My Ultimate 3-Day Richmond Travel Guide

Domestic travel is something I think is so important. The world is massive and wonderful, but so is my own backyard. There is a reason that visiting all 50 states was my first big travel bucket list item I ever checked off the list.

When a generous invitation gave me and my family the opportunity to visit a new-to-us city in a state we haven’t spent much time in, we jumped at the chance for a few reasons. One big one: over the years, my family (both on my side and Geek Husband’s side) has had a lot of folks who moved to Richmond, VA and called it home. Even my mom lived there for a while. My family are a bunch of New Yorkers. My husband’s family – a bunch of Texans. Both found something in Richmond many years ago that made them settle there and not want to leave. I had to find out more about this city. And I had to bring my husband and daughter to experience it all with me.

Richmond, Virginia (or RVA) is an absolute gem. It has a rich heritage while embracing not just the present but the future.

After just three days (and 4 nights) of exploring this vibrant city, I was already scoping out real estate. I get it now. RVA is one of America’s best kept secrets. It’s a triple threat of delicious food, impressive arts & culture, and beautiful vistas. Oh, and it’s also proudly historical. Quadruple threat? Plus, it was the perfect destination for multi-generational family travel, which is so important to me.

Ready to explore all of the sights, bites & more with me as I tour around this Virginia city that is so full of love? Here is my Ultimate 3-day Richmond Travel Guide.

Portions of this trip were generously hosted, but as always, all opinions are my own.

Fun Trip Facts

• Where To Now: Richmond, Virginia
• Closest Airport: Richmond International Airport (IAD or Dulles International Airport is around 2 hours away)
• When Did I Visit: November & December 2023
• Nearby “Major” Cities: Washington DC is around 2 hours away. 
• What Transportation Did I Use: We rented a car since our itinerary took us outside of the downtown area, and I also generally have a few cameras and drones with me. If you are staying in Richmond proper (and not traveling through Greater Richmond), you don’t have to have a car, but it definitely makes life easier. Richmond is what I’d call a mid-sized city with varying terrains. That being said, if you’re staying in downtown, many sights & bites are within walking distance and there is also public transportation available.

Where to Stay

So, you know me. I tend to rent houses short-term while traveling. I like having a full kitchen, living room, dining area, etc. I also like having privacy and a washer and dryer if possible. I am the type of travel that wants to be at home while I’m exploring new-to-me destinations.

That being said, I do enjoy staying at hotels, especially when they have something special to offer.

We stayed at The Commonwealth, a landmark hotel in Richmond for over 100 years.

While the Commonwealth is a beautiful historic building, it’s been stylishly updated in a way that is totally Richmond. Historical, but not stuffy. The service was absolutely top-notch, the suites are spacious and full of characters.

Oh, and they offer suites with two Queen beds, which was a must for us since we do family travel and my 12 year old is not a fan of sleeping on the couch (understandably).

Everything about The Commonwealth screams Richmond, down to the furniture and artwork hand crafted by local artisans. The location isn’t too shabby, either. The Commonwealth is situated in Capitol Square and across the street from the Virginia State Capitol.

A couple more options that were on my list:

Quirk Hotel Richmond
An art-forward instagrammable and historical hotel with Italian Renaissance design. Oh, and a lot of pink.

Linden Row Inn
Regarded as the nation’s best surviving row of Greek revival architecture, they are a great combination of old-world with modern amenities. Oh, and Edgar Allan Poe spent his childhood playing in the garden that is now the hotel’s garden courtyard.

Cliff Notes: Things to Experience

Want the quick list of things I did and absolutely loved? If you want more detail, head to my 3-Day Itinerary. 

Virginia Museum of History and Culture: tells the story of Virginia’s history all under one roof, from the Commonwealth’s earliest days to present. 

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States with nearly 50,000 pieces of art. Only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission.

Shopping @ Carytown: a lively and walkable neighborhood filled with unique local shops and eateries. 

Maymont: a 100-acre historic estate and park with many unique experiences for all to enjoy, including strolls through the gardens and native wildlife habitats. 

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: year-round beauty across over 50 acres of spectacular gardens, dining and shopping. During the winter, experience Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights.

The Poe Museum: a historic museum dedicated to the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe.

The Branch Museum of Architecture & Design: a picturesque home repurposed as a museum dedicated to educating people about the art and science of building structures.

