Things to do in Burlington
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Burlington
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall, warm lake, early colour and South End Art Hop.
Sweet spot, Jazz Fest, Greenway and ferry in full operation with fewer crowds than July.
Peak foliage early to mid month, the most expensive and most booked time, quiet and grey late.
Peak summer, lake swimmable and every patio open, crowds and prices highest in July.
Late May redeems spring, market returns outdoors, bike ferry starts and maple season tails off.
Cold and dark but beautiful in snow, for skiers and winter romantics, with XC and lake skating.
Church Street lights and Highlight on New Year's Eve, cold and joyful.
Mud season, the worst window, muddy trails, cold lake and ski season ending, though maple boiling runs.
What's on
- Burlington Discover Jazz Festival early June
Five days of Flynn headline shows, free waterfront sets and late club shows, the best music week of the year.
- Vermont Brewers Festival mid-July
Waterfront Park festival with 40 plus brewers and over 200 pours, tickets sell out.
- Independence Day fireworks July 3
Fireworks over the lake, Burlington traditionally celebrates on July 3, plus summer waterfront concerts.
- South End Art Hop September
Open studios, galleries and street party across the Pine Street district, typically the weekend after Labor Day.
- Highlight December 31
Citywide New Year's Eve arts festival with performances, fireworks and the Champ Burn at the waterfront.
Best things to do in Burlington
Church Street Marketplace
Four pedestrian blocks of shops, patios and street performers that form the town living room and first stop.
Waterfront Park
Broad lakefront lawn and boardwalk with bench swings and an unobstructed sunset view to the Adirondacks.
Battery Park
Elevated bluff version of the waterfront sunset, with cannons, lake views and fewer crowds.
Burlington Farmers Market
A real producers market where farmers, cheesemakers and bakers sell, and ready to eat stalls make it breakfast.
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
Restored Art Deco theatre hosting Broadway tours, comedy, dance and the Vermont Symphony far above town size.
ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Lake aquarium and science centre with Champlain Basin species, hands on science and a 3D theatre, best for kids.
South End Arts District
Former industrial streets dense with galleries, makers and breweries around Pine Street and Flynn Avenue.
Spirit of Ethan Allen
Narrated scenic and sunset cruises on Lake Champlain covering Revolutionary War history, Champ lore and geology.
Where to stay in Burlington
Downtown / Waterfront
first trip, food trips, Jazz Fest, groups
Walk to dinner, the Flynn, the waterfront, the bike path and the bus, with paid parking almost everywhere.
Hill Section / South End (Five Sisters)
return visitors, foliage with a car, a local base
Grand historic houses and quieter streets, a 10 to 15 minute walk into town and free parking more often.
Shelburne
romantic weekend, families wanting grounds, splurge
Inn on a farm and lake estate beauty seven miles south, trading walkability for quiet and space.
South Burlington / Williston corridor
value, families, ski trips, space
Chain hotels and suites with free parking and lower prices, but suburban strip Vermont where you drive everywhere.
Think twice about
- City Hall Park and lower Church Street blocks
Visible homelessness and open drug use at night around City Hall Park and the southern Marketplace. Hotels are secure, the late walk home is the issue.
- Old North End North Street corridor
Downtown disorder is most visible along North Street at night. Avoid walking it or parking garages alone late at night.
Best restaurants in Burlington
Hen of the Wood
Best restaurant in Burlington, seasonal Vermont farm cooking, mushroom toast, duck and a legendary wine list.
Honey Road
Eastern Mediterranean mezze built for sharing, whipped feta, harissa wings, octopus and handmade breads.
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
Burgers and comfort food rebuilt with Vermont ingredients plus a deep craft beer tap list, good for groups.
American Flatbread Burlington Hearth
Wood fired flatbreads and house brewed beer in a cavernous family friendly hearth room generations agree on.
Foam Brewers
Best brewery taproom by the lake, hazy IPAs, sours, live music and cheese boards good enough for dinner.
Zero Gravity Craft Brewery
Classic rooted brewing in a sunny beer hall with garden, fireplace, pool and a real food menu.
Pho Hong
Family run Vietnamese with beef pho and spring rolls, BYOB keeping a great cheap meal cheap.
