60 days in Iowa Itinerary

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. You'll visit kid-friendly attractions like The Play Station and National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Cedar Rapids: Fun Valley Ski Area (in Montezuma), Waterloo (Cedar Valley Nature Trail & Lost Island Water Park) and Amana (A J's Copper Garden & Ackerman Winery). The adventure continues: test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms, identify plant and animal life at Macbride Nature Recreation Area, have fun and explore at The Iowa Children's Museum, and wander the streets of Cedar Falls Main Street.

For where to stay, photos, maps, and more tourist information, read our Cedar Rapids tour planning app.

Use the Route module to see travel options from your home to Cedar Rapids. In January in Cedar Rapids, expect temperatures between 29°F during the day and 11°F at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 7th (Tue) so you can drive to Davenport.

Davenport is the county seat of Scott County in Iowa and is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population estimate of 382,630 and a CSA population of 474,226, making it the 90th largest CSA in the nation. Bring the kids along to The Putnam Museum & Science Center and Figge Art Museum. Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Davenport: Burlington (Mosquito Park, Snake Alley, &more), Muscatine (National Pearl Button Museum, Muscatine Art Center, &more) and Wide River Winery (in Clinton). There's much more to do: take an in-depth tour of Iowa 80 Trucking Museum, steep yourself in history at Pine Creek Grist Mill, browse for treasures at Antique Archeology, and have fun and explore at Family Museum of Arts and Science.

To see more things to do, maps, other places to visit, and tourist information, go to the Davenport trip itinerary planner.

You can drive from Cedar Rapids to Davenport in 1.5 hours. Expect a daytime high around 32°F in January, and nighttime lows around 14°F. Cap off your sightseeing on the 14th (Tue) early enough to go by car to Dubuque.

Dubuque is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. Attractions like National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and Matter: A Learning Playground make great kid-friendly stops. Change things up with these side-trips from Dubuque: Dyersville (St. Francis Basilica, Dyer-Botsford Doll Museum, &more), Backbone State Park (in Dundee) and Manchester (Manchester Whitewater Park & Castle Theater). And it doesn't end there: tour the pleasant surroundings at Sundown Mountain, explore the landscape on two wheels at Heritage Trail, don't miss a visit to Fenelon Place Elevator Co., and pause for some serene contemplation at St. Luke's United Methodist Church.

For photos, reviews, where to stay, and tourist information, read Dubuque travel route builder site.

Drive from Davenport to Dubuque in 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus. Traveling from Davenport in January, you will find days in Dubuque are little chillier (27°F), and nights are about the same (10°F). Wrap up your sightseeing on the 24th (Fri) to allow time to drive to Decorah.

Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. Family-friendly places like Pikes Peak State Park and Spook Cave will thrill your kids. Explore Decorah's surroundings by going to Motor Mill Historic Site (in Elkader), Mason City (Stockman House Museum & Lime Creek Nature Center) and Driftless Area Wetlands Centre (in Marquette). And it doesn't end there: hike along Trout Run Trail, get engrossed in the history at Vesterheim, contemplate the long history of Masters Hotel, and delve into the lush surroundings at Yellow River State Forest.

For where to stay, reviews, other places to visit, and other tourist information, read Decorah trip planner.

Traveling by car from Dubuque to Decorah takes 2 hours. In January, daytime highs in Decorah are 25°F, while nighttime lows are 10°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 31st (Fri) so you can go by car to Sioux City.

Sioux City is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. Kids will appreciate attractions like LaunchPAD Children’s Museum and Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum. Explore Sioux City's surroundings by going to Ranch Okoboji (in Okoboji), Milford (Gull Point State Park & Clark Museum of Okoboji Area & Iowa History) and Arnolds Park ('Boji Splash Indoor Waterpark Okoboji & Arnolds Park Amusement Park). The adventure continues: immerse yourself in nature at Stone State Park, take an in-depth tour of Monona County Veteran's Memorial Museum, see the interesting displays at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, and get some fabulous bargains at Palmer Candy.

For maps, where to stay, traveler tips, and tourist information, read Sioux City day trip planning app.

You can drive from Decorah to Sioux City in 5 hours. While traveling from Decorah, expect somewhat warmer days and about the same nights in Sioux City, ranging from highs of 32°F to lows of 11°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 8th (Sat) so you can go by car to Council Bluffs.

Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. Explore Council Bluffs' surroundings by going to Preparation Canyon State Park (in Pisgah), Desoto National Wildlife Refuge (in Missouri Valley) and Farmall-Land USA (in Avoca). The adventure continues: take an in-depth tour of Union Pacific Railroad Museum, grab your bike and head to Wabash Trace Nature Trail, cruise along Loess Hills Scenic Byway, and pause for some photo ops at Kanesville Tabernacle.

To find ratings, where to stay, and more tourist information, use the Council Bluffs online vacation builder.

Traveling by car from Sioux City to Council Bluffs takes 1.5 hours. In February, daytime highs in Council Bluffs are 38°F, while nighttime lows are 18°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 15th (Sat) early enough to drive to Winterset.

Winterset is a city in Madison County, Iowa, United States. Family-friendly places like Capitol Building and Escape Chambers will thrill your kids. You'll find plenty of places to visit near Winterset: Des Moines (Des Moines Art Center, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, &more), La Vida Loca Winery (in Indianola) and West Des Moines (Walnut Woods State Park & Valley Junction). The adventure continues: explore the galleries of John Wayne Birthplace & Museum, make a trip to The Freedom Rock, steep yourself in history at Living History Farms, and take in the views from Imes Covered Bridge.

To find photos, maps, and other tourist information, use the Winterset online trip builder.

You can drive from Council Bluffs to Winterset in 2 hours. In February, daily temperatures in Winterset can reach 36°F, while at night they dip to 18°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 22nd (Sat) so you can drive to Ames.

Ames is a city located in the central part of Story County, Iowa, United States. Family-friendly places like Adventureland and Textile and Clothing Museum will thrill your kids. Explore Ames' surroundings by going to Grotto of the Redemption (in West Bend), Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company (in Bondurant) and Big Creek State Park (in Polk City). There's still lots to do: admire all the interesting features of High Trestle Trail Bridge, identify plant and animal life at Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve, find something for the whole family at Center Grove Orchard, and don't miss a visit to Story City Antique Carousel.

You can plan Ames trip in no time by asking Inspirock to help create your itinerary.

Traveling by car from Winterset to Ames takes 1.5 hours. In February, daily temperatures in Ames can reach 32°F, while at night they dip to 14°F. Wrap up your sightseeing by early afternoon on the 29th (Sat) to allow enough time to drive back home.