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If you’re looking for day trip ideas from Boise, Idaho City is a great place to learn a bit of history, have some ice cream, and indulge in some hot springs! This post will help guide you in planning the perfect Idaho City day trip.
Idaho City is a small historic town founded in 1862 during the Gold Rush Era. It also happens to be an easy day trip from Boise, being a little less than an hour drive from Downtown!
When we visited the Boise area, I wanted to spend a little time outside of the city. A day trip to Idaho City seemed like the perfect mini adventure!
Day Trip Itinerary Summary
Idaho City is a small town, and most ground can be covered in a half day. So, I came up with this easy half-day itinerary that gives a great intro to the area:
- Lunch at The Gold Mine Saloon (I recommend the Pit Master sandwich with smoked meats!)
- Explore historical buildings in town on foot
- Pick up some Huckleberry goods and Idaho memorabilia at the Trading Post
- Grab an ice cream cone at the Sarsparilla Ice Cream Parlor
- End your day relaxing in a private mineral springs tub at The Springs
Have Lunch at The Gold Mine
Dining options in small towns like Idaho City aren’t too plentiful, but there are a handful of restaurants to choose from. Food options are seemingly similar at each place, but we chose to visit The Gold Mine after reading through some good reviews.
For lunch, I recommend getting The Pitmaster sandwich, stuffed with smoked pork and beef, jalapenos and coleslaw. This will give you all the fuel you need to walk around town! They also serve breakfast if you’re an early riser.
Explore Historical Buildings on Foot
Most of Idaho City’s historical buildings are clustered together in a central part of town, making it super easy to do your own self-guided walking tour.
I’m not a huge history buff, but I found exploring a town that is basically a living museum actually quite interesting! Seeing original buildings still standing is like a step back into time.
As someone who has worked in the fire protection industry nearly his whole life, my husband particularly found the fire house and fire history of Idaho City fascinating. The town has endured several devastating fires, but managed to rebuild their little corner of Idaho each time.
In a lot of the historical buildings, they have scenes arranged to mimic the setup of a home or business in that era. It’s hard to imagine living in such a tiny home, but things were much simpler in the late 1800’s!
Pick Up Memorabilia at The Trading Post
If you need to pick up any Idaho souvenirs, be sure to stop by the Trading Post! They even have a whole shelf dedicated to the huckleberry, which is the state fruit of Idaho.
Try the Ice Cream at Sarsparilla
After you’ve had your fill of the town’s history, I recommend stopping at the Sarsparilla Ice Cream Parlor for a little ice cream treat! We had to get the huckleberry ice cream (because, Idaho) but they have a variety of flavors to choose from.
The ice cream parlor is located on the corner of Ponderosa and Montgomery but it doesn’t show up on the map as Sarsparilla. It’s right in the middle of town so you can’t miss it!
Private Mineral Tub at The Springs
My absolute favorite thing we did when visiting Idaho City was book a private mineral springs soak at The Springs! Relaxing out in nature in a warm tub with an ice cold beer was the perfect way to end our Idaho City day trip.
Private tub bookings are for hour-long soaks, and come with a beautiful view of nature. You can also order beer and wine when you check in for your soak, which will be delivered to your tub window once you get settled in. We were in Tub #1, shown below.
For those who aren’t interested in booking a private tub, you can book a general soak in a large shared outdoor pool. They limit the amount of people allowed in the 2.5-hour timeframe so it shouldn’t feel too crowded if you opt for that route.
Days Open: Thursdays – Sundays only
Private Soak Cost: $55 per couple ($5.00 for additional persons up to four) for 1 Hour
General Soak Cost: $25 per person for 2.5 hours
And that’s all you need to complete a successful Idaho City day trip! If you’re visiting Idaho City anytime soon, I hope this itinerary helps give you a few ideas on how to enjoy this little historical town.
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