St. Louis Travel Guides
St. Louis is a city that rewards slow exploration — from the river's edge up through historic neighbourhoods where the architecture tells stories. The Gateway Arch frames the skyline, but the real St. Louis lives in the botanical gardens, the fading murals, the neighbourhood taverns, and the pitmasters who've been smoking meat the same way for decades.
Browse St. Louis itineraries by how you travel.
St. Louis by travel style
St. Louis isn't a city that announces itself. The best days here get shaped by who you're with: couples drift toward Lafayette Square townhouses and Central West End wine bars; families anchor themselves in Forest Park and let the museums do the work; friends end up on The Hill or deep in a smokehouse line; food lovers treat the city as a slow neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood tasting map; and seniors and solo travellers find the pace already quiet enough not to need adjusting. The itineraries below are grouped the same way — pick the style that matches your trip, and the city will meet you there.
St. Louis itinerary for couples
St. Louis does romance quietly. The light here is different at the river's edge — golden in the evening, clear on a morning walk through Lafayette Square's 19th-century townhouses. It's the kind of city where you can spend an afternoon in the Missouri Botanical Garden without rushing any of it.
A well-paced couple's day often moves from the Gateway Arch at sunrise, through the Old Courthouse for perspective on the city's history, and into the neighbourhoods where independent restaurants and wine bars cluster. The Romantic 2-Day St. Louis Escape for Couples (Spring) covers the essentials without leaving gaps. For something slower and more intimate, An Autumn Day of Romance in St. Louis builds an entire day around mood and pacing rather than checkboxes.
If you have three days, the Romantic 3-Day St. Louis Escape adds the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (as much about architecture and history as beer), long mornings in The Hill's Italian restaurants, and evening walks through Central West End where tree-lined streets feel removed from everything else.
St. Louis itinerary with kids
St. Louis has some of the best free museums in America — and children tend to understand why this matters faster than adults. The Saint Louis Science Center is built into Forest Park and genuinely holds kids for hours. The City Museum isn't a traditional museum; it's more like exploring a cave made of reclaimed architecture and slides. The Gateway Arch — while touristy — has an undeniable pull on children.
A first family day typically moves through Forest Park: the zoo in the morning, lunch somewhere central, and the art museum or science center in the afternoon depending on what your kids gravitate toward. The 3-Day Family-Friendly St. Louis Parks, Science, Animals & Play is built around open space and the rhythm of keeping children engaged without overthinking it.
For a one-day version that still covers ground, the One Family Day in St. Louis — Forest Park, Hands-On Science & Arch Views focuses on what children actually want to spend time on, plus room to decompress.
St. Louis itinerary for friends
St. Louis is built for evenings with friends. The brewery scene is legitimate — Schlafly Tap Room and 4 Hands Brewing both have neighbourhoods built around them, not corporate feel. The BBQ culture means slow afternoons at places like Pappy's Smokehouse where the smoke sits in everything. The neighbourhoods themselves — Soulard, Cherokee Street, The Hill — each have their own character and draw different crowds.
A strong friends trip threads these together: morning coffee and pastries, an afternoon at a brewery or historic neighbourhood, and evening food that doesn't need a reservation. The Private St. Louis BBQ and Breweries Friends Day Out tackles both anchors of St. Louis food culture directly. For something with more pace, the 3-Day Friends Adventure — Food, Fun & Play builds structure without rigidity.
For a short weekend, St. Louis High-Energy Friends Weekend (2 Days) or One Day Fun & Vibrant St. Louis — Friends (Spring) deliver just enough momentum without burning out.
St. Louis itinerary for solo travellers
St. Louis rewards solo travel because it doesn't require constant validation from other people. You can spend an entire afternoon in a museum (genuinely uncrowded), walk the riverside trail without a plan, or sit at a brewery bar and actually have a conversation with a bartender. The city is safe and manageable, especially in the neighbourhoods worth visiting.
