Boise is the capital of Idaho as well as the largest city. Although its economic growth has its roots in the Simplot potato industry, the city is now home to many high tech industries. Notable companies such as Albertsons and Micron are headquartered here.

Get in

Boise Airport is serviced by several airlines, including United, Delta, Alaska/Horizon and Southwest. Boise can be accessed by car via Interstate 84.

Get around

Cars are pretty much mandatory to get around. There are buses downtown, but most destinations require your own car. Cars can be rented at the Boise Airport from many companies including Hertz, Avis, Thrifty, Dollar, and Budget.

Attractions

Boise is the administrative and cultural hub of Idaho. Many of the attractions in the city center around its status as the state capital.
 • Idaho State Capitol Building Capitol Blvd. & Jefferson in Downtown Boise off Interstate 84 - sitting in the middle of downtown, about 1 mile from the Boise river. If you are bold, you can ring the bell at the foot of the Capitol steps.
 • Julia Davis Park - this Olmsted-esque urban park contains many of the downtown attractions in Boise. It sits across the Boise River from Boise State University. Located within its confines are Zoo Boise, the Rose Garden, the Boise Art Museum and a scenic railroad. It also contains the Idaho Black History Museum.
 • Boise State University - the most famous landmark on campus is Bronco Stadium, best known for its eerily blue Astroturf. This is also home to the New Year's Eve classic, the Humanitarian Bowl.

Activities

Boise is the starting point for many outdoor activities in the surrounding mountains, including rock climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking. Other local activities include:
 • Inner tubing on the Boise River - this is something of a local tradition. The put-in site is at Barber Park. The five mile float takes around 3 hours, and ends at Ann Morrison Park. There you can take a shuttle bus back to your car at Barber Park.
 • Idaho Shakespeare Festival - of course, this is why you come to Boise. During summer, shows are performed at the theater at the base of the Boise foothills.

Shopping

Much of the souvenir industry in Boise is based on the potato-rich history of the city. You can find T-shirts with just about every potato-themed pun (e.g. Darth Tater - Spud Wars) you could imagine. Boise Towne Square is the city's main mall. It is a fairly large mall, mostly due to its lack of competition from any other similarly sized shopping center in the city. Its anchor-stores include Dillard's and a particularly upscale Macys (formerly the Bon Marche). The mall also contains its own free-standing MAC makeup store.

Dining

Most of the fancier restaurants are in the downtown area.
 • Lucky 13 - pizza and beer in a patio setting in the Hyde Park area. A great place to go on a warm summer evening.
 • Flying Pie - Considered some of Boise's best pizza with two locations: 6508 Fairview - (208) 345-0000 and 4320 State St. - (208) 384-0000.