How to Spend a Long Weekend in Boise: 3 to 4 Day Summer Itinerary
Y’all know how much I love my hometown of Boise, Idaho, even in the heat of summer! Because there are so many fun things to do in Boise in all seasons, it’s become a popular weekend getaway destination. Boise is the perfect place to spend a long weekend! Whether you prefer city life or would rather enjoy the wilderness adjacent to Boise (or maybe a bit of both?), there really is something for everyone no matter your interests. Boise boasts multiple outdoor city markets, a vibrant dining scene, beautiful hiking trails, and more!
If you’re headed to the City of Trees in the summer, this post will help you make the most out of your long weekend in Boise! Below, I shared my suggested itinerary for three or four days in Boise, places to stay, and summer weather you can expect.
READ NEXT: How to Spend a Long Weekend in Boise: 3 to 4 Day Spring Itinerary
How to Spend A Long Weekend in Boise in Summer
-Day 1-
Eat brunch on a patio downtown
During summers in Boise, it becomes nearly unbearable to eat outside after noon and before 7pm. Brunch is the perfect time of day to take advantage of the outdoors! Some of the yummiest downtown restaurants that offer breakfast/brunch and a patio include Bacon (get the bacon flight!), Western Proper, and Bardenay. You also can’t go wrong with any restaurant on 8th Street!
Wander Freak Alley Gallery + shop local
After filling up on brunch, wander around downtown to explore the public art at the Freak Alley Gallery! This is a popular place for high schoolers to take their senior photos (and for people like me to take outfit photos, haha). There’s always new sections of art to be found! Walk to Bannock Street to shop The Chocolate Bar and City Peanut. You’re also close to Mixed Greens and Re-POP Gifts.
Explore the Basque Block
Did you know Boise is home to the second largest population of Basque people outside Basque Country in Spain? If you have time, it’s worth checking out the Basque Block downtown. Visit the Basque Museum and Cultural Center and enjoy a Basque meal at Bar Gernika.
Cool down with ice cream or shaved ice
You MUST get an Idaho Ice Cream Potato at Westside Drive In (two locations, including one near downtown). It’s ice cream in the shape of a potato! Trust me, it’s delicious. Two of my other favorite places to pick up ice cream are The STIL (three locations, including one downtown) and Goody’s (north end). The STIL offers ice cream and wine flights, ice cream and beer flights, and full ice cream flights! Read all about The STIL and find a list of other places to pick up ice cream around town. My brother is a big fan of Stella’s Ice Cream (multiple locations, including one downtown). Another summer staple is shaved ice. You’ll find popup stands all over town, including in Hyde Park (north end).
-Day 2-
Hike Table Rock
You can’t come to Boise and not hike to the top of Table Rock (it’s the hill with the cross on the top of it to the east of downtown)! It’s the most popular hike to do in Boise and one I always recommend to people visiting for the first time. The most direct route starts near the Old Idaho Penitentiary in east Boise and takes about 45 minutes. The trail has a bit of a grade at times so I would consider it easy-moderate. Do this first thing in the morning to avoid the heat!
Browse a farmers market
After hiking, head downtown to grab a quick breakfast and browse a Saturday farmers market! The Capital City Public Market is located on the Grove Plaza and features mostly local products and not as much fresh produce. You’ll find the bulk of the fresh produce, meats, etc. at the Boise Farmers Market off of Americana (a long walk/short drive away). I highly recommend eating at either the donut truck or Just Bee Açaí (açaí bowls and avocado toasts) if you can find them.
Float the Boise River (* Season start date varies, usually early July)
Floating the Boise River is a must-do in Boise in the summer. Rent tubes or inflatable rafts at Barber Park (or bring your own, but it must already be filled with air since there is no air available at the park anymore) and float/raft down the river until you get to Ann Morrison Park! You'll pass over two relatively small drops/rapids, and in a couple of places, you’ll need to paddle to stay with the current (and avoid the bushes). A shuttle will bring you back to Barber Park (or you can park at Ann Morrison and ride the shuttle back to Barber Park if you plan to rent rafts). Or, stay in the area and walk to a nearby brewery!
Visit a local brewery (or two)
After floating the river, walk over to Payette Brewing (on the other side of the river near the pullout point). Boise has a plethora of local breweries all over the city. You can’t come and not visit one! I’m not a big drinker (especially beer), and I still find it fun to hang out, grab food from a food truck, and enjoy the company of others. (If I do get a drink, I go for the ciders!) A few of my other favorites include Western Collective (technically located in Garden City adjacent to Boise; try their wine slushies!), 10 Barrel Brewing, and Mother Earth Brew Co.
-Day 3-
Grab a bite at a food truck park
Boise is home to two outdoor food truck parks that kick off their seasons in the spring and run through summer! The Green Acres Food Truck Park is located downtown along the river, and Switchback is located in Harris Ranch in southeast Boise. Both feature a variety of different food trucks every evening (with some even stopping by for breakfast or lunch), live music, and tons of fun! There is also a food hall (Warehouse Food Hall) located in BoDo.
