Looking for the best things to do in Traverse City, Michigan? This Northern Michigan destination on Grand Traverse Bay combines award-winning wineries, scenic Lake Michigan beaches, outdoor adventures, and one of the Midwest’s best food scenes. From exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to wine tasting on Old Mission Peninsula and sailing aboard a historic tall ship, Traverse City offers year-round activities perfect for weekend getaways, family vacations, and romantic escapes.
Are you a first-time visitor to Michigan? First-time visitors will find the Complete First-Timers Travel Guide to Michigan a useful planning resource.
Table of Contents
- Best Things to Do in Traverse City, Michigan
- Visit the Best Museums in Traverse City
- Attend the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City
- Go Wine Tasting on Old Mission Peninsula
- Relax at the Best Beaches in Traverse City
- Take a Tour of Mission Point Lighthouse
- Take a Sailing Cruise on Grand Traverse Bay
- Explore Traverse City State Park and the TART Trail
- Take a Day Trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
- Where to Stay in Traverse City, Michigan
- Best Restaurants in Traverse City, Michigan
- FAQs about Traverse City, Michigan
- If You Go
- Conclusion
Best Things to Do in Traverse City, Michigan
Visit the Best Museums in Traverse City
Museums are one of my favorite activities. The perfect rainy-day activity, explore one of the area’s museums. The Dennos Museum Center contains one of the most extensive Inuit Art collections in the United States. The museum inspires visitors through the visual and performing arts and sciences. The Music House Museum is a collection of instruments from the late 18th century to 1950. A guided tour is available so that guests can hear the rare instruments on display. Finally, the Great Lakes Children’s Museum is hands-on fun for children.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Some Traverse City museums have limited hours or seasonal schedules, so check current opening times and consider buying tickets or reserving tour spots online before you go. This is especially important during busy summer or holiday weekends.
Attend the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City
Traverse City is known as the Cherry Capital of the World. In early July, during cherry season, the annual National Cherry Festival celebrates Traverse City’s abundant cherry crop. This celebration is one of the United States’ largest festivals, attracting over 500,000 visitors during the eight-day event. I love going during this time, even though it’s busy, because cherry picking is abundant. Roadside Cherry Stands, these quintessential local farms are everywhere along the peninsula, so you can purchase some already picked or, in some cases, pick your own. This guide, “The National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan,” offers pro tips for attending the cherry festival.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Take cash in small bills, as not all stands take credit cards or checks. Some may also use Venmo.
Traverse City is known as the Cherry Capital of the World. Learn more about Traverse City, Michigan, the Cherry Capital of the World.
Go Wine Tasting on Old Mission Peninsula
Located on the 45th parallel, Traverse City lines up with France’s Bordeaux wine region, so Traverse City is well-known for its wine, with about 40 wineries in the area. You can visit wineries through a formal wine tour or explore some on your own. The Leelanau Peninsula Wine Trail and Old Mission Peninsula’s wineries are open year-round. Oftentimes, on summer evenings on the weekend, you’ll find live music to enjoy on many winery patios. Some of the local wineries also have lodgings and cafes.
One of my favorite wineries is Brys Estate Vineyards and Winery, whose secret garden overflows with lavender during the National Cherry Festival. Stop by the winery for a wine tasting, then sit on the patio and enjoy the lavender fields.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Designate a driver or take a formal tour that uses a professional driver and tour guide.
Relax at the Best Beaches in Traverse City
The beaches along Grand Traverse Bay are some of the best ways to experience Northern Michigan’s natural beauty. Clinch Park Beach, just steps from Front Street, offers crystal-clear waters. It’s one of my favorite beaches in the area, with soft sand and calm bay views. Nearby Bryant Park and West End Beach are also great spots to enjoy the shoreline. These options also offer several convenient places to swim and relax, with a short walk to downtown shops and restaurants.
