How to have the best 48 hours in St Louis

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It’s not hard to have a good time in St Louis. That’s one of the things I love about this city the most. Finding things to do is easy, and often affordable, too! That’s what makes St Louis the perfect spot for a weekend trip. You’ll have plenty of things to see and eat, and you’ll be dying to get back here again soon. For now, let’s start with planning the perfect 48 hours in St Louis.

If you like to plan your own trips, check out my suggestions below and add a few of them in during your stay in St Louis. If you’re looking to save as much time as possible, you’re in luck! I’ve already done all the work for you! My 48 Hours In St Louis itinerary is perfectly laid out to maximize the amount of things you can see by minimizing the amount of time you need to spend traveling to each destination. Sound good? Let’s get started!

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48 Hours in St Louis Itinerary

Friday in St Louis

I highly recommend you fly or drive into St Louis on a Friday evening for two reasons. First, because that means you’ll have even more time to explore this city that I love. And second…because St. Louis has the best breakfast! If you arrive Friday night, you’re sure to get in enough time for two breakfasts!

On Friday night after you’ve arrived in St Louis, the first thing to do is to check for one of my two favorite St Louis Friday night events! If you’re visiting St Louis on the first Friday of the month, you have to check out First Fridays at the Science Center. First Fridays are filled with seminars, scavenger hunts, and themed cocktails all centered around a different aspect of “nerd culture” (think Harry Potter, Superhero comics, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.)

If you’re visiting St Louis on the last Friday of a month, check out SLAM Underground at the Art Museum, similar to First Fridays, but with art. Themed cocktails, grown-up arts and crafts, musicians, photo booths, and more.

If you’re looking for a low-key night, you could check out Urban Chestnut or play bar games at Civil Life Brewing. If you’d rather check out the bars of St Louis, start with the Gramophone in the Grove and continue your bar hop at any of the many bars that populate that portion of Manchester Road.

Saturday in St Louis

This portion of your Saturday Itinerary is like a choose-your-own-adventure story. I’ve created two cohorts. The Itinerary for the first-time visitors, and the itinerary for returning visitors.

Itinerary For First Time Visitors:

If you’ve never been to St Louis, start your day with breakfast at Rooster on Locust Street downtown. They specialize in savory breakfast crepes. Need I say more? After breakfast, head straight for Gateway Arch National Park. Here you can visit the expansive museum that lives underneath the Arch. The Old Courthouse is also a part of the National Park and deserves just as much of your attention.

Itinerary For Returning Visitors:

If you’ve visited St Louis before (or if you try to avoid places where tourists gather,) start your day with breakfast at Half & Half and then check out the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site or Laumeier Sculpture Park. The Ulysses S. Grant home is a great place to learn more about the history of our region and about an influential historic figure. The Laumeier Sculpture Park on the other hand is full of hiking trails and outdoor displays of art.

Forest Park

No matter which path you chose, the next part of this itinerary takes us to Forest Park. Start your time in Forest Park with a stop at the Boat House. If you’re hungry enough to eat, grab some lunch at Sugarfire Smokehouse inside the Boat House. But if you’d rather wait to eat, rent one of the paddle boats at the Boat House and take it for a ride to the Grand Basin where you can get a great view of the Art Museum. After lunch, if you have some extra time, take a walk around Forest Park. There are trails you can take and the park is so big you will not run out of places to explore in one afternoon.

Delmar Loop

Next, head to the Delmar Loop. Here, you’ll find lots of locally owned shops, a Trolley, and ice cream floats the size of your head. When you’re ready, stop in at Fitz’s for one of their famous ice cream floats, made with their house-made sodas. If you’re hungry enough to eat (again!?) grab one of their burgers. Fitz’s also has the best black bean burger in St Louis!

Take the Trolley down to the opposite end of Delmar and enjoy a drink at the top of the Moonrise Hotel. Their rooftop bar boasts great views of the city!

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Sunday in St Louis

St Louisans love to eat. Have you noticed? Being a foodie seems to come with the residency permit. If you’re up for it, it’s time for your second St Louis Breakfast. Start your day by checking out Southwest Diner. As the name suggests, you’ll find “southwestern inspired” food here, as well as beer-mosas and delicious sopapillas.

Itinerary For First Time Visitors:

This next stop will diverge paths once again. If you’ve never visited St Louis before, now would be a great time to take a tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. You’ll learn a bit more about the history of St Louis through the eyes of a beer giant. And…there’s free beer. What’s not to love?

Itinerary For Returning Visitors:

If you’ve previously visited St Louis and have already indulged in the free beer, you can dive into our city’s beer history a little deeper by taking a tour of the Lemp Mansion. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this haunted home is filled with history from our beer making past. The story of the Lemp Family is both tragic and fascinating and well worth a visit.

