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

Should you visit Sacramento or Boise?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sacramento or Boise, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Sacramento

Sacramento is a undiscovered, laid back, and relaxed city. It's also popular because of the food, shopping, and museums.

Boise

Boise is a welcoming, authentic, and friendly city. Visitors also love the shopping, museums, and nightlife.

Sacramento and Boise: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Sacramento or Boise?

Travelers will usually find more to do in Sacramento than Boise, as it is bigger with more sights, attractions, and activities for visitors. Sacramento is popular for its history and state capital. It is also home to the California State Railroad Museum. Boise is popular for its many outdoor and recreational activities.

How is Sacramento different from Boise?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

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

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

Sacramento 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.

Sacramento offers many unique museums, sights, and landmarks that will make for a memorable trip. As the state capital, you'll find a number of historical and informational museums around town. You should check out the State Capital, as well as the California State Railroad Museum, the Crocker Museum of Art, Sutter's Fort State Historic Park, and the California Automobile Museum.

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 Sacramento or Boise? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Sacramento is a popular place for its restaurants. However, Boise is lacking in options for its restaurant scene.

Sacramento is becoming an appealing option for foodies. Casual restaurants with laid back atmospheres are what's most common around town. You'll also find a variety of international cuisines that include Korean and Vietnamese.

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 Sacramento or Boise Better for Nightlife?

The good nightlife scene is relatively similar in Sacramento and Boise.

With a handful of venues, visitors can find a fairly lively vibe in Sacramento. There highest concentration of activities are found in Downtown Sacramento. You'll find bars, clubs and live music in the area. You can also head to midtown, which has performing arts and comedy shows.

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 Sacramento or Boise?

Shoppers can find a variety of good stores in both Sacramento and Boise.

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting Sacramento. You'll find down-to-earth vendors who have reasonable prices and a great selection. Some of the most interesting shopping is found at the Old Sacramento Waterfront or along Folsom Boulevard.

Many visitors go to Boise to go 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 Sacramento or Boise Better for Families?

Sacramento is a popular place for its kid-friendly activities. However, Boise is lacking in options for its family-friendly activities.

Sacramento is a family-friendly city. With the large number of families that live in the area, you'll a variety of kid-friendly activities. Options include smaller amusement parks like Funderland Amusement Park, museums like the Sacramento Children's Museum, and indoor trampoline parks. There's also Fairytale Town, which is an imagination filled playground.

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 Sacramento or Boise Better for Couples?

Neither Sacramento or Boise is generally regarded as a top spot for a couple to visit.

Most people don't think of Sacramento as a couple's destination. Picnics, nice restaurants, and shows make for enjoyable date activities while you're in town.

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

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

Visitors will find decent public transit in both Sacramento and Boise.

Public transit is mostly limited in Sacramento. There's both light rail and buses around town.

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 Sacramento or Boise a more walkable city?

Sacramento and Boise are decent when it comes to walkability.

Sacramento is generally not a very walkable city. You'll really want a car to get around town, but Midtown is one of the more walkable areas.

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 Sacramento Worth Visiting? and Is Boise Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in Boise or Sacramento?

How long in Sacramento or Boise?

You'll be able to find lots of things to do in Sacramento or Boise to fill your time. In our opinion, Sacramento has more to see and do, so we recommend that you spend more time in Sacramento than Boise. However, 1-2 days is a good amount of time to spend in either destination.

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

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

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Sacramento 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 Sacramento.

One day in Sacramento or Boise?

In Sacramento, many people enjoy the shopping and museums that this relaxed destination offers. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Because of this, one day is usually enough time for a trip here.

With museums and nightlife around the friendly city of Boise, there's plenty to do. Anyone can find something fun to do here. While some people choose to spend more or less time in Boise, one day is sufficent for most.

A weekend in Sacramento or Boise?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Sacramento. 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.

With nightlife and shopping around the destination of Boise, there's plenty to do. It offers something for everyone. Many people spend a weekend here. In a weekend, you should have a good grasp of this city.

Five days in Sacramento or Boise?

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

Boise, a popular city, is full of activities for travelers. Most people find that five days is more than enough time to see everything. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

A week in Sacramento or Boise?

You'll find food and shopping around the relaxed destination of Sacramento. 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 place that is full of things to see and experience. One week is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Sightseeing Tours in United States of America, The Best Cruise Tours and Packages in United States of America, The Best Cultural Tours in United States of America, and The Best Photography Tours in United States of America.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sacramento and Boise, we can see that Sacramento 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 Sacramento would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sacramento 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 Sacramento Expensive? and Is Boise Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Sacramento or Boise?

Sacramento has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Boise. When comparing the sizes of Sacramento 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.