The Perfect 3 Day Itinerary in Traverse City (for wine lovers!)

Michigan is a gorgeous state in the midwest region of the United States that has enormous lakes, beautiful hikes and (my favorite personal highlight) wineries! With its central location, it is easy to have a beautiful and relaxing long weekend in Traverse City, Michigan.

As a wine fanatic, I love visiting various underrated wine regions across the United States to explore lesser known regions that may have unique wine varietals. I was overwhelmingly VERY impressed with the wine in the Old Mission Peninsula AVA and Leelanau Peninsula AVA on my recent trip to this region.

For wine lovers and travelers alike, this area has an abundance of things to do while in Traverse City. This 3 days in Traverse City itinerary is perfect for anyone (especially a wine lover) visiting Traverse City for a long weekend.

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3 Days in Traverse City

From sunset sails to strolling through a beautiful vineyard, this 3-day Traverse city itinerary has something for everyone! I made sure to include plenty of insider tips to help you when planning your own trip to Traverse City!

Day 1: Explore Old Mission Peninsula

Old Mission Peninsula is a breathtaking peninsula in Traverse City. It has a width of only 3 miles by 19 miles long, it is easy to explore much of the peninsula in a single day.

The area features a lighthouse at the top of the peninsula, along with hikes, beaches, and ample wineries. In fact, Old Mission Peninsula is one of the 5 AVAs in Michigan, with 10 wineries each featuring unique wine and beautiful views.

Mission Point Lighthouse

Start your morning by driving all the way to the top of the peninsula to Mission Point Lighthouse. There you will find a historic lighthouse that you can explore, along with hiking trails and a calm shore to walk along or take a soak in.

The grounds are beautiful to walk around, and you can even go to the top of the lighthouse to look out onto the lake (for a fee though).

Especially in the morning, the lake shore is incredibly calm and is very relaxing to walk along. Dogs are allowed on the shore as long as they are leashed!

Wine Tasting

With 10 stunning wineries to choose from, you really cannot go wrong, and can choose wineries based on your taste preference and winery vibe.

My personal favorite winery was Chateau Grand Traverse that I highly recommend visiting. The grounds are stunning, surrounded by vineyards with a view of the lake when at a high point.

The tasting fee is only $10, which is extremely reasonable especially for the quality of the wine. The tasting experience is also phenomenal, as the staff are very knowledgeable about the wine and fun to talk to!

For red wine lovers, you will be blown away by the tasting options and have the chance to try old-world varietals made extremely well. There also were library wines available for tasting, which is a unique opportunity to taste 10-20 year old wine which can often be rare to come by (we tasted a wine from 1999!)

Other wineries to visit include Bonobo Winery, Tabone Vineyards, and Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery.

Bonobo Winery is right next to Chateau Grand Traverse, and offers wine by the glass to enjoy on the patio. The grounds have a lot of space to sit out, which is often needed with how busy it can get!

Tabone Vineyards is one of the newest wineries in the AVA, and has a peaceful patio to enjoy a glass of wine.

Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery’s setting was its highlight, with a patio raised above a sea of vineyards. The white wine and wine slushies at this winery are recommended to try.

Tip! Here’s a complete guide to all of the Wine Regions in Michigan!

Lunch at Bad Dog Deli

Bad Dog Deli is a perfect lunch stop during your day trip through Old Mission Peninsula. With both panini-style sandwiches and classic deli sandwiches, there will be something for everyone at this sandwich deli. The peninsula does not have many restaurants on it, but this deli will certainly hit the spot on your day out.

Sunset from Mari Vineyards

Round off your wine tasting day with a final stop at Mari Vineyards. The castle is made from limestone and is a stunning estate to tour. With the grounds being at a high-point of the peninsula, it is the perfect spot to watch sunset and enjoy the gorgeous views of the lake.

The wine is also delicious! Red wine lovers will be happy with the three dry reds on the menu, as well as the ample options for white wine. There are light snacks such as a pretzel board for anyone needing an evening snack.

