Getting around Washington, DC
The best public transport in Washington, DC
Reagan, Dulles and BWI airports to the city, Metro and Metrobus fares, SmarTrip and contactless cards, bikeshare and taxis, and hop-on hop-off buses. Here is how to get around Washington, DC, with honest advice on paying too much for the ride, long waits for the bus and traffic and parking if you drive.
See our 5 picks
You can get around Washington, DC without a car: a Metro ride costs $2.25 to $6.75, and a bus ride $2.25. From Dulles, the Silver Line runs to Metro Center for $6.75; Reagan National has its own Metro link. A 1-day Metro and bus pass costs $13.50.
Our 5 picks for sightseeing with the ride included
Public transport is cheaper. These tours add a guide or commentary and stop right at the sights. All five show free cancellation on GetYourGuide.
- from €49 per person Our top pick
25 stops
Hop-on trolley
1 or 2 days 4.2 (735) reviews on GetYourGuide
Old Town Trolley hop-on hop-off tour
A trolley with a live English-speaking guide on board, and 25 stops you can hop on and off at. Passes last 1 or 2 days. You can add a tram tour of Arlington National Cemetery. The app tracks the trolleys by GPS and has commentary in 7 other languages.
Best for Sights with a live guide, at your own pace
Check availability: Old Town Trolley hop-on hop-off tour on GetYourGuide - from €62 per person
2.5 hours
Segway tour
2 h 30 min 4.8 (461) reviews on GetYourGuide
See the City Segway tour
A guide leads you around the National Mall on your own Segway, with a helmet. A radio headset lets you hear every word. It is not for children under 16 or pregnant women.
Best for Covering the long Mall fast, and hearing the guide
Check availability: See the City Segway tour on GetYourGuide - from €40 per person
18 stops
Hop-on hop-off bus
24, 48 or 72 hours 3.95 (2,715) reviews on GetYourGuide
Hop-on hop-off bus with Arlington audio tour
Open-top double-decker buses on two routes with 18 stops, for 24, 48 or 72 hours. The commentary is recorded. An app shows live bus tracking. Rated under 4.0 on GetYourGuide (3.95 from 2,715 reviews).
Best for Getting between spread-out sights
Check availability: Hop-on hop-off bus with Arlington audio tour on GetYourGuide - from €62 per person
Live guide at sunset
Bus + sunset tour
24, 48 or 72 hours 3.93 (42) reviews on GetYourGuide
Hop-on hop-off bus plus sunset tour
The same hop-on hop-off pass, plus a 2.5-hour sunset tour with a live guide. The sunset tour stops at the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. Rated under 4.0 on GetYourGuide (3.93 from 42 reviews).
Best for A bus day and an evening loop in one ticket
Check availability: Hop-on hop-off bus plus sunset tour on GetYourGuide - from €58 per person
3 hours
Minibus tour
3 hours 3.77 (3) reviews on GetYourGuide
3-hour minibus sightseeing tour with pickup
A 14-passenger minibus with an English-speaking guide, with pickup and drop-off in the DC area. It visits landmarks like the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials. Few reviews yet: rated under 4.0 on GetYourGuide (3.77 from 3 reviews).
Best for A short guided loop without the Metro
Check availability: 3-hour minibus sightseeing tour with pickup on GetYourGuide
The five sightseeing rides side by side
| Tour | From | Duration | Pickup | Who it suits | Why we picked it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town Trolley hop-on hop-off tour | €49 per person | 1 or 2 days | Meeting point | Sights with a live guide, at your own pace | Rated 4.2 from 735 reviews, with a live guide, not a recording. |
| See the City Segway tour | €62 per person | 2 h 30 min | Meeting point | Covering the long Mall fast, and hearing the guide | Rated 4.8 from 461 reviews, the best-rated way here to cover the Mall fast. |
| Hop-on hop-off bus with Arlington audio tour | €40 per person | 24, 48 or 72 hours | Meeting point | Getting between spread-out sights | The cheapest bus pass here, with an honest note. |
| Hop-on hop-off bus plus sunset tour | €62 per person | 24, 48 or 72 hours | Meeting point | A bus day and an evening loop in one ticket | Adds a live guide at sunset, with an honest note. |
| 3-hour minibus sightseeing tour with pickup | €58 per person | 3 hours | Pickup included | A short guided loop without the Metro | Pickup in DC, but listed last: few reviews yet. |
Old Town Trolley hop-on hop-off tour
€49 per person1 or 2 days 4.2 (735)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Sights with a live guide, at your own pace
- Why we picked it
- Rated 4.2 from 735 reviews, with a live guide, not a recording.
