The Perfect RVA Weekend Itinerary by Discover Richmond Tours
Enjoy every minute in Richmond with these plans
Do you have just a few days in RVA? Do you have friends or family visiting for the weekend? Optimize your time in Richmond with this perfect weekend itinerary! From food and drink to tours and experiences, let us help you plan your time wisely.
Contributor Writer Credit: Discover Richmond Tours
Image Credit: @HeatherMichellePhotographyRVA for @RiverCityFoodTours
Image Credit: @Joey_Wharton @FridayCheers
Friday Afternoon:
Catch A Concert At Friday Cheers
When possible, starting off your time in Richmond with a festival is key. Richmond has a festival for everything (and we mean everything… we’re looking at you, Bacon, Reptiles, Street Art, and more!) So if you’re planning the perfect weekend in May or June, you have to check out Friday Cheers, a concert series that takes place on Brown’s Island. In its 36th year, Friday Cheers has been named Style Weekly’s Best Concert Series in Richmond seven years in a row (and counting). Tickets to shows are only $5 or $10, and kids 12 and younger are free!
Rain Option: Check out one of the three dozen breweries, cideries, and other craft beverage makers around the city!
Location: Brown’s Island
Image Credit: @JasperBarRVA
Friday Night:
Dinner & Drinks In Carytown
When you’re all concert-ed out, it’s time to head to Carytown. You can easily catch a bus (the GRTC #5 from Main Street toward Carytown), or grab an Uber or Lyft for the quick drive. Once in Carytown, the sky’s the limit for restaurant options! Looking for a killer burger? Check out Citizen Burger Bar. How about a delicious raw bar? Can Can has some of the best mussels in town (try the Moules Frites dish - you won’t regret it)! Want something fresh, local, and farm-to-table? Make a reservation for the 7 PM seating at The Broken Tulip, a social eatery that offers a weekly changing, multi-course menu. Whatever restaurant you choose, we know you’ll love it. Follow dinner with a nightcap (or two) at The Jasper, one of Virginia’s top-rated cocktail bars.
Location: Carytown, The Jasper
Image Credit: Fred and Elliot Photo
Saturday Morning:
Breakfast & A Stroll Around Belle Isle Or The Floodwall
Good morning! This is going to be a great, full day of sight-seeing and activities, so let’s fuel up. Richmond is full of awesome breakfast spots. Are you staying in Church Hill? It’s worth waiting in the long line you’ll find at Sub Rosa Bakery to grab a chocolate croissant and coffee. Downtown? Check out Pop’s Market on Grace for one of the best breakfast sandwiches you’ll ever have, or Perly’s for an authentic Jewish delicatessen experience. (Funny enough, both of those spots were featured in 2019 on Guy Fieri’s Diner’s, Drive-Ins, and Dives!)
After breakfast, head to the suspension bridge at Tredegar to get to Belle Isle and spend some time getting lost in the nature trails that follow the mighty James. You can also walk the Floodwall for some gorgeous views of downtown Richmond by crossing the T. Pott Bridge (get access to that from Brown’s Island).
Rain Option: Head to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, one of the nation’s most prestigious art museums. Access to the museum is free, and a rotating special exhibit ticket costs $15.
Location: Belle Isle, VMFA
Image Credit: @HeatherMichellePhotographyRVA for @RiverCityFoodTours
Saturday Afternoon:
Take A Walking Food Tour With Discover Richmond Tours
Spend your afternoon with Discover Richmond Tours on a walking food tour of one of Richmond’s most delicious neighborhoods! Choose from Carytown, Church Hill, or the Arts District, and visit up to six restaurants/bakeries/cafes to try something insanely delicious, learn interesting stories and history about the neighborhood, and see Richmond like an insider. We think the best way to learn about a place is through its food, and what better way to visit a bunch of different restaurants than with a food tour? (Spoiler: There isn’t one).
Rain Option: River City Food Tours operates rain or shine, so make sure to pack appropriate gear! And if it makes you feel better, most of the time on tour is spent inside.
Image Credit: @GoSquirrels
Saturday Evening:
Play Games/Catch A Game/Rooftop Bar
We have a feeling you won’t be very hungry after your food tour, so we recommend heading back to your lodging for a short food coma nap. Once recovered and ready to head back out for the late afternoon/evening, take part in the local sporting community and catch a Flying Squirrels baseball game, or a Richmond Kickers soccer match! Not into athletics? Check out one of Richmond’s various rooftop bars for great views at sunset.
Rain Option: Visit one of Richmond’s infamous eatertainment venues for food, drinks, and games all in one! Shuffleboard, arcade games, bowling, golf - you name it, we’ve got it.
Location: The Diamond, City Stadium
Image Credit: @BRUNCHRVA
Sunday Morning:
Brunch Like A Richmonder
Richmond loves brunch like Joanie Loves Chachi. You can basically pick any direction to walk in and you’ll run into a stellar brunch spot, but we’ll provide some of our favorite recommendations here: Millie’s Diner (mimosas while you wait), Lulu’s (famous red velvet waffles), BRUNCH (grab the waffle flight - yes, you read that correctly!), Bar Solita (ask for the Bloody Mary cart), and the Sunday Champagne Brunch at The Jefferson (requires reservations in advance). No matter where you end up, you’ll find a great menu, fun vibe, and excellent company.
Location: Millie’s, Lulu’s, BRUNCH, Bar Solita, The Jefferson
Image Credit: @brianwbeard
Sunday Afternoon:
Visit Maymont & Byrd Park
You can’t leave Richmond without strolling the gorgeous gardens and grounds at Maymont and Byrd Park. Maymont Park is 100 acres of gardens, a small zoo, and prime picnic opportunities. The best part is that it’s free to visit! Byrd Park is a public park adjacent to Maymont, in which you can find numerous ponds and lakes, great nature trails and bike paths, and the Carillon, which is a beautiful World War I memorial. Spend the afternoon taking in the nature of RVA either by walking, electric scooting, or biking!
Rain Option: Catch a movie at The Byrd Theatre in Carytown, a State and National Historic Landmark that recently celebrated its 90th anniversary.
Location: Maymont