Washington DC trip cost: flights, hotels, food and things to do
Free museums, monuments and history. A 4-night trip for 2 starts at about $1,400 for the cheapest flight, hotel and food, depending on where you fly from. Pick your airport to see three ready-made plans.
Plan my Washington DC trip
What it costs from your airport
For 2 travelers, 4 nights. "From" is the cheapest flight and hotel plus everyday food; "Suggested budget" also covers a mid-priced flight and hotel and things to do.
| Flying from | From | Suggested budget |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia (PHL) | $1,400 | $2,300 |
| Newark (EWR) | $1,420 | $2,300 |
| New York JFK | $1,420 | $2,300 |
| New York LaGuardia (LGA) | $1,430 | $2,300 |
| Tampa (TPA) | $1,440 | $2,400 |
| Charlotte (CLT) | $1,460 | $2,400 |
| Detroit (DTW) | $1,460 | $2,400 |
| Boston (BOS) | $1,470 | $2,400 |
| Chicago Midway (MDW) | $1,470 | $2,400 |
| Miami (MIA) | $1,470 | $2,500 |
| Nashville (BNA) | $1,480 | $2,400 |
| Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | $1,480 | $2,400 |
| Orlando (MCO) | $1,490 | $2,500 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | $1,510 | $2,500 |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | $1,520 | $2,500 |
| St. Louis (STL) | $1,520 | $2,500 |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | $1,550 | $2,500 |
| Austin (AUS) | $1,610 | $2,600 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | $1,620 | $2,600 |
| Houston (IAH) | $1,630 | $2,600 |
| Denver (DEN) | $1,660 | $2,600 |
| Phoenix (PHX) | $1,660 | $2,700 |
| San Diego (SAN) | $1,680 | $2,800 |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | $1,690 | $2,700 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | $1,690 | $2,800 |
| San Francisco (SFO) | $1,710 | $2,800 |
| Portland (PDX) | $1,740 | $2,800 |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | $1,760 | $2,700 |
| Seattle (SEA) | $1,880 | $2,900 |
| Honolulu (HNL) | $2,400 | $3,400 |
Food: about $90 a person a day
Restaurants worth the trip
- Ben's Chili BowlOrder: Chili half-smoke · about $12 a person
- Union Market food hallOrder: Graze the food hall · about $20 a person
- RasikaOrder: Palak chaat (crispy spinach) · about $60 a person
- Old Ebbitt GrillOrder: Oysters at the raw bar · about $45 a person
- Compass RoseOrder: Khachapuri · about $40 a person
Where to stay
- Park Hyatt Washington5★ · $420 a night · or about 25,000 Hyatt points
- Grand Hyatt Washington4★ · $240 a night · or about 17,000 Hyatt points
- Marriott Marquis Washington4★ · $280 a night · or about 41,000 Marriott points
- Moxy Washington DC Downtown3★ · $190 a night · or about 26,000 Marriott points
- Georgetown inn3★ · $230 a night
- Downtown hostel, private room2★ · $110 a night
Things to do
- National Air and Space Museumfree · 2h 30m
- African American History museumfree · 3h 00m
- Monuments by moonlight walkfree · 2h 30m
- U.S. Capitol tourfree · 2h 00m
- Natural History museumfree · 2h 30m
- Arlington National Cemeteryfree · 2h 00m
- Georgetown walk and C&O Canalfree · 2h 00m
- Library of Congressfree · 1h 30m
- National Zoofree · 2h 30m
- Great Falls Park hike$20 a person · 4h 00m
- U Street live music$25 a person · 2h 30m
- Kennedy Center performance$60 a person · 2h 30m
Questions
How much does a trip to Washington DC cost?
For 2 travelers and 4 nights, the cheapest flight and hotel plus everyday food start at about $1,400 from Philadelphia (PHL) and run to about $2,400 from the farthest major US airport. A comfortable budget with things to do is $2,300 to $3,400.
How much should I budget for food in Washington DC?
About $90 a person a day at mid-range places: breakfast $15, lunch $20, dinner $45, snacks and coffee $10.
How many nights do I need in Washington DC?
4 nights covers the main sights at an easy pace; the day plans on each route page show how the days fill.
Plan your Washington DC trip
Tell us your airport, dates and budget, and get three plans with flights, hotel, food and a day-by-day itinerary.
Plan my trip