Weekend Getaway St. Louis: The Perfect 3 Day Itinerary 2024

Looking for the best itinerary for a weekend getaway to St. Louis?

Despite being sometimes overlooked, St. Louis is anything but ordinary. I’ve enjoyed countless trips here with my husband and continue to discover new things to add to our itinerary for future visits.

In this guide, I’ll share my top suggestions for places to stay, restaurants, and activities to fill your weekend. While created with couples in mind, this 3-day itinerary is suited for anyone planning a trip to St. Louis.

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Weekend Getaway St. Louis Overview

Day 1: Gateway Arch & Oyster Bar — Arrive in St. Louis, check in at your hotel/vacation rental, and make your way to the Gateway Arch (by car or Uber). Finish the day at one of my favorite spots in the city for dinner.

Day 2: Soulard Farmer’s Market & Botanical Garden — Enjoy a leisurely morning at a local farmer’s market and then spend the afternoon at the beautiful Missouri Botanical Garden. End the day at a popular neighborhood for Italian food.

Day 3: Saint Louis Zoo — Say goodbye to St. Louis but not before eating breakfast at one of the Midwest’s top-rated spots and exploring the iconic zoo.

Weekend Getaway St. Louis: 3-Day Itinerary

This 3-day itinerary combines St. Louis’ top attractions, favorite dining spots, and hidden gems. Without further ado, here’s your guide to a weekend escape in St. Louis.

Friday

Afternoon: Check-in & Gateway Arch

Check-in: Arrive in St. Louis and check in at your hotel. Check-in at The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza starts at 4 pm.

If you arrive in St. Louis before you’re able to check in, grab a bite at Balkan Treat Box. It’s a little out of the way, but so worth it! The chef, a James Beard Award semi-finalist, serves up flavorful and comforting traditional Balkan street foods. We come here almost every time we’re in town.

Explore: Later in the afternoon / early evening, visit the Gateway Arch (a U.S. national park) and ride the tram to the top during sunset to catch “golden hour”. This portion of the tour typically lasts 45-60 minutes, with tickets starting at $15 per adult.

Advanced reservations are strongly recommended as tickets sell out early and often. You can also buy a “combo ticket” which includes add-ons like a documentary movie and virtual reality experience.

Note: The Gateway Arch trams consist of tight, enclosed spaces. If you’re at all claustrophobic, I would suggest skipping this experience.

Evening: Oysters & Nightcap

Dinner: Next up on the itinerary is a local favorite that’s been around for over 35 years — Broadway Oyster Bar. This casual New Orleans-style restaurant offers award-winning cajun and creole dishes along with live music every single night.

Note: It does get quite loud once the music starts (9 pm), so if you are looking for a quiet, romantic setting look at my alternative recommendations below.

Tip (Parking): Broadway Oyster Bar now offers a secure parking lot across the street at Broadway and Gratiot for $10. You’ll receive a discount voucher in return for $5 off any purchase, or $10 off a $75+ purchase of food or drink to use that same night. Or, you can use street parking which is free after 7 pm.

Alternative Dinner Spots: Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. (offers casual dining with delicious seafood at reasonable prices) or Sidney Street Cafe (provides a cozy ambiance, albeit at a higher cost. It’s one of my TOP picks for date night in St. Louis).

Nightcap (optional)

Here are several options depending on what you’re in the mood for:

Saturday

Morning: Farmer’s Market & Sweets

Breakfast & Explore: Start your day off at the Soulard Farmer’s Market, open from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. It’s one of the largest in the U.S. and the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market west of the Mississippi River. 

There is a wide variety of vendors, so I recommend grabbing a coffee or perhaps the popular Bloody Mary at Julia’s Market Cafe and taking a lap to get the “lay of the land”. Bring some cash as some vendors do not accept credit cards.

Some stands I like to visit are the Soulard Spice Shop, the Amish stall with fresh bread and desserts, and Mini Donuts located in the southwest corner.

There are also spots inside the Grand Hall area that sell delicious breakfast sandwiches. Before you go, be sure to grab a gooey butter cake, a St. Louis specialty, to enjoy later.

Afternoon: Gardens & Beer

Explore: Feel free to drop off any goodies you bought at the farmer’s market back at your hotel before heading to the next activity of the day — visiting the Missouri Botanical Garden. It’s considered one of the top three botanical gardens in the world and makes for the perfect relaxing afternoon for you and your loved one.

The Missouri Botanical Garden can be enjoyed all year round, with different flowers in bloom depending on the season. Click here to see peak bloom times by month. General admission tickets start at $16/per person and $6 for St. Louis residents.

Lunch: St. Louis is such an underrated food city (in my opinion). There are so many great spots that I’ve tried over the years, especially sandwich shops. Try out one of my favorites, The Gramophone, for tasty sandwiches, good vibes, and live music.

The Gramophone is a 4-minute drive from the Missouri Botanical Garden. Or, try another popular lunch spot, Union Loafers, just 2 minutes away.

Note: Depending on when you left the farmer’s market (and whether you ate a big breakfast), you can decide to eat lunch before or after visiting the garden.

Optional: If time allows for one last activity, pop into Anheuser-Busch Brewery for pre-dinner drinks in the Biergarten or a behind-the-scenes tour of its campus. I’ve been on several brewery tours across the U.S. and this is one of the best – hands down!

The last tour of the day is at 4 pm and can last anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, depending on which one you select. Tickets start at $15/per person.

Evening: Toasted Ravioli & Nightcap

Dinner: Head over to The Hill, known as the city’s hub for Italian cuisine. There are so many great restaurants in this neighborhood, you truly can’t go wrong with any of them.

