THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CINCINNATI TRAVEL
“The Queen City of the West” is the perfect destination for your next vacation. Cincinnati has something for everyone! From the banks of the Ohio River to the oldest urban market in Ohio, you won’t be bored in Cincinnati. Visit Cincinnati USA for a comprehensive list of all the things to see and do on your visit!
If you love street art, there’s 200 story high murals by local artists.
January 11, 2021 Travel and Leisure said “Cincy just might be the Midwest’s next big thing. Plus in 2019, The New York Times rated Cincinnati has one of the top 10 cities to visit in the whole country!
Are you a foodie? Interested in sampling a few craft beers? Riverside Food Tours makes it easy with a variety of 3 hour sightseeing food and culture tour! See and taste your way through town with a friendly local guide!
How to get to Cincinnati
By Plane – Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport offers non-stop passenger service to 63 destinations on 180-190 peak daily departures in North America and Europe.
The airport is located 13 miles south of downtown Cincinnati in Hebron, KY.
The airport’s code, CVG, comes from the nearest city at the time of its opening – Covington, Kentucky.
Car Rental Shuttles run every 15 minutes.
Lyft and Uber are authorized to operate at CVG.
Public Transit (TANK) to downtown & Covington run daily from 5 a.m. to midnight
By Train – Cincinnati Union Terminal is an intercity train station and museum center in the Queens gate neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio. The terminal is served by Amtrak’s Cardinal line, passing through Cincinnati three times weekly.
By Car – Cincinnati is within a day’s drive of 70% of the United States populace.
Where to stay in Cincinnati
If you are looking for hotels in the downtown vicinity, here is a great list of the most popular hotels. Plus check out the two newest downtown hotels: Kinley Cincinnati and The Lytle Park Hotel.
Another option is Covington KY, just 2 miles south. Boasting beautiful views and within minutes of downtown Cincinnati, many visitors prefer a smaller city with less traffic. On the river front are Marriott Rivercenter, Embassy Suites by Hilton, the Radisson Hotel, Best Western Plus. My personal favorite is Hotel Covington, just a few blocks south. This is a boutique hotel full of charm and history!
One more option is Newport KY, a tourist destination which is just 6 miles from downtown Cincinnati. Two convenient hotels are Aloft Newport on the Levee and Hampton Inn and Suites.
What to eat in Cincinnati
Here’s a list of the most common foods that people associate with Cincinnati: Skyline Chili is the most famous, but goetta is the most unique. The recipe, brought by German immigrants, was a cheap way to stretch pork scraps. By grinding the meat, adding steel cut oats and spices, they could cook into a thick meaty loaf, cool, slice and fry it in bacon grease.
Cincinnati has a thriving craft beer industry. We have our German immigrants to thank for introducing us to lager beer. Here’s some of the favorite breweries in town.
By the way, Covington has a wide variety of the best restaurants too! Check out Riverside Food tours 3 food and culture tours in Covington KY.
What to see
For sports lovers, there’s Great American Ball park, home of the Reds. The Cincinnati Art Museum will keep you busy, as will the museums within the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. For parks, Eden Park contains the Krohn Conservatory. Spring Grove Cemetery contains a few famous souls. Findlay Market is open every day but Monday. Animal lovers will enjoy the Cincinnati Zoo and the Newport Aquarium. North of the city is Kings Island Amusement Park. South in Williamstown KY, is the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum.
How to get around downtown
Cincinnati Streetcar
If you are staying downtown, you’ll use the Cincinnati Bell Connector. It makes a 3.6 mile loop, non- stop 18 hours a day. You can catch it two blocks from the Ohio River, right across the street from the Great American Ball Park on Second Street. Along the way pass by Hard Rock Casino, Washington Park and Music Hall arriving at Findlay Market. One more block north and you can stop at Rhinegeist Brewery or circle around and head south back to the Banks area. Best of all – it’s free!
Metro Bus System
There are a couple of bus systems that operate in Cincinnati — the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority, colloquially known as METRO and the Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky TANK. As a tourist riding the Metro bus, all you need to remember is you “ride the one for fun.”The No. 1 Metro bus links many of the city’s top things to do
Cincy Red Bike
Cincy Red Bike is Cincinnati’s bike sharing program. Click here for details and a map with over 50 bike rental locations throughout downtown and Northern KY. For bike routes, visit www.oki.org.
Oggo
You will also see Oggo cars, the little electric cars that buzz around town. The fast little cars run from Covingon Ky to Findlay Market. Download the app and order your ride today.
Electric Scooters
In the summer there’s the Bird and Lime. Use the map in either app to find your closest scooter. You can also reserve a scooter up to 30 minutes in advance.
What to do first
Don’t miss a thing. Get acquainted with the city by taking a 3 hour food and culture tour. Food Tours provide a fast and fun way to get the best overview.
Riverside Food Tours offers the perfect tour for first time visitors. The Cincy Top 10 tour features the top 10 sites and the top 5 foods Cincinnati is famous for. On this family friendly tour for only $49.00, you see all of downtown with the aid of the streetcar and walking. It’s a popular tour offered 5 mornings a week at 10 AM.
Riverside Food Tours are available for private groups of 4 or more too! For more information, call 513-289-0035.