Comparison · United States
Washington, D.C. vs Boston: Which Should You Pick?
Free museums in Washington, D.C., or walkable Revolutionary history in Boston? Who each suits, airport transfers, days, fares, monthly weather and sights.
Published
The short answer
Washington, D.C. is the US capital. Monuments and museums line the National Mall from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and admission is free at all 17 Smithsonian museums and galleries and the zoo. The Metro makes it easy to reach historic Georgetown with its canal and the riverside district with its fish market.
Boston is a historic city at the heart of the American Revolution. The red-brick Freedom Trail and Boston Common, the country's oldest public park, anchor every visit, and you can cross the river to Harvard, take a ferry to the harbor islands and try clam chowder and lobster rolls in a city made for walking.
Best for: Washington, D.C. suits travelers who want free museums, monuments and capital sights such as the U.S. Capitol, getting around by Metro. Boston suits travelers who want to walk the Revolutionary sites along a red line and add a university campus, harbor islands and seafood. Both guides suggest 3 to 4 nights.
From the airport to the city
For Washington, D.C., the guide covers Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The Metrorail station is linked to the main terminal by an indoor pedestrian tunnel with moving sidewalks; the walk is about 600 feet and takes around 7-8 minutes. Silver Line trains run downtown; tap a contactless credit or debit card or SmarTrip at the faregates. Airport taxis run 24 hours a day and are metered.
For Boston, it is Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). The Silver Line SL1 bus picks up at the curb of every terminal and runs via the Seaport to South Station; it is free from the airport to downtown and includes a free transfer to the Red Line. You can also take the free on-airport shuttle bus to Airport Station for the Blue Line subway, or the free shuttle (Route 66) to the dock for MBTA ferries.
- Washington, D.C. Silver Line: about 50-55 min to Rosslyn; USD 6.75 to Metro Center on weekdays (USD 2.25-2.50 after 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends)
- Washington, D.C. taxi: stand outside Door 1 or Door 7 on the terminal's lower level; metered (check the airport's official fare estimates)
- Boston Silver Line SL1: free from the airport to downtown; check the official timetable
- Boston free shuttle + Blue Line: USD 2.40 per subway ride
- Boston taxi: about USD 25-35 to most hotels in Boston and Cambridge
How many days, and what transport costs
Both guides suggest 3 to 4 nights. Both also say accommodation is most of the budget, so compare hotel and food prices for your dates on booking sites.
Below are the transport fares and free sights for each city.
- Washington, D.C. Metrorail: USD 2.25-6.75 per ride (USD 2.25-2.50 after 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends); bus USD 2.25
- Washington, D.C. unlimited passes: 1-day USD 13.50, 3-day USD 33.75, 7-day USD 60.75
- Washington, D.C. free: the Smithsonian museums, the National Archives, the National Gallery of Art and the National Mall (Washington Monument tickets are free, with a USD 1 fee per ticket when reserved in advance)
- Boston 'T' subway: USD 2.40 per ride (children 11 and under free); Commuter Rail USD 2.40-13.25 one way
- Boston free: walking the Freedom Trail, Boston Common and the Public Garden, Faneuil Hall, USS Constitution, the Bunker Hill Monument and Harvard's official tour
Monthly weather side by side
The Washington, D.C. guide picks April-May and September-October, with average highs of 19-26°C, as ideal for walking the National Mall. The Boston guide describes June to September as warm, with average highs of 22-27°C, good for walking and harbor island trips, and October as cool, with the Head of the Charles rowing regatta on the Charles River. September, where the two guides' good times overlap, is good walking weather in both cities.
The figures below are normals for the same period (1981–2010). Washington, D.C.: WMO World Weather Information Service — National Weather Service, Washington DC (WMO city data). Boston: WMO World Weather Information Service — National Weather Service (USA), Boston (WMO city data). Each line shows average high/low and rainfall for the same month.
Both guides say rain is spread fairly evenly through the year (Washington, D.C. 68-116 mm a month, Boston 83-110 mm a month). From December to February, average lows are -5 to -3°C in Washington, D.C. and -5 to -2°C in Boston, so pack a warm coat for either city.
