Columbus is full of things to do, but if you have an extra day—or two—to spare, you can use it as a home base for the best day trips from Columbus Ohio, including charming small towns, scenic parks, and even big-city adventures.
These are my favorite places to visit near Columbus, and each can be explored in a single day with plenty of charm, great food, and memorable experiences.
Drive Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes northeast
Sugarcreek is one of the most charming small towns in Ohio and one of the best day trips from Columbus Ohio when you want a slower pace. Known as the “Little Switzerland of Ohio,” it’s full of Amish Country charm, horse-and-buggy traffic, and plenty to keep you busy for a full day.
See the World’s Largest Cuckoo Clock in downtown Sugarcreek. The clock’s performance typically runs every half hour during its operating season, but check the schedule before your visit so you do not miss it.
Browse the shops for homemade jams, baked goods, and handcrafted items.
Take a quick drive to one of the nearby wineries, such as Breitenbach Wine Cellars or Baltic Mill Winery. Even if you do not drink, the grounds are beautiful, and many have food options.
Rebecca’s Bistro is a great choice for brunch. Try the Creamed Eggs on sourdough or the Stuffed French Toast.
For lunch, head to Park Street Pizza for thick, chewy crust, crispy pepperonis, gooey cheese bread, and a fresh berry salad that balances it all out.
Tip: If you love unique stays, consider booking a night at Dwellbox Treebox Stays. These cozy shipping-container cabins have floor-to-ceiling windows, outdoor tubs, and fireplaces. Learn more in my A Weekend in Sugarcreek, Ohio: Little Switzerland, Big Charm guide if you want to spend more than a day exploring.
Drive Time: About 1 hour 45 minutes northeast
Kidron is smaller than Sugarcreek, but it is another of the best day trips from Columbus Ohio when you want a quiet afternoon and a few quirky stops.
Visit Lehman’s, a massive and fascinating store selling everything from non-electric appliances to classic kitchen gear and nostalgic toys. You could spend far longer inside than you planned, especially once you start finding things you did not know still existed.
Stop at Heini’s Cheese Chalet to sample plenty of cheese. It is easy to turn what should have been a quick stop into a full cheese-tasting event.
Pack snacks from Columbus or grab lunch in nearby Wooster or Sugarcreek before heading back.
Tip: Combine Kidron and Sugarcreek into one full day. They are close enough to visit together if you leave Columbus early and plan your route ahead of time.
Drive Time: About 1 hour southeast
Hocking Hills is one of the best day trips from Columbus Ohio for hiking, waterfalls, and dramatic rock formations. It feels completely different from the city, even though you can reach it in about an hour.
Old Man’s Cave: The park’s best-known area, with rock formations, bridges, waterfalls, and several interconnected trail options.
Ash Cave: A massive horseshoe-shaped recess cave with a seasonal waterfall.
Cedar Falls: A beautiful waterfall surrounded by cliffs, trees, and a peaceful forest trail.
Check current trail information and park alerts through the official Hocking Hills State Park website before leaving Columbus.
Pack a picnic to enjoy at one of the park’s designated picnic areas, or stop in Logan for a casual lunch or dinner after your hike.
Tip: Go early in the morning to beat the crowds, especially on weekends. Parking areas can fill quickly during peak seasons. Wear good hiking shoes, carry water, and bring a Small Osprey Backpack for your water, snacks, and extra layers.
Before heading outside the city, check out my Top 5 Things to Do in Columbus, Ohio to plan the rest of your stay.
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
Drive Time: About 2 hours north
Cleveland is one of the best day trips from Columbus Ohio when you want a completely different city experience. Leave early because there is enough to do that you will have to choose your priorities.
Explore West Side Market, Cleveland’s historic public market. It has served the community since 1912 and has vendors selling produce, baked goods, prepared foods, meat, spices, and international specialties. Check its current operating days before planning your trip because it is not open every day.
Visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame if you love music history. Give yourself several hours because the museum is much larger than it looks from the outside.
Walk around Ohio City and browse the neighborhood’s shops, cafés, and restaurants.
If the weather is good, stop near Lake Erie before heading back to Columbus. The lakefront adds something completely different to the day, especially around sunset.
Grab lunch at Great Lakes Brewing Company or try pierogi, gyros, baked goods, or another quick meal from one of the West Side Market vendors.
Once you return to Columbus, you could stop at The Thurman Café for one of its massive burgers—assuming you are somehow still hungry after eating your way through West Side Market.
