Ann Arbor for First-Timers
12 stops · about 6 hours · Updated October 12, 2026
For a first visit to Ann Arbor, MI, build your itinerary around meals, locally made drinks, art, live music, and time outdoors. Start with Palace Tang 唐宫, where table-service lunch and dinner include comfort food and vegetarian choices in a casual, cozy setting. Biercamp combines artisan meats, cheeses, and sandwiches with house-brewed beer, while HOMES Brewery - Brewpub pairs rotating craft beers with Asian fusion food and a dog-friendly patio.
The drinks stops offer more than one format. Ricewood brings beer and wine to a market-based BBQ counter; Bløm Mead + Cider serves locally made mead and cider alongside board games and trivia nights. Mothfire Brewing Company adds a brewery with an on-site bar and free lot and street parking.
Make room for the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s rotating works spanning centuries and the globe, acoustic folk and roots music at The Ark, and County Farm Park’s wooded areas, gardens, and fitness trails. Shopping ranges from locally owned Fourth Ave Footwear’s comfort shoes and sandals to Ragstock’s new, used, and vintage clothing and Nordstrom Rack’s clothing, footwear, and beauty products.
Eat here first
anytime
Stop 1
Palace Tang 唐宫
4.9(895)Ann Arbor
Palace Tang 唐宫 combines a casual, cozy setting with table-service lunch and dinner, vegetarian options, an on-site bar, and accepted reservations.
Stop 2
Biercamp
4.9(626)Ann Arbor
Biercamp brings together artisan meats, cheeses, sandwiches, and house-brewed beers, with counter-service lunch and dinner, indoor and outdoor seating, and a retail area.
Stop 3
HOMES Brewery - Brewpub
4.7(1213)Ann Arbor
HOMES Brewery - Brewpub pairs rotating craft beers with Asian fusion food, a dog-friendly patio, a spacious beer garden, and taproom growler fills.
Have a drink
evening
Stop 4
Ricewood
4.8(741)Ann Arbor
Ricewood combines market-based BBQ counter service with Asian fusion bowls and sandwiches, indoor and outdoor seating, and an on-site bar serving beer and wine.
Stop 5
Bløm Mead + Cider
4.8(264)Ann Arbor
Bløm Mead + Cider offers locally made craft mead and cider in an airy taproom with board games, trivia nights, and live music.
Stop 6
Mothfire Brewing Company
4.8(251)Ann Arbor
Mothfire Brewing Company serves beer at an on-site bar, with free lot and street parking and wheelchair-accessible entrance, seating, and restroom.
See something
anytime
Stop 7
The Ark
4.9(1002)Ann Arbor
The Ark presents acoustic folk and roots music in an intimate nonprofit venue, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance and beer and wine sales limited to members.
Stop 8
University of Michigan Museum of Art
4.8(1483)Ann Arbor
The University of Michigan Museum of Art houses rotating artworks spanning centuries and the globe in spacious galleries, with tours and live performances.
Stop 9
County Farm Park
4.8(1194)Ann Arbor
County Farm Park offers wooded areas, fitness trails, gardens, and playgrounds, plus picnic pavilions, tables, and grills for outdoor meals and gatherings.
Take something home
anytime
Stop 10
Fourth Ave Footwear
4.8(163)Ann Arbor
Fourth Ave Footwear is a locally owned shop focused on brand-name comfort shoes and sandals, with in-store shopping, pickup, and a wheelchair-accessible entrance.
Stop 11
Ragstock
4.3(399)Ann Arbor
Ragstock mixes new, used, vintage, and one-of-a-kind clothing for men and women, offering in-store shopping on E Liberty St and a wheelchair-accessible entrance.
Stop 12
Nordstrom Rack
4.0(735)Ann Arbor
Nordstrom Rack carries footwear, clothing, handbags, kids’ items, and beauty products, with advertised savings up to 70% on selected styles and in-store pickup.
