Introduction
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

Rochester travel guide

Rochester Tourism | Rochester Guide

You're Going to Love Rochester

With a population of 210,565, Rochester is a must-see destination in New York State, United States. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. We recommend you stay at least 3 days in order to fully appreciate everything Rochester has to offer.

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Where to Eat in Rochester

Central Business District is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Rochester. These include popular favorites such as Tournedos - The Inn on Broadway (26 Broadway), Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Rochester (99 Court St) and Native Eatery & Bar (180 South Clinton Avenue). If you’re looking for affordable options, The Revelry (1290 University Avenue Suite A) and Lento (274 North Goodman St) are great picks.

When to visit Rochester

Rochester in January
Estimated hotel price
$125
1 night at 3-star hotel
Rochester in January
Estimated hotel price
$125
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Rochester in July, when the average temperature is 71.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 80.6 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 17.6 °F, with an average temperature of 24.8 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in August, when precipitation is around 3.5″. In contrast, February is usually the driest month of the year in Rochester, with an average rainfall of 2″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Rochester

Plane

When flying to Rochester, you’ll arrive at Greater Rochester Airport (ROC), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Rochester include Air France, Aeromexico and JetBlue. The shortest domestic flight to Rochester departs from Nashville and takes around 2h.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rochester. The train journey from Rochester to New York takes 7h 02m and costs around $57 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Chicago, expect to pay about $52 for a 11h 30m trip. The train station in Rochester is called Rochester, and is located 0.7 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Rochester is to pick up a car rental from Buffalo, which is about 66 miles from Rochester. You’ll find branches of Turo and Thrifty, among others, in Buffalo.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including Trailways, Greyhound and OurBus. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 330 miles and will cost you around $66. From Boston, the ticket costs about $135 for a journey of 670 miles. The most popular bus station is Rochester Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd, located 4 miles from downtown Rochester. Rochester Bus Stop is also a commonly used station, and is 0.6 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Rochester, you’ll arrive at Greater Rochester Airport (ROC), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Rochester include Air France, Aeromexico and JetBlue. The shortest domestic flight to Rochester departs from Nashville and takes around 2h.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rochester. The train journey from Rochester to New York takes 7h 02m and costs around $57 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Chicago, expect to pay about $52 for a 11h 30m trip. The train station in Rochester is called Rochester, and is located 0.7 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Rochester is to pick up a car rental from Buffalo, which is about 66 miles from Rochester. You’ll find branches of Turo and Thrifty, among others, in Buffalo.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including Trailways, Greyhound and OurBus. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 330 miles and will cost you around $66. From Boston, the ticket costs about $135 for a journey of 670 miles. The most popular bus station is Rochester Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd, located 4 miles from downtown Rochester. Rochester Bus Stop is also a commonly used station, and is 0.6 miles from the city center.

Airports near Rochester

BUFBuffalo
ROCRochester Greater Rochester Intl
SYRSyracuse Hancock Intl

Airlines serving Rochester

Lufthansa
Good (7,198 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,372 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,104 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,954 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,896 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (806 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,846 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,287 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,590 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,418 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,692 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,093 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (351 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,222 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,366 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,312 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,914 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,324 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (1,000 reviews)
Show more
Find flights to Rochester

Where to stay in Rochester

There are also lots of vacation rental options in Rochester, with prices from $36 to $2,511 per night. Central Business District is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Rochester are about 4% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Rochester by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Rochester

Most booked hotels in Rochester

See all
Country Inn & Suites Rochester-Pittsford
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1466 reviews)
$148+
View
Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester/Henrietta
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 455 reviews)
$144+
View
The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa - a DoubleTree by Hilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, 170 reviews)
$182+
View
Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/Pittsford
3 stars
Excellent (8, 190 reviews)
$177+
View
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Rochester West/Greece
3 stars
Good (7.7, 486 reviews)
$158+
View
Rit Inn & Conference Center
3 stars
Good (7.6, 906 reviews)
$109+
View

Renting a car in Rochester

Renting a car in Rochester costs $68 per day, on average, or $204 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dollar and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Rochester is the Hertz branch at 1200 Brooks Avenue, which is 3 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in Rochester.

Expect to pay $3.52 per gallon in Rochester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $42.25 and $56.33. The most frequently booked car type in Rochester is Full-size (Nissan Pathfinder or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Class Standard Car or similar) are, on average, 48% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Rochester costs $68 per day, on average, or $204 if you want to rent if for 3 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dollar and Budget are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Rochester is the Hertz branch at 1200 Brooks Avenue, which is 3 miles from the city center.

It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 12% cheaper than airport locations in Rochester.

Expect to pay $3.52 per gallon in Rochester (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $42.25 and $56.33. The most frequently booked car type in Rochester is Full-size (Nissan Pathfinder or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Standard rental cars (Class Standard Car or similar) are, on average, 48% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Best car rental deals in Rochester

Compact

4 Adults, 2 Bags

$39/day

Compact

Standard

5 Adults, 3 Bags

$41/day

Standard
Find car rentals in Rochester

Rochester Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Rochester city guide for the best Rochester travel tips. To help you organize your Rochester trip ideas, this Rochester visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.