The city of Richmond in Virginia is slightly off the beaten track and ideally you will want to stay here for two nights, which includes a full day to explore the best the city has to offer. If you want to make the most of your day in Richmond, here is a guide on how to spend a day here. This is just a rough guide and you will do well to squeeze all of these in, but you can always juggle them around to fit your schedule.
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Morning
Wake up early around 7 a.m. in your Richmond Hotel and enjoy a good breakfast to keep the energy levels up for your day in the city. Head out on the streets to the incredible Virginia State Capitol building for a full guided tour. The building is open to visitors every day of the week at the following times:
Monday to Saturday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
Guided tours usually take place between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday. On Sunday, the guided tours run from 1 to 4 p.m. The Virginia State Capitol building has been home to the Virginia General Assembly since 1788 and is worth checking out.
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After the tour, pop into one of Richmond’s Best Coffee Shops for a morning coffee. The Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe is a popular option.
Afternoon
Lunch could be anywhere downtown, so go with the flow. After that, make sure you check out some more of Richmond’s top 10 sights, including these three:
1. St. John’s Church
Founded in 1739, the impressive St. John’s Church is Richmond’s oldest church.
2. Edgar Allan Poe Museum
Located inside Richmond’s oldest building, this is a museum dedicated to literary master Edgar Allan Poe. As well as the permanent displays, you can get a guided tour which shows you original Poe manuscripts, first editions, and some of his personal belongings.
3. Virginia War Memorial
The poignant Virginia War Memorial is dedicated to all Virginians who died in battle in World War II as well as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Photo by Nick Mullen via Trover.com
Evening
A pub crawl of Richmond by night will surprise you. This city boasts lots of different styles of bars. Start with a few light beers in Capital Ale House. This place aims to be the best in the city for beers. Or you could also hit Weezie’s Kitchen for Happy Hour beers and a decent meal. Get a bit of Irish flavour next with a pint of Guinness in the Rare Old Times Irish Pub, before heading to Secco wine bar to sample some of the best wines in the region. To finish off the day in style, live music beckons. A great place for live music is Cary Street Cafe. Their live music features an eclectic range of sounds from reggae to bluegrass to rock’n’roll to country. It will be a tiring day, but you’ll have had a great time here in Richmond.