A two-day solo trip typically covers the Arch and Old Courthouse, then moves into neighbourhoods — The Hill for Italian food, Soulard for evening atmosphere, Central West End for walking and cafés. Either the One Day Fun & Vibrant St. Louis Crawl or the St. Louis High-Energy Friends Weekend (2 Days) adapts cleanly to solo travel — you'll keep the pace, skip the group logistics, and end up at a brewery bar where bartenders actually talk back.
A slower three-day version lets you pick one neighbourhood (usually Soulard or Central West End) and stay there, eating your way through it morning to evening. The Gentle 3-Day St. Louis Visit works well for this — it was built for seniors, but the rhythm (shorter distances, longer pauses, museums before lunch, food neighbourhoods after) fits any solo traveller who'd rather savour than sprint.
St. Louis for food lovers
St. Louis is one of the most underrated food cities in America — and that's partly because it hasn't branded itself as one. The city's food culture is neighbourhood-based, not curated: three-generation Italian kitchens on The Hill, pitmasters who've been smoking the same brisket for thirty years, Bosnian and Vietnamese pockets that reflect immigration waves, and a toasted ravioli nobody can quite agree on the origin of. If eating is the reason you travel, St. Louis rewards the effort.
A food-focused trip usually splits days by neighbourhood and protein. One day for The Hill — start with a late breakfast at a corner Italian market, spend the afternoon slowly through two different restaurants on the same block, end with a cannoli from a bakery that still dusts sugar by hand. One day for BBQ — Pappy's Smokehouse for brisket and ribs (arrive before noon or wait), Sugarfire for comparison, a pitmaster or two on the South Side if you want to keep going. One day for the neighbourhoods that don't fit those headlines — Cherokee Street for tacos and Vietnamese pho, Central West End for a proper tasting menu, Soulard Market on Saturday morning for produce, cheese, and street food vendors.
The Private St. Louis BBQ and Breweries Friends Day Out is the most food-dense itinerary on the site — it tackles the two anchors of St. Louis eating (smoked meat and independent beer) with a local guide who actually knows which pitmasters are running out of brisket early. For a longer trip, the 3-Day Friends Adventure — Food, Fun & Play threads restaurants across neighbourhoods rather than clustering them, which is closer to how St. Louis actually eats. And the Romantic 3-Day St. Louis Escape spends a full evening on The Hill if Italian is your priority.
If you're here specifically to eat, plan around pitmaster hours (most close when they sell out, not at a set time), the Saturday Soulard Market, and at least one evening on The Hill with no other plans.
St. Louis for seniors
St. Louis is gentle on visitors who want to move without pressure. The museums are air-conditioned and unhurried. The botanical garden is designed for pace. The neighbourhoods have historic architecture worth noticing from the sidewalk. The food doesn't require adventurousness — good restaurants that have been in the same place for decades are reliable.
The Gentle 3-Day St. Louis Visit for Seniors (May/Spring) is built explicitly for this kind of travel — shorter distances, longer pauses, fewer stairs. The Gentle 2-Day St. Louis Visit for Seniors (Spring) compresses it without losing substance.
The Senior-Friendly One Day — Gardens, Art & the Gateway Arch is exactly what it says: achievable, built around seating and rest, still substantial.
How many days do you need in St. Louis?
1 day in St. Louis
A single day works if you know what you're after. The Arch and riverfront are efficient — go early morning, move through quickly. Lunch in Soulard, afternoon in Forest Park (pick one museum), evening walk through Lafayette Square or The Hill. This is a sketch of the city, not a full picture, but it works.
The One Family Day itinerary covers this structure, or adapt any of the one-day friend itineraries depending on what draws you.
2 days in St. Louis
Two days opens up time. Day one covers the Arch, riverfront, and Old Courthouse. Day two either dives into one neighbourhood properly (The Hill for Italian restaurants, Soulard for history and bars, Cherokee Street for galleries and cafés) or splits between Forest Park's museums and another neighbourhood for evening food.
