Travel Budget for Virginia Visit Virginia on a Budget or Travel in Style

Virginia, United States of America

How much does it cost to travel to Virginia?

You should plan to spend around $161 per day on your vacation in Virginia. This is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors.

Past travelers have spent, on average for one day:

  • $37 on meals
  • $49 on local transportation
  • $159 on hotels

A one week trip to Virginia for two people costs, on average, $2,257. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

All of these average travel prices have been collected from other travelers to help you plan your own travel budget.

  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    $161
  • One Week Per person
    $1,128
  • 2 Weeks Per person
    $2,257
  • One Month Per person
    $4,835
  • One Week For a couple
    $2,257
  • 2 Weeks For a couple
    $4,513
  • One Month For a couple
    $9,671
This data comes from the travel budgets of real travelers - How it works. Put these numbers on your website.


How much does a one week, two week, or one month trip to Virginia cost?

A one week trip to Virginia usually costs around $1,128 for one person and $2,257 for two people. This includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

A two week trip to Virginia on average costs around $2,257 for one person and $4,513 for two people. This cost includes accommodation, food, local transportation, and sightseeing.

Please note, prices can vary based on your travel style, speed, and other variables. If you're traveling as a family of three or four people, the price per person often goes down because kid's tickets are cheaper and hotel rooms can be shared. If you travel slower over a longer period of time then your daily budget will also go down. Two people traveling together for one month in Virginia will often have a lower daily budget per person than one person traveling alone for one week.

A one month trip to Virginia on average costs around $4,835 for one person and $9,671 for two people. The more places you visit, the higher the daily price will become due to increased transportation costs.




Independent Travel

Traveling Independently to Virginia has many benefits including affordabilty, freedom, flexibility, and the opportunity to control your own experiences.

All of the travel costs below are based on the experiences of other independent travelers.

Is Virginia expensive to visit?

Prices in Virginia are reasonable and comparable to your average travel destination. Hotels, food, and sightseeing are generally within normal price ranges.

Within North America, which is known to be an expensive region, Virginia is a moderately priced destination compared to other places. The overall cost of travel here is fair for the region and comparable to many other destinations.

For more details, and to find out if it's within your travel budget, see Is Virginia Expensive?

How much money do I need for a trip to Virginia?

The average Virginia trip cost is broken down by category here for independent travelers. All of these Virginia travel prices are calculated from the budgets of real travelers.


Category Cost
Accommodation 1 (Double Occupancy) $159
Local Transportation 1 $49
Food 2 $37
Entertainment 1 $24
Alcohol 2 $10 - 29
Accommodation Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

The average price paid for one person for accommodation in Virginia is $80. For two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room, the average price paid for a hotel room in Virginia is $159. This cost is from the reported spending of actual travelers.


  • Accommodation1 Hotel or hostel for one person
    $80
  • Accommodation1 Typical double-occupancy room
    $159

Hotel Prices in Virginia

Looking for a hotel in Virginia? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options.

Find the best hotel for your travel style.

Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world.



Transportation Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The cost of a taxi ride in Virginia is significantly more than public transportation. On average, past travelers have spent $49 per person, per day, on local transportation in Virginia.


  • Transportation1 Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    $49

Recommended Services


Flights to Virginia
How much does it cost to go to Virginia? Naturally, it depends on the dates. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all airlines.

Rental Cars in Virginia
The price of renting a car in Virginia will depends on dates, the type of car, the location, and your age. We recommend Kayak because they can find the best deals across all car rental companies.



Food Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • While meal prices in Virginia can vary, the average cost of food in Virginia is $37 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Virginia should cost around $15 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Virginia is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.


  • Food2 Meals for one day
    $37

Recommended


Entertainment Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Entertainment and activities in Virginia typically cost an average of $24 per person, per day based on the spending of previous travelers. This includes fees paid for admission tickets to museums and attractions, day tours, and other sightseeing expenses.


  • Entertainment1 Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    $24

Recommended Activities


Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • Unfortunately, bad things can happen on a trip. Well, you've just got to deal with it! The average price for a scam, robbery, or mishap in Virginia is $225, as reported by travelers.


  • Scams, Robberies, and Mishaps1
    $225


Alcohol Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • The average person spends about $19 on alcoholic beverages in Virginia per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.


  • Alcohol2 Drinks for one day
    $19

Recommended


Water Budget in Virginia
Average Daily Costs

Calculated from travelers like you

  • On average, people spend $1.35 on bottled water in Virginia per day. The public water in Virginia is considered safe to drink.


