← Guides
Itineraries
48 hours in Vermont
A tight 2-day loop from Burlington to Stowe that hits the state's best trails, breweries, and a covered bridge or two along the way.
· 7 min read
Day 1: Burlington and the lake
Start with coffee at Onyx Tonics on Main Street, then walk the Burlington Bike Path from Perkins Pier to North Beach — it's an easy 8 miles of paved lakefront riding. Rent from Local Motion at 1 Steele Street for around $30 for a half day. Grab a maple creemee at Burlington Bay Market and eat it staring at the Adirondacks across Lake Champlain.
For lunch, head to the Skinny Pancake on Lake Street for a $12 buckwheat crepe. Spend the afternoon at the ECHO Leahy Center ($19.50 adult) or wander Church Street Marketplace. Dinner at Honey Road, then Foam Brewers on the waterfront for a Built To Spill IPA around $7.
Day 2: Stowe and Smugglers' Notch
Drive 45 minutes east on I-89 to Stowe. Ride or hike the 5.3-mile Stowe Recreation Path — flat, paved, and gorgeous alongside the West Branch River. Mountain bikers should hit Cady Hill Forest instead; the Florence and Bear's Trail loops are legendary singletrack, free to ride.
Drive Route 108 through Smugglers' Notch (closed in winter) and stop at Bingham Falls for a short 0.4-mile hike to swimming holes. Cap the day at The Alchemist in Stowe for a $19 four-pack of Heady Topper, then dinner at Doc Ponds on Mountain Road.
Where to sleep
In Burlington, Hotel Vermont on Cherry Street runs $260-380 and is walkable to everything. Budget: Made INN Vermont B&B from $185. In Stowe, the Green Mountain Inn on Main Street is the classic pick around $220 off-season, or Field Guide Lodge on Mountain Road for a more design-forward stay from $195. Both put you within 10 minutes of trailheads.
Ready to book?
Live prices for 8M+ hotels. Every booking removes a tonne of CO₂ — at no extra cost.
Search live prices →
What it costs: real price bands by area and season
In Burlington, expect $130-180 USD midweek in summer at hotels like the Courtyard on Cherry Street, dropping to $95-130 in April and November. Stowe runs $180-260 in summer and shoulder, $300-500 during peak ski weekends at Trapp Family Lodge and Topnotch, and cheaper $140-190 slots in late May and June. Woodstock inns like the Woodstocker sit at $200-280 in summer and easily $400+ during the first week of October.
The Northeast Kingdom stays saner year-round: Inn at Mountain View Farm and the Wildflower Inn area run $150-220 in summer biking season, $180-260 during Jay Peak ski weeks. Manchester falls between Burlington and Stowe, with motels on 7A from $110 off-peak and the Equinox Resort from $280. Foliage the first two weeks of October adds 60 to 150 percent statewide, and Christmas week at any ski town is the second peak.
Getting around and when to go
A car is effectively required outside downtown Burlington. Rentals from Burlington International (BTV) start around $55 a day off-peak. The Amtrak Vermonter runs NYC to St. Albans once daily, stopping at Brattleboro, White River Junction, Montpelier and Burlington-Essex Junction; it is scenic and cheap ($75-95 one way from NYC) but slow. Route 100 down the spine of the Greens is the classic drive and takes about 4.5 hours end to end without stops. Winter driving means snow tires and headlamps by 4pm in December.
The rhythm of the year matters more here than in most states. Late May through June is trail season with cheap rooms. July and August are the family and hiking window. Late September to Columbus Day is foliage and the price peak. November is hunting season and quiet. December through March is ski country, with Stowe, Sugarbush, Killington and Jay Peak driving demand. April is mud season, when many country inns close entirely and the ones open sell rooms for half price.