Rest in Pieces: an oddities shop in Richmond’s Oregon Hill neighborhood, selling a variety of specially curated items, such as skulls, crystals, preserved specimens, and more.

Hollywood Cemetery: one of the most historic cemeteries in the United States, and the final resting place of two U.S. presidents.

Ashland Christmas Market: a one-day holiday market inspired by open-air markets around the world, with shops and local artists and makers selling their wares on the sidewalks and as part of craft fairs. 

Kings Dominion: An amusement park operating March through December. During wintertime, the park transforms into a winter wonderland, WinterFest. 

My 3-Day Itinerary

The First Night

We flew into Richmond in the early afternoon, checked into The Commonwealth, and went straight on an adventure.

Arts & Culture

Virginia Museum of History and Culture
428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23220

Our first stop was the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. It tells the story of Virginia’s history under one roof. The museum was founded in 1831 as a historical society. Their mission is to connect people to America’s past through the story of Virginia. It has more than 25,000 sq ft of exhibition gallery space, and it truly is worth exploring as much as you can. We were really impressed with their collection of art and artifacts throughout the featured and long-term exhibitions.

Our favorite exhibition was “Our Commonwealth”, an interactive and immersive experience that takes you not only through the history and culture of the Commonwealth, but does so divided into the five major regions of Virginia.

If you are looking for a drink or a quick bite, the little café attached to the museum has really good offerings, and they focus on having food and drink from local businesses on hand, including these ice cream sandwiches by Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Helpful Tip: You can easily walk between the Virginia Museum of History and Culture and our next stop, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Paid parking all day for both is $6 for non-members, but we found there was ample street parking with minimal walking required, so we opted to street park for free.

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
200 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23220

Our next stop was the VMFA. We quickly realized that a couple hours wasn’t going to be enough to explore everything this stunning art museum has to offer, including its almost 50,000 pieces of art representing 6000 years of world history from almost every world culture. Noteworthy collections include their Faberge and Russian Decorative Arts, their Art Nouveau collection, their Ancient Mediterranean Art, African Art, South Asian Art, and Contemporary American Art.

Based on that alone, VMFA is a must visit. And that’s before adding in that they are the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. Accessibility is so important to me, and part of that is making sure everyone has fair access to things like education, the cultural arts. Truly, this was the most impressive art museum I’ve been to in America. Oh, and every Wednesday, they have local jazz musicians on stage putting on a show for all their guests to enjoy. 

They currently have an exhibition, Dawoud Bey: Elegy (NOVEMBER 18, 2023 – FEBRUARY 25, 2024), that includes 42 photos and 2 film installations that explore the harrowing realities of the Virginia slave trail, Louisiana plantations, and Ohio’s Underground Railroad. This exhibition includes never-before-seen photographs Bey took in Richmond. It is powerful and more than worth a trip to the VMFA before the exhibition closes.

Helpful Tip: Peruse the VMFA website before your visit and plan your time wisely. Large museums with this comprehensive of a collection can be overwhelming. Having a mapped out itinerary will help make sure you don’t miss any of your must see exhibitions. 

Thai for Dinner 

Mom’s Siam
2811 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221

By now, we were really hungry so we made our way into Carytown to try Mom’s Siam. With my dietary challenges due to my lupus and thyroid issues, I can generally find things I can eat with most Asian, Mediterranean or African cuisines, so they are a go to for me. And Mom’s Siam did not disappoint. 

I quickly learned that food portions in Richmond are very reasonably priced and very generous. So very generous.

Mom’s Siam is a locally owned Thai restaurant serving big portions and bigger flavor. My go-to at any new-to-me Thai place is the Massaman curry, which is a more mild yellow curry. This one was so fragrant and comforting and not too sweet. The Pad Thai and Pad See Eaw were also excellent, but perhaps the most special dish we tried all night was an appetizer – Thai Devil Egg, a fried hard-boiled egg with sweet tamarind sauce. This Thai meets Southern American comfort food mash-up was absolutely delicious.

Day 1

Pancakes for Breakfast

Moore Street Café
2904 W Moore St, Richmond, VA 23230

Moore Street Café is a funky breakfast and lunch diner that claims to have the best pancakes in Richmond so you know I had to try them. And their griddle is well seasoned, because these pancakes were legit. Fluffy and pillowly, but still a little crispy on the edges.