- January: Washington, D.C. 6/-5℃, 68mm; Boston 2/-5℃, 85mm
- April: Washington, D.C. 19/6℃, 88mm; Boston 13/5℃, 95mm
- May: Washington, D.C. 24/11℃, 116mm; Boston 19/10℃, 89mm
- July: Washington, D.C. 31/19℃, 93mm; Boston 27/19℃, 87mm
- September: Washington, D.C. 26/14℃, 100mm; Boston 22/14℃, 87mm
- October: Washington, D.C. 20/7℃, 83mm; Boston 16/8℃, 100mm
What to see in Washington, D.C.: the National Mall and Lincoln Memorial
The heart of the city is the National Mall, called America's front yard, with the U.S. Capitol at one end, the Lincoln Memorial at the other and the Washington Monument in between. The Lincoln Memorial at the western end of the Reflecting Pool is open 24 hours a day, every day; walk along the Reflecting Pool from the Washington Monument side and watch it grow larger.
Most museums are free, but the National Air and Space Museum, the Library of Congress, the Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol tours need timed tickets or passes, so book on the official sites before you go. The Natural History museum and the National Archives are free with no tickets needed.
For a change of pace, head to Georgetown with its cobblestone sidewalks and the C&O Canal, or to Southwest & The Wharf, home to the nation's longest continually operating open-air fish market.
- Washington Monument: daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m., timed tickets (reserve online up to 30 days ahead, or same-day walk-up tickets from 8:45 a.m.)
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (closed 25 December), no tickets needed
- U.S. Capitol: guided tours Mon-Sat, free but tour passes required
- Food: half-smoke, Ethiopian food (injera, doro wat), fish market seafood
What to see in Boston: the Freedom Trail's red line
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile red line linking 16 historic sites through Downtown, the North End and Charlestown. The suggested route starts at the Boston Common Visitor Information Center (139 Tremont Street) and ends at USS Constitution, but you can visit the sites in any order, and walking the trail is free.
At the Charlestown Navy Yard, USS Constitution, launched in 1797, and the Bunker Hill Monument are free. Take the Red Line across the Charles River for Harvard Yard, where the Harvard University Visitor Center's official historical tour is free (45-60 minutes, advance registration). From May to October, ferries run from Long Wharf to Spectacle Island or Georges Island (check tickets and schedules officially).
- Boston Common & Public Garden: America's oldest public park and its first public botanical garden
- North End: the Paul Revere House, Old North Church and Italian food
- Back Bay: Copley Square and Newbury Street
- Food: clam chowder, lobster rolls, oysters and raw bars
How to choose, and what to check before you go
Choose Washington, D.C. for free museums, monuments and capital sights by Metro; choose Boston to walk the Revolutionary sites along a red line and add Harvard and the harbor islands. Both guides include a 4-day sample itinerary, so if you visit both cities on one trip, use each itinerary to split your days. Check the official information on travel between the two cities before you go.
Check the U.S. government's official information on entry requirements (visa, travel authorization, etc.) before you travel.
- Washington, D.C.: tap the same card when entering and leaving the Metro; everyone aged 5 and over needs their own payment method
- Washington, D.C.: the Washington Monument has airport-style security, so bring as little as possible
- Boston: registration for Harvard's official tour opens the Friday before your tour week; arrive at the visitor center 15 minutes before the tour
- Boston: local temperatures are shown in Fahrenheit (°F)
Plan your Washington, D.C. trip
We never take payment — compare, then book on the official partner site.
Plan your Boston trip
We never take payment — compare, then book on the official partner site.
Full Washington, D.C. travel guide →
FAQ
For a first US trip, should I choose Washington, D.C. or Boston?
Choose Washington, D.C. for free museums, monuments and capital sights such as the U.S. Capitol; choose Boston to walk the Revolutionary sites on the Freedom Trail and add Harvard, the harbor islands and seafood. Both guides suggest 3 to 4 nights.
Which city costs more?
Both guides list transport fares and free sights rather than daily totals, so we did not compare them in numbers. In Washington, D.C. a 1-day Metro pass is USD 13.50; in Boston a subway ride is USD 2.40. Check hotel and food prices for your dates on booking sites.
When is a good time to visit both?
September, where the Washington, D.C. guide's September-October and the Boston guide's June to September overlap. In the normals, the average September high is 26°C in Washington, D.C. and 22°C in Boston.
Can I take public transport from the airport to the city?
Yes. From Washington Dulles International Airport, take the Metrorail Silver Line; it is USD 6.75 to Metro Center on weekdays. From Boston Logan International Airport, the Silver Line SL1 bus is free toward downtown and includes a free transfer to the Red Line.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Tidal Basin · Eric C. Gutierrez / CC BY 4.0
- Boston Public Garden · Erik Cooper / CC BY 2.0