Columbus in 3 days

Ohio's capital: a young, food-obsessed college city with walkable brick neighbourhoods. Best time to visit: April-June, September-October. Average daily budget: $110 to $210 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Short North, The arts district: galleries, murals, lit arches, cocktail bars and the monthly Gallery Hop.

Morning: Graze the North Market. A 150-year-old public market with three dozen independent vendors, from Vietnamese to Jeni's ice cream.

Afternoon: Explore Short North, The arts district: galleries, murals, lit arches, cocktail bars and the monthly Gallery Hop.

Evening: Wander German Village. Brick lanes, Schiller Park and the 32-room Book Loft, one of America's great bookstores.

Eat: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, born here

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: German Village, Restored 19th-century brick cottages, cobbled streets and the labyrinthine Book Loft.

Morning: Do the Short North Gallery Hop. First Saturdays bring open galleries, street performers and packed patios.

Afternoon: Explore German Village, Restored 19th-century brick cottages, cobbled streets and the labyrinthine Book Loft.

Evening: Visit the Franklin Park Conservatory. Victorian glasshouse with permanent Chihuly glass installations and botanical biomes.

Eat: Columbus-style pizza: thin crust, edge-to-edge pepperoni, square cut

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Franklinton, Former industrial west side turned artist studios, breweries and street art.

Morning: Walk the Scioto Mile. Riverfront promenade and fountain with the best skyline views in the city.

Afternoon: Explore Franklinton, Former industrial west side turned artist studios, breweries and street art.

Evening: Topiary Park, a hedge recreation of Seurat's 'A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte'.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Cream puffs and schnitzel in German Village

Hidden gems

Topiary Park, a hedge recreation of Seurat's 'A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte'.
The Book Loft's 32 rooms, each with its own soundtrack.
Wagner-Hagans Auto Museum and the tiny galleries tucked along High Street.
Olentangy Trail, a paved greenway running north from downtown past Ohio State.

Getting around

Downtown, the Short North and German Village link up on foot along High Street, roughly a 30-minute walk end to end. CBUS-style circulators and COTA buses cover the corridor cheaply, and rideshares between districts run $8 to $15. John Glenn Columbus International Airport is 15 minutes east, about $25 to $35 by rideshare. A car helps for the conservatory and zoo but is not needed downtown.

Safety

The Short North, German Village, Clintonville and downtown are comfortable day and night, with normal city awareness after bar close along High Street. Some blocks in Franklinton and the near east side are best driven rather than walked at night. Car break-ins happen in unattended lots, so leave nothing visible.

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