A 3-Day Itinerary For The Perfect Visit To Richmond, VA
You’re coming to Richmond? Great! And you’ve got three days to explore everything RVA has to offer? Even better! There’s a lot eat, see, and Discover here, so let’s not waste any time – here’s a 3-day itinerary for the perfect visit in Richmond, VA.
Richmond Visit Day 1: History
First up: Getting to know Richmond through its history. There’s no better place to start than where it all began for Richmond – Church Hill. It’s where the English settlers landed after sailing up the James, and it’s the city’s oldest neighborhood.
Take breakfast to go from Richmond’s famous wood-fired bakery, Sub Rosa (we recommend a cup of locally roasted coffee and the probably-world-renowned Chocolate Almond Croissant, but you literally can’t go wrong with anything on offer) and head over to Libby Hill Park for the view that named Richmond. It’s said that William Byrd II stood atop Libby Hill facing the James River, and noted how similar the landscape was to Richmond on the River Thames back in the United Kingdom. Thus, the new city was given the same name.
After soaking in the view yourself, stroll the streets of Church Hill on a mobile-based scavenger hunt! Discover Richmond Tours’ scavenger hunts are half self-guided tour and half interactive game. We’ll lead you right to Church Hill’s most interesting sights and stories, and at each one you’ll be prompted with a trivia question you’ll answer by looking around you.
The scavenger hunt will take you there, but be sure to end up at Historic St. John’s Church. Guided tours take place every Friday through Monday, and on certain dates, you can catch a special reenactment of Patrick Henry’s famed “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech. Even without a guided tour, strolling the grounds on your own is a great experience. (See if you can find Elizabeth “Eliza” Poe’s grave!)
You probably worked up an appetite with all of that walking, so head downtown to Buttermilk & Honey on Grace for a legendary fried chicken sandwich, and then amble down the hill on 5th St. to make your way to historic Tredegar. Here you’ll find the American Civil War Museum, a fascinating museum where the mission is to display the war from multiple perspectives: Union and Confederate, enslaved and free African Americans, and soldiers and civilians. It’s a great away to learn about this period of American history, and Richmond’s role in it.
While in the area, be sure to walk across the James on the T. Tyler Potterfield (T-Pot) Memorial Bridge. Not only is the bridge a beautiful way to reach the river’s south side with an Instagrammable view of Richmond’s skyline, but the path is engraved with important dates, quotes, and anecdotes from the Civil War.
Dinner on day one should be a Richmond institution – Mama J’s. You may have to wait for a table, but this southern, family restaurant is 100% worth it. Don’t leave without trying the fried catfish or one of Mama J’s famous cakes!
Finally, end your first evening with a visit to one (or more) of the various rooftop bars around Richmond. You can walk to the Quirk Hotel from Mama J’s, so that’s a good place to start. The Q Rooftop Bar provides great views of the city, plus delightful and creative cocktails, along with elevated bar food! Also in the area is the Byrdhouse rooftop bar at the Graduate Hotel, and the Kabana Rooftop on the 20th floor of the Hilton’s Hampton Inn and Suites and Homewood Suites in Downtown Richmond.
Richmond Visit Day 2: Food & Arts
Today, you’ll get to know present-day Richmond. Biscuits are a BIG deal around here, so fuel up in the morning in the Fan District at Early Bird Biscuit with their incredible Biscuits ‘N Crazy (biscuits and gravy), or The Fancy Biscuit with the Big Poppy (fried chicken included!)
Once you’ve filled your belly, make your way to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond’s world-class art museum. Open 365 days a year, entrance to the museum is free, though there is almost always a special exhibit with a small fee. In the past, these have included the famous Terra Cotta Army, Rodin’s The Thinker, Ansel Adams, and more. Should you need a break during your visit, Best Cafe (casual) and Amuse (upscale) offer two different dining options.
Next, head over to Carytown, which begins just four blocks from the VMFA’s entrance. The Mile of Style is Richmond’s eclectic, local shopping district, and it’s not just for tourists – you’ll find that locals spend as much time in Carytown as anywhere else in the city. Shopping highlights include World of Mirth, Mongrel, and Beastie’s for their quirkiness; Ashby, Clementine, and Bygones Vintage Clothing for thrifting; Shelf Life Books for the cats (okay, and the books); and TONS more for locally made artisan products and decor.
For a late lunch, we’d be remiss if we didn’t recommend experiencing the best of Carytown with Discover Richmond Tours’ Carytown Food Tour! On this walking food tour, you’ll try delicious dishes and beverages from unique establishments, discover the beginnings of Carytown, and learn about how many of the restaurants got their start. Come hungry!
If you’re somehow hungry again this evening, Stella’s is a can’t miss restaurant not too far from Carytown. Serving Greek food in family style, this restaurant is a favorite among Richmonders, so if you can’t get a reservation, you may have to sit at the first-come, first-served community table.
After dinner, end the day with a movie at the historic Byrd Theatre, back in Carytown. Built in 1927, the Byrd is just about the coolest place you’ll ever catch a flick (and maybe the cheapest – tickets range from $5-$9!) If movies aren’t your thing, check out the plethora of intimate (and larger) music and performing arts venues around Richmond – Altria Theatre, The Broadberry, Dominion Energy Center, The Hippodrome, The National, The Tin Pan, Virginia Repertory Theatre, etc.
Richmond Visit Day 3: Outdoors
On your last day in Richmond, explore the city’s outdoors. Did you know Richmond is the only place in North America with Class IV rapids located within city limits? Nowhere else will you find challenging river conditions in the shadow of downtown. Experience those rapids firsthand during a rafting or kayaking tour with RVA Paddlesports or Riverside Outfitters.
Is hiking more your speed? Book a guided hiking tour of the James River with Discover Richmond Tours! We’ll take you on an easy-to-moderate 3-4-mile hike around the James River, including Brown’s Island, the T-Pot Bridge, parts of the Buttermilk Trail, Belle Isle, the Canal Walk, and more.
After your adventure, grab lunch at Goatocado, a popular Richmond food-cart-turned-food-truck-turned-restaurant that serves fresh, healthy, fun meals in a fast-casual setting. It’s delicious and will give you the necessary energy for a strong finish to your visit.
Finally, no visit to Richmond is complete without a stop at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Featuring more than 50 acres of themed gardens and nearly 5,500 unique species, this place is heaven for plant-lovers, and just simply delightful for anyone else who likes to be outside.
If you aren’t heading home until the next morning, we recommend dinner and drinks with a view at either Blue Atlas, The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing, or The Lilly Pad!
Have you experienced a food tour yet?
Taste the best of Richmond’s unique neighborhoods with the city’s top-rated, most delicious walking food tour! Book your tickets now!
Read reviews of our food tours on TripAdvisor and like Discover Richmond Tours on Facebook!
Taste the best of Richmond’s unique neighborhoods with the city’s top-rated, most delicious walking food tour! Book your tickets now!
Read reviews of our food tours on TripAdvisor and like Discover Richmond Tours on Facebook!