Also, they have a walk-up window which definitely adds to its adorable aesthetic, but is also really useful for folks not wanting to dine in.

Helpful Tip: The Squirrel’s Nest Breakfast Bowl is as tasty as it sounds, and yes, the small is a very generous portion so you can avoid paying more for the large unless you are super nomsy. 

Visiting Carytown

Bangles & Beads
3322 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221

Blue Butterfly Boutique
3141 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23221

Ten Thousand Villages
3201 West Cary Street, Richmond, VA, 23221

Artwork by Brian Gordon
Pop-Up Gallery

Carytown is a bohemian district centered around, you guessed it, West Cary Street. It’s a beautiful mixture of indie boutiques, vintage shops, shopping with a cause, cool cafes, and impressive murals. It is home to the historic Byrd Theatre, as well. There are designated lots for parking, but also a whole lot of street parking around the area. I’d recommend finding a decent spot and then just walking from one end of Carytown to the other, checking out the fun and unique shops and grabbing a bite to eat or two or three.

In-between shopping, we stopped at Greek on Cary for a quick bite to eat. The menu is full of authentic and traditional Greek offerings, but the standouts for us were the grilled octopus and the tiropita. The prices were reasonable and the portions were absolutely massive. 

More Murals 

If you are a fan of murals, Carytown isn’t the only place in Richmond to find great murals. They are scattered across the Richmond area and honestly, it’ll be hard to pick a favorite. As of 2020, there were over 150 murals around Richmond. 

Love Shack Dinner

SB’s Lakeside Love Shack
6935 Lakeside Ave, Richmond, VA 23228

SB Lakeside Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together and eat chef-y versions of seasonal home cook classics. The “TIN ROOF RUSTED HASH” has everything: sweet, savory, texture, creamy, crunchy. It was the perfect bite.

While we were there, they also had live music which was an unexpected but welcome bonus to an awesome evening of great food.

If you want a great beachy and chill atmosphere that feels very inclusive and can fill the belly and the soul, check out SB’s Lakeside Love Shack.

Botanical Garden at Night

Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
1800 Lakeside Ave, Henrico, VA 23228

There’s no surprise this botanical garden just won #1 in America with their impressive lights experience. This year’s theme was Rhythms of Nature. And yes, it’s all absolutely stunning. Not only can you see amazing botanical displays and thousands and thousands of lights, but there’s a volunteer setup model train at the Kelly Education Center and you can roast s’mores by the Kelleher Warming Fire. 

The most amazing part of our experience was seeing just how much community comes out to support this impressive botanical garden’s winter experience. It takes well over 200 volunteers to prepare for GardenFest and 3 months to install the lights. 

But really, this holiday botanical experience is a yearlong process. So many handmade decorations and village decor using found objects and dried botanicals from the gardens. And beautiful trees decorated by local school children, each themed for the gardens.  And you can’t forget this impressive cut live tree in the conservatory set-up perfectly for family photos.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden gives you a special experience throughout all the seasons. Regardless of when you are in Richmond, this garden is well worth the visit.

Day 2

Baked Goods for Breakfast

Sub Rosa Bakery
620 N 25th St, Richmond, VA 23223

Our first stop of the day was Sub Rosa Bakery. My little family loves quiche, so once we knew we were visiting Richmond, Sub Rosa Bakery was high on my list of places to eat because they are supposed to have some of the best quiche you can get. Period. What makes this bakery special? They do as much of the process themselves as possible. Obviously all the baking is in house in their beautiful double deck wood fired masonry oven, but so is the flour milling. Yup, they stone mill their own flours. Oh, and all of their breads are vegan.

Helpful Tip: This postcard bakery is in high demand, so if you know you want to visit, I’d get there early. We got there close to open, and their glass case had lots of empty spots already. It’s a smaller building, too, so if it’s busy, be prepared to wait in line potentially outside. We waited outside for around 10 minutes or so. Not terrible. And believe me, it was worth it.

If you are more of a sweet eater, I’m sure they have plenty of delicious goodies for you, but we got hooked on their more savory treats. 

Standouts for us were a potato and dill quiche (they rotate flavors so when you visit, they might have a different combo, but I’m sure it’ll be delicious) and a spinach and feta tart. I still dream about that tart.

