Syracuse Travel Guide

Tourist Guide

Clinton Square featuring a city, a garden and heritage architecture
Syracuse which includes flowers and a city
Landmark Theatre featuring interior views and heritage elements
Syracuse featuring modern architecture
Syracuse featuring heritage architecture and a city

This city in Central New York’s Finger Lakes region offers college sports, summer sunshine and plentiful winter snow for year-round indoor and outdoor activities.

Enjoy fun-filled days of outdoor activities, shopping and cultural pursuits in the geographic heart of New York State. Syracuse has old roots as the primary supplier of salt for the United States. The modern presence of Syracuse University and numerous attractions give it a youthful vigor.

Kick-start your visit with outdoor activities at local parks. Spend half a day or more at Onondaga Lake Park. Walk along 7 miles (11 kilometers) of shoreline, rent a boat, visit the butterfly garden and play ball games on the sports fields. While you’re there, investigate the Salt Museum on the lake’s eastern shore to learn about the industry that built Syracuse.

Delve into the past at the Erie Canal Museum to learn about New York canals’ important role in American history. See how the 363-mile (584-kilometer) Erie route was built by hand.

Fill your shopping bags at Destiny USA, a massive six-story mall with more than 250 outlets. It also has attractions such as a mirror maze and the Canyon Climb Adventure, a suspended indoor climbing course.

Buy tickets in advance for an NCAA Division I college sports event inside the Syracuse University Carrier Dome. Join the college crowd to celebrate afterward at the Armory Square neighborhood.

Treat children to a visit to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park it houses more than 700 animals, including elephants, tigers, bears and wolves. If you’re in the city in August go to the Great New York State Fair, with 12 days of rides, exhibits and entertainment. Check the fairgrounds website to see what events are happening at other times of the year.

Syracuse is 160 miles (257 kilometers) from Niagara Falls and 246 miles (396 kilometers) from New York City, with bus service from both locations. It has its own airport. Lake Ontario and the waterfalls, parks, hiking trails and ski slopes of the Finger Lakes region are about an hour away, offering swimming, skiing, hiking, fishing and autumn leaf-peeping.

Where to stay in Syracuse

Clinton Square featuring a city, a garden and heritage architecture

Downtown Syracuse

3.5/5(3 area reviews)

Downtown Syracuse is known for its abundant dining options, and you can plan a trip to Landmark Theatre and Clinton Square while you're in town.

Downtown Syracuse
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Lakefront

If you're spending some time in Lakefront, Destiny USA and NBT Bank Stadium are top sights worth seeing.

Lakefront
Carrier Dome showing modern architecture

Eastside

While visiting Eastside, you might make a stop by sights like JMA Wireless Dome and E.M. Mills Rose Garden.

Eastside
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Southside

While Southside isn't home to many top sights, Rosamond Gifford Zoo and Museum of Science and Technology are some notable places to visit nearby.

Southside
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Westside

When in Westside, you can plan a visit to Rosamond Gifford Zoo and Armory Square, some noteworthy sights in the nearby area.

Westside
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Northside

If you're spending some time in Northside, Museum of International Masks and Puppets and ArtRage Gallery are top sights worth seeing.

Northside
LivAway Suites- Syracuse
LivAway Suites- Syracuse
2 out of 5
6595 Thompson Rd, Syracuse, NY
The price is £73 per night from 6 Jul to 7 Jul
£73
6 Jul - 7 Jul
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Syracuse. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and laundry facilities. Popular attractions Destiny USA and JMA Wireless Dome are located ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (264 reviews)
"I've never stayed in a cleaner room. This hotel appears to be brand new construction. Self service check-in was a breeze it literally took less than a minute."

Reviewed on 4 Jul 2025

LivAway Suites- Syracuse
Comfort Inn & Suites Syracuse-Carrier Circle
Comfort Inn & Suites Syracuse-Carrier Circle
2.5 out of 5
6491 Thompson Rd, Syracuse, NY
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is £83 per night from 13 Jul to 14 Jul
£83
13 Jul - 14 Jul
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Syracuse. Enjoy free breakfast, free Wi-Fi and free parking. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff in ...
8/10 Very Good! (892 reviews)
"Very comfortable bed, room was spacious and clean. No frills, but good attention to cleanliness."

Reviewed on 29 Jun 2025

Comfort Inn & Suites Syracuse-Carrier Circle
Marriott Syracuse Downtown
Marriott Syracuse Downtown
4 out of 5
100 East Onondaga Street, Syracuse, NY
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is £123 per night from 13 Jul to 14 Jul
£123
13 Jul - 14 Jul
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this 4-star luxury hotel in Syracuse. Enjoy breakfast (surcharge), a 24-hour fitness centre and valet parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,002 reviews)
"Very cool 1920s deco with modern aspects. We very much enjoyed our stay,"

Reviewed on 3 Jul 2025

Marriott Syracuse Downtown
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
3-bedroom apartment in welcoming Solvay
3-bedroom apartment in welcoming Solvay
Syracuse
Stay at this apartment in Syracuse. Enjoy air conditioning. Popular attractions New York State Fairgrounds and Destiny USA are located nearby.
"We arrived at 6 pm and the cleaning people were still there. The owner had forgotten our booking until I contacted him at 4 pm for check in instructions. We were not able to get inside before going to a concert. When we got back at 12 am, the cleaner had not locked the door and the other door was ..."

Reviewed on 8 Jun 2025

3-bedroom apartment in welcoming Solvay
Cozy 2BR Near Destiny USA, Syracuse Uni,Zoo & Downtown
Cozy 2BR Near Destiny USA, Syracuse Uni,Zoo & Downtown
Syracuse
Stay at this apartment in Syracuse. Enjoy air conditioning. Popular attractions JMA Wireless Dome and Destiny USA are located nearby.
Cozy 2BR Near Destiny USA, Syracuse Uni,Zoo & Downtown
2 Mi to Dtwn Syracuse: Cozy Updated Apt!
2 Mi to Dtwn Syracuse: Cozy Updated Apt!
Syracuse, New York
Stay at this apartment in Syracuse. Enjoy laundry facilities, an in-room coffee maker and air conditioning. Popular attractions Destiny USA and JMA Wireless ...
9/10 Wonderful! (2 reviews)
Review
"The place was very nice and had everything you needed for a great stay for 2 nights. It was extremely clean, and the property manager got back to me very quickly w/all my communications. The neighborhood was below average. We felt safe but just didn't love it."

Reviewed on 20 Apr 2025

2 Mi to Dtwn Syracuse: Cozy Updated Apt!
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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