Dinner

For dinner, I recommend visiting Trattoria Stella for phenomenal Italian cuisine. Trattoria Stella is located in Traverse City outside of the peninsula, but is a quick drive to get to from the peninsula.

The ambiance is unbeatable for a romantic dinner. With homemade pasta, unique appetizers and starters and delicious seafood, this restaurant is a must-visit restaurant while visiting Traverse City.

Late Night Drinks

After dinner, why not visit a speakeasy for a cocktail to round out the perfect day? low bar is one of the best cocktail bars I have ever been to and I highly recommend visiting it during your 3 days in Traverse City at some point.

For someone that usually does not have the taste for an old fashioned, they had the absolute best version of an old fashioned that I could truly drink all night.

The bartenders also were extremely great at making cocktails, and made an off menu New York Sour that was truly exceptional.

Day 2: Downtown Traverse City

Farmer’s Market

Traverse City’s farmers market is on Saturday’s from 7:30 AM to noon! This farmer’s market is like many that I have been to, with fresh produce, cheese, bread, and much much more! The farmer’s market is a great opportunity to shop locally while trying samples before purchasing.

Why not shop for a snack such as cheese and bread, or shop for fresh produce to make sandwiches or an evening meal (if your accommodations has a kitchen!) I had some of the best fontina cheese and gouda cheese while visiting this farmer’s market!

Visit the Lakefront

An essential aspect to any trip to Traverse City includes visiting one of the many lakefront beaches of Lake Michigan. This guide shows where the best beaches are in Traverse City.

When I visited Michigan, I didn’t look for any specific beach to visit, but just stopped along the water depending on if it looked busy and how the beach looked! This allowed for more flexibility, but if you are more of a planner you will have no trouble looking up beaches to visit in advance!

Explore Downtown

Downtown Traverse City is very cute, and makes for a perfect stop in the afternoon to window shop, walk around, or buy something memorable! I loved walking around the town and looking at all of the stores with fashionable clothing!

Sunset Sailing on Lake Michigan

End your perfect day in Traverse City by taking a sunset sail on Lake Michigan. There are several ways to book a sailing experience on Lake Michigan depending on your budget.

For a more affordable experience, I recommend booking Discovery Cruises for a fantastic experience on the water in a ferry. This was the cheapest option for a sunset sail when accounting for two people and it was well worth the money! If traveling with a larger group, you could likely book a private sailboat that could give a unique experience for an affordable price.

It’s a must when planning a trip to Traverse City!

Day 3: Explore Leelanau

The Leelanau Peninsula is another peninsula of Traverse City that is much larger than Old Mission Peninsula! Due to its size, there are many more small lakes to visit on the peninsula, as well as more food options and more wineries.

Fishtown

Start your final morning of your weekend in Traverse City with a beautiful stroll around the quaint little town of Fishtown! The town is located in Leland on the west side of the Leelanau peninsula, and is home to coffee shops, art stores, restaurants and more!

Whether you want to grab a bite to eat or gaze upon the lake, Fishtown is a perfect stop on your Leelanau peninsula adventure.

Wine Tasting

Next up, why not check out some of the many wineries along the peninsula. My personal favorite of the wineries on this peninsula (if not, one of my favorites of all time!) is Aurora Cellars.

Aurora Cellars is a 10/10 when it comes to hospitality, wine, and scenery. To make it even more special, you can enjoy a self-guided tour through the vineyards to learn more about the unique varietals grown on the estate. Our personal favorite was the Cabernet Franc and the Lemberger, but everything we tried was excellent.

Other recommended wineries to check out include Black Star Farms, as they have a massive estate and grounds with a farm, and Good Harbor Winery.

3 Days in Traverse City

Traverse City, Michigan makes for a memorable weekend trip for wine lovers, explorers, beach-goers and foodies! While this itinerary is crafted especially if you are looking to plan a weekend of wine tasting, there are tons of other things to do in Traverse City for those who are not planning to visit wineries!

What else would you add to this Traverse City weekend itinerary?!