A Travel Price Comparison for United States of America Baltimore vs. Boise for Attractions, Food, Nightlife, and Families

Should you visit Baltimore or Boise?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Baltimore and Boise can help you decide which place is right for you.

Baltimore

Baltimore is a diverse, colorful, and historic city. Because this is such a big city, visitors will find many sights and attractions around town. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums.

Boise

Boise is a welcoming, authentic, and friendly city. And you can't forget about the shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Baltimore and Boise: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Baltimore or Boise?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Baltimore than Boise, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Baltimore is more touristy than Boise and is popular for the Inner Harbor and its many water based activities. It is also home to the National Aquarium. Boise is popular for its many outdoor and recreational activities.

How is Baltimore different from Boise?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Boise and Baltimore. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Baltimore or Boise?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its museums and history. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for its museums and landmarks.

Baltimore offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. The city is known for its historic ships that are found in the Inner Harbor. There are many other museums around town as well like the American Visionary Art Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Many days can be filled exploring the many art, history, or science museums in the area.

Boise is a good place to visit if you're interested in museums or other recognizable sights. As the state capital, there's a nice selection of local museums around town. Favorites include the Boise Art Museum, the Basque Museum & Cultural Center, the Idaho Black History Museum, and Discovery Center.

Is the Food Better in Baltimore or Boise? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its restaurants. However, Boise is lacking in options for its restaurant scene.

Baltimore has a number of nationally recognized food spots and restaurants. The city's location near the Chesapeake Bay means that there are many great local seafood dishes. Blue crab is a regional favorite and is often served as crab soup, crab dip, or crab cakes. You'll find many famous restaurants in the Inner Harbor, but if you want something more local you should check out Little Italy or Fells Point.

Boise offers some easy restaurants to choose from. While Idaho has long been associated with the potato, the locals usually think of "finger steaks" when describing local food. These are deep-friend beef strips that are as good as they sound.

Is Baltimore or Boise Better for Nightlife?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its evening party scene. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for nightlife.

Baltimore has a lively atmosphere and nightlife is popular here. It's a vibrant city with many night time activities like breweries, night clubs, and cocktail bars. There's even outside the box activities like ballroom dancing or arcade bars.

Boise has an active nightlife scene for those who seek it out. In downtown Boise you'll find a selection of bars, lounges, and breweries. There's enough around town to keep the nightlife scene interesting.

Is the Shopping Better in Baltimore or Boise?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its shopping areas. Also, Boise is not quite as popular, but is fairly good for shopping.

Many visitors explore the shopping areas in Baltimore. Shopping is a great way to experience the different neighborhoods around town. For high end shopping head to Harbor East. For a bit more history check out Federal Hill. Hampden is known for its quirky style and Fell's Point is particularly popular with tourists.

Boise is a great destination for shopping. You'll find a mix of local boutiques, independent vendors, and suburban shopping centers where you'll find anything that you might need.

Is Baltimore or Boise Better for Families?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its kid-friendly activities. However, Boise is lacking in options for its family-friendly activities.

You'll find plenty of family-friendly things to do in Baltimore. The National Aquarium is a highlight for many families. It's an impressive aquarium with dolphins, sharks, puffins, and fish. Also in town is the Port Discovery Children’s Museum which has many interactive exhibits. The Maryland Science Center, the Maryland Zoo, and the many historic ships in the harbor also offer educational opportunities for kids. For something a bit different, check out Urban Pirates in the Inner Harbor.

Boise doesn't usually come to mind when thinking about kid-friendly destinations. You'll find parks, playgrounds, and the Discovery Center which will help keep kids entertained.

Is Baltimore or Boise Better for Couples?

Baltimore is a popular place for couples. However, Boise is lacking in options for romance.

Baltimore is a good city for couples to visit. Most visitors spend the majority of their time around the Inner Harbor. There are restaurants and romantic hotels that are perfect for couples. The city also has many entertainment options and other activities that make for a great date night.

Boise is not the best destination for a couple to visit. Date night activities include dining at a nice restaurants and seeing a show at the theater.

Is Baltimore or Boise Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

Baltimore is a popular place for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Boise is lacking in options for backpackers.

Plenty of budget travelers visit Baltimore. There are a couple of hostels around town, but most international travelers overlook this city.

Boise is not the best destination for backpackers and budget travelers due to its high prices. Backpackers rarely make their way to this town.

Is Baltimore or Boise Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for times when you don't have a car. However, Boise is lacking in options for its public transit.

Baltimore offers a very effecient public transportation network. There are water taxis and a free downtown bus service that's called the Charm City Circulator. MTA also operates a metro and a light rail system.

Public transit is generally limited in Boise. There are infrequent buses around town, but visitors usually have a car to get around town efficiently.

Is Baltimore or Boise a more walkable city?

Baltimore is an excellent place to visit for its ease of walking around. However, Boise is lacking in options for its walkability.

Baltimore is a very walkable destination. The downtown area is the most walkable part of the city. In particular, the Inner Harbor and Fells Point are particularly walkable.

Boise is generally not very walkable. There are a couple of walkable neighborhoods but, in general, the town isn't very walkable.

For even more information, also check out Is Baltimore Worth Visiting? and Is Boise Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Boise or Baltimore?

How long in Baltimore or Boise?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in Baltimore or Boise to fill your time. Many travelers usually spend more of their time in Baltimore than Boise because of the number of activities and things to do in the area. Usually, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for Baltimore, and 1-2 days is enough time in Boise.

Families should spend more time in Baltimore than Boise. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Baltimore, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Baltimore than Boise. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Baltimore that are great for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Baltimore than Boise if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Baltimore.

One day in Baltimore or Boise?

In Baltimore, many people enjoy the shopping and museums that this vibrant destination offers. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

You'll find shopping and museums around the city of Boise. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Boise has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

A weekend in Baltimore or Boise?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Baltimore. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. This would be the perfect place to spend a weekend, as it has just the right amount of activities. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

You'll find museums and nightlife around the welcoming destination of Boise. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

Five days in Baltimore or Boise?

Baltimore is a fun place to experience. Travelers enjoy the nightlife and food when visiting the destination of Baltimore. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything.

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and shopping when visiting the authentic city of Boise. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

A week in Baltimore or Boise?

You'll find food and shopping around the historic destination of Baltimore. Take your pick from the many activities offered here. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

Boise is a popular choice for travelers. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Los Angeles, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New York City, The Best 2-Week Tours from New York City, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Anchorage.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Baltimore and Boise, we can see that Baltimore is more expensive. And not only is Boise much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Boise would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Boise and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Baltimore would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Baltimore than you might in Boise.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Baltimore Expensive? and Is Boise Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Baltimore or Boise?

Baltimore has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Boise. When comparing the sizes of Baltimore and Boise, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.