  • Water2 Bottled water for one day
    $1.35


Virginia On a Budget
Virginia Virginia Beach, VA
One of the original thirteen British colonies, Virginia is a place of rich history and varied environments. You might explore the historic settlement of Colonial Williamsburg, dive into the current culture of its major cities, or get lost in nature along the coast or in the scenic landscape of the Appalachian Mountains. There's a little something for everyone.
Sights
When it comes to sights, Virginia's highlights involve its outdoor scenery and its history. Closer to nature attractions lie mostly to the west with the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as the Appalachian Mountains located in the highlands of Southwest Virginia. Crabtree Falls in Nelson County is one of the tallest sets of waterfalls in the U.S., while the Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County presents a natural landform that has become iconic to the region. You might also wish to explore below the earth, diving deep into the reaches of the Shenandoah Caverns, and the beaches, of course, are great for relaxing along the coast.

Then there are the historic places, like the triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown, and Colonial Williamsburg, which has always been very popular with visitors. Colonial Williamsburg in particular has many interesting buildings and acts as a living museum with blacksmiths and silversmiths manning the workshops, a tailor specializing in colonial attire, a traditional print shop, the governor's mansion and garden, and very many others. It is a fun and easy way to delve into colonial life and learn a bit about the history of the settlement. The College of William and Mary also resides in Williamsburg and is definitely worth a walk through campus. And then there is Mount Vernon, the plantation of George Washington, first President of the United States, and his wife, Martha.
Regions
Virginia's landscape is vast and varied with mountains in the west, rural countryside at its center, beaches and coastal towns in the east, and a handful of cities dotted throughout. The capital city of Virginia is called Richmond. Located in the central part of the state, the area also features historic sites from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Northern Virginia consists of the populated region bordering Washington DC, while Southwest Virginia is mostly rural and defined by the Appalachian Mountains. Then there is the Shenandoah Valley which is bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Eastern Virginia which is home to popular tourist spots like Virginia Beach as well as the historic trio of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Other major cities include Arlington, Alexandria, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg, Norfolk, and Roanoke.

Activities
The regions that are full of nature, lying mostly to the west, are hot spots for visitors hoping to experience some of Virginia's great outdoors. Activities here mostly consist of hitting the hiking trails, backpacking, camping, wildlife watching, and fishing. The Brew Ridge Trail is a great way to see the Blue Ridge Mountains while indulging in some craft beer selections of the region. Current destinations on the trail include Wild Wolf Brewing Company, Blue Mountain Brewery, Blue Mountain Barrel, Devil's Backbone Brewing Company, South Street Brewery, and Starr Hill Brewery.

The historic sites can occupy days of activity during a stay in Virginia with tours, live demonstrations, and hands-on activities, while the cities have plenty of opportunity for dining, shopping, and entertainment. And if you're looking for a more thrilling time in Virginia, Busch Gardens is a popular theme park covering 383 acres northwest of Virginia Beach.
Food and Dining
As far as food goes, many of Virginia's signature dishes are common throughout much of the Southern United States as well. Country ham is a particular favorite, as is barbeque-mostly pork with a vinegar-based sauce. Brunswick stew is another traditional favorite, thought to have originated in Brunswick County in the southeast; it is a thick vegetable stew with meat. Desserts like marble cake and shoofly pie come largely from the Pennsylvania Dutch, while fried peaches with vanilla ice cream is considered a more upscale dessert. Then there is peanut soup which dates back to colonial times, maple syrup and pancakes are popular in the more mountainous regions of the Shenandoah Valley, while the coastal regions, especially near the Chesapeake Bay, are very well known for fresh seafood dishes. Some of these selections include items like oysters, blue crabs, bay clams, blue fish, bay scallops, haddock, and shad-and are almost always seasoned with a spice mix called Old Bay.

Transportation
By plane, the state of Virginia is serviced by a few major airports. Washington-Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are in the northern part of the state, Richmond International Airport services the central and southern parts, and Norfolk International Airport caters to eastern Virginia.

By train, Amtrak offers passenger rail service to many Virginia cities, including Alexandria, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Richmond, Norfolk, Charlottesville, and Staunton. For destinations in Northern Virginia, the best stops are Union Station in Washington, DC and the Fredericksburg station.

By car, there are a few routes depending on what direction you come from. I-81 is the main route from Tennessee and continues through Virginia into Maryland and Pennsylvania, I-66 connects Northwestern and Northern Virginia with Washington, DC, and I-95 runs north-south through Virginia connecting Washington, DC to Fredericksburg and Richmond and on to North Carolina. Other major routes include I-85 and I-64.


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We've been gathering travel costs from tens of thousands of actual travelers since 2010, and we use the data to calculate average daily travel costs for destinations around the world. We also systematically analyze the prices of hotels, hostels, and tours from travel providers such as Kayak, HostelWorld, TourRadar, Viator, and others. This combination of expenses from actual travelers, combined with pricing data from major travel companies, gives us a uniqe insight into the overall cost of travel for thousands of cities in countries around the world. You can see more here: How it Works.



1 Categories averaged on a per-item basis.
2 Categories averaged on a per-day basis.
For example, the Food2 daily average is for all meals for an entire day, while Entertainment1 is for each individual purchase. Thus, the overall daily average cost is not a summation of the individual categories.