Whether you’re looking for a calm and relaxing time with your friends and family or you’re just looking to witness natural beauty and country life with amazing produce and great state cuisine, Vermont is the place to be. You might be wondering, what makes Vermont such a great place to visit? Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to tell you on this Vermont travel guide.
In this article, we’re going to talk about some of the reasons Vermont is such a great travel destination as well as the best time to visit Vermont. We’re also going to tell you some of the places to visit and things to try if you’re vacationing in Vermont. So sit back, relax, and read this article till the end.
Enjoy this Vermont travel guide for this year 2022, which we hope, continue to grow and improve with the years as wine!
DISCLAIMER: This article is in a constant update, we are trying to make the best to represent Vermont on the best way possible and do not forget the most significant places.
Article's table of contents
What is Vermont Known For?
Vermont is a state of the United States of America in the northeastern part of the New England region. It is the second-least populated U.S state with a population of around 623,000 people. The reason for the immense popularity of Vermont among not only national U.S citizens but also tourists from other countries is the beautiful natural landscapes, fresh produce, and amazing cuisine that you’re going to find in Vermont.
About each year over 13 million tourists come to visit Vermont to enjoy the simplicity and wholesomeness of the region. We want you to be one of these tourists for your next vacation so you can also life live to the fullest.
Best Time to Visit Vermont
You can visit Vermont and expect an amazing vacation throughout the year but if you’re one of those tourists who want the best experience and at the same time want to spend as little as they could, you’re going to have to go to Vermont at the best time.
In our opinion, the best time to visit Vermont is from November to April. Depending upon the tourism prices as well as the number of tourists, tourism in Vermont is different throughout the year. Let’s take a look at tourism in Vermont in different periods of time throughout the year.
May to September
From May to September, peak tourism season ensues in Vermont (not peak season if you love Vermont for their ski resorts). The festive schedule in Vermont is in full flow. The weather is amazing for tourism. The fun and excitement of the festive season go into the mid of fall around September even.
If you’re thinking of visiting at this time, you’re going to see a lot of tourists throughout your stay. The price of tourism is going to be high, accommodation will be difficult. Although it is great to visit at this time as well, if you want a calm, relaxing vacation, we’d suggest that you wait for a few months.
May Weather
If we talk about May’s temperatures, we will find a highest weather of 68ºF (or 20ºC) to the lowest or coldest being 45ºF (or 7ºC).
June Weather
On June, the highest weather go to 76ºF (or 25ºC) while the lowest or coldest is 55ºF (or 13ºC).
July Weather
If we talk about July’s temperatures, we will find a highest weather of 81.4ºF (or 27.5ºC) to the lowest or coldest being 60ºF (or 15.5ºC).
August Weather
On August, the highest weather go to 78.4ºF (or 25.7ºC) while the lowest or coldest is 58ºF (or 14.4ºC).
September Weather
The weather in Vermont arond the month of September goes close to 69ºF at day, or 20ºC on celsius, to the coldest 50ºF (10ºC). Get out your winter clothing, because we are getting close to the cold season until March.
November to April
If you’re the kind of tourist who wants to have a calm, relaxing, and easy-going vacation, you’re going to love Vermont from November to April. This season goes from fall to early spring and the weather starts off cold but slowly drifts into the milder temperatures and clearer skies.
This is the best time for you to visit Vermont. You’re going to have a great time taking part in all the activities and the prices are also low. Accommodation will be easy and cheap and there will be fewer tourists. So, we’d recommend you definitely go to Vermont at this time.
November Weather
Cold but not still winter, November’s weather goes from 44ºF (6.5ºC) the highest to 30ºF (4ºC) the coldest.
December Weather
The weather in Vermont arond the month of December goes to 32.3ºF at day, or close to 0ºC on celsius, to the lowest 17ºF (-8ºC).
January Weather
January on Vermont is rough and cold. Tempearature go to the highest weather of 26.7ºF (or -3ºC) to the lowest or coldest being 9ºF (or -12ºC).
February Weather
February is not hot either, on February tempearature go to the highest weather of 29ºF (or -1.5ºC) to the lowest or coldest being 11ºF (or -11ºC).
March Weather
Sun starts to appear, but not a lot, and on March tempearature go to the highest weather of 40ºF (or 4ºC) to the lowest or coldest being 21.8ºF (or -5ºC).
April Weather
On April tempearature go to the highest weather of 53ºF (or 11ºC) to the lowest or coldest being 33.5ºF (close to 0ºC).
Things to Do in Vermont
If you’re in the state of having a good time with your loved ones, there’s a lot of things you can do to make it even better. For reference, we’re going to talk about some of the best things to do in Vermont that will make your trip to Vermont one of the best you’ve ever had.