Poe & Poems

The Poe Museum 
1914 E Main St, Richmond, VA 23223

Our next stop was The Poe Museum which began over a century ago. While Poe was born in Boston, he moved to Richmond as a small child. The original intention was to create the museum exhibition in the Southern Literary Messenger building where Poe began his journalism career, but I think Richmond’s oldest standing residential building, Old Stone House, fits Poe perfectly.

I want to be my most academic self and tell you that the breadth of the Poe exhibit at this museum is the best part, because it really is impressive. The Poe Museum houses the world’s largest collection of artifacts, manuscripts, first editions, personal items (including people’s hair that Poe collected?). There is a shrine to him, a beautiful garden. The buildings are historic and in phenomenal shape. Oh, and you can write your own poetry as a fun activity. 

But truthfully, the best part was our tour guides, Edgar and Pluto. Two black cats who call The Poe Museum home. They took us on a tour of their favorite things: their water bowl and a bale of hay. Head to my IG Highlight about my Richmond trip and you’ll see a video of the tour they gave us.

Lunch with Friends

Addis Ethiopian Restaurant
9 North 17th Street, Richmond, VA 23219

We met up with a friend and made our way to Addis Ethiopian Restaurant. If you follow my adventures on social media, you’ll know Ethiopian is one of my favorite cuisines.

Addis introduced Richmond to traditional Ethiopian food in a restaurant setting and is considered the best Ethiopian in the area and I’m not surprised. 

Helpful Tip: Injera is made with teff flour, which is gluten-free. That being said, if you have to watch your grains, ask for extra side salad or leafy lettuce and still enjoy your Ethiopian food without the injera.

They have all the usual suspects you’d expect, from doro wat, bone-in chicken simmered in a tasty berbere stew with a hard-boiled egg as an accompaniment. Standouts for us were yekik alicha (split pea stew with turmeric and garlic) and the shrimp tibs.  

Oddities & Ends

Rest in Pieces
349 S Laurel St, Richmond, VA 23220

After lunch, we made our way to do a little shopping at Rest in Pieces, an oddities and curiosities shop located in the historic neighborhood of Oregon Hill in Richmond. The store is filled with taxidermy pieces, crystals, tarot cards, and so many more one-of-a-kind curiosities. They even offer classes in entomology. You can check out their wares online, but I highly recommend visiting them in person. 

A Famous Cemetery

Hollywood Cemetery
412 S Cherry St, Richmond, VA 23220

Cemeteries are understandably solemn, and this one is no different. But it was such an awe-inspiring experience to walk into a moment of history while visiting this 135 acre cemetery that was established in 1847 and is still fully operational. It’s designed in the rural garden cemetery style, so you’ll see many rolling hills and picturesque winding paths overlooking the James River.

Helpful Tip: This cemetery is massive, so definitely plan to drive through. Additionally, if you want to see specific resting places, look up locations and directions ahead of time to avoid getting lost.

Additionally, two United States presidents are buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Presidents Circle, along with many other historical figures. 

Dinner & Tea

Fat Dragon
1200 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23230

We knew we wanted Asian food for dinner and honestly, there were so many great options so my daughter used a spinner wheel with some options and let that pick for us. It’s a great way to help you pick where to eat or what to do when you can’t decide or come to a consensus. A great tool for family travel, especially. In this instance, it was because we had an overabundance of good restaurants to choose from – not a bad problem to have!

I’m super happy the spinner picked Fat Dragon because I was particularly inspired by their farm-to-table meets traditional Chinese food menu. Honestly, I highly recommend a visit to this restaurant. Not only was the food delicious, but the service was exceptional. 

When we arrived, the restaurant was full, including standing room only at the bar. At first, we were a little nervous about noise-levels, but it never felt overcrowded or too noisy. 

Helpful Tip: There are times you can get away with just popping in for dinner in Richmond, but definitely not on a Friday night and definitely not at a trendy restaurant. Save yourself the stress and make reservations.

We loved everything we ordered, but standouts were the beer battered mushrooms served with this really flavorful sriracha hot mustard, as well as the mui mui bourbon chicken. It was like bourbon chicken and teriyaki chicken had a very tasty baby.

Day 3

Day Trip To Hanover County

Hanover County is part of Greater Richmond, but about 30 minutes from city center. On our final day in Richmond, we got to experience what Hanover County had to offer.

