An ultimate fall weekend in the Finger Lakes

Fall in the Finger Lakes is like a storybook: apples hang heavy from orchards, wine grapes ripen on the vine and gold leaves blaze along the region’s famous gorge trails. Central New York is delightful year-round, but this season may be its most idyllic. 

Choosing where to stay around the glacier-carved Finger Lakes can be daunting, especially if it's your first visit. The region has 11 bodies of water, splayed across the landscape like a wizard’s hand, and each casts a unique spell. I should know – I’ve been visiting the region for 20 years, enchanted by Skaneateles Lake’s pristine waters, Keuka’s Amish-driven buggies and the Broadway-caliber theater on Owasco’s northern banks.  

For a short trip, however, nothing beats 39-mile-long Cayuga Lake, the longest of the fingers. At its southern tip sits the hippie haven of Ithaca, framed by Cornell University and Ithaca College. The city’s marketing slogan, unchanged since the 1970s, says almost everything you need to know: “Ithaca is Gorges.” Beyond these waterfall-splashed chasms, you’ll find inviting vineyards and tree-trimmed villages, which are leaf-peeping spectacles in autumn. 

Trade the pumpkin spice clichés for a crisp Finger Lakes Riesling and drink up the seasonal bounty on this 3-day adventure.  

• When to arrive: Start your sojourn on Friday morning to fit in a hike before imbibing at wineries. Plan on staying through Sunday, heading home on Monday morning. To schedule a last-minute trip around peak fall foliage, keep an eye on I Love NY’s annual foliage report. 

• How to get there: It’s easy to reach Ithaca by car (roughly 4 hours from NYC), bus (use Coach USA or Greyhound) or plane. Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH) connects to NYC and Washington, DC, via Delta and United. For more airline options, fly into Syracuse (SYR), about an hour away. 

• Getting around town: A car is essential for zipping between small towns and state parks. However, it’s possible to walk between destinations around the Commons, Ithaca’s downtown shopping area, which is loaded with restaurants and bars. If you need a designated driver for vineyard visits, try Main St Drivers. 

• Where to stay: For budget-friendly lodging, try Argos Inn in Ithaca, a 19th-century mansion converted into a boutique hotel. It’s within walking distance of the Commons. To immerse yourself in nature, glamp in a safari-style tent – space heaters included – at Firelight Camps on Ithaca’s outskirts, open through early November. With more money to spend, book a room within the peaceful campus of historic homes at Inns of Aurora – an Arcadian village overlooking Cayuga Lake, 25 miles northeast of Ithaca.

• What to pack: Prepare for sweater weather. In October, daytime temperatures peak just above 60°F; nighttime cools down to an average 45°F. Wear a pair of waterproof hiking shoes or strong-soled sneakers for gorge trails. Athleisure is best for transitioning from parks to vineyards. No need for upscale glamour – smart-casual works for fancy dinners. But always bring layers: the weather can be unpredictable.

Day 1

Morning 

Kick off the day around Downtown Ithaca. Grab an espresso from Press Cafe before skipping to Collegetown Bagels, which has been curing Cornell undergrad hangovers with its encyclopedic list of breakfast sandwiches since the 1970s. 

How to spend the day 

Stretch your legs on one of two hiking trails a stone’s throw from town. If you have ample energy, try Robert H. Treman State Park’s 4.5-mile Rim and Gorge Trail loop, which passes a dozen waterfalls, including the 115-foot Lucifer Falls. A 222-step staircase along the south rim appears plucked from a folk tale, framed by a fiery autumn forest. Begin your journey from the lower parking lot near the main entrance. 

If you’re short on time, opt for Buttermilk Falls State Park, featuring 10 frothy cascades along a 1.6-mile loop. Its geological formations seem chiseled by modernist sculptors. 

Spend the rest of the day at bud-to-bottle farms. First stop is Finger Lakes Cider House, 15 miles north of Ithaca. Drop in for hard cider and wine tastings, accompanied by a hearty sandwich or salad. This is peak apple season, and the farm’s red fruits are ripe for plucking. Bring a bag and partake in the U-pick produce program, and then snack on your tart treats throughout the weekend. 

Next up is Six Eighty Cellars, one of the region’s newest wineries (there are over 120), serving funky pét-nats and smoky chardonnays. Order a five-wine tasting, charcuterie board included, and an expert will guide you through descriptions of each pour. Snag an outdoor table: views spill down a vine-trellised hill toward Cayuga Lake. 

Dinner

Make a reservation at Moosewood, a farm-to-table pioneer and one of America’s longest-running vegetarian restaurants, going strong since 1973. Renovated in 2022, the blonde-wood interior is as cozy as the kitchen’s heaping bowls of chili. Menus shift with the seasons.