Ski, a must
If there is something on Vermont is cold and snow. And that’s why going to ski there can be a great if not the greatest activities of all of them. You can enjoy Vermont in another way for sure, but let’s be honest, are you going to lose the opportunity to enjoy the amazing ski stations and resorts around the state?
From Sugarbush Resort, the Killington Ski Area to the Smugglers’ Notch Resort crossing to Stratton Mountain Resort. What’s your choice?
Glancing at the Beauty of Stowe
Stowe is one of the most beautiful forested landscapes in Vermont. It is known for the ski trails and slopes down Mount Mansfield. Even before it snows, the whole vibe of the town just looks beautiful and straight out of a vivid painting of Van Gogh. We’d definitely suggest that you go and glance at the beauty it holds and if it’s a season, ski around as well.
Going to the Church Street Marketplace
Situated in Burlington, the Church Street Market is a farmer’s market as well as a place for restaurants and diners offering delicious state cuisine and promising amazing times. If you want to truly immerse yourself in the incredible vibe of Vermont, you should definitely go to the Church Street Marketplace.
Taking a tour of Ben and Jerry’s
Ben and Jerry’s is perhaps one of the most attractive destination in all of Vermont. In the Waterbury Historic Village District, the original Ben and Jerry’s factory provides tourists a 30-minute tour of the entire process as well as provide you the facility of the Scoop Shop they have. You and your loved ones are going to have a great time on this tour.
Visiting the Bennington Museum
Bennington Museum is a well-designed and historical museum in the town of Bennington where there are collections of art and regional history that date up to 1852.
It is going to be quite an educational visit if you go to the Bennington Museum for learning about the history of the region and the United States.
Trying Vermont’s Amazing Cuisine
From the amazing cheese home to Vermont as well as the Bison burger and other fair foods, there are a lot of incredible comfort foods in Vermont.
If you’re vacationing in Vermont, you’re definitely going to have to try out the state cuisine of Vermont.
Where to go in Vermont
If it is the first time you go to Vermont or if you simple want to discover new sites or remember some places on the magic and cold Vermont, then, you should check out the next list we have made to you and to anyone who want to know what to do or where to go on their next travel or holidays to Vermont.
Church Street Marketplace
The church street marketplace is a shopping and dinning room which is situated on the most populated city of Vermont, Burlington. The marketplace itself has a commission who manage all the stores who are inside this amazing outdoor mall.
The mall is active since 1971 and is the home of a variety of retail placements from clothing to home-wares.
If you want to take a look on the Church Street Marketplace, you will love to hear some curious data about Burlington itself.
Burlington is the city with most population in Vermont like I said before, but surprisingly, is the less populated of the major populated cities in all the states of America (Well, not really at the 100%, because I am avoiding the Virgin Island and the American Samoa).
In other words, while Burlington has approximately 43.000 people, New York has 8.000.000, which is almost 200 times Burlington.
Green Mountain National Forest
So many people when they are thinking on the mountains of Vermont, they tend to focus mainly on the snow travel and the ski season, but to be honest, there are huge natural beauties on Vermont to, who are enjoyable all year along.
On this case, we are talking about the Green Mountain National Forest, which is located in western Vermont.
The park is managed by the public institution United States Forest Service (USFS), an agency inside the Agriculture Department of the United States who mainly covers the 25% of the national park or federal lands of the entire country.
As the main name says, the forest is inside the Green Mountains, one of the main highlands on the state of Vermont, which with 400 Km of area, goes from Massachusetts to the border with Canada.
I don’t want to get to deep into the mountain details, so to get more as a resume, the Green Mountain forest gets divided in 8 areas, being the biggest ones, the Breadloaf Wilderness with almost 25.000 acres and the Glastenbury Wilderness with 22.400 acres.
With such a massive area, you will be able to find from coyotes and black bears to more “inoffensive” creatures as wild turkey.
Jay Peak Resort & More Ski Resorts
If you are a ski and snow lover, then Jay Peak Resort (Jay Peak Website), could be your place far your next holidays. The resort itself located in 4850 VT Rte 242, Jay, 05859-9621, Vermont, United States, offers a lot of activities.
Maybe do you want to try an Olympic activity as Nordic skiing (In case you don’t know what we are talking about, Nordic ski is referred to “the type of skiing in which the foot of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski” as our friend Wikipedia specifies).
But maybe, instead to go for a further outdoor adventure and discover the mountains you want to enjoy some snowboard session.
You don’t know how to proper make snowboard, not a problem, the same Resort offers you teaching lessons to become the next big snowboard think and represent your country on the next Olympics (or maybe I’m too optimistic).
The point, is, as many other Vermont Ski Resorts in the area, any activity you can think of will be able.
