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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Give Pullman one night, two if you have a WSU reason: campus museums and the lentil festival are the draw, not a city break.
Pullman is a university town of about 30,000 people on the Palouse hills of eastern Washington, 75 mi (120 km) south of Spokane and 8 mi (13 km) from Moscow, Idaho. Washington State University sits on a hill on the east side of town; downtown is small, hilly and walkable in parts. Almost everything a visitor does here is tied to the campus, the lentil harvest or the drive-through scenery of the Palouse.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Pullman, Washington
- Best months
- May–Oct; late August for the lentil festival
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (cold, grey, campus quiet), home football weekends if you want cheap beds
- Stay
- 1–2 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 US$70–110 excl. bed · Mid US$120–190 excl. bed · High US$200+ 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
- 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 | US$3–6 |
| Breakfast (Old European, Danish aebelskivers) | US$12–20 |
| Calzone or pizza at Sella's | US$12–20 |
| Draught beer in a downtown bar | US$5–8 |
| Cougar Gold cheese, 30 oz tin | US$30–40 |
| Ice cream at Ferdinand's Creamery | US$3–6 |
| Rideshare across town | US$10–18 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PUW · Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport
- 7 km (4.5 mi) northeast of downtown; Alaska Airlines to Seattle/Tacoma and Boise; no public transport to town4.5 mi (7 km) northeast of downtown; Alaska Airlines to Seattle/Tacoma and Boise; no public transport to town
- GEG · Spokane International Airport
- About 130 km (80 mi) north; the nearest airport with a wide choice of airlinesAbout 80 mi (130 km) north; the nearest airport with a wide choice of airlines
- LWS · Lewiston–Nez Perce County Airport
- About 48 km (30 mi) south in Idaho; daily flights to Salt Lake City, Seattle and DenverAbout 30 mi (48 km) south in Idaho; daily flights to Salt Lake City, Seattle and Denver
Typical fares
- PUW airport → downtown, rideshare
- about US$20–30, 10 min (check)
- Pullman → Moscow, Idaho by car
- 13 km (8 mi), about 15 min8 mi (13 km), about 15 min
- Pullman → Spokane by bus
- Northwestern Trailways, about 1.5 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Pullman Transit runs buses, but routes are built around the university calendar and thin out outside term time. The town is very hilly, so walking is short but steep. There is bike share and Zipcar on the WSU campus, and a paved trail to Moscow. A car makes the Palouse, Colfax and the airport easy; otherwise use rideshare or College Cabs.
See and do
Known for
- Washington State University
- National Lentil Festival
- Cougar Gold cheese
- Palouse hills scenery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Moscow, Idaho | Car on WA-270 east, or the Bill Chipman Palouse Trail by bike or on foot | 15 min by car; about 1 h by bike |
| Kamiak Butte | Car north on Grand Ave about 16 km (10 mi), then follow the signCar north on Grand Ave about 10 mi (16 km), then follow the sign | About 25 min |
| Colfax, Washington | Car north on WA-27 | About 30 min |
| Spokane | Car on US-195 north, or Northwestern Trailways from the Courtyard by Marriott | 1.5 h by car |
Sleep
- Downtown / Grand Ave
- Walk to bars, cafés and the farmers market; the Coast Hilltop Inn and My Office are here.
- North Fairway Road (northeast)
- Marriott Courtyard and Residence Inn cluster near the airport and WSU; the Northwestern Trailways stop is at the Courtyard.
- SE Bishop Blvd
- Chain motels south of campus; a car or rideshare is needed for everything.
- Moscow, Idaho
- 13 km (8 mi) east; a bigger choice of beds and a different downtown, with a bike path between the two.8 mi (13 km) east; a bigger choice of beds and a different downtown, with a bike path between the two.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the campus? | Where's the WSU campus? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| Is there a bus to Moscow? | Is there a bus to Moscow? |
| One coffee, please | A coffee, please |
| Where is the trailhead? | Where does the trail start? |
| Thanks, have a good one | Thanks, have a good one |
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
- Campus is quiet outside term; some museums and the creamery keep weekday-only hours — check before you build a day around them.
- Home football weekends fill every bed in town and push room rates up sharply.
- Winter brings ice and snow on the hills; summer can hit the high 30s °C with smoke from regional fires.
- PUW has no public transport to town: arrange a rental car, rideshare or hotel shuttle before you land.
Pullman is a low-crime college town; the real risks are winter ice on the hills, summer heat and smoke, and late-night bar crowds on football weekends.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pullman yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Washington State University
- National Lentil Festival
- Cougar Gold cheese
- Palouse hills scenery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Pullman: www.pullman-wa.gov/
- Visit Pullman: www.visit-pullman.com/
- Washington State University: wsu.edu/
- Pullman–Moscow Regional Airport: flypuw.com
- Pullman Transit: www.pullmantransit.com/
- National Lentil Festival: www.lentilfest.com/
- Wikivoyage: Pullman, revision 5326475 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5326475
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PullmanPullman, Washington
Can you take me to this address?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Pullman; consulates are in Seattle. For passport help, contact your country's nearest consulate in Seattle or San Francisco.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, US$1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis and rideshare.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pullman). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.