NOTE: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read full disclosure here.
Detroit, Michigan has become of one my favorite places to visit in the fall and spend time with family. Our family lives in the surrounding counties, and each year, they take such good care to share their amazing city with us. For those who are thinking of visiting the famous Motor City, continue reading as I share my recommendations on how to spend 3 days in Detroit, Michigan.
Spending three days on vacation in Detroit, Michigan and surrounding towns gives you the opportunity to explore this city’s rich history, amazing food scene, vibrant culture, and diverse attractions. Here’s a suggested itinerary for a memorable trip to Detroit:
Day 1: MORNING
- Breakfast: Start your day at a local Detroit cafe for a hearty breakfast. My favorite so far has been The Apparatus Room! This is an excellent restaurant to visit with great food and a charming ambiance. This chic restaurant is an old firehouse transformed and connected to the Detroit Foundation Hotel. Here’s a brief video tour of this restaurant:
- Detroit Riverwalk: Next, relax and walk off a few calories by exploring the Detroit Riverwalk. Detroit’s Riverwalk truly allows you to take in scenic views of the Detroit River, architecture, and the Windsor skyline. During your stroll, you will also run into a lot of iconic public art installations.
Day 1: AFTERNOON
- Downtown Lunch Dining: During one of our last trips to the midwest, we went to Chicago and tried their famous deep dish pizza. However, many rival that Detroit has better pizza, and I must say I agree! Detroit style pizza has an airier texture and a baked cheesy crust. So while you’re in Downtown Detroit, but sure to head to one of their downtown restaurants to try Detroit style pizza or a classic Coney dog. If you want a slice of history to enjoy for the afternoon, give Buddy’s Pizza a try, which is the pizzeria where Detroit style pizza all began!
- Motown Museum: Dive into the history of Motown music at the Motown Museum, also known as Hitsville U.S.A. Beyond being the birthplace of Motown, this historical home hosted the recording of a number of legends such as Diana Ross, Smoky Robinson, Brenda Holloway, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jackson 5, The Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye and more!
Day 1: EVENING
- Riverfront Dinner: Enjoy dinner at the award-winning Joe Muer restaurant in downtown Detroit. This is an upscale seafood restaurant with waterfront views and the perfect lobster. Joe Muer provides fresh and sustainable seafood that’s flown in from all over the world! Here’s a quick video of our last dinner experience:
- Entertainment: To wrap up your first day, why not make plans to attend a show, concert, or performance at Detroit’s famous Fox Theatre or Fillmore Detroit!
Day 2: VISIT FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN
On Day 2, take a 1.5 hour drive north and discover a charming little German town called Frankenmuth. Frankenmuth transports you out of the US with its Bavarian style architecture, and truly feels like you’re somewhere in Germany. Here are a few fun activities you should explore for the Day:
- Breakfast: Grab an amazing sweet or savory breakfast crepe at the family owned La Crepe Du Jour. All crepes are handmade to order and set the tone for an exciting day to explore this cute Bavarian town!
- Shop and Tour Craft Foods: Embark on a culinary expedition, shop, and taste a variety of flavors at one of the many food shops in Frankenmuth. Here were some of our favorite ones:
- Wine Tasting: If you’re a wine lover, why not stop by St. Julian Winery. This award winning winery uses 100% Michigan grown fruit and is Michigan’s oldest running winery. We found their in-house selection to be very diverse, for almost every wine palate. Their staff is very friendly and made us feel right at home.
- Lunch or Dinner: While you’re in town, be sure to stop by Zehnder’s of Frankemuth. This is an all you can eat German style family restaurant. Zehnder’s is known for their fried chicken and chicken seasoning. They also served up some of the best coleslaw as a starter for the table! I tried the Chicken Schnitzel Parmesan and was personally not impressed as there was way too much cheese. However, I would like to try this place again to see if their chicken is as famous as they say. If you’ve had their chicken before, let me know in the comments below.
DAY 3: MORNING
- Breakfast: Start your day at See You Tomorrow. This is a black-owned restaurant, just outside of Midtown. This fast casual restaurant is known for their chicken and waffles and has a very relaxed atmosphere. It’s the perfect way to start your day on a full stomach before exploring more adventures!
- Football Fans: If you’re a football fan, head back towards downtown Detroit to see the Detroit Lions play at their indoor stadium. INSIDER TIP: If you enjoy tailgating, you can grab a few bites and drinks at Lions VIP Tailgate by Bullseye Event Group in Shed 5. This is the perfect way to pregame before the game. The entire tailgate event is inside, with shuttle service to Ford Field included. Be sure to arrive early for premium parking since spaces are limited. To look game day ready, here are some of my favorite Amazon buys for the game:
- Culture & Museum Fans: If you’re not a football fan or if you’re visiting out of season, use the early part of the morning to take in as much culture and history as possible. Here are some of my culture and museum recommendations:
Henry Ford Museum: Explore and discover Ford’s innovations in the transportation, industry, and American history. This is the perfect experience for car lovers.
Charles Wright Museum of African American History: Outside of DC, this museum is one of the most immersive and moving black history museums.
Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA): Visit the famous DIA to tour and admire its extensive art collection. This museum also contains famous works by Diego Rivera and Vincent van Gogh
DAY 3: AFTERNOON
- Lunch and enjoy Topgolf Swing Suite at MGM Grand: Relax, grab a bite to eat and enjoy a variety of multi-sport simulation games! Some of these include a golf target game, hockey, baseball pitching and more!
DAY 3: EVENING
- Dinner: If you love soul food, then you MUST visit Savannah Blue. Hands down, 10 out of 10! This is an upscale restaurant where every dish here was on point! The oxtails, fried catfish, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens, yams, everything!
Detroit is an amazing vibrant city like no other! If you’re looking for deeper dive into ‘The Motor City’, be sure to read more at The Redfin for a more detailed local’s view.
The last time I was in Detroit was about 5 years ago, for the annual auto show! I remember touring some of the automotive plants and auto museums, too. Lots of fun and history in the Motor City.
Michigan is a lovely place to visit and this three day itinerary right from breakfast to dinner is perfect for the first time visitors. Your post is indeed a complete package.
Ooohhhh….I like the sound of walking by the river! I think I can do that, for the whole day. After that, we visit all the eating spots!
We have never been to Detroit but I am happy to know that there are so much to see and do. We’d love to visit the Motown Museum. My mom is a fan so, I am pretty sure she’ll appreciate this.
A trip to MGM Grand sounds great too. We’d love to experience the multi-sport simulation games. Thank you for sharing your itinerary. We’re bookmarking this for future reference.
I’ve never been to Detroit, looks like a very interesting place place to go. The food looks great too
Excellent write up. I love a well-planned itinerary complete with photographs. A great way to travel to Detroit, while it’s still on my travel list. And a great write-up to visit when I do make it there!
I would love to say I’d go there someday, but it’s way too far away from Belgium
Love this itinerary. The restaurant choices are perfect.
Three days to explore Detroit? Visit well-known sites like the Motown Museum first, and then visit the Detroit Institute of Arts to learn more about the dynamic art scene in the city. For an introduction to Motor City culture, make sure to take a stroll down the RiverWalk and savour some delectable cuisine at neighbourhood diners.