Easy Day Trips From Kitchener
Are you looking to explore some of Ontario’s most-loved small towns without spending hours on the road? If you love small-town charm, fresh country air, and weekend wanderings, you’ll love these easy day trips from Kitchener.
Kitchener makes an amazing home base for exploring some of the Province’s most charming small towns, all within 45 minutes away. From one of Canada’s largest markets in St. Jacobs, the scenic trails at the Elora Gorge, to the riverside charm of Paris, and the Mennonite traditions found in Elmira, there certainly is no shortage of hidden gems near Kitchener.
If you’re a road tripper looking to explore some of Ontario’s most popular small towns, then I recommend making Kitchener your home. It offers a variety of options for accommodations and it’s central to some of the best small towns in Ontario. Not to mention, Kitchener itself offers so much to do.
Day Trips From Kitchener: Small Town Charm
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By making Kitchener your home for the weekend, you will have easy access to St. Jacobs, Elora, Paris, and Elmira. While I recommend spending a weekend in Kitchener to explore these Ontario small towns, three to four days would be ideal.
Quick Reference: Towns Near Kitchener
- 🥦🍓 St. Jacobs: Best for market
- 🥾🛍️ Elora: Best for hiking, shopping, and scenery
- 🍻🍔 Paris: Best for restaurants, beer tasting and scenery
- 🐎☕️ Elmira: Best for Mennonite culture, bakeries, and coffee shops
- 🎭🕍 Stratford: Best for live theatre and architecture
St. Jacob’s: Closest Day Trip From Kitchener
St. Jacobs is only 15 minutes from Kitchener, but feels like it’s part of the tri-cities (Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge). The town most popular for the farmers market and Mennonite heritage which is apparent throughout the town, which makes St. Jacobs one of the most popular day trips from Kitchener.
St. .Jacobs is home to Canada’s largest year-round market, boasting 3 large buildings of locally produced fruits, vegetables, meat, and hand-made craft products. It’s open every Saturday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM and Tuesday’s from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. I highly recommend planning your visit to St. Jacobs around the market hours. Horse-drawn carriage rides are also available from the market, which is a great way to see the town and learn a bit of the history.
After spending a couple of hours at the market, you should browse the shops in town. At the far end of the town from the market, beer lover’s can enjoy a craft beer at Block Three Brewing, or coffee lover’s can enjoy one of the best cup’s of coffee in the Waterloo Region, just across the street from Block Three Brewing at Eco Cafe.
If you’re a hiker or simply love nature, I recommend hiking the Mill Walk Trail, which is accessed from the west side of St. Jacobs. This is an accessible 4.1 km in-out hike and is considered to be easy. What I love about this trail the most is that you can stop for a cold one at Block Three Brewing before heading back to the beginning of the trail.
Believe me when I tell you that St. Jacobs is the kind of place that makes just a quick visit turn into a full day of wandering.
Driver’s Tip: The most beautiful time to visit St. Jacobs is during St. Jacobs Sparkles in November every year.
Elmira: Country Roots And Traditions
It’s easy to combine your day trip from Kitchener to St. Jacobs with a stopover in Elmira. Elmira is about 25 minutes north of Kitchener or 7.08 km from St. Jacobs.
Elmira is considered to be the heart of Mennonite country. This small town offers a slower pace, a peek into rural Ontario life, and an abundance of coffee shops considering it’s such a small town.
When visiting Elmira, you can visit local farm stands, take a countryside drive where you might spot a horse-drawn buggy,or you might want to time your trip for when the annual Maple Syrup Festival is on (each year in April).
Elora: The Most Scenic Day Trip From Kitchener
Just a 30-minute drive from Kitchener, Elora is a must-visit for anyone who loves nature, charm, and creativity.
The Elora Gorge steals the spotlight with its dramatic cliffs, turquoise waters, and scenic trails perfect for hiking or tubing. It’s important to note that not all of the trails at the Gorge are accessible and many are full of tree stumps. Caution is required when hiking these trails.
