Tour Rochester
Why spend thousands on foreign tours when you can spend a day or more touring your own region?
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The Rochester region offers numerous options for guided tours that engage, entertain and enlighten. However you want to explore the area — land or water — region tour leaders have an option for you.
Rochester Pedal Tours requires up to 15 passengers and a sense of adventure to power a bike around the city. Book it for a pub crawl, architecture tour, progressive dinner or dream up your own itinerary of what you want to see and do in Rochester. The pedal-powered vehicle includes a bench for resting or for a member of the party who can’t pedal.
https://rochesterpedaltours.com
Costa Flying Service in Painted Post, a village in Steuben County, provides bird’s-eye views ranging from a short flight over Painted Post and Corning Glass Works to a tour that covers the entire Finger Lakes region.
www.costaairservice.com/our-services/tours
Sip Back & Relax Tours LLC in Rochester plans tours of the area’s wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries and offers custom tour options. Tour plans include tasting appointments, itineraries, transportation and lodging.
Crush Beer and Wine Tours in Victor guides public and private tours in Rochester and the Finger Lakes. Sip, sample and savor the region’s vino and brews while learning about how they’re made. Crush offers three- to four-stop tours and options with lunch.
https://crushbeerwinetours.com
The Colonial Belle in Fairport also tours the Erie Canal with themed tours and dinner tours. Whether you choose Corn Hill’s vessels or Colonial Belle, book tours in advance to ensure a spot. These tours are very popular.
lower City Food Tours in Rochester, Fairport, Pittsford, nosh their way through the city’s top restaurants with scenic walks between each stop. Enjoy food tastings and points of interest on each tour. It’s a great way to rediscover the city or introduce it to your out-of-town guests.
RocTours provides door-to-door transportation and a host around town to view the sites, cruise the hotspots for beer and wine, and stop at the little gems that make Rochester special. If you like to let others do the driving so you can imbibe and relax, this is the tour for you.
InnoQuests (Rochester) offers an app-based game with real-life clues throughout the city. Feel like a detective as you explore with your family or guests, solving the mystery as you learn about Rochester’s points of interest. Even if you’ve lived in Rochester all your life, you’ll probably learn something new.
Corn Hill Navigation in Pittsford and Rochester operates Sam Patch and Riverie tour boats for public cruises and chartered events on the Erie Canal and Genesee River. Enjoy refreshments on board as you see the canal from a whole new viewpoint.Check the website for special events and themed cruises.
Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks leads tours all summer on select evenings — not just during spooky season. If you can’t wait for Halloween or feel curious about the supernatural, book a haunted bus tour, haunted pub crawl, ghost walk or ghost dinner.
Erie Canal Bike Tours books national bike tours, but also local trips. Cyclists can select from the Full Erie cycling the entire 363 miles from Buffalo to Albany in 12 days or the half-tour of either Buffalo to Syracuse or Syracuse to Albany, all while supported by a tour guide and crew.
www.cycletheusa.com/post/the-incredible-erie-canal
Lazy Acre Alpacas in Bloomfield welcomes visitors for private, public, youth and corporate tours. Learn about the docile camelids and how the farm cares for them, how they’re sheared and how artisans process and use the fleece fiber. The farm also offers self-guided tours, alpaca yoga and classes.