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. Rochester deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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.

Most popular restaurants in Rochester

Steakhouse
Very good (162 reviews)
Fusion / Eclectic
Wonderful (141 reviews)
Italian
Very good (119 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (107 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (106 reviews)
Steakhouse
Very good (89 reviews)
Steakhouse
Very good (162 reviews)
Fusion / Eclectic
Wonderful (141 reviews)
Italian
Very good (119 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (107 reviews)
Italian
Wonderful (106 reviews)
Steakhouse
Very good (89 reviews)

When to visit Rochester

Rochester in January
Estimated hotel price
$119
1 night at 3-star hotel
Rochester in January
Estimated hotel price
$119
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 Royal Air Maroc. The shortest domestic flight to Rochester departs from Orlando and takes around 2h 41m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rochester. The train journey from Rochester to New York takes 6h 59m and costs around $61 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $78 for a 10h 26m 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 107 km from Rochester. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Buffalo.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including FlixBus, Trailways and OurBus. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 390 miles and will cost you around $129. From Chicago, the ticket costs about $128 for a journey of 940 miles. The most popular bus station is Rochester Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd, located 4 miles from downtown Rochester. Rochester 368 Jefferson Rd is also a commonly used station, and is 5 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 Royal Air Maroc. The shortest domestic flight to Rochester departs from Orlando and takes around 2h 41m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rochester. The train journey from Rochester to New York takes 6h 59m and costs around $61 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $78 for a 10h 26m 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 107 km from Rochester. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Budget, among others, in Buffalo.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including FlixBus, Trailways and OurBus. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 390 miles and will cost you around $129. From Chicago, the ticket costs about $128 for a journey of 940 miles. The most popular bus station is Rochester Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd, located 4 miles from downtown Rochester. Rochester 368 Jefferson Rd is also a commonly used station, and is 5 miles from the city center.

Airlines serving Rochester

Lufthansa
Good (4,604 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,444 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,592 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,281 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (476 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,921 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,482 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,708 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (226 reviews)
Finnair
Good (878 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (834 reviews)
LOT
Good (682 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,161 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (911 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (835 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (5,502 reviews)
ITA Airways
Good (704 reviews)
Show more

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 10% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Rochester

Most booked hotels in Rochester

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Rochester West/Greece
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, 328 reviews)
$151+
Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester/Henrietta
2 stars
Excellent (8.4, 269 reviews)
$133+
Country Inn & Suites Rochester-Pittsford
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1646 reviews)
$136+
Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/Pittsford
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 87 reviews)
$154+
Rit Inn & Conference Center
3 stars
Good (7.9, 466 reviews)
$104+
Rochester Airport Marriott
3 stars
Good (7.7, 244 reviews)
$153+

Renting a car in Rochester

Renting a car in Rochester costs $62 per day, on average, or $123 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Dollar 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.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 6% more expensive than at Rochester Greater Rochester Intl.

Expect to pay $3.90 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 $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Rochester is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Luxury rental cars (Acura MDX or similar) are, on average, 64% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Rochester costs $62 per day, on average, or $123 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Dollar 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.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 6% more expensive than at Rochester Greater Rochester Intl.

Expect to pay $3.90 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 $46.79 and $62.38. The most frequently booked car type in Rochester is Compact (Nissan Rogue or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Luxury rental cars (Acura MDX or similar) are, on average, 64% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.