The Hudson Valley is an idyllic escape from New York City, and in my opinion, one of New York state’s best kept secrets. It’s been a popular escape for artists and creatives looking for more space, fresh air and a sense of community for decades. The Hudson Valley has bucolic landscapes, vibrant towns and villages, and abundant farmland, which is especially popular during various pick-your-own seasons throughout the year.

This Hudson Valley travel guide shares my favourite finds across Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, from Hudson Valley towns such as Hudson, Beacon, Cold Spring, Peekskill & Tarrytown.

This guide includes some of the best things to do in the Hudson Valley, like visiting Olana House, Dia: Beacon and Storm King, as well as the best towns to visit, where to stay and the best restaurants, bars & cafes in the region – there are many!

The Hudson Valley is one of my favourite places in the USA, with some of the most charming small towns in the country. When we lived in New York City, we enjoyed several trips to the Hudson Valley, which was always such a breath of fresh air – literally and figuratively. It makes for a perfect day trip or weekend from New York City!

Where is the Hudson Valley?

The Hudson Valley is a region in New York State, which begins just north of New York City and stretches all the way up to Albany, in the Capital District. You can reach parts of the Hudson Valley in 1-2 hours by train, from New York City.

How to get to the Hudson Valley by train

If you have a car you can drive to the Hudson Valley from New York City

If you are car-free, like we were when we lived in New York City, the train is the best way to get to the Hudson Valley from New York City.

You have a few options, depending on where you’re going. You can get the Amtrak Empire Line to Hudson, from Penn Station, which takes 2.5 hours.

If you’re travelling somewhere closer, like Beacon, Cold Spring or Peekskill, you can take the Metro North Railroad from Grand Central Station to these Hudson Valley towns. Depending on where you’re going, the train journey will take around 60-90 minutes.

Where to stay in the Hudson Valley

• Hudson B&B – Conveniently located in the heart of Hudson, Hudson B&B is a gorgeous bed & breakfast, hosted by Carolyn, one of the warmest and most gracious hosts I’ve ever met. We loved our stay here!
• The Hudson Whaler – A stylish, old-world hotel, with family rooms and city views, located on Warren St in Hudson.
• The Roundhouse, Beacon – A luxury country hotel in revitalised historic buildings, with an on-site fine dining restaurant.

Best Towns in the Hudson Valley to Visit

The Hudson Valley is littered with charming regional towns. While I haven’t visited them all, these are my favourites from the ones I have visited so far.

Hudson

Hudson is not the largest town in the Hudson Valley, but it’s one of the most charming, and my personal favourite. Hudson is the perfect weekend getaway from New York City, and has plenty to see, do & eat to keep you occupied for a few days. 

Located in the Upper Hudson Valley in Columbia County, Hudson is a 2-hour train trip from New York City. Hudson has gorgeous main streets, a lively bar & restaurant scene, and a laidback pace which is such a breath of fresh air, coming from New York City. One of my favourite small towns in the USA!

Read More: A Weekend in Hudson, NY

Beacon

Beacon is a charming Hudson Valley town, located on the Hudson River in Dutchess County. It’s only an hour’s train ride from New York City, which makes it just as well suited to day trips as weekenders. Beacon is best known for being home to the contemporary art museum, Dia: Beacon.

Cold Spring

Cold Spring is a lively village in the lower Hudson Valley, in Putnam County, just a 10-minute train ride south of Beacon. Cold Spring is home to just 2000 residents, and has a lovely small-town feel. It’s also just across the Hudson River from the Storm King Sculpture Park. I love the indie bookstore here, Split Rock Books.

Read More: Day Trip to Beacon & Cold Spring

Best Things to Do in the Hudson Valley

Olana House & State Historic Preserve

Olana House is a 19th century house & estate, built by landscape painter Frederic Church, drawing inspiration from Victorian and Middle Eastern architecture. Church was one of the major painters of the Hudson River School, which was a movement of landscape artists which formed in the Hudson Valley in the 19th century.

You can visit the house, take a tour inside and explore the sprawling grounds, which is now a state park. It’s a ten minute drive from the centre of Hudson, and is a lovely way to spend a morning – especially on a sunny day.

Dia: Beacon

Dia: Beacon is perhaps the best-known of the Dia museum’s outposts. Housed in a former Nabisco box-making factory, Dia:Beacon is a contemporary art museum featuring artworks and exhibitions from the 1960s up to the present date.

Apple Picking 

Apple picking is a classic fall activity in the Hudson Valley, from early September through to the middle of October. Spend half a day wandering through an apple orchard, crunching on the freshest and most delicious apples of your life and followed by apple cider doughnuts back at the farm. 

When we lived in New York City, we went apple picking in Peekskill,  at Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm, which I highly recommend. Other popular pick-your-own farms in the Hudson Valley include Kelders Farm in Kerhonkson, Maskers Farm in Warwick and Cedar Heights Orchards in Rhinebeck.

Read More: Apple Picking in the Hudson Valley 

Antiques & Boutiques

The Hudson Valley is renowned for its antiquing and boutiques, with antique dealers and independent stores dotted across the region. Warren Street is the best shopping street in Hudson, and Beacon is a good spot for browsing independent stores as well.

