Alexandria to Washington DC: Metro, Boat and Mount Vernon

Step 1: Know how far Alexandria is from Washington DC

Alexandria is about 5 miles from Washington, DC, according to Visit Alexandria. The same page puts Capitol Hill 8 miles away and the Convention Center 8 miles away. It does not give a driving time, so treat the trip as a short one and check a live map on the day.

The ride is short, so Alexandria works as a half-day outing from the Mall. You can also stay there and visit DC. Longer trips, such as tours from Washington, DC to Niagara Falls, are on our day trips page, which says plainly that it cannot offer one.

Old Town is the part most visitors mean. It sits on the Potomac River, around King Street, which Visit Alexandria calls the city's main street for shopping, dining and the arts.

Key Takeaway Alexandria is 5 miles from Washington, DC, and 8 miles from Capitol Hill, so you can see it in half a day.

Step 2: Take the Metro from Alexandria to Washington DC

The Metro is the simplest way to get from Alexandria to Washington DC. Visit Alexandria says both the Yellow Line and the Blue Line stop at King St-Old Town station. Take the Yellow Line toward Greenbelt or Mt. Vernon Square, or the Blue Line toward Largo Town Center or Stadium-Armory, to reach downtown DC.

WMATA's fare page says a rail ride costs $2.25 to $6.75 on weekdays from 5 am to 9:30 pm. After 9:30 pm and on weekends it costs $2.25 to $2.50. Tap a SmarTrip card or a contactless card when you enter, and tap again when you leave. The sources do not state a ride time from King St-Old Town, so use the WMATA Trip Planner for that.

The station is not on the water. Visit Alexandria says it is a 25-minute walk from the waterfront at the east end of King Street. Skip the walk and ride the free King Street Trolley instead.

The trolley runs between the station and City Hall and Market Square, every 15 minutes. You need no ticket or SmarTrip card. The city lists stops every two to three blocks. For the wider picture of fares and passes, see public transport washington dc.

Pro Tip Ride the King Street Trolley down to the waterfront, then walk back up King Street, so the walk is downhill toward the shops and not the other way round.

Step 3: Take the water taxi from Alexandria to the Wharf

The Potomac Water Taxi runs from the Alexandria City Marina to the Wharf in about 30 minutes. City Experiences runs it. The Alexandria dock is at 0 Cameron St, behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center. The Wharf dock is the Transit Pier at 950 Wharf St SW, and it has pedestrian access only.

City Experiences says departures from the Wharf start at 11:45 am and leave every 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the day. Departures from Alexandria may differ, so pick your date in the booking tool. The page offers one-way, round-trip, one-day, two-day and season passes. Children under three ride free, and pets are not allowed, except service dogs.

City Experiences lists no one-way price, so check the fare when you book. It names no season dates either. The season pass is valid through December, which suggests the boats stop after that, so confirm that the service runs on your date.

One honest limit. The boat is slower and less frequent than the Metro, so it is the wrong choice if you are on a tight schedule. Use it for the view of the river and the monuments.

Step 4: Get from Alexandria to Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is the next stop south, and you can reach it by bus or by bike. The bus is Fairfax Connector route 101. Fairfax County says it runs between Huntington Metro station and the Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens. The fare is $2.25. The county page does not show how often it runs, so check the timetable before you go.

The bike ride follows the Mount Vernon Trail. The National Park Service says it is an 18-mile paved trail from the Mount Vernon Estate to Theodore Roosevelt Island. A trail guide from the Park Service counts miles from the estate and puts the Old Town stretch at miles 9.3 to 11.6. So the ride from Old Town to the estate is roughly 9 to 12 miles each way, depending on where you start.

Bikes are not allowed on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, so stay on the trail. The Park Service says the trail is one of the busiest in the country north of Alexandria, so expect other riders there.

For the bike, the Alexandria bike and e-bike rental lets you choose a 2-hour, 4-hour or full-day rental. Unlimited Biking Washington DC runs it from €19 per person, and it shows free cancellation. Its rating is 4.9, but from only 2 reviews. E-bike riders must be 16 or older.

To get the ticket and the bike together, the Mount Vernon bike and boat tour starts at 1199 N Fairfax St in Alexandria and takes 6.5 hours. It is from €90 per person, with a 3.9 rating from 52 reviews. The price includes the bike, a helmet, the estate ticket and an audio guide. A boat back to the Wharf is an option you choose, and mansion entry is not included.

Pro Tip Book the mansion time as soon as you arrive. The listing says mansion entry is by timed ticket, which you can buy on the day, subject to availability.

Step 5: Choose your Mount Vernon ticket or a guided trip

A ticket is enough if you can get to the estate yourself, and a guided trip is better if you want no connections. The Mount Vernon estate ticket is from €27 per person, with a 4.6 rating from 47 reviews. It is run by George Washington's Mount Vernon. It includes an audio guide, the museum and education center, and the gardens, tomb, farm and trails. It does not include the mansion, which needs its own timed ticket.

With no car and no wish to ride the bus, see the Mount Vernon tour options. The Mount Vernon and Old Town Alexandria day trip lasts 5 hours and is from €88 per person, with a 4.2 rating from 32 reviews. Loba Transit & Tours Inc runs it, and it meets at 400 New Jersey Ave NW. It includes the entry fee and a reserved mansion time, and a licensed guide. The listing says the bus drives through Old Alexandria on the way. Lunch, tips and hotel pickup are not included.

Things to Do in Washington DC's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found 15 Mount Vernon trips among 207 bookable DC-area experiences, from €27.

A guided trip costs more than the ticket and a bus. It buys you the transport, the reserved mansion time and a guide. For a reader who likes to plan, the ticket is the cheaper pick.

The best short trips are the ones where the getting there is part of the day.