Day Trips
Rochester is the perfect base for exploring the Finger Lakes and Western New York. Being located along Lake Ontario, and nearby the I-90 Thruway, Rochester is an easy access point for exploring other parts of the Finger Lakes Region and Western New York.
Niagara Falls, an actual wonder of the world, is just a 90-minute drive away, and Letchworth State Park, renowned as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” is only a 45-minute drive from Rochester. The greatest concentration of wineries in the Finger Lakes wine region is less than an hour from Rochester, and Wayne County’s majestic Chimney Bluffs State Park is under an hour away by car.
Rochester is the western gateway and “front door” to the award-winning and picturesque Finger Lakes wine region. Best known for its 100-plus wineries, the region is also brimming with restaurants, farmer’s markets, antique store and craft shops, and idyllic small towns. Canandaigua, on the northern shore of Canandaigua Lake, is just 35 minutes from Rochester. Visit the birthplace of women’s rights in Seneca Falls, and in Auburn visit the home of abolitionists Harriet Tubman and William Seward, President Lincoln’s Secretary of State. State parks dot the region, with stunning landscapes (and plenty of waterfalls!) to discover in Watkins Glen and Ithaca. Head 90 minutes south of Rochester and visit the quaint city of Corning, which draws visitors from all over the world to explore The Corning Museum of Glass.
Rochester is located in between two other significant upstate New York cities: Buffalo and Syracuse.