€62 per person2 h 30 min 4.8 (461)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Covering the long Mall fast, and hearing the guide
- Why we picked it
- Rated 4.8 from 461 reviews, the best-rated way here to cover the Mall fast.
Hop-on hop-off bus with Arlington audio tour
€40 per person24, 48 or 72 hours 3.95 (2,715)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- Getting between spread-out sights
- Why we picked it
- The cheapest bus pass here, with an honest note.
Hop-on hop-off bus plus sunset tour
€62 per person24, 48 or 72 hours 3.93 (42)
Details
- Pickup
- Meeting point
- Who it suits
- A bus day and an evening loop in one ticket
- Why we picked it
- Adds a live guide at sunset, with an honest note.
3-hour minibus sightseeing tour with pickup
€58 per person3 hours 3.77 (3)
Details
- Pickup
- Pickup included
- Who it suits
- A short guided loop without the Metro
- Why we picked it
- Pickup in DC, but listed last: few reviews yet.
- Small group: See the City Segway tour takes up to 15 people.
- All 5 offer free cancellation.
- Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026. Prices are "from" prices in euros and can change; the booking page shows the live price.
How to get around Washington, DC without a car: the short answer
Metro and Metrobus cover most of what a visitor needs in Washington, DC. A Metro ride costs $2.25 to $6.75 before 9:30 p.m. on weekdays. After that, and on weekends, it is $2.25 to $2.50.
A bus ride costs $2.25, or $4.80 on express routes. If you ride a lot, a 1-day pass for both costs $13.50. Passes for 3 days ($33.75) and 7 days ($60.75) also exist.
On the National Mall, walking works best. The Mall is open 24 hours a day.
From the airport to the city
Each of the three airports has a cheap rail link to the city. The table further down puts every option side by side.
Not sure where to base yourself? See Where to stay in Washington, DC.
Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Reagan National has its own Metro link. A ride costs $2.25 to $6.75 on weekdays before 9:30 p.m., and $2.25 to $2.50 later and on weekends. The exact fare depends on your station.
Dulles Airport (IAD)
Take the Silver Line. It takes about 50 to 55 minutes to Rosslyn, where you change to the Blue Line. A ride to Metro Center costs $6.75.
Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI)
A free shuttle runs to the BWI rail station every 10 to 15 minutes. From there, Amtrak takes about 30 minutes and MARC about 35 minutes to Union Station.
MARC runs weekdays 4:47 a.m. to 9:32 p.m., Saturdays 7:50 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sundays 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., as BWI lists it. A taxi or Uber/Lyft takes about 45 minutes, day and night.
Guides on getting around Washington, DC
- Washington, DC Metro: map, fares and SmarTrip
- Parking in Washington, DC: the Mall, garages and hotels
- Trains from Washington, DC: Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston
- Washington, DC to New York by train and bus
- Union Station, Washington, DC: trains, metro and what is there
- Which airport for Washington, DC: DCA, Dulles or BWI
Metro and Metrobus: how they work and how to pay
You pay with a SmarTrip card or a contactless bank card, at the gates and on the bus. Use the same card to enter and to exit, because the fare depends on how far you ride. Cash works on buses only.
To plan a trip, use WMATA's Trip Planner: it shows the exact fare between two stations. Metro and Metrobus get you to the Mall, home of the National Museum of Natural History and other museums in Washington, DC.
For the sights out of town: the Arlington Cemetery stop is a 5-minute walk from the cemetery's main entrance. For Mount Vernon, ride to Huntington station and take the bus from there.
Bus tickets in Washington, DC
You don't buy a paper bus ticket. Tap your SmarTrip or contactless card at the farebox, or pay cash. A ride costs $2.25, and express routes $4.80. The 1-day pass at $13.50 covers buses too.
Streetcar, bikeshare, water taxi and walking
DC's streetcar no longer runs: service ended on 31 March 2026, and DDOT points riders to the D20 bus. DDOT also says the DC Circulator bus ended on 31 December 2024.
