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Foodie? Outdoorsy? Artsy? All the Best Places in Burlington, VT to Satisfy Everyone's Niche

Katherine Kugelman

Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT

Burlington, VT has been a place that I have visited many times over the last few years. Each trip to Burlington has been during different times of the year, and each trip was very different from each other. But there were also a few constants too, because they were a point of interest for everyone I traveled with. Read on for all my favorite places to visit while in Burlington, VT.

My first trip to Burlington, VT was actually with my family. We were doing a college tour of Champlain College for my brother who was interested in their Game Design program they offered. So my mom, my sister, my brother, and I made the 3 hour trip across New Hampshire and over to Burlington for a weekend long visit to do a college tour. Along the way we stopped in Waterbury to visit the famous, and original, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory. Obviously this was a high point for my sister who is obsessed with their ice cream (not kidding…obsessed) as we toured their facility and devoured some of their store exclusive flavors of ice cream.

Finally making it to Burlington, VT we stayed right in the downtown area at the Courtyard Marriott hotel, which was a great hotel, in a great location, and was priced fair for where we were and it being right around peak tourist season. Our first day we were in mid-day so we chose to eat dinner out at after getting settled into our hotel. We chose The Vermont Pub & Brewery, which had a large variety of craft beers from around the area, and a cheese platter with local cheeses that is definitely worth getting. Overall the food and drinks there were great and it wasn’t overly priced either, which was nice, so you got local food on a dime.

The next morning we ate breakfast at the iconic Skinny Pancake, which is known for their crepe breakfasts (aka a skinny pancake). It’s worth the 45 minute wait to get in, even at the earliest morning hours (there’s usually a 45 minute wait by 8:00 AM). After that we went on the college tour, which was a lot of uphill walking (bring some good walking shoes!) but the campus serves up some fantastic views from many of the facilities of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. Definitely a lovely college with lots of great offerings and nice dorms/on-campus living spaces, had I not been 3 years invested in my college at the time and interested in any of their offerings, it definitely would have been on my college list as a contender.

After the tour we spent a lot of time walking up and down the many side streets, visiting different shops, and taking in some of the sites. We also visited the massive outdoor farmer’s market, sampled local spirits, food, and more. We then ate lunch on the waterfront, and did dinner on the infamous Church Street. The next day we finished off the second part of the college tour weekend, and continued our shopping adventures throughout the city. It was overall a really lovely trip and we did cram a lot into a very short weekend, which I have found is the case with each of my visits.

My second visit to Burlington was my Senior year of college in late April 2015. I did a weekend trip with one of my best friends Chelsea. This visit was a bit different, we made many stops on our way up through the Adirondack’s as Chelsea is an avid camper and hiker. We didn’t stay in the downtown area, but instead at a small motel outside of the city that was very nice and extremely inexpensive, called the Starlight Inn (turns out it belongs to my elementary school principal’s brother, small world!). It was right next to a drive-inn theater and you could watch the screens from your room which was really cool.

We did a lot on this trip. We did a lot on this trip and covered a lot of ground. On the first day we drove in to downtown Burlington and went to a lakefront park and did some exploring. Then we drove to our motel, and then went back into the city to meet some friends for dinner and walk around. We of course had to eat at some of the fine spots that I had experienced with my family. So The Vermont Pub & Brewery was on the list, along with The Skinny Pancake.

We walked up and down Church Street of course, went to Waterbury to visit the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, visited more parks, and ate at plenty more restaurants. We also went to The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory in Shelburne and took a tour of their facility. Both of grandma and my nana were big fans of teddy bear’s and I frequently received them as gifts when I was a kid, so it only made sense to get them each a little souvenir. Our last evening we bought some local Woodchuck Cider and stayed in as the weather in late April is fairly chilly. Overall, this trip was exactly what it was meant to be, relaxing and fun.

Church Street at Night, Burlington, VT

My most recent trip to Burlington was in April 2018, and I went with one of my favorite travel companions, my best friend of 12 years Leona. We started a tradition of doing a girl’s weekend for our birthday’s since they are only about two weeks apart (mine is the end of March and hers is in early April). So this year we decided after having a budget blowing 2017 birthday trip on top of a fairly busy year that involved lots of other spending on things outside of this trip, that we would go somewhere closer to home and a bit more budget friendly, so naturally we chose Burlington, VT since Leona had never been. Early April is not an idea time to go we discovered, although it was definitely fun. It was bitter cold and there was still snow on the ground. However, we had fun nonetheless.