Some of the more popular spots include Anthonino’s Taverna, Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill, Trattoria Marcella, and Gian-Tony’s Ristorante. Wherever you decide to go, order toasted ravioli for an appetizer — it’s another St. Louis specialty.

Nightcap (optional)

Here are several options depending on what you’re in the mood for:

Sunday

Morning: Check-Out & Breakfast

Check-out: If you’ve chosen to stay at The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza, check-out is anytime before 11 am. You can either plan to eat breakfast first and grab your luggage afterward or take everything with you.

Brunch: Hope you’re hungry! Just southeast of Forest Park lies one of St. Louis’ top breakfast spots: Songbird. Yelp agrees — the restaurant was ranked #5 on the Top 100 Places to Eat in the Midwest. And as a Midwest resident myself, I concur.

Songbird collaborates with local farms and prioritizes locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. They are known for their breakfast sandwich, the “combo,” but honestly, anything on their menu is a must-try. Due to its limited seating, you will definitely need to make reservations ahead of time.

Afternoon: Zoo

Explore: St. Louis offers many amazing free activities, so it’s time to check one off your list. I highly recommend visiting the zoo — it’s truly incredible.

The Saint Louis Zoo opened its doors in 1910 and has been providing free admission ever since. The zoo is home to over 16,000 animals, including nearly 600 from around the world and several rare/endangered species.

Plan your day: The animals are most active before noon, so save any indoor attractions for last. Plan to allocate around 2-4 hours for a relaxed pace to see (most) everything.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate or you’re not in the mood for the zoo, here are several other options to consider adding to your itinerary:

Top FREE things to do in St. Louis: (other than the zoo)

• Saint Louis Art Museum
• Missouri History Museum
• Basilica of St. Louis
• Forest Park
• Grant’s Farm (parking is an additional fee)

Alternative Activities To Add To Your St. Louis Weekend Getaway

If you’ve visited St. Louis before and checked off some activities from this itinerary, here are alternative options to consider.

Hop aboard a riverboat cruise: Enjoy a relaxing daytime cruise on a replica 19th-century paddle-wheel riverboat or make your night special with a scenic two-hour, evening cruise featuring music and a chef-inspired menu.

Go to a sporting event: Locals are super passionate about their sports teams! Catch a baseball game at Busch Stadium and explore Ballpark Village or cheer on the St. Louis Blues at a hockey match.

Enjoy an afternoon at The Boathouse in Forest Park: On a nice sunny day, you can rent paddle boats, double kayak, or canoe and explore Forest Park via the water. There’s also a casual dining area with waterfront views, often featuring live music.

Visit Cahokia Mounds Historic Site: Just 15 minutes east of St. Louis, you’ll find the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. It’s one of the few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the U.S. and a unique spot to visit.

Where to Stay

Editor’s Pick: The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza

The Royal Sonesta Chase Park Plaza sits in the Central West End neighborhood which offers a city atmosphere, with plenty of dining options and cocktail bars within walking distance, and convenient access to major attractions.

With it being only a short 10-minute drive from downtown and less than two miles from Forest Park and the Saint Louis Zoo, this location tops my list for the best (and safest) places to stay in St. Louis.

This hotel itself offers ultimate convenience with everything you need or want right on-site. Amenities include an outdoor Mediterranean-style pool (seasonal), 3 restaurants, a historic movie theater featuring the latest blockbusters, and a fitness center.

Looking for more options? Here are a few more recommendations on where to stay in St. Louis that just ooze romance:

• Best Bed & Breakfast: Lehmann House Bed & Breakfast
• Best Charming Boutique Hotel: The Cheshire
• Best Luxurious Hotel: The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis
• Best Unique Hotel: Angad Arts Hotel

How To Get Around St. Louis

Unfortunately, using public transportation isn’t the most convenient or safe option. Unless you intend to spend your weekend relaxing at the hotel (I wouldn’t blame you), I suggest renting a car. Psst: Check out Discover Cars for the best deals.

While some neighborhoods offer walkable access to restaurants and bars, most destinations on this 3-day itinerary are a 10 to 15-minute drive. So, relying solely on ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft might be more costly in the end.

TIP: When parking your car in the city, make sure to keep any valuables out of plain sight (i.e., lock them in your trunk if you can). Car break-ins do happen.

FAQs

Have more questions? I’m here to address some of the most common inquiries I get asked about St. Louis.

Is St. Louis good for tourists?

Yes, absolutely — don’t underestimate St. Louis! The city is home to a U.S. National Park (how many major cities can say that?!), a fantastic zoo, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, and several museums, many of which are completely free of charge.

How many days in St. Louis?

It depends on your interests, but typically, spending 2 to 3 days in St. Louis allows enough time to visit the city’s main attractions and get a good feel for its culture and history. I would say a weekend is perfect. You won’t cover all the city has to offer, but it gives you enough time to see and explore the main sights.

What is the best month to visit St. Louis?

The best months to visit are typically in the spring (mid-April to early June) or fall (September-October) when the weather is mild and comfortable. However, don’t rule out the summer months of June through August, as there’s tons to do. Just be prepared for warmer temperatures, with daily highs around 89°F (32°C).

What food is St. Louis famous for?

St. Louis is famous for its toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza (@Imo’s Pizza – it’s an acquired taste 😂), and gooey butter cake. I’ve sprinkled a couple of these throughout this blog post, so you can enjoy sampling them yourself.

Final Thoughts

A weekend in St. Louis offers a diverse range of experiences for all types of travelers. From its rich history to its top-notch culinary scene and cultural attractions, there’s no shortage of things to see and do.

Whether you’re exploring the national park, visiting one of its many museums, or sampling local flavors at neighborhood eateries, the “Gateway to the West” offers a memorable getaway that’s sure to leave you with lasting memories.