Capital Bikeshare costs a $1 unlock plus $0.15 a minute on a classic bike, or $0.35 on an e-bike. A day pass is $10, with unlimited 45-minute rides on classic bikes.
Water taxi in Washington, DC
City Cruises lists a Potomac Water Taxi, with day passes and a season pass. Its page showed no prices or season dates when we read it, so check them there before you go.
Taxi and ride-hailing
Taxis and Uber or Lyft work everywhere in DC, but no official page we read compares their prices. Check both apps before you ride.
At BWI, taxis wait on the lower level at Doors 5 and 13. Uber and Lyft pick up on the upper level, between Doors 5 and 12.
Washington, DC taxi cabs
At Reagan National, taxis must use their meters. The airports post their approximate taxi fares as PDF files, which we did not read, so we give no number here.
Hop-on hop-off tours: sightseeing with transport built in
A hop-on bus costs more than the Metro. A 1-day Metro and bus pass is $13.50; a 24-hour bus pass starts from €40. What you get for it: commentary, and stops right at the sights.
To avoid long waits at a stop, use the operator's app. Both the Big Bus and the Old Town Trolley listings include live bus tracking.
Want a guide on foot instead? Compare our Washington, DC tours.
Route-by-route decision table: airport and day trips
This table lists every route we could check on the operator's own website. Where a cell says "not stated", the operator gave no figure.
| Route | Option | Time | Cost | How often | Hassle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reagan National Airport (DCA) to downtown | Metro | Not listed | $2.25 to $6.75 on weekdays before 9:30 pm; $2.25 to $2.50 after 9:30 pm and on weekends | Not listed | Airport links to Metrorail; exact fare depends on the destination station (WMATA Trip Planner) | Reagan National Airport |
| Dulles Airport (IAD) to downtown | Metro (Silver Line, change to Blue Line at Rosslyn) | About 50 to 55 minutes to Rosslyn, then a Blue Line change | $6.75 to Metro Center | Not listed | One change at Rosslyn | Dulles Airport |
| Washington, DC to Harpers Ferry | Train (MARC Brunswick Line) | Not listed | Not listed | Monday to Friday only | Station is about a half-mile walk from Harpers Ferry Center | National Park Service |
| Train (Amtrak Capitol Limited) | Not listed | Not listed | Stops seven days a week | Reservations required | National Park Service | |
| Car | Not stated for DC; NPS gives about 1 h 30 from DCA and BWI and about 50 min from Dulles, outside rush hour | Not listed | Any time | Beltway to I-495, I-270 north to Frederick, then Route 340 south | National Park Service | |
| Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI) to downtown | Train (Amtrak from BWI Rail Station to Union Station) | About 30 minutes | Not listed | Airport shuttle every 10 to 15 minutes to the station | Free shuttle to the rail station, then Red Line from Union Station | BWI Airport |
| Train (MARC Penn Line to Union Station) | About 35 minutes | Not listed | Weekdays 4:47 a.m. to 9:32 p.m.; Saturday 7:50 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. | Free shuttle to the rail station | BWI Airport | |
| Bus (MTA Commuter Bus 201 to Shady Grove Metro) | About 1 hour 10 minutes, then Metro | Not listed | Not listed | Change to Metro at Shady Grove | BWI Airport | |
| Taxi / ride-hail | About 45 minutes | Not listed | 24/7 | Taxi pickup on the lower level at Doors #5 and #13; Uber/Lyft on the upper level between Doors #5 and #12 | BWI Airport | |
| New York City to Washington, DC | Train (Amtrak Acela) | About 3 hours | Not listed | Multiple departures daily | Acela page itself lists only the full Boston-Washington time of 7 hours | Amtrak |
| Washington, DC to Mount Vernon | Bus (Fairfax Connector 101 from Huntington Metro) | Not listed | $2.25 | Not listed | Metro to Huntington station, then the bus to the estate | Fairfax Connector |
| Washington, DC to Baltimore | Train (MARC Penn Line) | Not listed | Not listed | Weekend trains exist on the Penn Line (BWI listing: Saturday and Sunday) | Union Station to Baltimore Penn Station | Maryland MTA |
| Washington, DC to Gettysburg | Car | About 90 minutes from Washington, DC | No park entrance pass needed | Any time | NPS lists no train or bus from DC; Rabbit Express buses serve Gettysburg from Harrisburg, and local Freedom Transit buses run only within Gettysburg | National Park Service |
Read from the operators' own pages on 25 October 2026. Fares and timetables change; check before you travel.