Walk or ride on the Boise River Greenbelt
Walk or bike on the Boise River Greenbelt, a paved path that runs along the Boise River from southeast Boise all the way to Eagle. It’s especially nice to walk or bike along it downtown between the big parks (Julia Davis, Ann Morrison, and Kathryn Albertson), and the greenbelt can also take you to Boise State University! If you have time, I recommend riding from downtown to Lucky Peak and back. Or, head to Esther Simplot Park and Quinn’s Pond!
Visit Esther Simplot Park/Quinn’s Pond
Since you’ll already be on the Greenbelt, now’s the perfect time to head to Esther Simplot Park just west of downtown! There, you can rent paddle boards and other water equipment to play on Quinn’s Pond. If you don’t want to get in the water, hang out by the Whitewater Park and watch locals practice their surfing in the river. There are a few local restaurants, wine tasting rooms, and coffee shops in the area too.
Enjoy dinner and drinks on 8th Street
Head back to 8th Street in downtown Boise for dinner and drinks! You can bar hop along that street (and on adjacent streets) and find lots of places to eat. You really can’t go wrong with any restaurant on 8th Street, but some of my favorites include Fork, Bittercreek Alehouse, Diablo and Sons, Eureka, and The Funky Taco.
-Day 4-
Have an extra day to explore Boise? Here are some bonus activities to consider!
Summer activities at Bogus Basin (* Opening date usually mid to late June)
Bogus Basin may be known for their winter activities, but there are also tons of things to do when they open summer operations! It’s about a 40 minute drive north of Boise along the winding Bogus Basin Road. They offer a mountain coaster; rock climbing; panning for gold; a scenic chair lift; bungee trampoline; and trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. It’s the perfect place to escape to when it’s hot in the valley because it’s usually around 10 degrees cooler. There are lots of places to sit and relax (bring a blanket and/or chairs for the grass) and food is available, too.
Explore the historic north end
Wander around the cute mini downtown of 13th Street called Hyde Park! Explore the local shops, and if you’re hungry, you must get the breakfast sandwich (made on fresh homemade sourdough) at Certified Kitchen and Bakery. Camel’s Back Park is within walking distance of Hyde Park and is a popular hangout spot for locals. The hill makes for a fun (and challenging) hike with a beautiful view of the city at the top. There are trails to the side and behind the hill for hikers and mountain bikers.
Visit downtown museums / Zoo Boise
Summer is the perfect time to visit some of the museums Boise has to offer! The Idaho State Museum, Idaho Black History Museum, and Boise Art Museum are located next to each other in downtown Boise. Head across Capitol Boulevard (or under the bridge) to visit the Anne Frank Memorial and/or walk the other direction to find Zoo Boise and the Discovery Center (located on Myrtle; this is a GREAT spot for kiddos). You can also rent paddle boats!
Enjoy a summer event
There are so many events and things to partake in during summers in Boise! Head to a Boise Hawks baseball game, a concert at Outlaw Field at the Idaho Botanical Garden, and/or a play performed by the Idaho Shakespeare Festival. In June, we have the Boise Music Festival. In July, there’s the Twilight Criterium and Basque Festival. In August, the Western Idaho Fair comes to town. And during the first weekend of September (Labor Day weekend), the magical hot air balloons visit Boise during the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic!
READ NEXT: 26 Things to Do in Boise in the Summer
Best Places To Eat In Boise
Besides the places I highlighted in my suggested itinerary, there are SO many other great places to eat in Boise! Check out these blog posts to find a full selection of places to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Best Places to Stay in Boise, Idaho
If you’re planning a long weekend to Boise, you might also be wondering about the best places to stay. Personally, I’m big a fan of hotels when I travel, and there are a plethora of hotels in Boise to choose from. If you prefer staying in fun boutique hotels, these options in and around downtown are worth checking to see if they have availability during your trip:
There are also a variety of chain hotel options to choose from in downtown Boise:
Summer Weather in Boise, Idaho
Boise is fortunate to get all four seasons, but summer is by far one of the longest seasons! They are known for being hot and dry. Summers can start a variety of different ways (some Junes are hot, while others are rainy and cool) but all end with a fury. They’re defined by the persistent high pressure ridges that tend to dominate the west coast. Thunderstorms happen most frequently in the late spring/early summer but we can also get them on other random summer days, and we’ve even gotten monsoonal moisture at times. Wind is a common occurrence with approaching “cold” fronts. Wildfire smoke also impacts Boise frequently in the late summer.
Most of the time, expect summer max temperatures in Boise to be hot (generally around 90-100°F) and dry. 80-degree days in the summer are perfect but few and far between, especially in July and August. If you prefer to spend your time in or around water, you’ll love it here in July and August. If you’d rather spend your time enjoying other aspects of the outdoors, you may want to shoot for June or maybe even the tail end of summer (which can stretch into early September). Be sure to check the local NWS weather forecast before your trip, and don’t hike or mountain bike if the trails are muddy!