lunch and Crab on King
Maman (701 King St) is a French cafe and bakery in the former Foxtrot space for coffee and pastry. For a sit-down meal, The Majestic (911 King St) is the Art Deco King Street restaurant that reopened in April 2026 under new owner and chef Santiago Lopez. Its coconut cake has been on the menu since 2009, and it serves brunch on weekends. A block off King, Finn & Fire (111 N Pitt St) is chef Ghazal Amir's storefront, after her Crab Cab food truck, with crab and shrimp dishes plus steak.
Metro, the Free Trolley, Parking and the Water Taxi
The King St–Old Town Metro station (Blue and Yellow lines) sits at the top of King Street, where this walk begins.
If your feet give out, ride the free King Street Trolley. It runs along King Street between the Metro station and City Hall/Market Square, with stops every two or three blocks. It comes every 15 minutes from 11am to 11pm, seven days a week, and you don't need a ticket or a SmarTrip card.
If you drive, Visit Alexandria counts 22 garages and lots between the waterfront and the Metro. Many cap their rate at $5 after 5pm on weekdays and weekends. Street meters have two- or three-hour limits, are free after 9pm, and are free all day on Sundays and state holidays. Free two- and three-hour spaces sit a few blocks off King, north of Cameron Street or south of Duke Street.
You can also come by water. Water taxis run between the Old Town waterfront and the Transit Pier at The Wharf in Southwest DC, so you can pair this walk with dinner on the DC waterfront.