As an alternative, see what’s cooking at The Rook – a schnitzel-serving restaurant that’ll please veggie-averse carnivores. 

After dark 

Get a taste for gluten-reduced ales at Downtown Ithaca’s Personal Best Brewing. No need to drink to enjoy the experience, though: there are three full-sized shuffleboard floors inside. Reserve one for 30 minutes ($10) and push your way to puck supremacy. 

Day 2

Morning 

Zoom off to tiny Trumansburg, 10 miles north of Ithaca, to sip cortados on Gimme! Coffee’s outdoor patio, the Trumansburg Creek gurgling below. Scarf down a breakfast sandwich from Creekside Cafe before getting back on the road. 

How to spend the day 

Dedicate the rest of Saturday to driving part of the Cayuga Scenic Byway – a rural 87-mile route looping its namesake lake like a charm bracelet. 

First stop is Seneca Falls, where Cady Elizabeth Stanton and her boundary-breaking neighbors gathered 300 people in 1848 for the First Women's Rights Convention. The free-to-visit Women's Rights National Historical Park celebrates these mothers of modern feminism between a museum and Stanton’s former home. 

From here, it’s a 30-minute drive to Aurora, a pint-sized village listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with lovingly preserved 19th-century architecture. If Main St seems torn from the pages of an American Girl book, that’s because it basically was: American Girl founder and Inns of Aurora owner Pleasant Rowland is responsible for much of the town’s restoration. After grabbing a snack from the Village Market, stop by the hotel’s front desk (378 Main St) for a walking tour brochure that highlights notable properties. 

More time to spare? Book a Hydrotherapy Pass ($150) at the hotel's spa; its heated outdoor pool looks out onto the pastoral landscape. 

Dinner 

Sidle up to the intimate kitchen counter at Aurora Cooks! as a chef prepares a five-course, prix-fix meal ($95) – it’s a lot like attending an intimate dinner party thrown by a culinary superstar. The menu is flexible for dietary restrictions; reservations are necessary. For a more affordable alternative, get a table at the sumptuously decorated 1883 Kitchen and Bar to feast on locally sourced ingredients, like oyster mushrooms or whiskey-glazed pork belly. 

After dark 

Keep it classy with a nightcap at Bar Argos back in Ithaca. You aren’t likely to run into overeager college students here – crafty cocktails and the Victorian decor inspire slow sipping. 

Day 3 

Morning 

Beat Ithaca Farmers Market crowds by showing up for the 10am opening. It’s the best way to avoid the inevitable line for Solaz’s hefty burritos. Breakfast in hand, peruse stalls hocking everything from farm-fresh veggies to locally made artwork and jewelry. 

How to spend the day 

Devote the rest of Sunday to sights around Watkins Glen, a quiet village hugging the southern shores of Seneca Lake, the region's largest lake by volume. While driving over, visit Sunset View Creamery, a 348-acre cheese farm where you can reserve a 1-hour cow milking lesson ($99) or 30-minute cow cuddling session ($15) with gentle calves in a hay-strewn pen. Expect a bovine tongue bath. 

Allocate a couple of hours to awe over Watkins Glen State Park, famous for its 3-mile out-and-back Gorge Trail. Ramblers pass 19 cascades while climbing 832 steps; it's possibly the most majestic of the region’s hikes. 

Reward yourself with a post-trek wine tasting at Forge Cellars' Scandinavian-style salon, located on a slope above Seneca Lake. Try a Riesling-focused flight celebrating local terroir. The only difference between glasses is where the grapes were grown. 

Dinner 

Finish your Watkins Glen wandering at Graft Wine + Cider Bar. Start with the chewy sourdough bread, followed by a pan-seared local trout or an overstuffed tofu bowl. 

After dark 

Keep your last night low-key. If you’re staying at a property with a fire pit, pick up a six-pack of Ithaca Beer Co.’s beloved Flower Power IPA and toast the inky sky, fire blazing. The Orionids meteor shower peaks in mid-October and is sure to light up the darkness with shooting stars. 

If it’s raining 

Drive to Corning, 1 hour from Ithaca, to admire artwork at the region’s most splendid museums. Begin at the Corning Museum of Glass, covering 35 centuries of glassmaking with everything from Egyptian decor to whimsical Dale Chihuly creations. Don’t miss the live demonstrations with glass blowers.

Follow that up with a trip to the Rockwell Museum, housed in the former City Hall, which has an American art focus. You'll find three floors of art and sculpture – from 19th century paintings to post-war and modern art, including photography and work by contemporary Native American artists. A large collection showcases Art of the American West, including Mount Whitney, an enormous landscape canvas by Albert Bierstadt that's as lovely as a sunny autumn afternoon.