The Hudson Valley begins just north of New York City and offers some of the best day trips in the Northeast: historic estates, art museums, hiking, farm-to-table dining and river views. Towns like Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow are less than an hour away; Cold Spring and Beacon about an hour and a half; Hyde Park and Rhinebeck about two hours. A chauffeured day lets you combine several stops and enjoy wine or cider tastings without worrying about driving.

At a glance

Destination Approx. drive from Midtown Highlights
Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow 45–60 min Lyndhurst, Kykuit, Philipsburg Manor
Cold Spring 75–90 min Antiques, hiking, river views
Beacon 75–90 min Dia:Beacon, Mount Beacon
Storm King (Mountainville) 60–75 min Outdoor sculpture park
Hyde Park About 2 hours FDR home and library, Vanderbilt Mansion, Culinary Institute
Rhinebeck About 2 hours Historic village, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
Hudson About 2.5 hours Warren Street shops and restaurants

Itinerary ideas

Art day: Storm King Art Center in the morning, lunch in Cold Spring, Dia:Beacon in the afternoon.

History day: the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home and Presidential Library and Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, lunch at the Culinary Institute of America, and a stroll across the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie — a former railroad bridge turned pedestrian park.

Autumn day: fall foliage along the river, apple picking and a stop in Sleepy Hollow. Read fall foliage drives near NYC.

Getting there

Routes include the Taconic State Parkway (scenic, passenger cars only), the New York State Thruway and Route 9 along the river. Metro-North’s Hudson Line is scenic but limits you to riverside towns.

Why a chauffeur

Hudson Valley attractions are spread out, and parking fills on fall weekends. With hourly service, a chauffeur drops you at each entrance and waits. Read hourly service and hourly vs point-to-point.