But First, Brunch

Hanover Tavern
13181 Hanover Courthouse Rd, Hanover, VA 23069

Truth be told, we probably don’t brunch enough during our travels. So, when we saw just how brunch forward Greater Richmond is, we jumped at the chance to indulge. 

Hanover Tavern was recommended to us as a top brunch spot. We were originally going to have a late lunch there. Man, am I glad we opted for brunch because while there I had the best hush puppies of my life, as well as graham-cracker crusted french toast that is now my favorite french toast ever.

Welcome to Ashland

Ashland Christmas Market
Historic Downtown Ashland, 201 South Railroad Avenue, Ashland, VA 23005

Our next stop was the Ashland Christmas Market. Inspired by open-air holiday markets around the world, local businesses set up tables and booths so you can holiday shop with ease. They also have a beautiful tree for family photos. This town feels like it’s straight out of a Hallmark movie, and I was definitely the colorful out-of-towner, but everyone made me feel so welcome.

And I can’t forget Mr. Jingles, Ken Hale, who is bringing the Christmas spirit as he bikes about 30 miles a day around town.

Helpful Tip: The Ashland Christmas Market is a one day shopping event that is rain or shine, and free and open to the public. Keep an eye on their events calendar and also check out the lights displays while in town, too.

You know I love to shop and this town did not disappoint. They also have more than 60 local artists and makers putting on craft fairs around the town. You’ll find so many amazing handmade goodies, leather accessories, decor, wax candles. During this event, you’ll see food trucks and eateries open along the way, too. One of my favorite finds was a wreath vendor, Hang It Up RVA, who makes the most magical wreaths I’ve ever seen. Come to Ashland next holiday season, and check it out!

Welcome to WinterFest

Kings Dominion WinterFest
16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, VA 23047

Our last stop of our family trip to Richmond was Kings Dominion, Richmond Region’s flagship theme park. During the holiday season, it transforms into a winter wonderland called WinterFest. This annual celebration of the holiday season boasts millions of lights on display, a 300 foot Eiffel Tower Christmas tree, holiday foods and drinks, shows and performances, ice skating, cookie decorating, and quite the cast of characters walking around.

When the park opens, there’s an amazing concert that leads into the nightly lighting of the Eiffel Tower Christmas tree and it truly is a must see experience. One of my favorite features are these igloos you can rent right under that Christmas tree. Perfect for colder or rainier nights.

As mentioned, there are so many amazing things to do, including some add-on activities, like ice skating and cookie decorating, which was our favorite of the night. Mrs. Claus is an absolute gem and the cookie decorating experience was such a fun opportunity as a family to sit down and really enjoy our time together. Jack Frost even popped in at one point. Oh, and they got the kids together and played some reindeer games. Bonus points – the cookies were really tasty.

Helpful Tip: Go ahead and buy any add-on activities ahead of time. But especially the igloos. Those sell out pretty close to the start of the season. 

They also have an exclusive Build-A-Bear which was a must buy for us, since my daughter collects the exclusive bears and outfits during our travels. Well played, Kings Dominion. Well played. 

Grain & Grill
@ Kings Dominion

Farm-to-table and theme park restaurants might not be an automatic pairing in your mind, but this park wants it to be. The crispy glazed pork at Grain & Grill wasn’t just good for a theme park. It was good for a high-end Asian restaurant. I’d pay entry into this park just for the food. 

Closing Thoughts

You made it to the end of my Richmond travel guide. Writing this has me ready to book my next trip to RVA! I hope this helps you plan your own adventure to Richmond, VA. This city has so much to offer that 3 days and 4 nights just didn’t feel like enough time. I was always finding ways to try to add more into my itinerary, which would probably overwhelm most travelers (yes, I did even more than this over my 3 days!).

It was a super family-friendly, inclusive city that is filled with so much history but also laser focused on the future. It was full of that southern hospitality, as well as off-beat charm. 

Honestly, I left Richmond feeling like I left home. It was that wonderful of an experience. 

Questions for you:

• If you’ve never visited, what activity are you most excited to check out during your visit?
• If you’ve traveled to Richmond before, how similar were our itineraries?
• And if you’re a Richmond local, what hidden gems am I missing from this 3-Day Richmond Travel Guide? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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