The 2-Day Family-Friendly itinerary or Romantic 2-Day Escape both offer proven structures.
3 days in St. Louis
Three days is where St. Louis starts to reveal itself. Day one: Arch, riverfront, Old Courthouse, and Cathedral Basilica. Day two: Forest Park — museums and the botanical garden, a full day without rushing. Day three: neighbourhoods — walk through The Hill, eat your way through it, move to Soulard or Central West End for evening. This is the most common visit length and it works because it covers what matters without feeling frantic.
The 3-Day Family-Friendly itinerary, 3-Day Romantic Escape, and 3-Day Friends Adventure all structure this three-day rhythm in different ways.
4–5 days in St. Louis
Four days or more lets you slow down within the city. Day trips are possible — the Meramec Caverns or Mark Twain's boyhood home in Hannibal (about 45 minutes north) are reachable — but St. Louis itself deserves the time. An extra day or two means returning to neighbourhoods you liked, sitting longer in the botanical garden, taking a Gateway Riverboat trip you wouldn't have time for otherwise, or exploring areas like Lafayette Square in real depth.
Bookable experiences in St. Louis
Several itineraries on TheNextGuide include bookable experiences from local St. Louis operators and guides. When a guided experience adds genuine value — in context, access, time efficiency, or local knowledge — we point you to it directly. When it doesn't, we don't.
Experiences worth booking in advance in St. Louis:
- Gateway Arch tram tickets — The Arch gets crowded in peak times, and booking ahead ensures you're not waiting. The views from the top are genuinely worth your time.
- Brewery tours — Anheuser-Busch and local craft breweries often fill up for group tours. Booking ahead, especially on weekends, is smart.
- Private food tours and BBQ experiences — The Private St. Louis BBQ and Breweries Friends Day is bookable directly and worth reserving.
- Missouri Botanical Garden — While walk-ups are usually fine, booking ahead during peak season (spring bloom, autumn colours) is practical if you want a specific time window.
- Museum admissions — Most are free, but timed entry can help you avoid crowds.
Where to eat in St. Louis
St. Louis's food culture is built on neighbourhoods and traditions that have outlasted trends. The pitmasters who've been smoking meat the same way for decades share the city with second-generation Italian restaurants, creative chefs pushing forward, and dive bars that have names on their beer glasses. What follows is a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood map of where to actually eat.
The Hill (Italian)
The Hill is St. Louis's Italian neighbourhood — not a tourist destination, but the real thing. Zia's serves pasta that tastes like generations of the same family making it the same way. Charlie Gitto's is more formal, still excellent. Adriana's has the kind of red sauce that defines the neighbourhood — traditional, unapologetic, and tasted almost exactly the same way in 1995 as it does today. Mama's on The Hill is what family dinner tastes like when your family invented the recipes. The streets themselves reward wandering; you'll find tiny spots without English signage that are worth entering. Go in the evening and you'll move slowly through courses and conversation — this is how The Hill eats. Parking is tight; arrive early or take a short drive from downtown.
Soulard (French Quarter Vibes)
Soulard is the oldest residential neighbourhood in St. Louis and feels like a quarter that hasn't left the 19th century. Broadway Pizza is famous and crowded, but rightfully so — the thin crust and toppings matter. Molly's in Soulard is the kind of bar that serves food because people are hungry, not because it's trendy. The neighbourhood itself is built for evening walking — cobblestone streets, old buildings, bars at street level. Street food during the weekend farmer's market is often better than sit-down dining; come for the atmosphere more than a reservation.
Central West End (Contemporary)
Central West End is where St. Louis's creative crowd eats. Sidney Street Cafe focuses on quality ingredients and technique. Erato Wine Bar & Bistro is exactly what it says — wine list that rewards knowledge, food that pairs. The neighbourhood has galleries, bookstores, independent shops. Zazie Wines has excellent natural wine and boards of food. Many of the restaurants here are relatively new and forward-moving, which makes Central West End feel different from The Hill or Soulard.