Storm King Art Center

Storm King Art Center is one of the largest sculpture parks in the United States, and only a 90-minute train ride from New York City. One of the things I most regret not getting around to when we lived in New York, was taking a day trip out to Storm King! We nearly went on one our day trips, but ran out of time. Catch the Short Hudson Line towards Mountainville, from Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Promenade Hill Park

A small yet rewarding thing to do in the Hudson Valley is to enjoy the view over the Hudson River from Promenade Hill Park, in Hudson.

Tarrytown Reservoir

If you’re craving some fresh air, a walk or run around the Tarrytown Reservoir or on the Tarrytown Lakes Extension trail is just the thing. We took a day trip to Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow one February, when we were in some desperate need of a break from the city. Even in the middle of winter, it was such a nice way to spend a morning. It looks beautiful in the warmer months!

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

I’m not usually a cemetery tourist, but we found ourselves at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery one day when we were on a day trip to the Hudson Valley, in Tarrytown. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s the final resting place of many of New York’s notable residents, including author Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie, as well as some of the Astors and Rockefellers.

Landmarks include the Rockefeller Mausoleum, the Hemsley Mausoleum and the adjacent Old Dutch Church, which dates back to 1685 and was the setting for Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Best Restaurants in the Hudson Valley

Restaurants in the Hudson Valley have an abundance of produce on their doorsteps, and cocktail bars, wine bars & beer halls can give their New York City counterparts a run for their money – without the crowds to go with it.

Swoon Kitchenbar, Hudson

Reservations are essential to score a table at Swoon Kitchenbar, one of the Hudson Valley’s original farm-to-table restaurants, established in 2004. If you make just one reservation in the Hudson Valley, make it Swoon!

Le Bouchon, Cold Spring

Le Bouchon is a charming little French restaurant in Cold Spring, serving French classics. The bright red interiors make it so cosy!

Wm Farmer & Sons, Hudson

Another hot reservation in Hudson, WM Farmer & Sons is an impressive, family-run farm-to-table style restaurant, in a beautiful property which includes a restaurant, bar and inn.

Best Bars in the Hudson Valley

All of the best bars I’ve visited in the Hudson Valley have been in Hudson so far, although you can find breweries in other towns, such as Peekskill Brewery. No doubt there are other excellent bars across the Hudson Valley, the ones listed below are just my favourites that I’ve visited so far! 

The Lounge, Hudson

At the Maker Hotel, a 19th-century carriage house has been transformed into The Lounge, a moody, cosy cocktail bar – right up there with the best cocktail bars in New York City.

Backbar, Hudson

Backbar in Hudson is perfect for a laidback vibe – and the perfect way to start a weekend break, especially in the warmer months! It’s a backyard bar, with Southeast Asian small plates and a smoker. So good!

Hudson Brewing Co, Hudson

Hudson Brewing Co is a great tap room in Hudson, with some of the friendliest staff around. Even as a non drinker of beer, this was a cute spot to hangout over (other) drinks and snacks. David liked the beers!

Best Cafes &  Coffee in the Hudson Valley

Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Shop, Hudson

Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Shop is a charming “tea library” and cafe in the historic centre of Hudson, Verdigris is a gorgeous cafe in Hudson and a unique spot to stop for your daily brew. In summer, their fresh and fruity iced teas are the perfect way to cool down!

The Maker Cafe, Hudson

The Maker Cafe on the ground floor of the luxurious Maker Hotel in Hudson is inspired by European coffee houses and has a beautiful, old-world charm – and a killer pastry cabinet.

Moto Coffee/Machine, Hudson

Part coffee shop, part motorcycle repairs garage, Moto Coffee/Machine serves up some of the best coffee in Hudson, and in the most unique digs.

Peekskill Coffee House, Peekskill

A classic coffee house, I can see why the Peekskill Coffee House is known as “Peekskill’s Living Room”, with a comfortable, cosy vibe. It feels like the ideal small town coffee shop!

Bank Square Coffee House, Beacon

Bank Square Coffee House is the first coffee shop you’ll find in Beacon, if you arrive from the Metro North Train Station (15 min walk). It’s one of those lovely, old school coffee houses with a strong sense of community, that is such a breath of fresh air. For me, it was literally a breath of fresh air too, when we sat on the leafy patio with our iced lattes, fresh off the train from New York City. 

Dessert & Ice Cream in the Hudson Valley

Culture Cream, Hudson

The coolest ice cream in the Hudson Valley can be found at Culture Cream, an ice cream shop in Hudson that serves up the most inventive, farm-fresh flavours using fermented ingredients which make the ice cream full of probiotics. Try fun flavours like lacto-fermented strawberry with beet jam, or blueberry thyme kombucha sorbet. When we visited, they were operating out of a rainbow-bright cabin, and they’ve now upgraded to permanent digs on Warren Street.

Moo Moo’s Creamery, Cold Spring

Don’t be surprised to find a queue halfway around the block for Moo Moo’s Creamery – and join the club, it’s worth the wait! Moo Moo’s makes their ice cream fresh daily, using family recipes and the freshest local ingredients. You can taste the difference! It’s down by the waterfront, which is a beautiful spot to enjoy your ice cream on a sunny day.

Glazed Over Doughnuts, Beacon

Indulge in doughnut decadence at Glazed Over Doughnuts in Beacon, where you can design your own doughnut creation, made to order.

Further Reading

Planning a trip out of New York City? Check out these other posts & guides:

• Day Trip to Beacon & Cold Spring
• Weekend in Hudson, NY
• Apple Picking in the Hudson Valley
• The Hamptons Travel Guide
• Itinerary for a Weekend on the North Fork, NY

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