Best time to travel in Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: June to September
Best avoided if possible: November to April (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Minneapolis (St. Anthony Falls) station, NOAA data (public domain).
Marked continental: hot, bright summers around 28°C, and winters among the coldest of any major American city, around -6°C by day in January and much lower at night, with about 1.3 m of snow a year. The best time to visit Minneapolis is June, July, August and September, with temperatures reaching 28-29°C (July). By contrast, January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for May and October: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in June · where to go in July · where to go in August · where to go in September.
At a glance
Why go to Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the Twin Cities, form the largest metropolitan area in the northern Midwest, on either side of the Mississippi. Minneapolis grew up around St. Anthony Falls, whose power drove the largest flour mills in the world in the late 19th century; their stone ruins are now museums, lofts and riverside parks. Saint Paul, older and more reserved, is the state capital, with its gilded Capitol, its domed cathedral and the Victorian mansions of the railway barons.
People come for a cultural scene unmatched in cities of this size: the Walker Art Center and its sculpture garden, a free encyclopaedic art museum, the Guthrie Theater, dozens of performance venues, and the memory of Prince, a son of Minneapolis, whose First Avenue club and Paisley Park studio still draw his fans. The two cities also boast one of the most generous networks of urban parks in the country, with lakes where you can swim in town.
Finally, the Twin Cities live to the rhythm of extreme seasons. Summer is mild and bright, punctuated by festivals, terraces and paddling on the lakes; winter, very cold, is spent in the covered skyways of downtown, on natural ice rinks and at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. With direct flights from Europe, they are also a gateway to the forests and ten thousand lakes of Minnesota and the North Shore of Lake Superior.
Tourist map of Minneapolis and Saint Paul: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
- Sculpture Garden
- Stone Arch Bridge
- Bde Maka Ska
- Minnehaha Falls
- Cathedral of Saint Paul
- Mall of America
How much does a trip to Minneapolis and Saint Paul cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Minneapolis and Saint Paul based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Cards are accepted everywhere, including on the light rail via the app. Prices are shown before tax: clothing is not taxed in Minnesota, but add around 9% on other purchases in Minneapolis, and more on hotel rooms. A tip of 18 to 20% is expected in restaurants, and $1-2 per drink at the bar.
Safety in Minneapolis and Saint Paul: should you be worried?
The downtowns of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the North Loop, the riverbanks, the lakes and the residential neighbourhoods can be explored without any particular difficulty by day. In the evening, some downtown Minneapolis streets empty out after office hours, and theft and antisocial behaviour do occur there: stay on lively streets and take a ride-hailing car late at night. Leave nothing visible in cars. The main risk remains the cold: from December to February, temperatures often drop below -20°C with wind chill, frostbite and icy roads are a real danger, so pack suitable clothing and get winter tyres if you hire a car. In summer, thunderstorms can be violent. Medical care is excellent but very expensive, so health insurance covering the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Minneapolis and Saint Paul
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden
- Stone Arch Bridge
- Mill City Museum
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Chain of Lakes
- Minnehaha Falls
- Summit Avenue and the Cathedral of Saint Paul
- Mall of America
What to book before you go to Minneapolis and Saint Paul →
🧭 Discover the Minneapolis and Saint Paul itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →Downtown Minneapolis and the Mill District
The business district is linked by nearly 15 km of covered walkways, the skyways, which let you cross 80 blocks without going outside in winter. By the river, the Mill District brings together the Mill City Museum, the Guthrie Theater and its cantilevered bridge, the Stone Arch Bridge and the ruins of the flour mills, with U.S. Bank Stadium and its glass façades to the east. Nicollet Mall, the pedestrian street, crosses downtown from north to south.
North Loop
The former warehouse district north-west of downtown, near the Twins' ballpark, has become the liveliest part of the city: brick lofts, designer boutiques, chef-led restaurants and cocktail bars. It is the best place for dinner, within walking distance of downtown and the river. The First Avenue concert venue, where Prince filmed Purple Rain, is to the east, in the theatre district.