Day trips on your own: train, bus or car by area
Harpers Ferry: MARC trains run there Monday to Friday only. Amtrak's Capitol Limited stops there every day, but you must book ahead. The station is a half-mile walk from Harpers Ferry Center.
Mount Vernon: take Metro to Huntington, then Fairfax Connector bus 101 to the estate. The bus fare is $2.25.
Gettysburg: the National Park Service says the park is about 90 minutes from DC. NPS lists no train or bus from DC to Gettysburg, so you drive or book one of the tours of the Gettysburg battlefield.
Baltimore: MARC's Penn Line runs there, with weekend trains too.
New York: Amtrak says its Acela takes about three hours.
For tours that do the driving, see our day trips from Washington, DC.
When a rental car makes sense and when it does not
In the city, a car is more trouble than help. The Metro reaches most sights, and parking costs add up: the Udvar-Hazy Center alone charges $15.
A car makes sense for Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry or Shenandoah, where trains and buses are few or none.
In the 2026 Washington, DC Travel Cost Study, 4 rental sites listed average daily prices from $54 to $77, read on 25 October 2026, before fuel and parking.
Car rental at Reagan National Airport (DCA)
Reagan National is the handy place to pick up a car, because it has its own Metro link. Ride the Metro there on the day you leave the city, and drive from there.
Car rental at Dulles Airport
Dulles suits a drive west. The Park Service puts Harpers Ferry about 50 minutes from Dulles outside rush hour. For Shenandoah, it gives routes such as I-66 to Front Royal.
If you plan to drive to Gettysburg or Harpers Ferry, pick the car up at Reagan National Airport on the day you leave the city.
Tips for getting around Washington, DC
Use one card in and out
Tap the same SmarTrip or contactless card when you enter and when you exit. The fare depends on the distance.
Ride late or on weekends
After 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend, a Metro ride costs $2.25 to $2.50.
Buy a pass only if you ride a lot
A 1-day pass costs $13.50. It pays off only if you take several long rides in a day.
Check the bus app before you wait
The Big Bus and Old Town Trolley listings include live bus tracking in their apps. Check it before you stand at a stop.
Book the Harpers Ferry train
Amtrak's Capitol Limited needs a reservation. MARC trains to Harpers Ferry run on weekdays only.
If your plans change
Each tour card shows its own cancellation terms. All five of our picks show free cancellation on GetYourGuide.
Real questions about getting around Washington, DC
How do I get around Washington, DC without a car?
How do I pay for public transport in Washington, DC?
Is Uber or Lyft better in Washington, DC?
How much is a taxi in Washington, DC?
How do I get to the Lincoln Memorial?
Do I need a car in Washington, DC?
More ways to see Washington, DC
More options with live prices and availability, straight from GetYourGuide.
See every Washington, DC tour with today's prices and open dates on GetYourGuide.
Browse all on GetYourGuideSources (21), facts checked on 25 October 2026
- Metro and bus fares (WMATA)
- Passes (WMATA)
- DC Streetcar end of service (DDOT)
- DC Circulator (DDOT)
- Pricing (Capital Bikeshare)
- Potomac River cruises and water taxi (City Cruises)
- Metro (Reagan National Airport)
- Taxi service (Reagan National Airport)
- Silver Line FAQs (Dulles Airport)
- Estimated taxi fares (Dulles Airport)
- To and from Washington, DC (BWI Airport)
- MARC train (Maryland MTA)
- Route 101 (Fairfax Connector)
- Getting to Harpers Ferry (NPS)
- Directions (Gettysburg National Military Park)
- Press kit (Gettysburg National Military Park)
- Directions (Shenandoah National Park)
- Acela (Amtrak)
- Visit (Arlington National Cemetery)
- Udvar-Hazy Center (National Air and Space Museum)
- National Mall and Memorial Parks (NPS)
Written by the Things to Do in Washington DC editorial team.