48 Hours in Sioux Falls

Ellie Brady (@bestoftheblackhills) and her husband visited Sioux Falls for the first time and spent a weekend exploring the city. Here's a breakdown of everything they did and what they enjoyed most.

Our Sioux Falls Itinerary

We did SO MUCH during our time in Sioux Falls! It was so great to stay downtown at the Holiday Inn City Centre because we were able to walk to so many amazing shops, restaurants, and breweries in just a few minutes.

After checking into our hotel, the very first thing we did was walk to see the Sioux Falls murals! After seeing them online so many times, we were excited to finally see them in person.

Then we knew we had to go see the Arc of Dreams next! We didn't know exactly what to expect but we were surprised by its size and how it frames the Big Sioux River.

After that, we visited Remedy Brewing, Woodgrain Brewing, and PAve. We had so much fun walking in Downtown Sioux Falls. The weather was perfect for a stroll, and we were really surprised by how much excitement is packed into such a small area downtown. We explored several shops; we especially loved Child's Play Toys and Zandbroz Variety.

The next morning we got the most delicious chocolate croissants and coffee at CH Patisserie. They were the perfect fuel for our visit to the Butterfly House & Aquarium. Many people recommended that we visit the Butterfly House, and they were right! It was such a fun and beautiful experience. We were blown away by the number of butterflies!

Afterwards, we of course had to visit Falls Park! Again, we didn't know exactly what to expect at Falls Park, and we were surprised by the size! The falls were really beautiful, and it's obvious why they're so well known.

On Saturday we also visited the Big Sioux Recreation Area and hiked the Valley of the Giants Trail. It was such a beautiful and peaceful haven. The hike was nice and easy, and incredibly quiet and relaxing. We really enjoyed exploring here.

For dinner, we had to try Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen after hearing so many good things about it! The food definitely lived up to the hype!

On our last morning in Sioux Falls we went to The Source Coffee Roastery + Taproom for a delicious coffee to go so we could visit the Japanese Gardens. I couldn't believe how quiet and peaceful the gardens were. It really was the perfect place to sit with our coffee and enjoy the view.

Our last stop in Sioux Falls was at Queen City Bakery and were SO glad we grabbed breakfast there! The quiche, coffee, and baked goods were incredible!

My top highlights from the trip are the Japanese Gardens, walking downtown, and the Big Sioux Recreation Area. My favorite food was the quiche at Queen City Bakery, and the cheesesteak and Naughty Fries at Bread & Circus.