This includes an indoor waterpark, so if your kids get tired of snow, they can switch to water while you, as a good parent you have been, enjoys a spa treatment on the facilities.
If you don’t like Jay Peak Resort, I suggest you to check other resorts websites. At the end, the activities are kind of similar to this one, while for information purposes, I used the Jay one as an example.
Other ski Resorts in the area include:
- Killington Resort (Killington Resort Website)
- Stowe Mountain Resort (Stowe Mountain Resort Website)
- Stratton Mountain Resort (Stratton Mountain Resort Website)
- Sugarbush Resort (Sugarbush Resort Website)
- Bolton Valley Resort (Bolton Valley Resort Website)
Waterfront Park
Once again in Burlington we find the Waterfront Park along the Lake Champlain Shoreline, inside a regional park. And yeah, I know what are you thinking right now… who will in her own mind go to a water area in one of the coldest areas of United States.
Listen, on summer the weather is good enough and this area is the main point for some large music and food festivals on the year, which looks interesting enough to take a look on it.
So, what goes fine with cold you will be thinking, and as a russian will tell you, that’s alcohol. Someone on Burlington though the same, and on the Waterfront Park we can enjoy the Vermont Oktoberfest (Official Website).
Cold Hollow Cider Mill
If you are an apple cider or syrup lover, then you need to take a look to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. Located in Waterbury Center a town inside the Washington country, this New England producer of fresh apple cider as the call themselves in their website, this factory as become a tourist attraction
There you can enjoy and see the process of how some products are made, from the legendary Cider Donuts, to other bakery as pumpkin rolls, oatmeals packed, energy cookies, maple nut bars, apple turnovers, homemade fudge, honey bee and the old fashionable apple pie.
You want to enjoy a tour to the mill? Then check out their website: Cold Hollow Cider Mill Tour
Cultural places of Vermont
Wait? You are more as a culture person? Oh, sorry, let me told you about the Bennington Battle Monument, Hildene or the Vermont State House.
Bennington Battle Monument
This monument located in Bennington, commemorates the Battle of Bennington during the American Revolutionary War on 1777.
I’m not a huge American history expert, not going to lie, but getting a little into the Monument and finding some information for this Vermont travel guide, looks like is close to where the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775 occurred.
If you are a history fan, and specially and American Revolutionary War one, you should check out the place.
Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home
With this one the name says almost all for himself. This house is the summer house where Robert Todd Lincoln and his wife Mary Harlan Lincoln spent their vacations.
Just to give a few curiosity of the situation, Robert Todd Lincoln was a lawyer and the only son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln to live adulthood.
On the other hand, Mary Harlan Lincoln was United States Senator James Harlan’s daughter. Robert died on Vermont in 1926, but the history of his own father is still alive enough to make this home a culture checkpoint.
Vermont State House
To end this first culture road, we have the Vermont State House, one of the oldest capitol state house of the United States. Some many people will think that this capitol would be on the largest city of Vermont, Burlington, but it isn’t. This amazing state building is located in Montpelier, the capital of Vermont, a town/city with a 7.000 population which probably people will confuse with a bigger one called Montpellier, in France.
If you are an history lover or an architecture lover, you will find on this building made by Thomas Silloway a must.
Vermont Museums
Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium
Located in St. Johnsbury, shire town of the Caledonia County in Vermont with a population of 7000, the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium offers a mixture of science, history and planetarium.
Founded by Franklin Fairbanks and inside the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), the museum has 4 areas to discover: Nature, History, Ethnology, and Astronomy. You will be able to enjoy astronomy shows and some science lesson inside the Lyman Spitzer Jr. Planetarium or if you are a lover of weather and meteorology, take a look into the Eye on the Sky Weather Station.
Since this is just a Vermont travel guide for the whole area such a outlook, I suggest you to look directly into the museum website to find out your favorite activities to enjoy there.
Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium Website
Bennington Museum
Located in another of the Vermont cities as Bennington this museum offer a huge offer of art and regional history. As their official website told us (Bennington Museum Website), this American museum as a large collection of artists as Anna Mary Robertson Moses (known as Grandma Moses), who began painting at the age of 78 or more contemporary artists as Gayleen Aiken, Duane Michals, Jessica Park, and Jarvis Rockwell.
The Bennington Museum offers activities from Exhibitions to culture events to enjoy with your partner, friends or kids on a cultural experience.
Conclusion
Vermont is a beautiful state. Both in terms of production and visual natural aesthetics. That’s why we rate it so high in the list of great states to travel to with your friends and family on this Vermont travel guide.
We assure you, if you go to Vermont at the right time and follow our advice, you’re definitely going to have one of the most memorable and enjoyable vacations of all time. So, pack your bags and get going for a fun and exciting adventure.