I’ll say it.
You heard it here first, maybe. With an endless number of free places to visit and things to do, a great food scene with some value gems, and tons of options for places to stay, you can put together a DC itinerary for any budget.
There are three major airports for flying into DC: Reagan (DCA), Dulles (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington (BWI). If you can find cheap flights into Reagan, you’ll find yourself right in the heart of the city. For the other two, just factor in a little transportation cost - you’ve got about an hour train ride from both IAD and BWI.
The best, and cheapest, way to get around DC is to walk! The city itself is incredibly walkable, and a majority of the monuments and museums are all within a couple mile radius of each other.
DC also has a really solid public transportation system. You can learn more about the price to ride here and get the full maps and schedules here. In the few times I’ve visited, I’ve never gotten one of the transportation passes, only because we’ve always walked the majority of the day. But, the times I have used public transportation, it’s really easy to navigate and affordable!
From hostels to hotels to Airbnbs, there are so many cheap and easy options.
Starting around $30/night, there are some really great hostels in DC. Duo Nomad and HighRoad DC are right in the thick of the city, making them ideal landing spots to also save on transit.
Especially if you’re willing to branch just outside the city, you can find some super affordable home rentals! Our last visit, we stayed in Fairlington (a neighborhood in Arlington) for $40/night, which included breakfast and use of our hosts transportation pass. Her listing isn’t active anymore, but she wasn’t the only one we saw in that price range!
Depending on the time of year, 2 and 3 star hotels in DC start in the $70/night range! Embassy Inn, The Normandy, and Motto by Hilton are all within a couple miles of the National Mall, and can be frequently found for under $100/night. Especially if you’re traveling with a friend or group, you can split these rooms to be less than the cost of a hostel night each!
DC has some beautiful cherry blossoms that were given to the US by the Prime Minister of Japan and bloom at the start of every Spring! While this may be the most beautiful time to visit the city, it’s definitely one of the most popular, and toughest to do on a budget.
For the budget traveler, I’d recommend the September-early November months! It’s when everyone is back in school, but before travel ramps back up for the holidays. Our last visit was in early November, and we absolutely loved it. The mornings and evenings were brisk enough for a light jacket that could be shed during the day, and the museums were empty. I’m pretty confident we were the only people in a ton of the spots we visited, even on weekend days.
I’m just gonna start by rattling off a list of great museums, all of which are free:
If you plan far enough in advance, you can also contact your local Representative or Senator for a tour of the Capitol Building! Especially if you’re traveling during a slower time, these are pretty easy to book, but I’d still try to reach out at least a few months in advance.
You can also take a guided tour from Capitol staff, which can often be booked day of, but I find it a little more interesting to get some face time with someone in the office representing you (US residents only)!
You can easily pack your DC trip with just free things to do, but there’s also some great, cheap options! DC is home to a number of major sports franchises: the Football Team (NFL), Nationals (MLB), Wizards (NBA), Capitals (NHL) and DC United (MLS). Search online at Stubhub or a similar site, especially for the latter four, for really great deals. We’ve been to a Wizards game for under $10, and have seen similarly priced tickets for the other franchises.
Also, Groupon is a great friend of yours, especially in DC. The Spy Museum is often 50% off through the app, and you can also find a number of tours throughout the city for greatly discounted rates.
While fast food is obviously an option, dining on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing quality, and that’s especially true in the great food scene that is DC.
While my original perception of DC food was lobbyists taking clients out to super fancy spots, that’s not the case at all! The food scene is really well rounded and accessible for different price points.
Washington.org put together a great list of budget eats, and I really love a number of these options! Ben’s Chili Bowl is an iconic spot where you can easily grab a meal for less than the price of a McDonald’s combo. LEON is another spot that, while a chain, offers sustainably-sourced meals for under $10. Their Big Breakfast Muffin is so dang good.
Another iconic spot with good food and great prices is Lincoln’s Waffle Shop. Walk out with a really full belly for $10 or less, and maybe spot one of your favorite (or least favorite) politicians while you’re there!
In all our traveling, I literally can’t think of a city with so much to do that won’t cost you anything out of pocket. There is so much to be learned and reflected upon by a trip to Washington DC, and for the budget traveler, there really isn’t a better place to go!
