Cincinnati holidays
With German roots and Southern flair, Cincinnati is a spirited Midwestern city on the border of two states . See the burnished skyscrapers, sports arenas and grand civic squares of Ohio then cross the river and find the bohemian vibe of Kentucky with its artsy cafes and hipster-friendly distilleries.
Our cheapest holidays to Cincinnati
Crowning Queen City of the Rust Belt
Cincinnati brings small-town loyalty, a cosmopolitan culture and river-wide skylines as well as some of its own quirks.
After all, the area gave birth to world-renowned bourbon and beer, is the birthplace of famous names like Play-Doh and Pringles and is home to some very unusual museums. Book your flights to Cincinnati today.
Carefully selected Cincinnati hotels
Best hotels in Cincinnati for all types of travellers.
For the perfect Cincinnati family hotels, or if you’re looking for an escape without kids, the historic Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza comes with rare Brazilian rosewood panelling and vast murals. Close to Paycor Stadium , Hyatt Regency Cincinnati is an affordable family favourite where you can enjoy an indoor saltwater pool. Housed in a national landmark, the former Cincinnati Enquirer building, the Hampton Inn and Suites Cincinnati-Downtown , is within half a mile of The Great American Ball Park, Aronoff Center and Fountain Square.
Cincinnati holiday FAQs
- Get your history on tap. Many 19th Century breweries in the Over-the-Rhine neighbourhood maintained subterranean tunnels that allowed them to age their lager. You can tour some of them, taking in a warren of brick-arched lagering tunnels and even a historic church crypt. The Brewing Heritage Trail links many of the city’s oldest breweries.
- Cincinnati’s shared bicycle system, Red Bike, gives you the chance to cycle two states in a day. You can get a passes for unlimited two-hour trips making this perfect for pedalling along the banks of the Ohio River on the Cincinnati side then cross over to Kentucky via the Purple People Bridge, which is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Kentucky has always been the spiritual home of bourbon, accounting for 95 per cent of the world’s production. There are plenty of ways to dip into the contents of the charred- oak barrel here, from public tasting rooms to an official trail through the best urban craft distilleries, known as the B-Line (thebline.com). Don’t miss Second Sight Spirits, a showy vaudeville-themed distillery in Ludlow run by two former Cirque du Soleil employees.
- If bourbon isn’t your tipple, then you might prefer the eclectic array of more than 80 breweries across Cincy that pay homage to the past. Many of the city’s craft breweries offer much more than beer. For example, you can play ping pong in one, grab wood-fired pizza in another or sample real fruit sour within a historic church.
- The best family things to do in Cincinnati include quirky museums. Start with a hundred years of signage at the American Sign Museum – great for lovers of kitsch. Then there’s the offbeat maneki-neko cat statues of Cincinnati’s Essex Studios with more than 700 of these ‘good luck charms’. For the family who has nerves of steel, head for Vent Haven Museum in Kentucky which is crammed with ventriloquist dolls.
- The city’s art and light festival is Blink Cincinnati, where myriad light installations give nocturnal brightness to around 30 blocks of town. It usually takes place in mid-October.
- Indulge yourself in one Cincinnati’s renowned chillis. Expect a decent helping with favourites including a three-way, which adds shredded cheese to the chilli-topped spaghetti, or a four-way which adds onions or beans. Be warned – there’s a knack to this that means you have to shovel it onto the fork more than twisting it on – and that includes spaghetti.
- Finding fun things to do in Cincinnati is never hard. The Contemporary Arts Cener in downtown Cincinnati opened in 2003 as one of architect Zaha Hadid’s first and best-known American projects. It has hosted exhibitions on many subjects including scary clowns, racism and sexism, and the voices and experiences of black women. Upstairs you’ll find UnMuseum, a play space for kids and adults alike.
- For a dose of theatre, head to the red-brick Music Hall, in the Over-the-Rhine neighbourhood. It’s home to the Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati Opera. Don’t miss the Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and the nearby Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.
- Founded in 1899, t he Cincinnati Open (also known as the Cincinnati Masters) is the second largest summer tennis event in the United States after the US Open. The event has been held in the city since it started and attracts the biggest names in tennis.
- Foodies can feast on a veritable menu of Cincy’s gloriously gloopy chillis – there’s even an art to eating it which means never twirling your fork. You might also like the bustling Findlay Market with artisan and speciality foods and if you come on a weekend, it’s alive with events and street performers.
- Cincinnati offers plenty for families. Just 30 minutes away in Mason, you’ll find Kings Island, the largest amusement park in the Midwest. For a quieter day, head to Krohn Conservatory with 3,500 plants and a year-round tropical respite with butterflies and rare orchids. For an affordable Cincinnati family hotel, try the Courtyard by Marriott Cincinnati Covington.
- If you’re in the Central Business District, why not head to the Aronoff Center? This arresting performing arts venue in the urban core of the city hosts the Cincinnati Ballet, Music Theatre, Playwrights Initiative, Revolution Dance Theatre, touring Broadway shows and more.
- Most of the serious bar and restaurant action takes place in the Over-the-Rhine district. Here amid the handsome Italianate buildings, you’ll find an enclave brimming with eating and drinking options as well as tram links to the downtown area.
- Those interested in what’s brewing in the Queen City need only attend the biggest Oktoberfest celebrations in the country. It’s a big nod to its German side when in 1800s immigrants started to set up breweries, giving the city the title of Beer Capital of the World. There’s also plenty of beer trails you can do. For a perfect pairing try a hotel package stay at The Cincinnatian Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton, a historic hotel just steps from Fountain Square.
- Arts and culture lovers are in for a treat. You’ll find more than 160 street murals, plus theatres, galleries, orchestras and ballet companies in the city. Also worth seeing is the Cincinnati Art Museum with a collection spanning 6,000 years.
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