Start from 68 curated places around Richmond, VA, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Alewife
A Church Hill seafood room in a bright historic building, built around Chesapeake and mid-Atlantic catch with a strong raw bar and natural wine list. The whole roasted fish and the rotating crudo are what regulars order. Good for a nicer dinner that still feels like a neighborhood spot.
L'Opossum
An Oregon Hill French restaurant with a playful, irreverent room and a menu of technically serious cooking under joke names. The escargot and the classic French preparations are the backbone beneath the camp. The city's go-to special-occasion table.
Trails & outdoors
Belle Isle Trails
An easy 1.3-mile loop around a car-free James River island, reached by a footbridge slung under the highway, past quarry pools and Civil War ruins. Flat and short with constant river views. The default introductory urban walk.
James River North Bank and Buttermilk Loop Trail
A 6.1-mile loop combining the rugged Buttermilk and North Bank singletrack on both sides of the James, with rocky climbs and panoramic river overlooks. The signature harder urban hike in the park system. Best for fit walkers wanting a half-day on technical trail.
Things to do
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
A large, free-admission art museum spanning ancient to contemporary, with a strong Fabergé and Art Nouveau collection and a sculpture garden. One of the few major museums open every day of the year. A flexible indoor anchor for any weather.
Science Museum of Virginia
A hands-on science museum in a former rail station with hundreds of interactive exhibits and a giant-screen dome theater. Built for kids but engaging for adults, with periodic adults-only evenings. A strong family indoor day.
Landmarks & sights
Hollywood Cemetery
A 135-acre garden cemetery on bluffs above the James, resting place of two U.S. presidents and a 90-foot stone pyramid over Confederate graves. Locals come less for the history than for the rolling paths and the river-and-skyline view from the President's Circle. Good for a slow self-guided walk.
Maymont
A Gilded Age estate left to the city, with a mansion, Japanese and Italian gardens, and a small native-wildlife park with bears and bald eagles. The grounds are free and sprawling, so it doubles as a park day. Works for families and for anyone wanting a long unstructured walk.