Loring Park, the Walker and the lakes
South-west of downtown, Loring Park leads via a footbridge to the Walker Art Center and the Sculpture Garden. Further on, Uptown and the residential neighbourhoods border the Chain of Lakes, where people swim, paddle and cycle all summer around Bde Maka Ska, Lake of the Isles and Lake Harriet. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is halfway there, south of downtown.
Northeast and St. Anthony Main
Across the river, St. Anthony Main keeps its cobbled streets, restaurants and views of the falls. Northeast Minneapolis, a former Polish and Ukrainian working-class district, has become the artists' quarter, with studios open in former factories, craft breweries and neighbourhood bars with vintage signs.
Saint Paul
15 km to the east on the Green Line light rail, the capital brings together Cass Gilbert's Capitol, the domed cathedral, Summit Avenue and its mansions, Grand Avenue and its shops, and the Lowertown district with its farmers' market. The Science Museum of Minnesota overlooks the Mississippi, and Como Park, to the north, has a free zoo and Victorian conservatory.
Day trips: Stillwater, the St. Croix Valley and Paisley Park
Stillwater, 40 minutes to the east, is a small lumber town on the St. Croix River, with its brick streets, antique shops and paddle steamer trips. Further north, Taylors Falls and its basalt gorges can be explored by canoe. To the west, 30 minutes away, Paisley Park, Prince's studio complex in Chanhassen, can be visited by reservation.
How many days, and which itinerary in Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
Three days are enough for downtown and the river, the Walker, the art museum, the lakes and Saint Paul. Four or five days add Minnehaha Falls, Northeast, the Mall of America and a trip to Stillwater. Beyond that, head for Lake Superior or the northern forests.
🗺️ Day-by-day Minneapolis and Saint Paul itinerary · 📓 Printable Minneapolis and Saint Paul travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The long weekend (3 days)
Day 1: the Mill City Museum in the morning, the Stone Arch Bridge and St. Anthony Falls, the Guthrie bridge, lunch at St. Anthony Main, then dinner in the North Loop. Day 2: the Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden, an afternoon cycling around Bde Maka Ska and Lake Harriet, a bandstand concert in summer. Day 3: Saint Paul on the Green Line, the Capitol, the cathedral and Summit Avenue, dinner on Grand Avenue.
The Twin Cities (5 days)
The three weekend days, then a day at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Midtown Global Market and Minnehaha Falls on the Blue Line, and a final day between Northeast, its studios and its breweries, or Stillwater and the St. Croix Valley by car. Finish at the Mall of America, on the way to the airport.
Minnesota and Lake Superior (10 days)
Four days in the Twin Cities, then the road north: Duluth and its port on Lake Superior, 2 hours 30 minutes away, then the North Shore Scenic Drive to Grand Marais, among lighthouses, state park waterfalls and fishing villages, with two nights on the coast. Head back down through the inland forests and lakes before returning to Minneapolis. Allow about 1,000 km in all.
How to get to Minneapolis and Saint Paul and get around?
Non-stop flights link Europe to Minneapolis-Saint Paul: Delta flies from Paris-Charles de Gaulle in 8 hours 30 minutes to 9 hours outbound. The airport lies between the two cities, 15 km from downtown Minneapolis, and the Blue Line light rail links it to downtown in about 25 minutes.
The Metro Transit network has two light rail lines: the Blue Line, from the airport and the Mall of America to downtown Minneapolis via Minnehaha Falls, and the Green Line, from downtown Minneapolis to downtown Saint Paul via the university. A bus or light rail fare costs $2, about €1.70, valid for 2 hours 30 minutes, and a day pass $4, about €3.50.
Minneapolis is among the most bike-friendly cities in the United States, with separate paths around the lakes, along the river and on former railway lines such as the Midtown Greenway. Bike-share bikes operate in the warmer months.
A car is not needed for the two downtowns, the lakes, Minnehaha Falls and the Mall of America. It becomes useful for Stillwater, Paisley Park and the north of the state. Downtown hotels charge $30-50, about €26-43, a night for parking.
