How To Take The Ultimate Vacation In Detroit

Take a Break is your ultimate guide to the perfect trips to recharge, rediscover yourself and your relationships, and reengage with the world. We’ll cover shopping stops, great bars, restaurants worth your money, photo opportunities, memorable experiences and other important details you need before you book.

Thousands of football fans and sports professionals descended on downtown Detroit over the weekend as the city hosted the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s a fitting location: the home of iconic sports franchises, including the Lions, Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings. But Detroit has so much more to offer beyond the world of sports.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the Motor City with some friends and was impressed by the diverse cuisine, cool shops and welcoming locals. Although the airport services more than 125 destinations (including 30 international), I’ve found that Detroit is not particularly high on travelers’ lists of American cities to visit.

I personally think that should change, and I had the chance to talk to many locals who agree. If you need more convincing, I put together some favorite sites, bites and more.

I stayed at The Siren Hotel in downtown Detroit and loved the vintage decor and buzzy atmosphere.

It’s a boutique hotel with about 100 rooms and two great bars — including one where you can watch the Detroit People Mover go by as you enjoy a nice cocktail. The other is a pink oasis off the lobby, complete with plush velvet seating and a stunning chandelier.

Another popular boutique offering is the Shinola Hotel, which is affiliated with the Detroit-based lifestyle brand of the same name. Naturally, the lobby spaces and rooms are outfitted with Shinola products, from clocks and record players to blankets and candles.

Practically everything I ate in Detroit was fantastic, but my favorite meal was at Baobab Fare, a colorful East African restaurant opened by Burundian refugees. Baobab Fare, a 2024 James Beard Award finalist, serves up delicious beef stew, fried fish, slow-roasted goat shank and more.

I also had a wonderful meal at a Lebanese spot called Leila and a top-notch sandwich and latte at the multipurpose cafe Trinosophes. I’ve heard great things about Yemen Cafe, Yumvillage and SavannahBlue as well.

Sampling some Detroit-style pizza was a must, and my travel companions and I got our fix at Como’s in Ferndale. We also picked up some incredible hummus and other dips from AlTayeb in Dearborn.

On the sweet side, I was a big fan of the pastries at Warda Pâtisserie and bite-sized chocolate treats at BonBonBon (shoutout to the local “Bumpy Cake” flavor).

Detroit is also known for its “Coney dogs,” served at eateries known as Coney Islands. And although locals told me it’s a tourist trap, I’m still curious to check out Eminem’s restaurant, Mom’s Spaghetti, on a future visit.

In addition to enjoying cocktails at The Siren, my group had some excellent rooftop drinks at The Monarch Club at the top of the historic Metropolitan Building.

We also visited Ghost Bar, in the historic mansion-turned-restaurant The Whitney (named for its former resident, lumber baron David Whitney). According to lore, the building is one of the most haunted spots in Detroit and offers guided tours.

Other bars we enjoyed were Cafe Sous Terre (which is a coffee shop during the day), Bumbo’s and Temple Bar. We had a wonderful time dancing at Spot Lite. A friend also recommended the perfume-themed cocktails at Castalia at Sfumato and Salty Dog, a quirky dive bar shaped like a boat.

As for non-alcoholic drinks, we had some great coffee at The Red Hook and Madcap Coffee.

There are plenty of activities and experiences to fill a Detroit weekend itinerary. My friends and I spent time strolling the Riverwalk and exploring Belle Isle, which has lovely natural vistas and a small free aquarium that dates back to 1904 and is covered in stunning green tile. Later, we visited the historic Fisher Building and admired the impressive mosaic interiors.

I carved out a little solo time to check out the Motown Museum, located in the original “Hitsville U.S.A.” headquarters and recording studio. The guided tour was a special experience in no small part due to my fellow tour-goers, who enthusiastically took in every detail and sang along to the Motown hits that played along the way. A couple of music-lovers even started to tear up at points because they felt so overwhelmed with emotion to be in the place where such important artists recorded iconic songs that endure to this day.

When I met back with my group, we shopped around Eastern Market and saw some of the murals in the area. We also went over to Cass Corridor and hit Third Man Records, Shinola and City Bird. As Carhartt is headquartered in the Detroit area, we made sure to pop in at one of the brand stores as well.

Being in the Motor City, I felt compelled to visit the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation. It’s an impressive complex with endless artifacts and information about the history of transportation in the U.S., and it includes Greenfield Village, an outdoor living history museum where visitors can ride around in authentic Model Ts, old steam trains and horse-drawn carriages.

I can see why the museum is a popular stop for tourists, especially families traveling with children, but I was curious to see how the museum grapples with its namesake’s antisemitic history. Unfortunately, I did not see any acknowledgment at the museum of this dark reality, though I later found a section on its website (and perhaps I simply did not come across a similar exhibit on the property).

Although I wasn’t able to explore The Detroit Institute of Arts, I’ve heard great things about its collection, and on a future visit, I’d be interested to check out The Heidelberg Project as well.