These beaches are also a hub for outdoor recreation and water sports, ideal for travelers seeking more than just a day in the sun. Visitors can enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, and swimming, or relax on the sandy beaches while taking in the surrounding natural beauty. From Clinch Park Beach near Front Street to quieter areas like Bryant Park and West End Beach, Traverse City’s pristine beaches provide some of the best ways to experience the area’s relaxed lakeside lifestyle.
Piper’s Pro Planning: On busy summer days, parking near these beaches can fill quickly, so arrive early. You can use the downtown parking garages or metered lots within walking distance of the bay. Consider packing a small beach cart or backpack to make the stroll with your gear easier.
Take a Tour of Mission Point Lighthouse
Visiting Mission Point Lighthouse feels like stepping back in time on the tip of Old Mission Peninsula. The historic lighthouse, framed by towering trees and sweeping views of Grand Traverse Bay, offers a glimpse into the life of past lightkeepers as you explore the small museum and climb the tower for panoramic lake vistas. Outside, you can wander the surrounding trails, stroll the beach, and enjoy the peaceful setting. This is one of the most scenic stops near Traverse City.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Arrive early or later in the day to avoid crowds. Check seasonal hours in advance so you can time your visit to include a tower climb and a walk on the beach.
Take a Sailing Cruise on Grand Traverse Bay
Boating on Lake Michigan and in Grand Traverse Bay, whether on powerboats, sailboats, kayaks, or canoes, makes for a fun-filled day outdoors. Tall Ship cruising is another option. Go for an afternoon ice cream or a sunset dinner cruise. Experience an overnight cruise where the Tall Ship becomes a Bed and Breakfast.
Ice cream cruise on the Tall Ship Manitou, a mid-1800s-style windjammer with 3,000 square feet of sails, is one of the Great Lakes’ largest traditional vessels. A simple picnic dinner accompanies the two-hour sunset sail around West Grand Traverse Bay.
Explore a bit of Michigan’s nautical history at the museum inside the Grand Traverse Lighthouse. The lighthouse still functions today for demonstration purposes. If you’re a true lighthouse fanatic, you can spend a week here as the lighthouse keeper.
Photo Courtesy of Black Star Farms
Explore Traverse City State Park and the TART Trail
Traverse City State Park, officially Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park, is a compact urban escape just two miles from downtown Traverse City on the shores of East Grand Traverse Bay. The 75-acre park features a modern campground with hundreds of shaded sites, mini cabins, and a lodge, plus a pedestrian overpass that leads to a quarter-mile stretch of sandy beach across US-31. Campers and day‑trippers alike come to swim, sunbathe, and picnic along the bay, with restrooms and a small beach house adding extra convenience for families.
Beyond the beach, Traverse City State Park connects directly to the 10.5‑mile Traverse Area Recreation Trail (TART), giving visitors easy access to biking and walking between Acme Township and downtown Traverse City, and onward to the Leelanau Trail toward Suttons Bay. Its location makes it an ideal home base for exploring the region—Sleeping Bear Dunes, local wineries, and downtown restaurants are all a short drive away—while still offering classic state park amenities like wooded campsites, playgrounds, and water access for paddling on Grand Traverse Bay
Piper’s Pro Planning: Reserve your Traverse City State Park campsite well in advance for peak summer and fall weekends. Request a site away from US‑31 if you’re sensitive to road noise. Then use the TART Trail access and pedestrian overpass to walk or bike to the beach and downtown without worrying about parking.
Take a Day Trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Take a day trip to Empire, home to Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Congress designated it a coastal area of natural and recreational importance requiring preservation, making it one of four national lakeshores in the United States. Standing on Lake Michigan’s shore, you’ll see nothing but the clear lake. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan’s other national shoreline, is 118 miles away.
While you’re there, the Empire Bluff Trail is a scenic 1.5-mile round-trip hike in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore that takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete. The hike offers a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan.
Piper’s Pro Planning: You will need to pay an entrance fee to the National Lakeshore. They do not accept cash.
Drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
To take in the best views of Lake Michigan, don’t miss the 7.5-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Circle through a maple-beech forest behind the dunes. Explore the dunes along the one-lane road with stunning views overlooking Lake Michigan. One stop, Overlook Number 9, reaches 450 feet above the lake and gives you an overall sense of the dunes. Try a dune climb. Dunes are mountains of sand to climb, hike, and enjoy a day outdoors on the beach.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Start the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive early in the day or late in the afternoon to avoid crowds and get the best light for photos at overlooks like Number 9.
To take in the best views of Lake Michigan, don’t miss the 7.5-mile Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. Circle through a maple-beech forest behind the dunes. Explore the dunes along the one-lane road with stunning views overlooking Lake Michigan. One stop, Overlook Number 9, reaches 450 feet above the lake and gives you an overall sense of the dunes. The dunes are mountains of sand to climb, hike, and enjoy a day outdoors on the beach.
Where to Stay in Traverse City, Michigan
Cherry Tree Inn & Suites
We loved our time at the Cherry Tree Inn & Suites. Our Lake Michigan Studio, with a balcony overlooking Grand Traverse Bay, was the perfect place to enjoy our breakfast, slowly wake up, and plan our day. This 54-room inn is right on the beach, so it allows you to take advantage of the beach during those early mornings before you go out for the day. Evenings are the perfect time to relax after returning to the hotel and enjoy some time around the fire pit. Be sure to take along the makings for s’mores.
Another helpful thing from the Cherry Tree Inn & Suites was their text help. Soon after checking in, I received a text from Ivy, my personal text help. She encouraged me to text her anytime for towels, information, or things to do. She also requested feedback on my check-in experience.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Book a lakeview studio with a balcony if it fits your budget so you can use the quiet mornings to enjoy breakfast, watch the sunrise over Grand Traverse Bay, and map out your Traverse City itinerary without ever leaving the room.
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
If you love golf, northern Michigan is the perfect place to get out and hit a round. The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa is an excellent place to stay, as you’ll be able to sneak in nine holes before the others are up and ready for the day.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Book an early-morning tee time on one of the on-site courses so you can play nine holes before the rest of your group is ready for the day. Just be sure to reserve your preferred course and time well in advance, especially in the peak summer season.
The Manitou Floating Bed and Breakfast
Boating enthusiasts will love the Tall Ship Sailing with its floating bed and breakfast. After the evening sail, passengers go ashore, while bed and breakfast guests stay behind for a night of fresh air, secured to the pier. You can use your sleeping bag to relax on deck under the stars or sleep in your private cabin. Each of the ship’s ten cabins sleeps two sailors in single-bunk beds.
Enjoy your morning coffee as the sun comes up over the horizon. Before departing, they serve a completely scratch-made breakfast cooked over a wood-burning stove.
The Manitou Floating Bed and Breakfast hosts guests June through August. Check their website for pricing on wine-tasting and entertainment sails.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Pack layers and a cozy hat, even in midsummer, because it can feel much cooler on the water at night. Book your Manitou Floating Bed and Breakfast stay well in advance. The June through August dates, especially wine-tasting and entertainment sails, sell out quickly.
Best Restaurants in Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is also a foodie destination. Since Michigan is second only to California in the United States in crop production, the area’s restaurants start with the freshest ingredients, going from farm to table, resulting in new, flavorful plates. Traverse City is famous for cherries, so you’ll find dishes featuring these — the Michigan cherry salad, cherry brochette, and a chipotle cherry chili. One of my favorite things is cherry pie from the Grand Traverse Pie Company. They have one cherry that uses Vernors, a Michigan ginger ale, in the filling to give it a little zip.
Flying Noodle Italian Pasta House
Located in downtown Traverse City, Flying Noodle Italian Pasta House makes all its pasta in-house, so everything is fresh, and you can taste the difference. Their Campanella, a flower-shaped pasta, still haunts me with a garden-fresh pea flavor accented with pea tendrils, preserved lemons, and ricotta. You don’t see this dish on other restaurant menus, and I’d make the three-and-a-half-hour drive to Traverse City to have this dish again.