Tip: Check museum admission times and West Side Market hours before leaving. Cleveland can work as a day trip, but it requires an early start and a little more planning than the smaller destinations on this list.
Drive Time: About 1 hour 45 minutes southwest
Cincinnati is easily one of the best day trips from Columbus Ohio, especially if food is a major part of your travel plans. Between Over-the-Rhine, Downtown, the riverfront, and nearby Northern Kentucky, you can fit a surprising amount into one day.
I recommend parking near Findlay Market in the morning and using Cincinnati’s free Connector streetcar to travel between Over-the-Rhine, Downtown, and The Banks. The streetcar saves your feet and helps you avoid moving your car every time you change neighborhoods.
Start at Findlay Market and explore Over-the-Rhine. Browse the market, photograph the neighborhood’s murals, and walk through Washington Park. Music Hall is directly beside the park, so it is an easy addition without changing your route.
Take the streetcar toward Downtown and The Banks. Depending on your schedule, you can walk along the riverfront, see the Roebling Suspension Bridge, or stop at Fountain Square.
Drive across the river to Devou Park in Covington, Kentucky, for one of the best Cincinnati skyline views. Parking is free, and the lower overlook is especially good for photos. Read my Devou Park Guide Best Cincinnati Skyline Views before you go so you know exactly where to stop.
For a more structured day, book a food tour through Secret Food Tours. Our tour began near Findlay Market, traveled through three historic neighborhoods using the streetcar, and lasted about three and a half hours. It was my third tour with the company, and none of them have disappointed me.
You can read my Secret Food Tours Cincinnati Review What to Expect for the full experience and everything you should know before booking.
Cincinnati has a much better food scene than I realized before visiting.
For breakfast, try a crispy goetta sandwich from Eckerlin Meats or grab something from Blue Oven Bakery at Findlay Market.
If you want a casual Cincinnati specialty, try a cheese coney or Cincinnati chili. Other local favorites include a Liège waffle from Taste of Belgium, a Turtle from Gomez Salsa, or Cincinnati-style ice cream from Graeter’s.
For a special dinner, Boca is absolutely worth planning ahead for. It was one of my top ten meals ever, with standout pastas, perfectly cooked Beef Wellington, and a chocolate dessert that tasted like a high-end Snickers bar. Reservations should be made well in advance.
For live music and a dramatic underground setting, reserve a table in The Den at Ghost Baby. It was quiet when we arrived around 5:30 p.m. and packed by 7:00. The music can get loud, and the hallways are extremely dark—especially the trip to the bathroom—but the overall experience is memorable.
My One Day in Cincinnati Itinerary for First Time Visitors includes the complete route from Findlay Market and Over-the-Rhine to Devou Park, Ghost Baby, and Boca.
Tip: Cincinnati is a full day. Start early, wear comfortable shoes, and bring a Phone and Wallet Crossbody Strap so your essentials stay secure while you walk through the city and ride the streetcar.
One of the best things about Columbus is how easy it is to escape for a day. Whether you want small-town charm, a frankly unreasonable amount of cheese, outdoor adventure, or a big-city food crawl, these are some of the best day trips from Columbus Ohio.
Pack snacks, charge your phone, leave early, and make a day of it.
If you end up booking anything for your trip, using my affiliate links helps support my blog at no extra cost to you. I spend a lot of time researching and writing these guides, so I really appreciate the support.
A car is necessary for nearly every destination in this guide. Compare rental-car options through Discover Cars.
Download offline directions before driving into rural areas around Amish Country or Hocking Hills, where cell service may be inconsistent.
Columbus makes a convenient central base for these trips. Read Where to Stay in Columbus, Ohio to compare neighborhoods before booking.
Compare Columbus hotel options through Booking.com.
Browse Ohio tours and attractions through Viator.
For more Columbus restaurant recommendations between day trips, read The Ultimate Columbus Foodie Guide.
Bring a Brita Water Bottle for hiking days and long drives.
A Danvek Mini Umbrella is useful for city days when rain is possible.
Pack a Clutch Powerbank so your phone stays charged while you use maps, take photos, and check streetcar information.
Use Spend a Weekend in Columbus, Ohio to build a two-day itinerary around one of these trips.
For a longer visit with more time for exploring outside the city, read Spend a Week in Columbus, Ohio.
Haywood Smokehouse is the BBQ spot that ruins you for every other BBQ spot. Lean brisket so tender it doesn’t need the fat, fried pork ribs you won’t find anywhere else, and don’t sleep on the banana pudding for dessert.
Save this before your next Waynesville or Dillsboro trip 🍖🔥
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