Downtown & the Riverfront
The Old Spaghetti Factory is more about the building (a restored warehouse) than the food, but the building is genuinely magnificent. Pi Pizzeria does St. Louis-style pizza — thin, crispy, sometimes provel (the local cheese that divides people). John Mihlfeld's is old-school fine dining in a space that feels important. The riverfront has tourist-facing restaurants mixed with legitimately good spots — worth asking locals where they actually eat if you're near the river.
Cherokee Street (Eclectic, International)
Cherokee Street is bohemian, cheap, and full of things you didn't expect to find in St. Louis. Taco restaurants, Thai spots, vintage shops, galleries, a genuine sense of artists living here and eating here. Bada Bing is excellent pizza and gelato in a neighbourhood that's actively changing. The food here is less about tradition and more about people cooking what they're passionate about. It's worth a long afternoon of wandering and eating your way through whatever catches your eye.
Pitmasters & BBQ
Pappy's Smokehouse is the place everyone mentions — deservedly, but expect a line and crowded conditions. The brisket is genuinely excellent. Sugarfire Smoke House has multiple locations and shorter waits, same quality. These are slow-cooked, smoked traditions that deserve time. Rib tips are the local cut; try them. Most pitmasters open for lunch and close when they sell out, not at a set time.
Markets & Street Food
Soulard Market has been operating since the 1700s — weekend mornings are full of local produce, flowers, street food vendors. Farmers markets happen in multiple neighbourhoods (Tower Grove Park has an excellent one). These are where St. Louis eats when it's eating without ceremony.
St. Louis neighbourhoods in depth
The character of St. Louis changes dramatically neighbourhood to neighbourhood. The city is built on hills and neighbourhoods that were once separate towns, annexed but not absorbed. Each has its own pace, architecture, and reason to exist. Here's what you need to know.
The Gateway Arch & Downtown
The Arch is the symbol, but downtown is where the city's bones show. The Old Courthouse sits behind the Arch — a National Historic Landmark where the Dred Scott trial happened. Laclede's Landing is the oldest street in St. Louis, built on cobblestone, full of buildings from the 1800s. It's touristy but undeniably historic. The riverfront trail is excellent for walking, especially in early morning or evening. Best time to visit is early morning (before 9 AM) when the Arch isn't crowded, or late afternoon when the light hits the river. Downtown suits anyone interested in history or willing to move slowly through architecture. Honest note: downtown can feel empty in certain blocks depending on the time of day; stick to the riverfront and historic core.
The Hill (Italian Neighbourhood)
The Hill is insular, traditional, and unmistakably Italian. Three-generation restaurants, narrow streets, Italian clubs where you need to know someone to get in. The food is the entire reason to come. The architecture is early 1900s immigrant housing, nothing fancy but deeply authentic. Best time to visit is evening when families are eating dinner, or during the Festival di Spagna in September. The Hill suits people who want to eat, people interested in immigrant history, and anyone who appreciates that a neighbourhood can stay true to itself for a century. Honest note: there's not much to do here except eat; come hungry and stay for hours.
Soulard (Historic Riverside)
Soulard is St. Louis's oldest residential neighbourhood — French settlement, then German, now gentrifying but still rooted. The architecture is 19th century (row houses, older buildings), the streets are cobblestone, the weekend farmer's market (Saturday and Tuesday mornings) feels genuinely alive. Mardi Gras on the street (not the official kind) is an actual neighbourhood celebration in February. Best time to visit is Saturday morning for the market and daytime atmosphere, or Thursday–Saturday evenings for bars and food. Soulard suits anyone interested in history, people who want to eat and walk, anyone who prefers old cities to new. Honest note: gentrification is changing the neighbourhood visibly; it's still authentic but shifting.
