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 4 days in order to fully appreciate everything Rochester has to offer.

Article

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 December
Estimated hotel price
$123
1 night at 3-star hotel
Rochester in December
Estimated hotel price
$123
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 Nashville and takes around 1h 59m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rochester. The train journey from Rochester to New York takes 6h 58m and costs around $57 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $90 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 Albany, which is about 199 miles from Rochester. You’ll find branches of Turo and Thrifty, among others, in Albany.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including Trailways, OurBus and Greyhound. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 330 miles and will cost you around $70. From Philadelphia, the ticket costs about $202 for a journey of 490 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 Royal Air Maroc. The shortest domestic flight to Rochester departs from Nashville and takes around 1h 59m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Rochester. The train journey from Rochester to New York takes 6h 58m and costs around $57 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Boston, expect to pay about $90 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 Albany, which is about 199 miles from Rochester. You’ll find branches of Turo and Thrifty, among others, in Albany.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including Trailways, OurBus and Greyhound. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 330 miles and will cost you around $70. From Philadelphia, the ticket costs about $202 for a journey of 490 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
ROCGreater Rochester Intl
SYRSyracuse Hancock Intl

Airlines serving Rochester

KLM
Good (1,405 reviews)
Lufthansa
Good (7,550 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,002 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,496 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (4,037 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,999 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,401 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,660 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,482 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (864 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,402 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,285 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,559 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (11,240 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,133 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,335 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,391 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (369 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (2,046 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (2,908 reviews)
Show more
Find flights to Rochester

Where to stay in Rochester

If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Rochester Downtown and Fairfield Inn by Marriott Rochester Airport. 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 17% 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
The Strathallan Rochester Hotel & Spa - a DoubleTree by Hilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, 177 reviews)
$151+
View
Country Inn & Suites Rochester-Pittsford
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1533 reviews)
$110+
View
Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester/Henrietta
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 480 reviews)
$114+
View
Rit Inn & Conference Center
3 stars
Good (7.6, 932 reviews)
$94+
View
Best Western Rochester Marketplace Inn
2 stars
Good (7.4, 1326 reviews)
$100+
View
Spark by Hilton Rochester University Area
3 stars
Good (7.1, 1811 reviews)
$112+
View

Renting a car in Rochester

Renting a car in Rochester costs $69 per day, on average, or $274 if you want to rent if for 4 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dollar and Avis 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 4% cheaper than airport locations in Rochester.

Expect to pay $3.41 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 $40.88 and $54.51. Full-size (Volkswagen Jetta or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Rochester, while also 37% cheaper than other types, on average.

Renting a car in Rochester costs $69 per day, on average, or $274 if you want to rent if for 4 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dollar and Avis 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 4% cheaper than airport locations in Rochester.

Expect to pay $3.41 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 $40.88 and $54.51. Full-size (Volkswagen Jetta or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Rochester, while also 37% cheaper than other types, on average.

Best car rental deals in Rochester

Intermediate

5 Adults, 3 Bags

$35/day

Intermediate

Full-size

5 Adults, 2 Bags

$37/day

Full-size
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.