Columbus is a city that has way more going on than you’d expect — vibrant neighborhoods, incredible food, quirky shops, and plenty of green spaces to escape into. A weekend in Columbus Ohio gives you enough time to sample the food scene, explore several neighborhoods, and see why locals love this city. Here’s how I’d spend two days in Columbus.
Start your weekend with a bang at The Woodbury, where breakfast is anything but boring. The candied bacon crepes are a showstopper — three crepes stuffed with sweet-and-salty candied bacon, topped with fresh fruit, vanilla buttercream, and a drizzle of jelly sauce.
If you want something more savory, order the Chicken Hotcakes Tacos: fluffy pancakes with crispy fried chicken, chili aioli, strawberry salsa, and Milligan’s maple syrup.
If you’re in a hurry or prefer a grab-and-go vibe, swing by The Lox. Their bacon, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel is simple but perfect. If you’re a salmon lover, the lox bagel is piled high with salmon, capers, and cream cheese.
Walk off breakfast by exploring the Short North Arts District, one of Columbus’s most colorful neighborhoods. This area is full of murals, boutiques, coffee shops, and art galleries. Spend a few hours strolling, snapping photos of the murals, and popping into shops.
You’ll probably be using your phone constantly for maps and photos, so a Clutch Powerbank is handy for a full day of walking around Columbus.
When lunch rolls around, make your way to Wario’s Beef & Pork, where the sandwiches are legendary — and huge. Order a Caesar salad, one sandwich to split (the steak sandwich or the Warrior’s Way are my picks), and a side of potatoes if you’re extra hungry.
Park behind Wario’s (around $1.35 an hour last time I was there), then take a walk through the Arena District. It’s lively, walkable, and full of great energy.
If food is a major part of your trip like it is for me, my The Ultimate Columbus Foodie Guide has even more restaurants to add to your weekend.
Just a short walk from Wario’s, North Market is a must-stop.
Grab a scoop of Jeni’s Ice Cream — the Brown Butter Almond Brittle and Wildberry Lavender are my go-to flavors — and get it in a butterscotch waffle cone.
If you’re still hungry, try Mo Mo Ghar, a Tibetan and Nepalese food stall featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Order the Johl Mo Mo (steamed chicken dumplings with spicy tomato sauce) or the Choila Set (spiced chicken salad with rice, potatoes, and black-eyed peas).
Save this for later on Pinterest so you don’t forget it.
Spend your afternoon in German Village, where the brick-lined streets and historic homes feel like stepping back in time. Pop into the boutiques, wander the cobblestone alleys, and make sure to stop at The Book Loft — 32 rooms of books, winding hallways, and hidden nooks that make you feel like you’re in a literary treasure hunt.
End your first day with dinner at Lindey’s, one of Columbus’s most iconic restaurants. The portions are just right for a three-course meal, and the menu changes seasonally.
Make a reservation two to three weeks in advance if possible — by 5:30 or 6 pm, it’s tough to get a table without one. If you don’t have a reservation, try for open seating at the bar or patio.
Don’t skip the bread and butter — it’s baked fresh in Grandview and perfectly salty.
I wrote Unforgettable Dining at Lindey’s Columbus Ohio if you want more menu tips and reservation information before you go.
Start your second day with coffee and one of the best pastries in Columbus at Fox in the Snow Café. Their cinnamon roll is huge and perfectly gooey, and the coffee is strong and smooth — ideal fuel for another day of exploring.
You can read more about what to expect in my Fox in the Snow Dublin Review Worth the Hype.
If you’re visiting Columbus on a Saturday, stop by the Dublin Farmers Market or the Worthington Farmers Market — the Worthington one is bigger and full of local vendors and fresh produce.
My Guide to Columbus Farmers Markets can help you decide which one fits your weekend plans best.
A Nano Bag is also useful for markets because it takes up almost no room until you inevitably find something you want to buy.
If you prefer nature, spend your morning at one of Columbus’s many parks:
If you need a midday meal, head back to North Market to try something you missed yesterday or grab a casual lunch before heading out for more exploring.
Save your second night for Watershed Kitchen & Bar, a moody, romantic spot attached to a working distillery. Schedule a distillery tour ahead of time if you want to see behind the scenes.
Portions here are generous, so I recommend splitting an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert.
My personal ratings:
End your weekend in Columbus Ohio with a stroll along the Scioto Mile. The city lights reflecting off the river make it the perfect way to wrap up your trip.
Columbus is a city that’s equal parts creative, delicious, and welcoming. In two days, you can explore its neighborhoods, eat incredible food, discover hidden shops, and enjoy some of the best urban green spaces in the Midwest.
Whether you stick to the city center or branch out to nearby markets and parks, a weekend in Columbus Ohio balances plenty of exploring with time to slow down, enjoy a great meal, and actually experience the city.
And if two days only leave you wanting more, Columbus is an easy city to turn into a longer trip.
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.
Still deciding where to stay? Compare Columbus hotels on Booking.com, or start with my Where to Stay in Columbus, Ohio for my Columbus hotel recommendations.
If you want to add a tour or another activity to your weekend, browse Columbus options on Viator.
For more sightseeing ideas, see my Top 5 Things to Do in Columbus, Ohio.
Want to explore beyond Columbus? My The Best Day Trips from Columbus, Ohio has ideas for places you can easily add to a longer trip.
If two days aren’t enough, use Spend a Week in Columbus, Ohio to plan a longer stay.
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
Three neighborhoods, one streetcar, and more Cincinnati specialties than I could finish in one afternoon.
We hit a goetta breakfast sandwich, chocolate chip ice cream from a shop that’s been at it since 1870, a Liège waffle that earned its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spot, and Cincinnati chili the way it’s actually meant to be eaten... over a hot dog, buried in shredded cheddar.
$75 got us three and a half hours, a local guide, free streetcar rides, and a genuinely full stomach. Don’t eat breakfast before this one, the portions add up fast.
My third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and it’s still undefeated.
Link in bio for the full review cost, route, parking, and every stop we hit 🥟🌶️
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