The St Louis Zoo

If you have any more time left, now would be a great time to return to Forest Park and pay a visit to St Louis’ free Zoo. If you’re short on time, visit the penguins, the polar bears, and the sea lions first. You could easily spend an entire day at the St. Louis Zoo.

Following my guide, you’ll have a jam-packed 48 hours in St Louis. As long as you’re prepared, you’ll have no problem seeing the most important sites St Louis has to offer.

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Build Your Own 48 Hours in St Louis

If you’d rather build your own itinerary, here are my best suggestions for places you should see while you’re here.

Places to Eat

Since you’ve only got 48 hours in St Louis, here’s a quick guide to the best places to grab a bite to eat.

If you love BBQ, try:

• Salt & Smoke
• Pappy’s
• Bogarts

For fried Chicken, check out:

• Southern
• Grace Meat +3
• Byrd & Barrel

For the best Brunch in town, visit:

• Rooster
• Half & Half (check their Instagram for their weekly specials!)
• Southwest Diner

To try a delicious burger (or veggie burger), stop by:

• Fitz’s (in addition to delicious burgers, they’ve also got the biggest ice cream floats you’ve ever seen and the best black bean burgers in town!)
• Hi-Point Drive In
• Brasserie

If you’re looking for the best bite of ice cream, check out:

• Clementines
• Ted Drewes (a Route 66 Landmark!)
• Ice’s Plain & Fancy

If donuts are more your style, eat at:

• Strange Donuts
• Pharaoh’s Donuts
• Vincent Van Donut

If you’d like something a bit more upscale, try:

• Acero
• Yellowbelly
• Olive & Oak

If you’re just looking for a good cocktail, visit:

• Trust
• Planter’s House
• Retreat Gastropub

If you’d rather have a beer:

I’ve got an entire post for you! Check out A Beer Lover’s Guide to a Weekend in St. Louis for a special itinerary and list of breweries just for you!

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Places to See

There is so much to do in St Louis! Even a local like me can’t possibly see everything this city has to offer. That means no matter how many times you’ve been to St Louis, there will always be something new for you to see.

If this is your first visit, you have to see:

• The Arch & The Old Courthouse (both of these stops together make up the Nation’s 60th National Park!)
• Forest Park
• The (free) Zoo (voted #1 in the country, beating out Zoo’s that visitors pay $60 to enter!)
• Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour

If you’ve been here once or twice, check out:

• The Ulysses S. Grant House National Historic Site
• Laumeier Sculpture Park
• Paddle Boating in Forest Park
• The Central Library (and their featured exhibit!)

If you consider yourself a veteran visitor of St. Louis, be sure to see:

• The Art Museum and their rotating exhibits
• The Missouri History Museum (check out Twilight Tuesdays if you’re visiting in the summer!)
• The Farmer’s Market in Soulard, Kirkwood, Tower Grove, or at Schlafly are all great places to shop!
• Creve Coeur Lake (here you can rent a kayak or Stand-up paddle board for a unique new adventure)

Places to Stay

There are plenty of chain hotels you can stay at while you’re visiting, but if you’re looking for something that’s uniquely St. Louis, you have to check out one of these hotels.

Chase Park Plaza

While this hotel is now owned by Sonesta, The Chase Park plaza has been a staple to St Louis for decades. Nothing beats the history that radiates off the walls at this beautiful hotel. Check out the photos of the most famous guests in the lobby. Even if you don’t stay here, it’s worth taking a peek inside this hotel or even seeing a movie in their on-site movie theater!

Drury Plaza

While Drury hotels are a nation-wide chain, they are headquartered in Missouri. The Drury Plaza is an extra special hotel because it his housed in a series of buildings that were slated to be torn down until one of the members of the Drury family drove by and saw the buildings’ potential, saving them from destruction. Now, the buildings are connected by glass ceilings, giving an immense amount of natural light, even in the center of the hotel. The rooftop patio also has a great and close up view of the Arch!

Angad Arts Hotel

A unique hotel new to the St. Louis area that loves featuring the work of local artists. In addition, all rooms are booked not only by room size, but also by room color for a more customized experience. Choose from red, blue, green, or yellow. They’re all designed to channel different emotions and create a truly unique experience. While you’re here, you can also check out the rooftop bar that features a large menu of delicious cocktails, small plates, and a panoramic worthy view of the city.

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St Louis is one of my favorite cities in the world and I’m so excited that you’ve chosen to visit. Even if you only have 48 hours in St Louis, your trip will be well worth it as long as you travel prepared. Leave a comment below if you’ve visited any of these stops in St Louis and let me know what you think!

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