Best cities to visit in upstate new york

Lake Placid is popular with outdoor adventurers year-round | © Charles O. Cecil / Alamy Stock Photo

When you think New York, you probably think of the industrial hubbub of Manhattan. However, there is much more to the Empire State than towering skyscrapers and rumbling subways. Why not escape the urban in some pristine countryside, or stay in a horror-inspiring village? You’ve not gotten the most out of your NY stay until you’ve given these towns a fair shake.

Did you know you can now travel with Culture Trip? Our small-group trips are designed to give you a culturally authentic holiday with a range of fun activities, unique accommodation and tasty dining experiences.

Located alongside Skaneateles Lake in Onondaga County, this village exudes natural beauty all year round. From charming inns and B&Bs to a historic downtown district with unique restaurants, Skaneateles is a perpetually popular among tourists, offering something for everyone.

With a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, Cold Spring in Putnam County is a popular weekend getaway for New York City residents. The village center is quaint, featuring restored 19th-century buildings and independent shops. It’s the perfect place for getting in touch with nature: a quiet stroll, biking, boating and kayaking are all at your fingertips. However, there’s also space for shopping, restaurants, and charming bed and breakfasts.

Located in the Adirondack Mountains, the village of Lake Placid was listed in US News & World Report as one of the 6 Forgotten Vacation Spots in North America. Surrounded by natural beauty, Lake Placid is consistently popular among snow skiers, hikers and bikers. The village was founded in the 19th century, and today maintains plenty of original small-town charm.

Lake Placid, New York. Early Morning View across Mirror Lake.

The city of Ithaca is widely known for stunning natural beauty and thriving local culture. Dine at one-of-a-kind restaurants, wander in and out of galleries, attend live-music events, and explore nearby gorges and the shores of Cayuga Lake. Home to a population of university students, Ithaca possesses a diverse community full of history and culture.

Less than an hour from Manhattan, this legendary village was made immortal by Washington Irving’s 1820 horror classic. Appropriately olden are the Philipsburg Manor, the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, and the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Famed historical figures such as Andrew Carnegie, Brooke Astor and Elizabeth Arden are buried there.

The town of New Paltz in Ulster County lies approximately 88mi (142km) from New York City and 70mi (113km) south of Albany. Largely characterized by the local student population, New Paltz is home to boutique shops and restaurants. The town offers countless outdoor activities, alongside several cultural and historical points of interest, including the Historic Huguenot Street and the Elting Memorial Library.

Located only 31mi (50km) north of New York City, Tarrytown sits on the eastern shore of the Hudson River. Steeped in local history, with original Dutch settlements dating back to the 17th century, Tarrytown is an ideal destination for New Yorkers looking to escape the city for a day. Points of interest include Lyndhurst Mansion, Jay Gould’s Gothic Revival estate; Sunnyside, the home of Washington Irving; and Castle Hotel & Spa, a 19th-century Norman-style castle on the Hudson River.

An ideal place to live within New York State, Saratoga Springs is a picturesque city north of Albany. The area was settled by English colonists in the 17th century and played an important role in the Revolutionary War. Today, Saratoga Springs is best known for horse racing. However, it also prospers culturally from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, as well as the summer residencies of the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

A cultural center point, Woodstock is best known for sharing a name with the legendary 1969 music festival – despite it actually taking place 60mi (97km) away in Bethel. It remains a historical and cultural haven, though. The town was a leading site of the Hudson River School in the 19th century, followed by the Arts and Crafts Movement in the early 1900s. The founding of the Byrdcliffe Arts Colony further defined the cultural influence of Woodstock.

Popular thanks to a close proximity to the bucolic Watkins Glen State Park, the village of Watkins Glen lies at the intersection between Seneca Lake and the Chemung River. It’s known for ties to auto racing throughout the 20th century and continues to attract tourists each year with summer festivals. When it’s not festival season, you can enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and fishing.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel – and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Epic Trips, Mini Trips and Sailing Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travellers and friends who want to explore the world together.

Epic Trips are deeply immersive 8 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and enough down time to really relax and soak it all in. Our Mini Trips are small and mighty - they squeeze all the excitement and authenticity of our longer Epic Trips into a manageable 3-5 day window. Our Sailing Trips invite you to spend a week experiencing the best of the sea and land in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm – and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

What is the prettiest city in New York?

Lake Placid Technically more of a village than a city, Lake Placid is perhaps the most beautiful town in New York State.

What is the best town to live in Upstate New York?

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is undoubtedly one of the best cities to live in when considering the Upstate New York region as a whole.

Is Upstate New York worth visiting?

From the Hudson Valley to the Finger Lakes, these quaint towns in Upstate New York offer spectacular scenery, rich history, and delightful activities. Upstate New York has much to offer visitors all year long. For more to see and do in New York, see this page.

What is upstate NY famous for?

Upstate New York is home to numerous popular tourist and recreational destinations, including Niagara Falls, the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, the Thousand Islands, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Finger Lakes.

Best cities to visit in upstate new york

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel – and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

What is the prettiest city in New York?

What is the best town to live in Upstate New York?

Is Upstate New York worth visiting?

What is upstate NY famous for?

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