City Weekend Breaks
Walkable cities where the sights sit close together and the evenings are as good as the days.
Plan My GetawayThe best city weekends happen in places where the sights sit close together and the evenings are as good as the days.
Four Cities That Reward 48 Hours
Boston
The Freedom Trail is a ready-made itinerary: a 2.5-mile walking route that links 16 historic sites through downtown and the North End. Do it on Saturday morning, eat your way through the North End at lunch, and spend the afternoon on the harbor or in a museum. Best in Mass covers Boston plus Cambridge, Salem and Cape Cod if you have a fourth day.
Washington, DC
The Smithsonian’s museums offer free admission, which makes DC one of the best-value city weekends in the country. A few of them use free timed passes, so check before you go. Walk the National Mall at dusk, when the memorials are lit and the crowds thin out, and save Sunday for Georgetown or the Wharf. Our guide Best of Washington, DC has neighborhoods, dining and annual events.
Seattle
Start at Pike Place Market early, before it fills, then walk the waterfront. A Seattle weekend can include a ferry ride across Puget Sound for views back at the skyline, and on clear days Mount Rainier dominates the horizon. Best of Seattle-Tacoma covers Seattle and Tacoma, including day trips.
Chattanooga
Smaller and easier than the big four, Chattanooga sits on the Tennessee River with Lookout Mountain rising behind it. The Tennessee Aquarium and the riverfront are walkable from downtown, and the pedestrian Walnut Street Bridge links to the North Shore neighborhood. It is a city weekend with a dose of the outdoors.
How to Plan a City Weekend
- Stay central. A slightly smaller room in the middle of town beats a big one that needs a ride every time you go out.
- Group the sights by neighborhood, one area per half day.
- Reserve dinner on Saturday before anything else; it is the hardest table to get.
- Check museum days and hours. Some close one day a week, and many have late openings.
- Use the first evening. Arrive by mid-afternoon on Friday and you gain a whole extra night.
Compare central hotels on Rooms Cheap and flights on Airfares for Less, or let a travel specialist put the package together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a car for a city weekend?
Usually not in Boston, Washington or Seattle, where transit, walking and short rides cover the center and hotel parking can be costly. In smaller cities, a car may help for sights on the edge of town.
How many sights can I fit into 48 hours?
Plan on two major sights a day, with a neighborhood walk and a good meal in between. Trying to do five museums in a day is how city weekends turn into endurance tests.
Plan a City Weekend
Pick your city and dates, and tell us what you love — museums, food, music or history. A travel specialist will send free quotes for the trip.
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