Forest Park (Museums & Green Space)
Forest Park is 1,300 acres of museums, gardens, zoo, and green space all free to explore. The Saint Louis Science Center, Art Museum, History Museum, and Zoo are all world-class and often nearly empty (which is its own gift). The Missouri Botanical Garden is meticulously maintained and worth a full afternoon. The park itself is massive and beautiful, with hidden trails and areas most visitors never reach. Best time to visit is weekday mornings (quieter, better light). Forest Park suits families, museum lovers, anyone who wants culture without crowds, anyone who just wants to walk. Honest note: the park is so large that you can't possibly see everything in one day; prioritize what matters to you.
Lafayette Square (Historic Residential)
Lafayette Square is a neighbourhood of 19th-century townhouses built around a central green. It's quietly beautiful, gentrifying but slowly, full of young families and creatives reclaiming old buildings. The square itself is a park surrounded by these homes, and walking through it feels like stepping into the 1800s. The restaurants and cafés nearby have started improving, but it's not a foodie destination yet. Best time to visit is morning or early afternoon when light is good and the park is calm. Lafayette Square suits photographers, people interested in historic architecture, anyone who wants to walk without tourism. Honest note: while safe, some blocks are still working through the gentrification process — stick to the square and immediately surrounding blocks.
Central West End (Contemporary & Tree-lined)
Central West End is tree-lined streets, bookstores, galleries, young professionals, the creative class settling into historic buildings they've reclaimed. The architecture is early 1900s, well-maintained. The restaurants are the city's most contemporary. The pace is deliberately slow — sidewalk cafés, vintage shops, bookstores you'll spend hours in. Best time to visit is any daytime hour, but evening is when the restaurants fill and the neighbourhood comes alive. Central West End suits people who like contemporary food, artists, writers, anyone who prefers walkable creativity to either historic authenticity or tourist experiences. Honest note: it's increasingly expensive as more people discover it; expect prices higher than other neighbourhoods.
Cherokee Street (Bohemian & International)
Cherokee Street is St. Louis's bohemian strip — vintage shops, galleries, international restaurants, street art, a genuine sense of artists living and working here. The vibe is eclectic and forward-moving. The food is cheap and excellent. There's no cohesion stylistically, which is exactly the point. Best time to visit is afternoon or evening, especially weekends when the street is full. Cherokee Street suits artists, people interested in counterculture, anyone who wants to discover unexpected things, anyone on a budget. Honest note: it's safe but grittier than more polished neighbourhoods; come during daylight if you want to walk slowly and shop.
Museums and cultural sites in St. Louis
St. Louis's museums are often world-class and almost always nearly empty. This is a gift — you can spend hours in front of paintings without a crowd, sit in a room of dinosaur bones with just a few other people.
Start here
Saint Louis Art Museum — One of the largest art museums in America, and free admission. The collection is genuinely excellent, the building is beautiful, and the crowds are minimal even in high season. Egyptian mummies, Impressionist paintings, contemporary work — it's all here, and you won't be shoulder-to-shoulder with other visitors. The café is fine for coffee but not a reason to come.
Saint Louis Science Center — Also free admission. Planetarium, hands-on exhibits, OMNIMAX theatre. It's genuinely interesting for adults and exceptional for children. The building sits in Forest Park and is worth 2–3 hours minimum, though you can do a quick version in 90 minutes.
Saint Louis Zoo — Free admission (parking is minimal cost). World-class collection. Large enough that you won't feel rushed, uncrowded by big-city zoo standards. The big cats are the main draw, but the primate section is excellent. Worth 3–4 hours.
Go deeper
City Museum — This isn't a traditional museum; it's a architectural playground built from reclaimed materials, old building parts, slides, caves, a giant mouth you can walk into. It's genuinely unusual and works for both children and adults who haven't forgotten what it's like to explore. Plan 2–3 hours minimum.
