Apologies to everyone except Ithaca enthusiasts, Cornell students, faculty and alum. This isn’t for you. However, we would encourage you to give Ithaca a try regardless. In 2025, CNN Travel named Ithaca, New York, the number one "Best Town to Visit in America" and this small upstate NY town absolutely deserves the title. Ithaca isn’t about flash. It’s about depth — the kind of place where people think too much, drink just enough, and measure life in seasons, not seconds.”
Day 1: Stone, Water, and Fire — The Lay of the Land
The air in Ithaca smells like wet rock, pine, and distant campfires — it’s honest, a little melancholy, and entirely alive.
Morning: Cascadilla Gorge Trail - Start where Ithaca begins — in the gorges. The Cascadilla Gorge Trail cuts through stone walls carved by time and water, right between downtown and Cornell. Walk the stone steps, feel the spray, and listen to the water hammering against the cliffs. This isn’t a walk — it’s a baptism.
Lunch: Taste of Thai (Ithaca Commons) - Tucked in the heart of Ithaca Commons, Taste of Thai does the impossible — perfect pad kee mao in upstate New York. It’s hot, fragrant, unapologetic food that warms your bones when the weather turns. Order the crispy duck curry, ignore your phone, and watch locals argue about sustainability and snow tires.
Afternoon: Ithaca Commons - Walk off lunch through the pedestrian heartbeat of the city — Ithaca Commons. Street musicians, bookshops, vintage stores — it’s scrappy, smart, and deeply local.
Dinner: The Heights Restaurant & H Bar - Fine dining, but not fussy. The Heights does Mediterranean-American with grace — lamb chops, seared scallops, cocktails that feel civilized but not self-important. Sit near the windows, order the truffle fries, and toast to a small town that punches well above its weight.
Day 2: The Water and the Wine — Cayuga Dreams
There’s a rhythm to this place — vineyard mornings, long drives by the lake, and the sound of wind pushing through cornfields and grapevines.
Morning: College Town Bagels (CTB) - CTB is where mornings happen. Locals, professors, and bleary-eyed grad students collide over bagels, coffee, and gossip. Try the “Sunset Special” — egg, avocado, tomato, and melted cheese on a toasted bagel. Order a large cold brew and watch Ithaca wake up.
Midday: Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery & Six Mile Creek Vineyard - Take the long drive along the wine trail toward Hammondsport and stop at Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery — a pioneer in New York winemaking. The Rieslings here don’t mess around — crisp, acidic, and perfect for lakeside sipping. Closer to home, Six Mile Creek Vineyard sits on rolling hills with a view that makes time irrelevant. Bring a picnic, stay too long, and let the afternoon drift away.
Evening: Dinner at The BoatYard Grill (Cayuga Lake) - Right on the water, The BoatYard Grill is as Ithaca as it gets — fresh-caught fish, local beer, and sunset views that border on cinematic. Order the grilled trout, grab a Cayuga Cream Ale, and lean into the slow.
Nightcap: Ithaca Beer Co. - Head just outside town to Ithaca Brewery — a temple to craft beer before it was a hashtag. Try the Flower Power IPA, find a table under the string lights, and eat something fried from the kitchen. Conversations here tend to last a while, the way they should.
Day 3: Knowledge, Chaos, and the Cold
Cornell runs through this city like a vein — brainpower, ambition, and hockey pucks.
Morning: Cornell University & Botanic Gardens - Wander the Cornell campus — red brick, ivy, and ambition in physical form. Stop at the Cornell Botanic Gardens — acres of trails, arboretums, and serenity that could humble a monk. The kind of quiet that makes you think about your life — and whether you’ve been living it right. Oh, and Cornell dining is a treasure. Long gone are the days of bad campus dining and Cornell (due to their emphasis in hospitality) has led the revolution.
Lunch: Cornell Dairy Bar - There’s a reason people line up for ice cream here in January. The Dairy Bar churns out impossibly smooth scoops from milk made right on campus. Try “Big Red Bear Tracks.” It’s comfort in frozen form.
Afternoon: Lynah Rink — Cornell Hockey Game - There’s nothing polite about a Cornell hockey game. It’s loud, rowdy, and beautiful. Fans banging on the glass, cowbells echoing, and students chanting insults that would make a sailor blush. This is school spirit with a pulse — real, raw, and unfiltered.
Late Night: Shortstop Deli - Post-game, head to Shortstop Deli. Open late, greasy in all the right ways. Order a “PMP” (Poor Man’s Pizza) — a sub filled with marinara, mozzarella, and pepperoni. You’ll regret nothing.
Day 4: Fire and Stone — Falls, Flight, and Wings
Nature doesn’t whisper here — it crashes. Ithaca’s waterfalls don’t ask for your attention; they take it.
Morning: Buttermilk Falls State Park - Wake early and drive south to Buttermilk Falls. The cascades crash down in tiers, pooling into a natural swimming hole that feels like the edge of the world. Bring a towel, jump in if it’s summer, or just hike the rim trail and watch the mist rise.
Lunch: Wings Over Ithaca - It’s not glamorous — but it’s sacred. Wings Over Ithaca is where locals go when nothing else will do. Get the “Hot Garlic” wings or “Cajun Teriyaki.” Sauce on your face, napkins everywhere. Bliss.
Afternoon: Cayuga Lake — Stewart Park & Beyond - End your trip where Ithaca meets water. Stewart Park is simple — swings, shoreline, a breeze off the lake that smells like freedom. Watch the sailboats drift by, maybe rent a kayak, and let the day unravel at its own pace.
Evening: Johnson Museum of Art - Climb the hill to Cornell’s Johnson Art Museum — designed by I. M. Pei, with views that look like they were painted by Turner himself. Inside: African masks, Asian ceramics, and the quiet hum of students pretending not to fall in love. Then, end your evening with Cornell Campus dining. It’s top notch.
