When I went to Washington D.C. for the first time Spring 2018, it was definitely one for the books. We only paid just shy of $350 for our hostel. And, yeah, I know that a bit much for 2 people for 3 nights, especially to be “on a budget,” but we got a private room, and believe it or not, D.C. is an expensive city. The dorm hostels sell their beds for about $30-$50 for the ones closest to the National Mall. There are a few that are less expensive, but further away. The Airbnbs are around $70 to $170 a night for the ones closer to the National Mall.
I recommend staying close to the National Mall and walking rather than using public transit. There are transit passes you can purchase if you do end up further away from the Mall. The day passes were around $15 when this was written. To me, that’s a little more than I would like to pay when I can walk.
Food is a different story. You can’t really save a lot of money on this trip by not eating! We ended up mostly eating at the convenient, refreshments stands located on the National Mall. They are pretty expensive though. We ended up sharing a lot of our small meals, but they were so tasty! The black bean burger was one of my favorite things we ate while in the city. Each visit to the stand ended up costing us about $15 for one meal: entree, side and drink.
Speaking of great food finds, there’s a gelateria in D.C.! Pitango Gelato Penn Quarter is a treasure! I had the pistachio flavor, and it made me feel almost as if I was back on the warm streets of Italy. Almost.
Now let’s talk about the sites. There are so many things to see in Washington. Everyone knows the big ones: the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial. Most of the museums, monuments, and memorials are free to see. The museums along the National Mall usually close around 5pm or so. They also count tickets for a lot of them, so be careful.
If you’re dying to see the Holocaust Museum, buy tickets ahead. There were folks who got in line 4 hours before they opened and still didn’t get tickets for the main exhibit. We also didn’t get tickets for the main exhibit, but the others were moving, as well.
For the most part, I think Washington, D.C. is not one of the more ideal destinations to go on a “budget” vacation, but it is possible if you know how and where to save. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks on the blog. I hope I’m helping you make your travels affordable! 
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