Gateway Arch — The symbol of St. Louis. The tram takes you up 630 feet for views of the city and river. It's touristy but undeniably impressive. The museum inside covers St. Louis history. Come at sunrise or late afternoon for the best light and smallest crowds. 1–2 hours total.
Cathedral Basilica — One of the largest cathedrals in North America. The interior is covered in 41.5 million mosaic tiles across 83,000 square feet — one of the largest collections of mosaic art in the world, installed over a 76-year build. Admission is free or donation-based. It's often empty, which is its own gift; you can sit in one of the back pews and look up without another person in your frame. The building itself is the artwork. 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Missouri History Museum — Free admission. St. Louis history from settlement forward. It's thorough, well-presented, and genuinely interesting. Not touristy. 1–2 hours.
Off the radar
Laumeier Sculpture Park — A 105-acre park with large-scale contemporary sculpture installations. It's genuinely beautiful, almost no tourists, free admission. Worth a morning or afternoon walk. Parking is free.
Pulitzer Arts Foundation — A small contemporary art museum in the Grand Center area. The building is architecture worth seeing. Small, focused, not crowded. Free admission.
Old Courthouse — The building itself is worth seeing (National Historic Landmark), and it's where pivotal moments in American history happened (the Dred Scott trial). Free admission. 45 minutes to 1 hour.
First-time visitor essentials
What to know
St. Louis is built on hills — neighbourhoods are genuinely separate, not just areas within a city. This is intentional; the city has always been made of villages. Many of the best things are free (museums, parks, many attractions). The food culture is rooted in neighbourhood traditions, not trends. The city is friendly but direct — St. Louis people don't pretend. Plan to rent a car or get comfortable with rideshare; public transit exists but isn't comprehensive. The city is genuinely safe in the neighbourhoods worth visiting, though as with any city, certain areas are best avoided.
Common mistakes
Staying only at the Gateway Arch area — it's touristy and misses everything real about St. Louis. Trying to do everything in one day — St. Louis rewards pace and returning to neighbourhoods. Skipping the museums because you think you'll have to queue — you won't. The crowds simply aren't there. Eating only at famous restaurants — some of the best food is in hole-in-the-wall places you'll walk past if you're not paying attention. Visiting The Hill without time to eat slowly — the whole point is pace. Expecting walkability on the scale of a European city — St. Louis is spread out; plan transport.
Safety and scams
St. Louis is safe in the neighbourhoods worth visiting. Common sense applies — don't wander into random residential blocks alone at night, keep an eye on belongings, use normal city awareness. The tourist areas (Arch, downtown, Forest Park) are actively policed. Soulard and Cherokee Street feel grittier but are fine during daylight and evening if you're paying attention. Scams are minimal; the city isn't set up to fleece tourists because tourism isn't the economy.
Money and tipping
The dollar is the currency; most places accept cards. Tipping is expected — 18–20% at restaurants, a couple of dollars for coffee, a dollar per drink at bars. Tax is added at checkout (roughly 8.5%). St. Louis is cheaper than major East Coast cities. A good meal is possible for USD 25–40, excellent meals for USD 50–80. Museums are mostly free, which changes the math significantly.
Planning your St. Louis trip
Best time to visit
Spring (March–May) — The botanical garden is in bloom, temperatures are 15–22°C (60–70°F), everything is waking up. Forest Park is crowded but manageable. This is St. Louis at its most photogenic. Spring is the most predictable.
Summer (June–August) — Hot and humid (24–30°C / 75–85°F), but the city slows down in a way that rewards staying in museums or under trees. Fewer tourists than spring. The riverfront and parks are full of locals. Evening is when things happen.
Autumn (September–November) — Colours are excellent, temperatures are 15–22°C (60–70°F), everything feels golden. Fewer tourists than spring, better weather than summer. Food seasons shift and menus improve. This is genuinely the best time.
