Washington DC · Backpacking
ON A BUDGET
Nearly every major museum is free, which makes this the cheapest expensive city in the country.
Shaw and Chinatown
The hostels sit between Mount Vernon Square and Shaw, walking distance to the Mall and on the Green and Yellow lines for everything else.
What a day costs
Bed 40–65 USD, food 20–40 with food halls and half-smokes at the low end, and Metro fares by distance with a day pass around 13.50.
Getting around cheap
A SmarTrip card covers Metro and buses, with an unlimited day pass. Capital Bikeshare docks sit at most stations, and the Mall is two miles end to end.
Free by day
All Smithsonian museums, the National Gallery, the National Zoo and every monument, day or night. Some need free timed passes booked ahead.
Where travellers meet
Adams Morgan and U Street from about nine, both cheap by DC standards, and both a short Metro ride from the hostel cluster.