Baltimore, Maryland is a great day trip to take from the Washington D.C. area. Read my tips on how to spend an afternoon in Baltimore.
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Getting to Baltimore From Washington D.C.
There are a few ways to get to Baltimore from D.C. A car ride takes just about an hour, depending on the traffic. If you hit rush hour, though, it could take more like two hours, so make sure to plan accordingly.
You can also take the train from D.C.’s Union Station to Baltimore’s Penn Station or Camden Yards Station. The train trip takes about 30-40 minutes.
What to Do With an Afternoon in Baltimore
When we visited Washington D.C., we had a couple of friends with a car, so we chose to drive the hour to Baltimore for the afternoon.
We headed for the Inner Harbor where the city has beautiful water views, paddle boats shaped like pirate ships, numerous restaurants, and the National Aquarium.
National Aquarium
The National Aquarium was our main destination for this Baltimore day trip. The aquarium has over 20,000 animals — and that’s not just fish and sharks. They also have dolphins, birds, amphibians, and even a sloth!
The layout of the aquarium takes you on a one-way path with moving escalators that soar above the exhibits. It’s really well designed for seeing the whole aquarium without any breaks.
If you wanted to see the dolphin show at a certain time or break for food, however, this layout would make that more difficult. But it was perfect for us because we didn’t have to back-track anywhere or feel like we missed seeing anything.
On our visit, we traveled up three stories exploring the ocean and river exhibits, and then we went up another level to wander through the rain forest exhibit.
From there, we traveled down a spiraled ramp where we got to see the sharks up close before heading across the walkway to the dolphins and jellyfish building.
It took us about an hour and a half to see the whole aquarium. Tickets are $49.95 for adults. If you’re getting there late, like we did, you can tour the National Aquarium up to 90 minutes after the last admission.
Philips Crab Deck
After the National Aquarium, we ate dinner at Phillips Crab Deck, the outdoor seating area of Phillips Seafood. Since Maryland is famous for its crabs, we figured this was the perfect place to eat. We shared a bucket of steamed blue crab, shrimp, and sausage and got a little messy. I also tried their lobster roll.
There’s still a ton more to do in Baltimore, but since that’s all we had time for, we’ll have to save everything else for next time!
Read next: Taking a Day Trip to Alexandria, Virginia from Washington D.C.
Ready to visit Baltimore, Maryland? Plan your trip with these tips.
- Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
- Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Baltimore using Hotels.com.
- Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
Cheers!
Paige
What do you suggest for a day trip to Baltimore? Let me know in the comments!
Now, I want to go there. Though I don’t live far away I have not seen half of what Baltimore has to offer it seems. Thanks for the inspiration!
There are so many great things in Baltimore, it’s so great for a day trip!