Washington, D.C. Travel Guide

Dulles (IAD): Metrorail Silver Line to the city

The Metrorail station at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) 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 to downtown Washington, D.C.; tap a contactless credit or debit card or SmarTrip at the faregates. General hours are Mon-Thu 5 a.m.-midnight, Fri 5 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat 6 a.m.-2 a.m. and Sun 6 a.m.-midnight; first and last trains at the airport differ from these times.

Time about 50-55 min to Rosslyn (check other stations with the WMATA Trip Planner)Cost USD 6.75 to Metro Center on weekdays; USD 2.25-2.50 after 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends

Dulles (IAD): Taxi

Airport taxis run 24 hours a day and need no reservation. Go down to the lower level of the terminal and out through Door 1 or Door 7 to the taxi stand. Fares are metered, and cash and credit cards are accepted. Tolls on nearby roads may affect the fare.

Time depends on traffic (check official info)Cost metered (check the airport's official fare estimates)

Dulles (IAD): Fairfax Connector bus 983 to the Udvar-Hazy Center

A public bus from Garage 1, Stop 2, to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, the second site of the National Air and Space Museum. It runs only during museum hours. The center is open daily 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., free, with no passes required.

Time check official infoCost check official info (museum admission is free)

Reagan National (DCA): Metrorail

Reagan National has an elevated Metrorail station connected to the Terminal 2 concourse level by two enclosed pedestrian bridges. From Terminal 1, take the free 'Airport Shuttle' bus to the Terminal 2 or North/South Parking 1 & 2 stops and use the bridge to the station. Tap a credit or debit card or a mobile wallet at the faregates; for unlimited 1-, 3- or 7-day passes you need a SmarTrip card from a fare machine (airport official information, checked 13 October 2026).

Time Check journey time to your station with the WMATA Trip PlannerCost USD 2.25-6.75 by day (by distance); USD 2.25-2.50 after 9:30 p.m. and at weekends

Reagan National (DCA): taxi

Taxis are first come, first served, with a dispatcher at each taxi stand. From Terminal 1, go out the exit doors at baggage claim and turn right; from Terminal 2, go to baggage claim on the lower level (level one) and out through Doors 5 or 6. All taxis use meters and take cash or cards (airport official information, checked 13 October 2026).

Time Depends on traffic (check official information)Cost Metered (see the airport's official rate sheet for estimates)

Baltimore/Washington (BWI): free shuttle + MARC train

Take the free shuttle to the airport rail station from the lower level, inner roadway, outside Doors 2, 8, 15 and 17 (about every 10-15 minutes). At the station, take a southbound MARC train to Washington Union Station, where you can change to the Metrorail Red Line. Buy tickets online or at the station. MARC times on the airport page are weekdays 4:47 a.m.-9:32 p.m., Saturday 7:50 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday 9:30 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Intercity trains from the same station also go to Union Station (about 30 minutes) (airport official information, checked 13 October 2026).

Time About 35 minutes to Union Station by MARCCost Check official information

Baltimore/Washington (BWI): taxi

Taxis leave from the lower level, inner roadway, outside Doors 5 and 13, 24 hours a day. The airport taxi line is 410-859-1100 (airport official information, checked 13 October 2026).

Time About 45 minutes to Washington, D.C.Cost Check official information

Baltimore/Washington (BWI): MTA Commuter Bus 201

Board at Lower Level Door 2 (Location 6) or Door 18 (Location 62) and get off at Shady Grove Metrorail station to continue by Metro (airport official information, checked 13 October 2026).

Time About 1 hour 10 minutes to Shady GroveCost Check official information

Metrorail

Metrorail has 98 stations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, and its lines are named after colours, such as Silver, Orange and Blue. Fares depend on time and distance: USD 2.25-6.75 on weekdays (5 a.m.-9:30 p.m.) and USD 2.25-2.50 after 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends. Tap the same card at the faregates when you enter and exit.

Metrobus

A flat fare of USD 2.25 wherever you go (express routes F19, F28, F81 and F83 cost USD 4.80). Tap a contactless card or SmarTrip, or pay the exact fare in coins and USD 1 bills; drivers can't make change. Bus-to-bus transfers within 2 hours are free, and bus-rail transfers within 2 hours get a USD 2.25 discount.

Passes & payment

Unlimited passes cost USD 13.50 (1 day), USD 33.75 (3 days) and USD 60.75 (7 days). You can tap a contactless credit or debit card or a phone wallet directly at the faregates; a new SmarTrip card adds a USD 2 card fee. Everyone aged 5 or older needs their own payment method, and up to two children aged 4 and younger ride free with each fare-paying adult.

Operating hours

Most Metrorail and Metrobus services run Mon-Thu 5 a.m.-midnight, Fri 5 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat 6 a.m.-2 a.m. and Sun 6 a.m.-midnight. Check WMATA's official information for first and last trains at each station.

Walking the National Mall

The National Mall is open 24 hours a day, and maps and wayfinding pylons help you find your way on foot. Early morning and early evening are quiet times to visit.

National Mall

Good for: First-timers, museums, memorials

The national park nicknamed "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 Smithsonian museums sit east of the Washington Monument.

Capitol Hill

Good for: History walks, markets, dining

Home to the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, with streets of 19th-century rowhouses. Eastern Market, in an 1873 brick building, is open every day except Monday and adds a weekend market of produce and crafts. Barracks Row on 8th Street SE is lined with restaurants and bars.

Georgetown

Good for: Historic streets, shopping, riverfront

The city's oldest neighbourhood, known for cobblestone sidewalks, grand homes and the peaceful C&O Canal. Shops and restaurants cluster around M Street and Wisconsin Avenue, and Georgetown Waterfront Park is the place for riverside walks and kayaking on the Potomac.

Southwest & The Wharf

Good for: Riverfront, seafood, evenings

A riverfront district with the nation's longest continually operating open-air fish market. The Wharf has more than 20 restaurants and bars, with free outdoor movies and other events in warm weather. The National Air and Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol are within walking distance.

Half-smoke

The city's signature dish: a pork-and-beef sausage on a steamed bun with your choice of toppings, such as mustard, onions and spicy chili sauce.

Ethiopian food

Washington has one of the largest Ethiopian American communities in the country. Tear off injera, a soft, spongy flatbread, to scoop up doro wat (a spicy chicken stew), kitfo and lentil dishes. Many restaurants are on U Street, along the 9th Street corridor in Shaw known as "Little Ethiopia", and in Adams Morgan.

Ethiopian coffee (buna)

Try Ethiopian coffee, called buna in Amharic. Some places also offer a traditional coffee ceremony.

Fish market seafood

The Southwest waterfront is home to the nation's longest continually operating open-air fish market, a good place for fresh seafood.

Food halls & markets

Union Market gathers more than 40 businesses, and the Latin American marketplace across the street serves dishes such as Salvadoran pupusas. Pair it with Eastern Market on Capitol Hill.