Austin

The Texas capital and "Live Music Capital of the World," with Sixth Street music bars, Texas barbecue, the State Capitol and the bat colony under the Congress Avenue Bridge.

Austin, the capital of Texas, lies in Central Texas with the Colorado River running through it and the rolling Texas Hill Country just west of the city. It bills itself as the "Live Music Capital of the World": hundreds of bars and live music venues on Sixth Street, in the Red River Cultural District and along South Congress Avenue host shows nearly every night, while SXSW (South by Southwest) each March and the ACL Festival each October draw music fans from around the globe. It is also a booming tech hub, and its offbeat "Keep Austin Weird" culture is as famous as its Texas barbecue and Tex-Mex food. The climate is humid subtropical, often topping 35°C from Jun to Sep; spring (Mar–May), when wildflowers bloom, and cool autumn (Oct–Nov) are the best seasons. Areas to explore: downtown with the Capitol, museums and Sixth Street nightlife; South Congress Avenue on the south shore of the lake and bat-watching at the Congress Avenue Bridge; outdoor activities at Zilker Park, Barton Springs and Lady Bird Lake; Mount Bonnell, the Pennybacker Bridge and Lake Travis to the west; and Hill Country nature spots such as Hamilton Pool and Pedernales Falls. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is about 15 km from downtown; city buses and bike share cover the core areas, but outlying sights require a car. Plan to stay 3–4 days; Hamilton Pool and state parks require advance online reservations, and hotel prices skyrocket during music festivals.

Top sights

• Texas State Capitol – A pink granite capitol completed in 1888, taller than the U.S. Capitol. The rotunda and chambers are open for free tours.
• Sixth Street – The heart of “the Live Music Capital of the World,” with dozens of live-music bars and nightclubs packed into a few blocks.
• Congress Avenue Bridge Bats – The world’s largest urban bat colony roosts beneath this bridge. On summer evenings, about 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats pour out.
• Barton Springs Pool – A 3-acre outdoor pool in Zilker Park, fed by natural spring water, with a temperature of about 20°C year-round. It is Austin’s favorite pla…
• South Congress (SoCo) – A retro, quirky district south of the bridge, where vintage shops, cowboy boot stores, murals, food trucks and classic neon signs come toge…
• Zilker Park – A 350-acre urban park southwest of downtown, home to the ACL Music Festival, with Barton Springs, a botanical garden, and a paddling launch.
• Lady Bird Lake – A reservoir lake formed by the Colorado River as it runs through the city, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail around it. Kayaking and paddl…
• Mount Bonnell – One of the highest points in Austin. A climb of about 100 steps rewards you with views of the Colorado River (Lake Austin) and the lakeside…
• LBJ Presidential Library – The Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library on the University of Texas campus, with exhibits on civil rights legislation, the Vietnam War, a…
• Bullock Texas State History Museum – Three floors of exhibits trace Texas history from Indigenous peoples, Spanish colonization, and the Republic of Texas to the oil age. A gia…
• Blanton Museum of Art – A large university art museum at the University of Texas, famous for 'Austin,' a stained-glass chapel designed by Ellsworth Kelly.
• UT Tower – The iconic clock tower of the University of Texas at Austin, 93 meters tall. Guided tours to the top offer city views by reservation.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – A native plant garden run by the University of Texas, where wildflowers including Texas bluebonnets bloom across the hillsides in spring. O…
• McKinney Falls State Park – A state park southeast of the city where Onion Creek forms upper and lower waterfalls over limestone ledges. Popular for hiking, wading, an…
• Hamilton Pool Preserve – A semicircular limestone sinkhole pool formed when an underground river collapsed. A 50-foot waterfall pours over the rock overhang. It is…
• Rainey Street Historic District – A bar district in converted historic bungalows, mixing courtyard beer gardens, food trucks, and high-rise condos. It is more laid-back than…
• Pennybacker Bridge – A rust-colored steel arch bridge spanning Lake Austin. The viewpoint on the rocky hill north of the bridge offers a classic panorama of the…
• Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum – A small outdoor sculpture garden next to Zilker Park, where more than a hundred works by sculptor Charles Umlauf are scattered among trees…
• Zilker Botanical Garden – A botanical garden in Zilker Park with a Japanese garden, rose garden, butterfly garden, and a dinosaur track garden.
• Barton Creek Greenbelt – A 7-mile creek canyon trail running through the city, with limestone cliffs, natural swimming holes, and climbing spots. Wilderness within…
• Harry Ransom Center – A humanities research center at the University of Texas that displays the Gutenberg Bible and the world's first photograph. Admission is fr…
• Deep Eddy Pool – The oldest man-made swimming pool in Texas, fed by well water and surrounded by trees. It has a more family-friendly atmosphere than Barton…
• Circuit of the Americas – The only purpose-built racetrack in the United States that hosts a Formula 1 Grand Prix, with a 77-meter observation tower overlooking the…
• Franklin Barbecue – The most famous Texas smoked brisket restaurant in America. It has won the James Beard Award, and lines form hours before opening.
• Broken Spoke – A legendary country dance hall that opened in 1964, featuring live country bands and beginner two-step dance lessons.
• Laguna Gloria – An Italian-style villa and sculpture park on the shore of Lake Austin, operated as a branch of The Contemporary Austin, where lake views me…
• Lake Travis – A large reservoir northwest of the city offering boat tours, water sports, and lakeside sunset restaurants. It serves as Austin residents'…
• Pedernales Falls State Park – A rugged state park in the Texas Hill Country where the river tumbles in tiers down sloping limestone ledges. Good for hiking and picnickin…
• Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve – A small garden and nature preserve where peacocks roam freely, with an old stone house, a lily pond, and forest trails. Admission is free.
• Continental Club – A legendary music bar on South Congress Avenue that opened in 1955, offering nightly rock, blues, and rockabilly performances.

Where to eat

• Franklin Barbecue – The most iconic barbecue joint in Austin, awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2026, where the brisket is well worth wa…
• Nixta Taqueria – A modern taco spot in East Austin, awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, famous for its heirloom corn tortillas and duck c…
• Joe's Bakery & Coffee Shop – An East Austin classic run by the Avila family since 1962, beloved by locals for its breakfast tacos and handmade torti…
• Veracruz Fonda & Bar – A sit-down restaurant from the famous taco truck brand Veracruz All Natural, awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, with it…
• Odd Duck – A creative South Lamar restaurant that started as a food truck, awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, serving shareable pl…
• Uchi – A famous creative Japanese restaurant founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Tyson Cole, featuring the signature spi…

Itineraries

• Texas Triangle, Hill Country & Gulf Coast – Head south from Dallas through Fort Worth, Austin, the Hill Country, San Antonio, and Houston, ending in Galveston.