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.

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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 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 Cleveland takes 4h 10m and costs around $42 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New York, expect to pay about $57 for a 6h 55m 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 Thrifty and Turo, among others, in Buffalo.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including Trailways, Greyhound and FlixBus. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 330 miles and will cost you around $71. From Boston, the ticket costs about $113 for a journey of 530 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 Cleveland takes 4h 10m and costs around $42 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New York, expect to pay about $57 for a 6h 55m 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 Thrifty and Turo, among others, in Buffalo.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Rochester, including Trailways, Greyhound and FlixBus. From New York, the bus ride to Rochester takes 330 miles and will cost you around $71. From Boston, the ticket costs about $113 for a journey of 530 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 (7,407 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,385 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,360 reviews)
Delta
Good (7,954 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,968 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,925 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,336 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,624 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (850 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (10,143 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,486 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,114 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,250 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,891 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,324 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (359 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (1,365 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,975 reviews)
JetBlue
Good (2,912 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 Rochester Downtown and Fairfield Inn 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 9% 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, 174 reviews)
$167+
View
Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester/Henrietta
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 469 reviews)
$148+
View
Country Inn & Suites Rochester-Pittsford
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1512 reviews)
$140+
View
Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/Pittsford
3 stars
Good (7.7, 196 reviews)
$144+
View
Rit Inn & Conference Center
3 stars
Good (7.6, 924 reviews)
$96+
View
Best Western Rochester Marketplace Inn
2 stars
Good (7.4, 1317 reviews)
$97+
View

Renting a car in Rochester

Renting a car in Rochester costs $81 per day, on average, or $325 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.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 22% more expensive than at Rochester Greater Rochester Intl.

Expect to pay $3.56 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 $42.70 and $56.93. The most frequently booked car type in Rochester is Full-size (Kia Optima or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Versa or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Renting a car in Rochester costs $81 per day, on average, or $325 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.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 22% more expensive than at Rochester Greater Rochester Intl.

Expect to pay $3.56 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 $42.70 and $56.93. The most frequently booked car type in Rochester is Full-size (Kia Optima or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Compact rental cars (Nissan Versa or similar) are, on average, 70% cheaper than other rental car types in the city.

Best car rental deals in Rochester

Supplier choice

5 Adults, 5 Bags

$33/day

Supplier choice

Full-size

5 Adults, 2 Bags

$34/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.