Winter (December–February) — Cold (0–10°C / 30–50°F), sometimes snow, but the city is genuinely quiet. Museums are empty, restaurants are easy to book, you can move through the city without fighting crowds. It's less photogenic but genuinely peaceful.
Getting around
Rent a car if you're staying more than one day and moving between neighbourhoods — St. Louis is too spread out for walking alone. Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) is available and relatively cheap. Public transit exists (MetroLink light rail and buses) but isn't comprehensive — it works for getting to Forest Park and downtown, less so for neighbourhoods. Parking is easy in most areas. Walking is excellent within neighbourhoods (Soulard, The Hill, Cherokee Street, Central West End) but not between them.
Where to stay
Downtown/Gateway Arch area — Touristy but central. Good for first-timers or people who want convenience. Less character.
Lafayette Square — Historic, gentrifying, quiet. Good for people interested in architecture. Good restaurants are beginning to appear nearby.
Soulard — Historic, alive, close to downtown. Good for people who want neighbourhood character and evening activity.
Central West End — Contemporary, walkable, good restaurants, more expensive. Good for people who want modern comfort and creative energy.
The Hill or around Forest Park — More residential, less touristy. The Hill is for eating, not sleeping. Around Forest Park is for families or people who want museums as their focus.
Frequently asked questions about St. Louis
Is one day in St. Louis enough? One day works if you're efficient — Arch, downtown, one neighbourhood, and food. It's not ideal (you'll feel rushed), but it covers the basics. Two days is genuinely the minimum for any sense of pace.
What's the best time to visit? Autumn (September–November) and spring (March–May) are both excellent. Autumn has fewer tourists and better weather. Winter is peaceful but cold. Summer is hot but fewer crowds than spring.
Is St. Louis safe for solo travellers? Yes, in the neighbourhoods worth visiting (downtown, Soulard, The Hill, Central West End, Cherokee Street, Forest Park, Lafayette Square). The same city awareness you'd use anywhere applies. The city is friendly and generally welcoming to solo travellers.
Is St. Louis walkable? Within neighbourhoods, absolutely. Between neighbourhoods, not really — St. Louis is spread out and built on hills. Plan transport between areas.
What should I avoid? Random residential blocks far from the areas mentioned above, especially alone at night. Parts of north St. Louis aren't worth visiting. The downtown core can feel empty in certain sections depending on time of day — stick to the riverfront and historic core. As with any city, trust your instincts about where feels right.
Where should I eat? The Hill for Italian (traditional, slow, essential). Soulard for neighbourhood character and variety. Central West End for contemporary food. Cherokee Street for something unexpected and cheap. Pappy's Smokehouse or another pitmaster for BBQ. The farmers market in Soulard (Saturday mornings) for local food and atmosphere.
Are the itineraries on TheNextGuide free? Yes. Every St. Louis itinerary is free to browse, from the Forest Park family day to the BBQ and breweries crawl. You can read the entire day-by-day plan without signing up, paying, or hitting a paywall. If there's a bookable experience on the itinerary — a private BBQ tour, a brewery experience, Arch tram tickets — you'll see a Bokun widget on the page that connects you directly to the local operator. That's where pricing appears. For everything else in St. Louis (the museums, Forest Park, most neighbourhoods), the real cost is just lunch.
Do I need a car? For a day or two focused on specific neighbourhoods, you might not. For moving between neighbourhoods easily, a car makes sense. Rideshare works but adds up cost-wise. Public transit is partial. Most visitors rent cars or use rideshare.
How long does it take to see everything? St. Louis can't be "done" in a meaningful way. Four days lets you slow down, revisit neighbourhoods, take a day trip. Two days covers the essentials. Three days is the most common and works well.
Should I book experiences in advance? For the Arch, breweries, and any guided experiences, yes. For restaurants, only the fanciest ones require advance booking. Most pitmasters operate on a first-come basis.
*Last updated: April 18, 2026*