How long is the Finger Lakes Wine & Waterfalls Loop route?

This route takes 5 days taking in 7 stops.

Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from Ithaca to Ithaca in Finger Lakes, New York, United States.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is May to October: September for harvest.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Easy-going. Easy-going and accessible for most fitness levels.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car or a campervan.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Relaxed — plenty of time to linger at each stop.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Scenic, Food & drink, Nature, Culture, Classic road trip.

Finger Lakes Wine & Waterfalls Loop

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The route · 7 stops

3 overnight bases · 1 day trip · 3 stops on the way

Ithaca

2 nights

The route's natural hub at Cayuga Lake's south end, and the heart of gorge country. Base two nights here for Taughannock Falls (215 ft, the tallest in the Northeast), Buttermilk Falls and Treman, plus Cornell's hilltop campus and a genuinely good farm-to-table food scene on the Commons.The route's natural hub at Cayuga Lake's south end, and the heart of gorge country. Base two nights here for Taughannock Falls (215 ft, the tallest in the Northeast), Buttermilk Falls and Treman, plus Cornell's hilltop campus and a genuinely good farm-to-table food scene on the Commons.

Recommendations

On to Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen

1 night

At Seneca Lake's southern tip, this is the gateway to the region's most famous gorge. The 1.5-mile Gorge Trail climbs past 19 waterfalls and through tunnels cut in the rock. The town is also the southern anchor of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail and home to the historic Watkins Glen International racetrack.At Seneca Lake's southern tip, this is the gateway to the region's most famous gorge. The 1.5-mile Gorge Trail climbs past 19 waterfalls and through tunnels cut in the rock. The town is also the southern anchor of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail and home to the historic Watkins Glen International racetrack.

Recommendations

On the way

Corning
Quick stop
Worth a stop on the drive: A walkable small city built on glassmaking. The Corning Museum of Glass is the headline, with 35 centuries of glass and live hot-glass demos, and the restored Gaffer District on Market Street adds the Rockwell Museum, galleries and good restaurants. An easy culture stop between the lakes.Worth a stop on the drive: A walkable small city built on glassmaking. The Corning Museum of Glass is the headline, with 35 centuries of glass and live hot-glass demos, and the restored Gaffer District on Market Street adds the Rockwell Museum, galleries and good restaurants. An easy culture stop between the lakes.
Recommendations
Hammondsport
Quick stop
Worth a stop on the drive: A pretty village at the foot of Y-shaped Keuka Lake, the cradle of Finger Lakes wine. Tour pioneering wineries like Pleasant Valley and Dr. Konstantin Frank, then visit the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum for early aviation history. A relaxed stop to taste, swim and slow down by the water.Worth a stop on the drive: A pretty village at the foot of Y-shaped Keuka Lake, the cradle of Finger Lakes wine. Tour pioneering wineries like Pleasant Valley and Dr. Konstantin Frank, then visit the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum for early aviation history. A relaxed stop to taste, swim and slow down by the water.
Recommendations

On to Canandaigua

Canandaigua

1 night

The grand dame of the western lakes, with a long pier and boardwalk on Canandaigua Lake. Walk the Victorian gardens at Sonnenberg, sample regional producers at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, and enjoy the lakefront. A relaxed one-night base as the loop turns back east.The grand dame of the western lakes, with a long pier and boardwalk on Canandaigua Lake. Walk the Victorian gardens at Sonnenberg, sample regional producers at the New York Wine & Culinary Center, and enjoy the lakefront. A relaxed one-night base as the loop turns back east.

Recommendations

Day trip from Canandaigua

6
Geneva
A day trip from Canandaigua: An elegant lakefront town at Seneca Lake's north end, with a handsome main street and a row of lakeside wineries and restaurants. Belhurst Castle and the Smith Opera House give it character, and the long Seneca shoreline makes a fine final evening before the short drive back to Ithaca.A day trip from Canandaigua: An elegant lakefront town at Seneca Lake's north end, with a handsome main street and a row of lakeside wineries and restaurants. Belhurst Castle and the Smith Opera House give it character, and the long Seneca shoreline makes a fine final evening before the short drive back to Ithaca.

On the way

Ithaca
Quick stop
Close the loop back where you started. The short final leg from Geneva drops you into Ithaca for onward travel, or a last gorge walk and dinner on the Commons before you hand back the car.Close the loop back where you started. The short final leg from Geneva drops you into Ithaca for onward travel, or a last gorge walk and dinner on the Commons before you hand back the car.
Recommendations

Finger Lakes Wine & Waterfalls Loop