In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Kensington
Kensington, Maryland
Give Kensington half a day: Antique Row plus the Mormon Temple grounds. Sleep in Bethesda or Silver Spring, not here — the town has no hotels.
Kensington is a small Montgomery County suburb on Connecticut Avenue, about 10 miles north of downtown Washington. It is known for Antique Row, the white Mormon Temple that rises above the Beltway treeline, and a handful of local restaurants. There is no hotel in town, so most visitors come for a few hours and sleep in Bethesda or Silver Spring.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Kensington, Maryland
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct; December for the temple lights
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (humid), icy spells in Jan–Feb
- Stay
- 0–1 (sleep in Bethesda or Silver Spring) nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $60–100 excl. bed · Mid $100–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Montgomery County non-emergency police 301-279-8000
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Large pizza with toppings (Continental Pizza) | about $8 |
| Casual lunch or sandwich | $10–18 |
| Sit-down dinner, mid-range | $20–40 |
| Ride On bus fare | $1.75 |
| Rideshare, Bethesda to Kensington | $12–20 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–40 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- DCA · Ronald Reagan Washington National
- Closest; about 30–40 min by car or rideshare to Kensington, longer in rush hour
- IAD · Washington Dulles International
- About 40–60 min by car via the Beltway
- BWI · Baltimore/Washington International
- About 50–70 min by car
Typical fares
- Ride On bus, one ride
- $1.75, SmarTrip card or exact change
- Rideshare Bethesda → Kensington
- $12–20
- MARC Brunswick Line, Kensington → Washington Union Station
- about $6–8 one way, rush hour only
Get around
The compact centre around Antique Row and Connecticut Avenue is walkable. Everything else — the temple, Glen Echo, the National Park Seminary — is easiest by car or rideshare. Ride On Bus 5 (from Silver Spring) and Bus 34 (from Bethesda and Wheaton) serve the centre, and MARC's Brunswick Line stops on Antique Row but runs mainly at rush hour.
See and do
Known for
- Antique Row
- Washington D.C. Temple (Mormon Temple) and its Christmas lights
- Continental Pizza
- Rock Creek Trail
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bethesda | Ride On Bus 34, or 10–15 min by car south on Wisconsin Ave | About 20–30 min |
| Silver Spring | Ride On Bus 5, or the Beltway to the Georgia Ave exit | About 20–30 min |
| Rockville | MARC Brunswick Line from Kensington station, or I-270 by car | About 20–35 min |
| Glen Echo Park | Car or rideshare via MacArthur Blvd | About 20–25 min |
| Washington, DC | Car down Connecticut Ave, or MARC to Union Station | About 30–50 min |
Sleep
- Bethesda
- Nearest full hotel stock, about 10–15 min by car south on Wisconsin Ave or Connecticut Ave; Ride On Bus 34 links it to Kensington.
- Silver Spring
- More hotels and a bigger dining and nightlife strip, about 15 min east; Ride On Bus 5 runs to Antique Row and the temple area.
- Rockville
- Further north on the MARC Brunswick Line and I-270; useful if you are heading on to Gaithersburg or Frederick.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is Antique Row? | Where is Antique Row? |
| Is the temple open to visitors? | Is the temple open to visitors? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| How far is Bethesda? | How far is Bethesda? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Kensington has no hotels: book in Bethesda or Silver Spring and drive or bus in.
- MARC Brunswick Line trains are infrequent and mostly rush-hour only — check the timetable before planning around them.
- The temple itself is closed to non-Mormon visitors without a church permit; only the Visitor Center and grounds are open to everyone.
- Continental Pizza is cash only.
- Rush hour on Connecticut Avenue and the Capital Beltway can double short drive times.
A quiet, low-crime suburban town; the practical risks are traffic on Connecticut Avenue and the Beltway, unlit trail sections after dark, and summer heat and humidity.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kensington yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 (sleep in Bethesda or Silver Spring) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Antique Row
- Washington D.C. Temple (Mormon Temple) and its Christmas lights
- Continental Pizza
- Rock Creek Trail
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Montgomery County — official tourism: www.visitmontgomery.com/
- MARC Train (Maryland Transit Administration): mta.maryland.gov/marc-train
- Ride On Bus route 5 (Montgomery County): www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/routesandschedules/allroutes/route005.html
- Ride On Bus route 34 (Montgomery County): www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-Transit/routesandschedules/allroutes/route034.html
- Wikivoyage: Kensington (Maryland), revision 5240730 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5240730
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
KensingtonKensington, Maryland
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- Montgomery County non-emergency police301-279-8000
No embassies in Kensington; national embassies are in Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected in the US: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kensington-maryland). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.