Stand on the Congress Avenue bridge over the Colorado River at dusk and you will see why Austin rewards a little planning. The skyline lights up across the water, bats stream out from under the bridge in warmer months, and the city's two great pleasures — being outdoors and listening to live music — are both within walking distance of where you are standing.
Austin suits travellers who want a city they can cover on foot and by bike in the morning, then fill with music, food and sport in the evening. It is a university town, a state capital and a festival town at once, so the experience changes with the season.
This guide covers the places worth your time, drawn from the city's own listings, and ends with a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Austin
1. The University of Texas at Austin
The campus is a pleasant place for a long walk, and it holds several of the city's best free cultural stops in one area. The Blanton Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Center and the Texas Memorial Museum of Science and History are all here, and there is public art scattered around the grounds.
Ask at the university whether the UT tower is open during your visit. If it is, the views and the history lesson are worth the time, but it is a tour, so you need to make reservations. The theater and music departments perform throughout the school year, so check what is on before you go.
2. The Texas State Capitol
The Capitol is the first stop for most new visitors to Austin. Unlike many other state capitols in America, this one is as welcoming as the state's people, and it is completely open to the public seven days a week.
Because it stays open every day, it works well as an anchor for a downtown morning. Pair it with a walk through the surrounding downtown streets and save the skyline views for after dark.
3. Downtown Austin skyline viewpoints
Downtown Austin has a striking, unique skyline that is in some ways even prettier at night, when the buildings are lit up in different colors. Among the places from which you can see excellent views are South Congress Avenue across the Colorado River, Stephen F. Austin Drive, West Cesar Chavez Street and several bridges.
Go after dark for the lit-up version, and combine it with an evening on Sixth Street so you are already downtown when the venues fill up.
4. Sixth Street
If you are into the bar and club scene, head to Sixth Street during the later hours for a wide selection of venues, many of which also feature live music. It is the most tourist-filled part of town and can become very crowded.
Note that by ordinance for the protection of workers and public enjoyment, all public buildings in Austin are clean air zones, including bars, and smoking is prohibited except in rare separately ventilated areas. That makes Austin one of the few cities where a large and varied selection of music can be experienced smokefree.
5. Town Lake Hike & Bike trail
This is a big loop around Town Lake with beautiful scenery while getting a good workout, running alongside Zilker Park. It is a good place for biking, running, walking, or taking the dog out for a nice run, and it is a relatively easy hike.
Use it in the morning before the heat builds, and finish at Zilker Park so you can carry on to Barton Springs Pool.
6. Barton Springs Pool
Barton Springs Pool is one of the city's outdoor places to swim, listed alongside the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Zilker Park and McKinney Falls State Park as the spots residents rely on.
Combine it with the Town Lake Hike & Bike trail, which runs alongside Zilker Park, or with a visit to Zilker Park itself on the same outing.
7. Zilker Park
Zilker Park is at 2200 Barton Springs Road and is one of the city's most popular green spaces. It hosts the ABC Kite Festival, held the first Sunday in March from 10AM to 5PM, with free admission, free parking and shuttles, kite flying demonstrations all day, and food prepared fresh at the event.
If you are in town in early March, the rain date is the following Sunday. Otherwise treat the park as a base for the Town Lake trail and Barton Springs Pool.
8. Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail
Cycling trails are found at a number of locations including Walnut Creek Municipal Park, the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail and The Veloway. There are also a couple of BMX and skate parks downtown.
Rent a bike rather than walking the whole thing, and note that a significant number of the city's parks are pet friendly if you are travelling with a dog.
9. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
The Wildflower Center is one of the outdoor places the city is known for, alongside Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park and McKinney Falls State Park.
It pairs naturally with McKinney Falls State Park if you want a full day away from downtown, and both are well suited to a car.
10. McKinney Falls State Park
McKinney Falls State Park is listed among the city's outdoor places, and the parks all over the city and in the surrounding suburbs are very popular with residents.
Plan it as a half day rather than a quick stop, and bring what you need for a hike.
11. Live music beyond Sixth Street
Austin is the "Live Music Capital of the World", and Sixth Street is not by any stretch the only place to see music. Venues are spread across the city, so you can build an evening around a show rather than around a street.
Use the KUTX Austin Music Map to find what is on, and mute the sound at the bottom left if you are browsing somewhere quiet.
12. Texas Longhorns sport at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
Austin is a university town and Texas sports are taken very seriously, with strong basketball and baseball teams in particular. If you visit during football season, you can see the Texas Longhorn football team play at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
Check the schedule before you book travel, since the stadium only matters to you on a game day.
13. Austin FC at Q2 Stadium
Austin FC began play in Major League Soccer in the brand-new Q2 Stadium in northwest Austin, and in 2023 the club was to start a new reserve side playing in MLS Next Pro.
It is in northwest Austin, so treat it as its own evening rather than something to bolt onto a downtown day.
14. Circuit of the Americas
Formula One, Grand Prix and other motor races are held at Circuit of the Americas, near the airport south of the city.
Because it sits near the airport, it works best at the start or end of a trip rather than in the middle of a downtown day.
15. Festivals
The mammoth South by Southwest (SXSW) festivals are in March, covering film, interactive and music, with the film festival beginning before and overlapping the music festival. The major Austin City Limits Festival is in October.
Be warned that SXSW music wristbands are loved by college students here, but you will be turned away at the door at many of the venues even with one. Other options include the Lunar New Year Festival in February and the Austin Chocolate Festival in March, which offers samples from chocolatiers, bakeries, patisseries, restaurants, hotels, caterers, authors and resorts.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Texas State Capitol, which is open to the public seven days a week, then walk over to The University of Texas at Austin and choose one of the Blanton Museum of Art, the Harry Ransom Center or the Texas Memorial Museum of Science and History. Ask at the university whether the UT tower is open, and make reservations if it is.
Afternoon: Head to Zilker Park at 2200 Barton Springs Road and pick up the Town Lake Hike & Bike trail, which runs alongside it. Finish with a swim at Barton Springs Pool. If you have energy left, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center or McKinney Falls State Park make a longer outdoor afternoon.
Evening: Take in the Downtown Austin skyline from South Congress Avenue across the Colorado River, Stephen F. Austin Drive, West Cesar Chavez Street or one of the bridges, then go to Sixth Street for live music in the later hours. Remember that the bars are clean air zones, so the music comes smokefree.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Austin for festivals?
The mammoth South by Southwest festivals are in March, and the major Austin City Limits Festival is in October. February brings the Lunar New Year Festival, and March also brings the Austin Chocolate Festival and the ABC Kite Festival.
Can I see live music without going to Sixth Street?
Yes. Sixth Street is not by any stretch the only place to see music, though it is the most tourist-filled part of town and can become very crowded. Use the KUTX Austin Music Map to find venues elsewhere in the city.
Is the Texas State Capitol open to visitors?
Yes. Unlike many other state capitols in America, Texas's is completely open to the public seven days a week.
Where can I swim or hike outdoors in Austin?
Barton Springs Pool, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Zilker Park and McKinney Falls State Park are the main outdoor places, with cycling trails at Walnut Creek Municipal Park, the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail and The Veloway, plus BMX and skate parks downtown.
Pick your dates around a festival or a game, book the tower tour if it is running, and start planning your Austin trip.