Since we were passing through Waterbury, naturally Ben & Jerry’s was a must-stop destination for us, and of course we did the tour and ate ice cream in 32 degree weather (because why not?!). We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn which was also downtown and walking distance to everything (lesson learned during my last trip, that this was the best option to make the most out of our trip). Many of the same food destinations were involved in this trip. We were still in our post-college fun phase and we spent our evenings enjoying the club scene (there are some GREAT clubs in Burlington) and with all the college still in session, there were lots of people our age still around which made it even more fun. We also did a lot of nighttime strolling up and down Church Street Marketplace shopping. Unlike my last trip, we didn’t spend much time outside of the city, and mainly spent our time looking for local breweries and cider houses, and pretty much ate our way through Burlington.

All three of my trips to Burlington were vastly different, even though we visited a variety of the same places during each one. However, I got something out of each trip and saw different aspects of Burlington that I didn’t get to see the trip before. All in all, if you are someone who enjoys local artistry and craftsmanship, Burlington is for you. If you like organic, locally sourced food, and enjoy craft beer, cider, or spirits, Burlington is for you. If you like to get outdoors and bike, hike, walk, and enjoy lakefront views, Burlington is for you. There is something in Burlington for everyone, and if you are planning your next vacation and you haven’t been before, then you need to seriously consider putting it on your list. Best time to go? Personally, I feel the summer months is the best time to go. Below I have compiled a list of all the hotels, restaurants, clubs, stores, and breweries/cider houses that we visited and my favorite things about them.

Burlington, VT - My List of Favorite Things to Do and Places to Stay:

Places to Stay:

Food & Drink:

  • The Vermont Pub & Brewery - https://www.vermontbrewery.com/ - This made the list NUMEROUS times, and for obvious reasons. Reasonably priced and lots of locally sourced food and drink options. A large variety of local brews and something for everyone’s palate. The cheese board option on the menu is my personal favorite and a definitely must try for all you foodie’s out there.

  • The Skinny Pancake - Burlington Waterfront Location - https://skinnypancake.com/ - Also a personal favorite that made the list on each trip. For anyone who thoroughly enjoys breakfast food, this is an absolute must to visit. There is a large variety of options as far as crepes go, plus they have sandwiches, salads, burgers, vegan options, and gluten-free options as well. Again, you’ll likely be waiting 45 minutes to eat there and they don’t take reservations, but it’s honestly worth the wait.

  • Sweetwater’s - https://www.sweetwatersvt.com/ - This place was a double stop. I went here with both my family and with Leona during our 2018 trip. Great cocktails and delicious food in a comfortable dining setting. We sat inside both times, but there is also outdoor seating available. It’s a bit more upscale, but there’s a mix of options available for food and drinks floating between the $$ and $$$ price range. Definitely worth the visit.

  • Citizen Cider - https://www.citizencider.com/ - This place was packed when we went, and for good reason! Good cider and good food! Definitely worth it try the flight and get a sampling of all their flavor options. My personal favorite was Unified Press, followed by their Brose. Go earlier in the day if you can because towards later afternoon/early evening in order to get a good table and be able to sit down and enjoy your cider and meal.

Activities:

  • Oakledge Park - really nice park, there’s a gorgeous treehouse, an old fashioned compass and stones similar to that of Stonehenge, a nice beach, and more to take in at this location.

  • Vermont Teddy Bear - https://www.vermontteddybear.com/ - Really unique place, even though I was in my 20’s when we went, Teddy Bear’s were always something I loved when I was little, and so did my grandparents. It was really interesting to go in as an adult and see just how these bear’s are made, and what the process and tools look like. Definitely worth taking the kids through on a tour and taking advantage of all the activities that are involved with visiting the Vermont Teddy Bear store.

  • Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory - https://www.benjerry.com/waterbury - This is definitely worth the 30 minute car ride outside of Burlington to visit this place. There’s an incredible tour that allows you to see the entire process in which it takes to create all of the famous Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream flavors, plus you get a free ice cream sample at the end of the current batch they are making. They have a large variety of flavors available in their scoop shop, plus a merchandise store so you can take home a souvenir. On the grounds outside of the factory you can your the flavor graveyard, take some photos with the Ben & Jerry’s van, and more. Again, well worth the visit for all you ice cream lovers out there.

These are only a few places out of many in which you can eat, drink, and visit when in Burlington. Regardless of your interests, I find that there is something for everyone here. If you have been before, or you visit after reading this post, drop a comment below with some of your personal favorite spots in Burlington!