Three days in Reno
Long enough to do the city properly and both of the excursions that make it worth a trip — the lake and the Comstock — without spending the whole time in a car.
Who this suits
- First-time visitors who want to understand the region, not just the city
- Anyone using Reno as a basecamp rather than a destination
- Travellers who would rather do two day trips well than four badly
Who it does not
- A short business trip with one free evening — the one-day plan is the better fit
- Anyone committed to South Lake Tahoe, which is far enough from Reno to be an overnight rather than a day
Day one
Downtown, the Arch and the river
Get your bearings first. The core is compact, the river runs through the middle of it, and Reno makes a lot more sense once you have walked from the Arch to Wingfield Park and seen how quickly the city ends.
The river, properly
The whitewater park at Wingfield Park is free, open to anyone, and the best no-cost afternoon in the city. The Truckee is snowmelt and genuinely cold even in July — that is worth knowing before you get in rather than after.
Entirely walkable from downtown.
Midtown for dinner
Where the independent kitchens are. It comes alive from about 5pm and is at its best Thursday to Saturday.
A 25-minute walk or a short rideshare from downtown.
Day two
Up the Mount Rose Highway
The nearest shore is under an hour from downtown. Mornings are the better half of the day at the lake: the Washoe Zephyr picks up most afternoons, so the water is calmer and clearer early, and you are far more likely to find parking at the popular shore access points.
Book thisLake Tahoe Half-Day Morning Guided Tour from Reno | Small GroupThis trip collects you in Reno. Most Tahoe experiences do not.
Back with the evening intact
A half-day at the lake leaves you the evening in the city — which is the argument for basing yourself in Reno rather than at the lake. Rooms here are frequently a fraction of the lakeside rate for the same weekend.
A casino floor, or a small room
If you are going to see a casino, see a good one. The best rooms in the city are not downtown — the Peppermill is on South Virginia and is a genuinely high-end hotel, family-owned, with the spa everything else is measured against.
Ten to fifteen minutes by rideshare from downtown, each way.
Day three
Virginia City
Half an hour up Geiger Grade and about 2,000 feet higher than Reno. The Comstock Lode came out of the ground here in the 1860s, and the town is preserved rather than reconstructed. It is the single best half-day trip from Reno for anyone who likes history.
Book thisVirginia City Wild West Half-Day Tour From Reno | Small GroupCollects in Reno. Take a layer — it is colder and windier up there.
Or do both in one guided day
If you would rather combine the lake and the Comstock into a single day and free the third one up entirely, one full-day trip does exactly that — and it is the same operator, departing from Reno.
Book thisVirginia City and Lake Tahoe Full Day Small Group Tour from RenoWhatever is on
Three days is long enough that something in the city's calendar will land inside your trip — a festival week, a ballgame, a show. Check what is on for your dates rather than planning the last evening blind.
On in Reno over the next 4 days
Pulled from the calendar as you read this. If your dates are different, browse the full calendar.
Laugh Factory
Friday, August 21 · Reno
A Few of Our Favorite Things: 65 Years of Special Collections and University Archives
August 21–25 · Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
Everyday SEL and YOU
Sierra View Library
Cosmic Baseball: Greater Nevada Field
Greater Nevada Field
Alex Ramon "Magic"
Lake Tahoe
LIL KAYLA LIVE IN RENO
Reno