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Austin Itineraries
- Three Days in Austin
- Eco-Tours
- Student Tours
- Experience Austin's Music
Day 1
Morning
Once you’ve checked into your Austin hotel, take a leisurely drive around the Live Music Capital of the World®. Experience the tales and legends of Austin along Congress Avenue and historic Sixth Street. Explore Texas history at the Texas State Capitol, the Governor’s Mansion and the Texas State Cemetery. Stroll down South Congress Avenue (SoCo) and discover why locals want to “Keep Austin Weird.”
Or, for a unique tour, hop aboard Austin Duck Adventures. These amphibious vehicles roll along city streets and past historic sites before taking a splash into Lake Austin. Tour lasts 75 minutes.
Or, history buffs enjoy a walking tour of historic Congress Avenue and East Sixth Street, the Bremond Block or Texas State Cemetery. Tours are offered by the Austin CVB and are free of charge when staying overnight in an Austin hotel.
Afternoon
Enjoy lunch at the Capitol Grill or one of Austin’s downtown, motorcoach-friendly restaurants.
After lunch, visit the Texas State Capitol Complex, an impressive example of late 19th-century public architecture. A guided tour is available for free and takes about 2 hours to complete.
Next, visit the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and experience life on Capitol Hill as it played out during the days of LBJ. This museum includes thousands of volumes of presidential papers, a replica of LBJ’s Oval Office, and a First Lady’s Gallery. The tour is free and should take around 2 hours to complete.
Evening
Watch the breathtaking flight of 1.5 million bats from beneath the Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge. Enjoy a dinner cruise or a bat cruise on Capital Cruises and Lone Star Riverboat for a nominal fee, or take in the view free of charge from the bridge or a lakeside viewing area. Season is late March until early November.
Day 2
Start off the day reliving the pages of Texas history at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Interactive exhibits, historical artifacts, an IMAX® Theatre and the multi-sensory Texas Spirit Theatre bring the myths, legends and facts of the Lone Star State together under one roof. You can also enjoy lunch at the Story of Texas Café and browse around the museum gift shop. Touring this museum should take 4 hours, including theaters.
Grab lunch at The Story of Texas Café in the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Next, tour the Blanton Museum of Art, set on the edge of the University of Texas’ campus. The museum offers a brilliant collection of masterpieces in its permanent and changing exhibits, along with public space for special events.
Afternoon
Spend an hour in the afternoon at the Ransom Center which houses one of the world’s finest cultural archives. Highlights include Woodward and Bernstein’s Watergate papers, a rare copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the world’s first photograph, paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and manuscripts of James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, to name a few.
Next make way to the Texas Memorial Museum which offers two floors of all-new exhibits featuring dinosaurs, fossils, gems, minerals and wildlife, as well as a cutting-edge 3D visualization facility. A tour should take just one hour and costs $1 per student for guided tours, with accompanying adults free. Self-guided groups and general museum admission are free of charge.
Evening
After dinner, take in a show at one of Austin’s many theaters and cultural arts venues. For a unique evening, learn about Austin’s haunted past with Haunted Texas tours.
Day 3
Morning
Step inside the stunning official residence for the First Family of Texas since 1856. Tours of the Texas Governor’s Mansion are available on a limited basis as reservations are required. Tour should take one hour.
Visit Studio 6B, home to the longest running live music program on television — Austin City Limits. The list of artists who have appeared on the show is legendary; now is your chance to see backstage where it all takes place. Guided tours and advanced notice required. Free public tours available on Friday mornings. Tour should take one hour.
Stroll quietly through the final resting place of Stephen F. Austin, John Connally, Barbara Jordan, James Michener and other distinguished Texans. Guided tours available through the Austin CVB with advanced notice and overnight stay. Tour should take one hour.
Afternoon
Select from one of Austin’s many downtown restaurants for a noontime meal or bring a picnic lunch to enjoy in Zilker Park.
After lunch, spend an hour viewing the extensive selection of sculpture at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum, containing more than 130 works by the late Charles Umlauf. Then, wander through the naturally beautiful Zilker Botanical Gardens, a 22-acre hideaway featuring a variety of gardens, pioneer cabins and dinosaur tracks.
Afterward, hike in the meadow, tour the Butterfly Garden, picnic in the shade, bird watch, snap photos or shop for souvenirs at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, a 284-acre native plant botanical garden.
Before dinner, take a thrilling eco-adventure on a Cypress Valley Canopy Tours and fly through the canopy of old growth cypress trees, some up to 100 feet tall. Soar through the trees, harnessed in climbing gear, for an exciting look at Texas Hill Country nature from a completely new perspective.
Evening
Devour mouth-watering Texas barbecue at The Salt Lick, Stubbs or County Line restaurants. Make sure to take in live Austin music!
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