Piper’s Pro Planning: The restaurant is small and doesn’t take reservations, so you’ll want to plan ahead. Arrive early, get your name on the list, and then explore the downtown shops until your table is ready.
Aerie Restaurant in the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
Located on the 16th floor of the Tower inside the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Aerie’s floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around the entire restaurant and provide stunning views. You can see for miles! On the evening we were there, a hot-air balloon floated by, adding to the magic.
The atmosphere makes it feel like a special occasion restaurant. They feature local Michigan ingredients and local beer and wine selections. For example, my Aerie salad featured Traverse City tart cherries in a tart cherry vinaigrette, served over organic greens, pickled red onion, cucumber, and Gorgonzola, with candied pecans for crunch.
Piper’s Pro Planning: Plan your dinner reservations around sunset. You won’t be disappointed.
Don’s Drive In
This is the perfect place to grab dinner after a long day at the beach. Everyone’s still damp and sandy, and the kids are probably still in swimsuits. None of that matters at Don’s Drive In, where you can eat in the car or grab one of the outdoor picnic tables, where you can take in a last look at the beach from across the street during dinner.
Don’s Drive In is a local favorite that has been around since 1958. Its atmosphere is an authentic 1950s-style drive-in with carhops and neon signs. You’ll find award-winning burgers and milkshakes that will take you back in time.
Whether you’re a self-proclaimed foodie, a wine connoisseur, or an outdoor enthusiast, you’ll enjoy Traverse City, Michigan.
Piper’s Pro Planning: For more details on Traverse City restaurants, read 13 Best Restaurants in Traverse City, Michigan.
Check out this article on the 13 Best Restaurants in Traverse City, Michigan.
FAQs about Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City is a popular Northern Michigan vacation destination located on Grand Traverse Bay, about 2.5 hours from Grand Rapids and 4 hours from Detroit by car. Travelers can fly into Cherry Capital Airport (TVC), which offers seasonal nonstop flights from several major U.S. cities, making it easy to plan a Traverse City getaway.
Traverse City is known as the Cherry Capital of the World and is famous for its National Cherry Festival, freshwater beaches, and scenic views of Lake Michigan. The city is also recognized for its award‑winning wineries and vineyards, thriving craft beer scene, and vibrant downtown filled with local restaurants and shops.
The best time to visit Traverse City is during the summer, June–August, for warm weather, beaches, and festivals like the National Cherry Festival. However, this is also the busiest and most expensive season. Fall (September–October) offers beautiful fall colors, fewer crowds, and excellent wine tasting, while spring and winter are great for budget‑friendly getaways, snow sports, and cozy downtown dining.
Top things to do in Traverse City include visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, relaxing on the sandy beaches of Grand Traverse Bay, and exploring downtown Front Street’s shops and restaurants. Many visitors also enjoy wine tasting on Old Mission and Leelanau peninsulas, scenic drives along M‑22, and day trips to nearby towns like Glen Arbor, Suttons Bay, and Leland’s historic Fishtown.
Yes, Traverse City is very family-friendly, with kid-approved beaches, parks, mini-golf, and attractions like the Great Lakes Children’s Museum and Pirate’s Cove Adventure Park. Traverse City offers families a wide range of hotels, resorts, campgrounds, and vacation rentals, plus many casual restaurants that welcome kids and offer options for picky eaters.
For a first-time visit to Traverse City, plan for at least 2–3 days to explore downtown, enjoy the beaches, and fit in a scenic drive or a winery visit. If you want to experience more things to do in Traverse City, such as Sleeping Bear Dunes, multiple winery trails, and the surrounding small towns, 4–5 days is ideal for a relaxed Northern Michigan vacation.
If You Go
Traverse City, Michigan, is in the Eastern Time Zone and in Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. Traverse City is the county seat.
Getting There
Most major US airlines serve Traverse City’s Cherry Capital Airport (TVC). You’ll find flights on Allegiant, American, Delta, and United.