August First
Bakery cafe locals queue for, olive bread, pastries and sandwiches in a converted garage space.
Outdoor things to do in Burlington
Island Line Trail
Fourteen mile rail trail ending in a gravel causeway across Lake Champlain, water on both sides to South Hero.
Community Sailing Center
Nonprofit rentals and lessons for sailboats, kayaks and paddleboards, the local way onto Lake Champlain.
North Beach
Burlington sandy swimming beach with lifeguards in season, concessions and paddleboard rentals, reached by bike path.
Oakledge Park
South end Greenway park with the Earth Clock, a treehouse, rocky shore and sunset picnic spots.
Red Rocks Park
Wooded trails to small cliffs above Lake Champlain, a local walk just south of Burlington.
Mount Philo State Park
Short steep hike to a compact summit with Lake Champlain, valley farmland and the Adirondacks in one frame.
Shelburne Farms
Working farm trails through pasture and forest to the lakeshore, with cheesemaking and long farm to lake views.
Camel's Hump
Vermont third highest peak with an undeveloped alpine summit, exposed, windy and with impeccable views.
Best hotels in Burlington
Hotel Vermont
Defining boutique hotel built around Vermont craft, with free Greenway bikes, Juniper and Hen of the Wood next door.
Inn at Shelburne Farms
Nineteenth century lakeside mansion on the farm estate, with lake view rooms, farm dinners and trails from the door.
Hotel Champlain Burlington, Curio Collection by Hilton
Full service lake view hotel steps to ECHO and the boathouse, chosen for the view, points or a group stay.
The Essex Resort & Spa
Culinary resort with classes, spa and pools, best when the hotel itself is the activity, 15 minutes out.
Courtyard Burlington Harbor
Reliable lake adjacent downtown chain for families, giving the downtown walk without boutique pricing.
Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown
Main Street chain hotel with a strong downtown location and the full walk to dinner and the Flynn.
AC Hotel Burlington
Newer downtown chain hotel giving the central walk without Hotel Vermont pricing, before parking costs.
Lang House on Main Street
Queen Anne Victorian bed and breakfast with free parking, cooked breakfast and Hill Section calm near downtown.
Is Burlington expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | $110 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | $230 a person |
| Splurge | $480 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Flynn Center for the Performing Arts: weeks ahead
- Spirit of Ethan Allen: a few days ahead
- Community Sailing Center: a few days ahead
- Kwiniaska Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Vermont National Country Club: weeks ahead
- Williston Golf Club: a few days ahead
- The Links at Lang Farm: a few days ahead
- Cedar Knoll Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Hen of the Wood as early as reservations open, and Honey Road a week or more ahead for weekends.
- Hotel Vermont and Inn at Shelburne Farms months ahead for foliage and UVM weekends.
- Flynn headline shows, Jazz Fest, sunset cruises, bike ferry weekends and Burton Island campsites book out.
Is Burlington safe?
- Lake weather changes fast, check the marine forecast and expect afternoon chop when paddling or sailing.
- Summit weather is colder and windier than town, carry a layer for Camel's Hump even in July.
- Winter ski driving needs snow tyres or all wheel drive and daylight margins.
- Swim at lifeguarded North Beach, check algae bloom postings, and treat cliff jumping as unguarded and at your own risk.
Burlington travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Ben and Jerry's alone as a whole day, it is a 30 minute tour and works best on the Waterbury and Stowe loop.
- Church Street shopping as a destination mall, shops close early and the pleasure is the street itself.
- ECHO for child free adults on a perfect lake day, save it for rain.
- Magic Hat as a craft pilgrimage, Burlington craft has moved to Foam, Zero Gravity and others.
- Foliage weekend without bookings, early to mid October sells out and prices spike.
Getting around Burlington: public transport and more
- Downtown is genuinely walkable and no car is needed for sights or eating there.
- A car is needed for Shelburne, Mount Philo, Camel's Hump, golf and ski days.
- Green Mountain Transit covers UVM, the airport, South Burlington and Winooski, but not trailheads.
- Rent a bike for the day for the Causeway, hotel guest bikes are time limited.
Who Burlington suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Burlington your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
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