Weekend in Austin, TX
Although 2020 has turned out to be a weird year, I wanted to write my Austin Travel Guide while it’s still fresh in my mind. I spent 3 years stationed in San Antonio, and made several 1.5 hour trips up to Austin for the weekend. Austin is by far my favorite Texas city, it’s unique, artsy, boujie, and just has a vibe about it. Truthfully, if I ever moved back to Texas, Austin is where I would want to go.
WHERE TO STAY
Austin has a TON of options when it comes to finding a place to stay. While downtown can be a bit pricey, it’s convenient so you can rent a scooter or walk around without having to face the crazy Austin traffic.
-The Fairmont Austin: located in a prime location downtown, the Austin Fairmont (linked here) is honestly one of my favorite hotels to stay at. The rooms are beautiful and luxurious, with floor to ceiling windows that offer views of downtown or the nearby river. You’ll definitely want to check out their restaurants, rooftop pool & bar, and the luxurious spa.
-An Airbnb: Austin is filled with super cool and creative little Airbnb’s throughout the city. If you’re going with a group, definitely explore your options with a cool house.
WHERE TO EAT
Austin’s food scene is one of the best I’ve ever experienced. There are SO many great options to grab a bite to eat, these are just a few of my favorites.
-Tiny Boxwood: This is my favorite for brunch! Every time I’ve gone I’ve ordered the avocado toast and split a pastry board. The food tastes amazing, and it’s super aesthetic for some Instagram pictures.
-Domo Alley-Gato Tatsu-Ya: This place is a super cool alley way bar on one side and a top rated ramen bar on the other. We enjoyed some amazing ramen at the community seating restaurant and then went next door for some drinks and photos.
-Tamale House East: This place has amazing Mexican food and a super dreamy courtyard seating area filled with ivy.
-P6: This is a rooftop bar located at The Line Hotel. It has stunning views of the river, super aesthetic decor, and amazing drinks.
-Irene’s: Irene’s is another cool spot to grab brunch. The parking situation is a bit horrendous though so you’ll need to find street parking nearby.
-VooDoo Doughnut: Quite possibly the best donuts in Austin. Their donuts are huge and they have tons of crazy flavors and options (including a chocolate voodoo doll donut). They’re cash only, but have an ATM inside.
-Torchy’s Tacos: I believe this is actually a chain that has expanded beyond Austin, but it originated as a food truck in Austin and they have some of the best taco flavors. I like to stick to my favorites, so I always got the breakfast tacos.
-Deep Eddy Vodka Distillery: Austin has a lot of cool distilleries and breweries on the outskirts of town. This is one of the ones I visited, and while the drinks are slightly pricey, they taste amazing and come with a cute mason jar to keep.
-Jester King Brewery: This is another cool brewery outside of town. They have a lot of open land to sit and play games and enjoy some local beer and wine. It wasn’t there when I visited, but they apparently also have a little goat farm so you can visit with some baby goats during your visit.
WHAT TO DO
There’s plenty to do in Austin, and it’s one my faves because you can experience the big city atmosphere as well as plenty of outdoorsy stuff near the water.
-Explore South Congress: South Congress is a cool strip that’s lined with tons of cute little boutiques, stores, and amazing restaurants.
-Mount Bonnel: Mount Bonnel is a quick little “hike” (it’s just like a 100 steps in a residential area) that has amazing views of the river and some pretty beautiful homes. It’s a cool place to grab some photos, plan a picnic, or just simply sit and enjoy the view.
-Lady Bird Lake: The lake near downtown Austin has plenty of water sports such as kayaking or standup paddle boarding with cool views of the city.
-Pennybacker Bridge: Also known as the 360 lookout, it’s a very quick hike up the cliffside to overlook the river and the famous Pennybacker Bridge. It’s a small area, so this is really just a quick stop for the view and some pictures before you continue on with your day.
-AZUL Rooftop Pool at the Westin: While it’s a pretty small pool, it’s worth a visit to grab a refreshing drink and check out the amazing views in downtown Austin.
-Sculpture Falls: This is a short hike off of the Austin Greenbelt that opens up into a secret watering hole. There’s rocks you can jump off, little waterfall pools to sit in, and plenty of spots to set up a hammock or barbecue. Be cautious though as the rocks to cross are pretty slippery.
-Texas State Capital: The Texas State Capital is a really beautiful building in downtown Austin. It’s definitely worth a quick detour during your downtown visit to see it in person.
-Lake Travis: Lake Travis is super popular for water sports such as boating, tubing, water-skiing, etc and the water is GORGOUS! It’s a beautiful turquoise blue that doesn’t look like it would be in Texas. There is also a place nearby, The Oasis, that has stunning cliff side views of Lake Travis. Don’t waste your time with the restaurants, it’s a tourist trap with crazy prices and mediocre food. However, the bar on the top floor is a great spot to grab a drink and watch the sunset.
-Hamilton Pool Preserve: This is just outside of Austin and features a swimming hole underneath a waterfall and partial cave. It’s a short easy hike from the parking lot and at times the water can be closed due to bacteria levels, but it’s still a beautiful sight to see when the water is closed off. You do need reservations, so make sure you plan ahead.
-Comal River- This is about 45 min outside of Austin in New Braunfels, but it’s well worth a visit if your trip has time for it. I used to go almost every weekend in the summertime when I lived there. They offer tubing down the river, so you can rent tubes, float down the river with drinks for a few hours, and then get bused back to your car at the end of the float. It was my favorite thing to do in SA.
I hope this guide was helpful! I also have an Austin highlight saved on my Instagram that has a ton of options with locations and tags, so you can easily click to see where things are at. If you have any questions, drop a comment below! xoxo
*as a note, this post contains affiliate links, meaning I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you when you book through my links. Thank you for supporting my business.