How far is Traverse City from?
| City | Distance |
| Chicago | 319 miles |
| Detroit | 255 miles |
| Grand Rapids | 142 miles |
| Indianapolis | 408 miles |
| Lansing | 183 miles |
| Sleeping Bear Dunes | 25 miles |
Driving Distance from Traverse City to Other Cities
Getting Around
The best way to get around Traverse City is by car. If you fly in, you’ll probably want to rent a car. Some hotels offer shuttles to the airport, the casino, and destinations within a certain radius of the hotel; however, this will limit where you can explore.
For wine tastings, Traverse City offers a variety of shuttle tours that provide a safe experience.
If you prefer public transportation, the Bay Area Transportation Authority (BATA) offers service. Their Park-n-Ride option is also suitable for avoiding the busy downtown area by car.
Download the Traverse Traveler app, which is free for iPhones, iPads, and Android Smartphones. It’ll give you all the information you’ll need to feel like a local.
Want more information on Midwest Road trips, including my four favorite Michigan road trips? Order Midwest Road Trip Adventures to learn more about road trips in each of the 12 Midwest states, including Michigan.
Find some vacation planning tips for planning your next adventure in my post 7 Ways to Pack More Relaxing Travel in Your Over-Scheduled Life.
Conclusion
Whether you’re planning a summer beach vacation, a fall wine weekend, or a scenic Northern Michigan road trip, there are countless things to do in Traverse City, Michigan. Between the waterfront views, local wineries, outstanding restaurants, and nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City delivers one of the best travel experiences in the Midwest for couples, families, and outdoor enthusiasts alike.
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While Piper is a lifelong Michigander, she’s had adventures worldwide. Bomb-sniffing dogs chased her in the middle of the night in Bogota (working late), gate agents refused her boarding to Paraguay (wrong visa), and US Marshals announced her seat number on a plane while looking for a murder suspect (she’d traded seats). It’s always an adventure! She even finds exciting activities in her home state of Michigan, where she lives in Lansing with her husband, Ross Dingman, her daughter, Alexis, and two granddaughters.
I have read so many great things about Sleeping Beear dunes. I really want to go there.
I haven’t been here for years but it sounds like I’ll have to check it out again!
Great guide! I hope I will have the chance ti visit Michigan.
wonderful, a place in the US where there is public transportation! Apart from very few cities, travelling without a car was always a challenge in the us.
Traverse city looks like a very interesting place. I’ve been to Michigan, but only to Ludington.
Seems like michigan is a good little trip to take in the United states. The bed and breakfast on the ship seemed to interest me. Thanks for the tips.
A scenic drive, wine tasting and cherry festival all are indicators of a merry time for us. The idea of staying at a floating hotel sounds cool!
There is so much to do!! Thanks for sharing such a detailed list 🙂 you comPletely won me over with flying noodle lol
I haven’t as yet got TO SEE ANYTHING IN THE lAKE Michigan AREA BUT REALLY WANT TO. iN PARTICULAR THE Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore SOUNDS LOVELY. tHAT VIEW YOU HAD FROM YOUR HOTEL OVERLOOKING THE BEACH WAS FABULOUS. aLSO i nEVER KNEW WINE IS MADE THERE.
The wine tasting tours are awesome. Splurge on a chauffeured tour. Try to do wine tours of both Leelanau & Mission Peninsulas on separate days. Be sure to include a stop on Château Chantel’s deck. The views are absolutely amazing!
I live here. I know this is about Traverse City, but 1 little restaurant I have to mention is in Sutton’s Bay, 15 miles north of Traverse City and it’s called Martha’s Table. I’ve eaten there and the food is awesome.
I have had that on my list to visit. Hopefully, I will get there in the summer of 2023. Thank you for affirming it is a good place to visit.
I cannot believe I get to live here in Grand Traverse County. It is everything and more that this article is hinting at. Miss Piper didnt even mention Torch Lake, Voted the third most beautiful lake in our Nation is only 20 minutes form Traverse city ….