If you’re ready to explore Michigan’s largest city for a few days, prepare yourself for an adventure. Detroit is nicknamed the Motor City, and it’s the home of the world-famous Motown Records. Even a two-day Detroit itinerary can show you everything this top Midwestern city has to offer when it comes to museums, outdoor activities, and dining experiences.
When you want flexible accommodations during your stay in Detroit, consider renting an RV. Only in an RV can the comforts of home travel with you, and you won’t have to juggle your luggage from location to location. Staying in an RV also makes it easy to dine in if you’d like since most RVs come with full kitchens and dining rooms, plus there are some models large enough to sleep up to 10 people or more at a time.
Search RV rentals in the Detroit area.
Preparing for Your Detroit RV Trip
Before you start your trip to Detroit, you should choose just the right RV rental for you and your group. You can pick from either drivable or towable models depending on your driving preferences, and you can decide whether you’d like a large model with lots of sleeping and storage space or a smaller one with just enough space for one or two people. If you’d like to tow an RV, make sure the vehicle you plan to use is compatible with the RV type you’d like to rent since fifth-wheel models require a special hitch for towing.
You can book your RV confidently by reading more about RV rentals with these helpful resources:
• How To Pack for Your First Trip
• How to Park an RV
• What Happens After Booking an RV
Once you’ve booked an RV for your Detroit trip, you’ll want to reserve a campsite in Detroit. This city has many highly rated places for you to stay nearby, including Detroit Greenfield RV Park, Camp Dearborn, and Thousand Trails St. Clair. When deciding which campground to book with, consider what amenities you are looking for. For example, some campgrounds don’t offer full hookups, and others may not have laundry facilities.
Find other campground options in our comprehensive list of top-rated campgrounds in Detroit.
Day 1: Discover Detroit’s Roots
Morning: Visit an Iconic Museum
To start your first day in Detroit, stop by the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, which is an iconic destination in the city. Not only does this museum have extensive exhibits on America’s first mobile vehicle, the Model T Ford, but it also features famous American vehicles, like the Rosa Park bus and President JFK’s limousine.
Lunch: Eat-in at the Ford Museum
After touring the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, stop by the nearby Ford’s Garage Dearborn, which is a top-rated burger restaurant. This eatery also features memorabilia and a bar, plus there is an outdoor patio for pleasant days to dine outside.
Afternoon: Enjoy Some Motown Music
After eating, head over to the Motown Museum, which is the location of the record label’s famous studio A. The museum itself houses hundreds of art labels and costumes, too, like those worn by The Supremes.
Setting Up Camp
When you’re ready to call it a day, head to the campground where you made RV reservations to set up your campsite. After checking in, you’ll receive directions to your site, and you can park and set up any hookups you have available. You may also level your RV and open any slide-outs you may have. If setting up your RV is too daunting though, know that you can always have it delivered right to your campsite for you. To do this, just filter your search for RV rentals in Detroit by delivery option.
Dinner: Dine In or Order Out
Since your RV probably has a full kitchen, the end of your first day in Detroit would be a great time to use it. You can also have a cookout on a fire pit if you’d like, and there may be a camp store on-site at your campground to get any food you need for your meal. Otherwise, you may order a pizza from a nearby downtown Detroit location, such as Dearborn Pizza.
Day 2: Head Outdoors
Morning: See the Garfish
One of the best things to do in Detroit is to visit the Belle Isle Aquarium, which is famous for its collection of garfish. The aquarium itself is housed in a building dating back to 1904. Plus, you can walk around Sunset Point at Belle Isle Park right after, which is located next to the aquarium.
Lunch: Enjoy Snacks and Smoothies
For your second lunch in Detroit, head to Seva Detroit, which offers vegan and vegetarian foods that can be enjoyed by all. It’s also known for its smoothies, and it offers outside eating options.
Afternoon: Peruse Local Art
For your afternoon adventure, check out the Detroit Institute of Arts. There, you’ll find ancient and modern art in over 100 galleries. You’ll also spot the Detroit Industry Murals by artist Diego Rivera outside the museum.
Evening: Walk the Park
To conclude your trip, take a hike around Campus Martius Park, a scenic city square. Enjoy relaxing by the picturesque fountains and, if you’re lucky, catch one of the free concerts often featured at the park.
Day 3 and Beyond in Detroit
While there is plenty to see with a trip for two days in Detroit, you may want to stay longer and see more of the Motor City.
If you can stay longer, consider the following to get more out of your trip:
• See the Detroit Zoo: Have a picnic at the local Detroit Zoo and see global wildlife, such as polar bears.
• Explore the Michigan Science Center: Another family-friendly activity in Detroit is spending a day at the Michigan Science Center. This center, known as a children’s museum, has interactive exhibits plus live shows and a planetarium.
Winter Activities
With some intense winters, Detroit offers great snow-related activities in the colder months of the year. For one, the Campus Martius Park sets up a skating rink for all city visitors and residents to use. Additionally, Alpine Valley is a ski resort in town that has snowboard terrains and winter equipment rentals.
Indoor Activities
For rainy days in Detroit, you can enjoy indoor activities at the Detroit Historical Museum, which always has rotating exhibits. You may also see a live show at Fisher Theatre, found inside a historic building that was redesigned in 1961.
Detroit is waiting for your next adventure to start with lots of indoor and outdoor recreation. Take in the beautiful cityscape and spend each night in your comfortable RV rental when you spend two or more days in the birthplace of Motown.
