Best Day Trips from Cincinnati
With tasty restaurants, charming neighborhoods, and serene city parks, Cincinnati is packed with impressive attractions and activities. However, just beyond the Queen City lies a host of day trip adventures. The city’s proximity to Kentucky and Indiana means you can explore multiple states and sights off your bucket list, all within two hours.
The following six Cincinnati day trips offer something for everyone—from sports and roller coasters to outdoor adventures and adult beverages. Here are the best day trips from Cincinnati for a quick getaway:
Dayton, Ohio
Why go: Learn aviation history
Ohio is the birthplace of aviation and it has two prominent Dayton legends to thank: Wilbur and Orville Wright, the brothers who invented and flew the first aircraft. This aviation history abounds throughout the city, starting with the Wright Brothers National Museum in Dayton’s Carillon Historic Park. Beyond aviation artifacts like the 1905 Wright Flyer III plane, the park also features an onsite brewery and grill, with beers crafted using a traditional 1850s-era brewing process.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force, the largest and oldest military aviation museum in the world, is another Dayton gem. This hub, with 350 aerospace vehicles and thousands of artifacts, brings the U.S. Air Force’s history to life. The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, housed in the same building the Wright brothers used for their main business, a print shop, rounds out Dayton’s aviation attractions.
The best bites near the museum include craft beer and tater-tot heaven Warped Wing, named after the Wright brothers’ design feature of “wing warping.”
How to get to Dayton
Driving is the best way to get from Cincinnati to Dayton; public transit is available via Greyhound, but takes triple the time. This route is an easy one-hour drive up Interstate 75, with rental cars available throughout Cincinnati and at the CVG airport. If time allows, stop for a slice of flavor-packed pizza at Marion’s Piazza, located just off I-75 (near the Dayton Mall).
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Why go: For the LGBTQI-friendly community
Spirited getaway Yellow Springs is one of Ohio’s most unique small towns and one of the most welcoming, with a vibrant LGBTQ+ community. Peace signs, pride flags, and Black Lives Matter window displays show that the city is proud of its inclusive values. Mark your calendar for late June when the Yellow Springs community comes together to celebrate YS Pride, a gathering with a parade, tailgate, and home-decorating contest.
Yellow Springs, also the home of comedian Dave Chappelle, is a town of 3,400. Its downtown is packed with yoga studios, artist markets, and restaurants, including Sunrise Café, a local favorite with ingredients sourced from 20 nearby farms. Yellow Springs Brewery is bike-friendly, featuring an outdoor taproom adjacent to the 80-mile multipurpose Little Miami Scenic Trail.
How to get to Yellow Springs
Driving is the easiest mode of transport between Cincinnati and Yellow Springs. It’s just over an hour’s drive up Interstate 75 to Interstate 675. Rental cars are available throughout Cincinnati and at the CVG airport.
Red River Gorge Geological Area, Kentucky
Why go: Climb and hike through glacier-carved landscapes
Red River Gorge Geological Area, known locally as “The Red,” is an action-packed oasis in Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest and one of the best day trips from Cincinnati, particularly for adventure seekers. The Red is legendary among rock climbers, featuring steep sandstone walls offering thousands of routes. Climbing guides like the local Bluegrass Climbing School lead rock climbing and rappelling trips.
Moreover, this Kentucky adventure extends beyond climbing. Red River Gorge boasts over 70 trail miles along canyons, gorges, and arches. Some of the scenic routes include the three-mile Natural Bridge & Laurel Ridge Trail, as well as a four-mile jaunt to Gray’s Arch. Mind-blowing underground kayaking and boat tours also wind through The Red’s caverns.
While you’re in town, don’t miss Miguel’s Pizza, famous in the climbing world for kick-starting The Red’s climbing scene in the 1980s. In addition to lunch, dinner, and margaritas, Miguel’s offers a rock-climbing store, along with their own nearby accommodations.
How to get to Red River Gorge
Red River Gorge is two hours southeast of Cincinnati. Car is the easiest way to get from point A to B, with the drive primarily following Interstate 75 south to Interstate 64 east, before hitting several backstreets on the way into The Red. Build in time for a stop in Winchester, Kentucky, the birthplace of beer cheese, where you can sample this local delicacy along the town’s Beer Cheese Trail.
Mason, Ohio
Why go: Ride the rollercoasters at Kings Island
Cincinnatians grow up testing their roller-coaster limits at Kings Island, a theme park in suburb Mason, just 25 minutes from the Queen City. Kings Island is among the best Cincinnati day trips, featuring 100 rides, shows, and attractions, plus 15 roller coasters, including the award-winning Orion, one of only seven giga coasters in the world.
Food and drinks abound at Kings Island. For a local favorite, grab pizza from family-friendly La Rosa’s, praised for its subtly sweet sauce. And Cincinnati’s famous Skyline Chili, beloved by many for its spaghetti with sweet chili on top, is available in the park as well.
Kings Island is easily doable in a day, but you can also stay overnight at the adjacent Kings Island Camp Cedar, a resort and RV park with onsite pools, camping, restaurants, and more. It’s less than a mile from the theme park.
How to get to Mason
Via car is the fastest way to get from Cincinnati to Mason. It’s a quick 25-minute drive to the northeast along Interstate 71 north. The park is right off the highway.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Why go: Visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Museum
Like Cincinnati, Indianapolis is a charismatic Midwest city with its own vibrant culture, from the art museum Newfields to the White River State Park, hosting the Indianapolis Zoo and Indiana State Museum. Of course, no Indy trip is complete without a stop at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Erected in 1909, the speedway welcomes some of the fastest car races in the world, including the Indianapolis 500 on Memorial Day weekend (although different races run all year). To learn about this adrenaline-pumping track, visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, featuring 37,500 square feet of exhibitions, including cars, racing records, and memorabilia.
Need a post-race bite or drink? Stroll a few blocks for hearty fare at Barbecue and Bourbon or craft beer at Daredevil Brewing, home to Indiana’s best-selling IPA, the Lift Off IPA. Both spots are less than one mile south of the track.
How to get to Indianapolis
Indianapolis is one hour and 45 minutes northeast of Cincinnati on Interstate 74. It’s most accessible via car, with rentals available throughout town and at the CVG airport.
Lexington, Kentucky
Why go: Explore the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Lexington is arguably the best place to soak up Kentucky’s culture, with attractions like Keeneland horse-racing course and a host of stops to try the state’s signature beverage: bourbon. There are 14 distilleries within 45 miles of Lexington, making it a highly sought-after destination for bourbon enthusiasts.
The 250-mile Kentucky Bourbon Trail includes more than 30 distilleries, with shuttles and tours available from Cincinnati, just 80 miles away. Private Bourbon Trail day tours are hosted by local services to several distilleries like Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey.
If you’d rather hit multiple distilleries along the trail for a weekend-long trip, go a bit further west to Louisville, where Mint Julep Tours offers options to safely hop from distillery to distillery. You can also conduct a self-guided bourbon trail tour using available maps. (Always ensure a designated driver).
How to get to Lexington
Private tours offer transportation from Cincinnati to Lexington. If you’re driving yourself, the ride is roughly one hour and 20 minutes south along Interstate 75.