Where to stay in Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
Downtown Minneapolis, linked by the skyways, has most of the hotels, within walking distance of the river, the theatres and the stadiums: expect €130-230 a night, more on summer weekends and big game days.
The North Loop and the Mill District offer the most pleasant places to stay, in converted warehouses near the river and the best restaurants. Several hotels occupy historic buildings, including a 1929 Art Deco tower inspired by the Washington Monument.
Saint Paul, quieter, has a grand hotel from 1910 facing Rice Park and hotels on the banks of the Mississippi, 45 minutes from downtown Minneapolis by light rail, handy for Summit Avenue and the Capitol.
With a car or for an early flight, Bloomington, near the airport and the Mall of America, lines up chain hotels at €100-150 a night, often with a free shuttle and parking included.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Minneapolis and Saint Paul?
The Jucy Lucy, a hamburger with the melted cheese sealed inside the meat, is the Minneapolis speciality, served in two rival bars in South Minneapolis that each claim to have invented it, for $12-16, about €10-14. Wait a minute before biting, as the cheese burns.
Hotdish, a Midwestern bake topped with tater tots, small potato croquettes, wild rice harvested from Minnesota's lakes and walleye, a breaded freshwater fish, appear on the menus of restaurants serving regional food. Scandinavian, Hmong, Somali and Ethiopian cooking reflect the communities settled in the two cities.
The North Loop, Northeast and Eat Street, a stretch of Nicollet Avenue south of downtown lined with Vietnamese, Mexican and Greek restaurants, are the best places to eat, at $35-65, about €30-56, for dinner excluding drinks. The Midtown Global Market brings together counters from around the world under one roof.
The Twin Cities have dozens of craft breweries, especially in Northeast, opened since a 2011 law allowed brewers to serve on site. Allow $7-9, about €6-8, a pint. Tap water is safe to drink.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Minneapolis and Saint Paul lend themselves to a cultural, nature-focused and foodie trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with family or even solo, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find classic hotels and boutique hotels.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Minneapolis and Saint Paul eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Minneapolis and Saint Paul
When is the best time to visit Minneapolis?
From June to September, with 22 to 29°C during the day, the lakes, the terraces and the festivals. The Minnesota State Fair, one of the biggest in the country, fills late August and early September, and September brings the first autumn colours. Winter is very cold, often below -15°C, but the skyways, the museums and the Saint Paul carnival make it a unique experience.
Are there direct flights from Europe to Minneapolis?
Yes, Delta flies non-stop from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, in 8 hours 30 minutes to 9 hours outbound. The airport is linked to downtown Minneapolis by the Blue Line light rail in about 25 minutes.
Should you stay in Minneapolis or Saint Paul?
Minneapolis has more hotels, restaurants and nightlife, and it is closer to the lakes and the art museums. Saint Paul, quieter, suits those interested in Summit Avenue and the Capitol. The two downtowns are linked in 45 minutes by the Green Line light rail.
Do you need a car in Minneapolis?
No for the two downtowns, the lakes, Minnehaha Falls, the Mall of America and the airport, which are served by light rail, buses and cycle paths. It becomes useful for Stillwater, Paisley Park and the north of the state.
Do you need a visa to visit Minneapolis?
Not if you are a citizen of a Visa Waiver Program country, such as France, Belgium or Switzerland, but you must obtain an ESTA travel authorisation, applied for online on the official US government website before departure. It is valid for tourist stays of up to 90 days, with a biometric passport.
Are the museums in Minneapolis free?
The Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden are free. The Walker Art Center costs $18 for an adult, but it is free on Thursday evenings, on the first Saturday of the month and for under-18s. The Mill City Museum costs $15 for an adult.
How many days do you need in Minneapolis?
Three days for Minneapolis and half a day in Saint Paul, five to add Minnehaha Falls, Northeast, the Mall of America and Stillwater. Ten days or so allow a road trip to Lake Superior.
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