If you feel that the trails at Elora Gorge are a bit too “challenging”, then I recommend taking a stroll around the Elora Bissell Park Loop. This is a 1.8 km accessible loop trail along boardwalks and paved pathways.
You can’t visit Elora without wandering the village streets lined with art galleries, boutiques, and cozy cafés. You might even want to pamper yourself and take in the views from the roof-top pool at the Elora Mill.
If you plan to visit Elora, I recommend budgeting a full day so that you can experience all of the things this town has to offer. It’s pure small-town magic.
Paris: Ontario’s Prettiest Little Town
About 40 minutes from Kitchener, Paris, Ontario has earned the title as “the prettiest little town in Canada.”
With its cobblestone streets, heritage buildings, and scenic Grand River views, it’s perfect for a romantic stroll or a relaxed afternoon exploring local shops and cafés.
I especially enjoy visiting Winsey Mills and the Paris Brew Co, which is attached to Winsey Mills. Not only does the Paris Brew Co have some great craft beer, they also serve up some pretty yummy pizza.
If you’re an outdoor enthusiast visiting Paris, you won’t be left behind. During the summer, it’s a ton of fun to raft the Grand River. I also recommend hiking the Nith Trail, which is a short, accessible, inter-active 928 meter trail which follows along the Nith River. The trail is accessible from Lion’s Park, which is great if you’re visiting with children.
For a small town, Paris offers so many great places to eat. I recommend Stillwaters for the view and Camp 31 if you love smoke pork, chicken, and beef.
With so many great things to do in Paris, it’s easy to spend a full day or even two days!
Driver’s Tip: If you decide to spend a night or two in Paris, I recommend staying at one of the unique places to stay in Paris
Stratford: An Easy Day Trip Destination
Even though Stratford is considered a city by many, it continues to exude that small-town charm. Just a short 40 minute drive from Kitchener, makes Stratford an easy day trip destination when you’re visiting Kitchener.
Stratford is known for its world-famous Stratford Festival, but that’s not all there is to do if theatre isn’t your thing. You can also spend time strolling along the Avon River, exploring the boutique shops and art galleries, or indulging in one of Stratford’s many restaurants. I also recommend doing the chocolate trail for a sweet treat.
Stratford offers the perfect mix of culture, food, and charm, and it’s all just a short drive from Kitchener.
Plan Your Perfect Day Trip From Kitchener: In Conclusion
Each of these small Ontario towns offer scenic hikes, breath-taking beauty, quaint boutique shops, culture, and great food, beer, and coffee. This is what makes these towns such popular day trips from Kitchener!
Kitchener’s central location makes the city the perfect base for exploring the small towns in this part of Ontario. As a long-time resident of Kitchener, I can vouch for how easy these day trips are, so next time you’re planning a weekend escape, think of Kitchener. It’s the perfect home base where every road leads to a new Ontario adventure.
Are you in the midst of planning a vacation in Ontario, Canada? Let me help you out. As a life-long resident, the following are the platforms that I generally use when I’m road tripping around my beautiful Province:
🏡 Rentals: Ontario has every style of accommodation rental imaginable, to suit every budget and travel style. For my vacation rentals, I use VRBO. This platform provides a wide variety of accommodations for every budget.
🏢 Hotels: Sometimes, I prefer to stay at a hotel, especially if I’m just staying in the area for a night or two. My go-to platform for booking hotels in Ontario is always Booking.com
🚴♀️ Activities: Ontario has so many activities to offer that it’s often difficult to choose. My favourite platform to find activities in each area of Ontario is Get Your Guide
🚗 Car Rentals: Ontario is so massive that’s it’s literally impossible to explore everything without a vehicle. Although I do have my own car, there have been times that I’ve rented a vehicle – especially for longer road trips. When in doubt, I’ve used Booking.com to find the best deal on rentals.
💰 Insurance: When travelling abroad, I purchase my medical insurance through Advisor Max, as well as my cancellation and trip-interruption insurance. Advisor Max is also the ideal company for visitors to Ontario, or any part of Canada, to purchase their travel insurance.
PIN EASY DAY TRIPS FROM KITCHENER
