Cheap things to do in Washington
Free museums, half-smokes, Ethiopian platters and good local bars
This is Washington for people who know that the city's best stuff costs nothing or close to it: a run of free world-class museums, markets, parks and neighbourhoods that each feel completely distinct. It suits anyone happy to walk a lot, eat at counters and benches, and end the night at a bar where the crowd is more interesting than the cocktail list.
Day 1: U Street and Shaw
A neighbourhood rooted in Black history and music carries you from a serious morning at the African American History museum through the half-smoke at Ben's and into a low-key wine bar at night.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Start in the history galleries underground and rise to music and sport; book the free timed pass online.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ben's Chili Bowl
The heart of the whole neighbourhood, get the half-smoke, DC's iconic cheap street food.
Map - 2:30 PM
Mount Vernon Square
A leafy square around the 1903 Carnegie Library, restored with a free public reading area inside.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:00 PM
Maison Bar à Vins
Low-key neighbourhood wine bar a short walk away, good pours, local crowd, easy on the wallet for a nightcap.
Map
Day 2: Penn Quarter and the Mall
Ramen for lunch, free contemporary art in the afternoon, great-value tacos for dinner: the Mall corridor turns out to be a solid budget day when you pick the right stops.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Lafayette Square
The park facing the White House's north side, with Jackson on horseback in the middle.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Free contemporary art in Gordon Bunshaft's concrete drum on the Mall; walk the sculpture garden too.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:00 PM
The Dabney Cellar
A candlelit basement wine bar in Blagden Alley, with oysters and Virginia wines by the glass.
Map
Day 3: Capitol Hill and Eastern Market
The Library of Congress, the Supreme Court plaza, a crab cake at an Eastern Market counter and generous Ethiopian platters make for the quietest day of the three.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Library of Congress, Thomas Jefferson Building
Free, staggeringly ornate landmark right on the doorstep, the Great Hall alone is worth the trip for.
Map - 12:30 PM
Market Lunch
A counter inside Eastern Market; at lunch get the crab cake sandwich. Closed Mondays.
Map - 2:00 PM
Supreme Court of the United States
Free to visit the plaza and public spaces; marvel at the marble façade and see the highest court in the land up close.
Map - 7:30 PM
Ethiopic
Affordable, generous Ethiopian platters, order the vegetarian beyaynetu and share with tibs for a great-value dinner.
Map - 9:00 PM
Bullfeathers
Classic Capitol Hill pub, cheap drinks, political crowd, exactly the kind of local bar the neighbourhood is known for.
Map
Where to stay
Motto by Hilton Washington DC City Center
The only dollar-rated hotel in the list, sitting right between the Penn Quarter days and easy transit to U Street: straightforward choice for a thrifty trip.
Phoenix Park Hotel
Capitol Hill doorstep location makes Day 3 a walk out the front door, and Phoenix Park keeps prices reasonable without feeling like a compromise.
Make Washington your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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Book ahead
- National Museum of African American History and Culture: weeks ahead
- Planet Word: a few days ahead
- International Spy Museum: a few days ahead
- National Air and Space Museum: a few days ahead
- George Washington's Mount Vernon: a few days ahead
- Shenandoah National Park: a few days ahead
Skip these
- National Mall food trucks and cart hot dogs, overpriced and mediocre. Walk five minutes off the Mall and eat properly.
- Founding Farmers as a destination dinner, enormous and loud with long waits. The same money eats better at Le Diplomate or L'Ardente.
- Georgetown Cupcake line. Baked and Wired on Thomas Jefferson Street is the local answer, with better coffee.
- Hop on hop off buses as transport, slow and pricey. Metro plus feet beats them.
The full Washington travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around