Texas
5
Day Itinerary •
Thailand
Five days in Texas lets you explore the full extraordinary breadth of the Lone Star State, from the extraordinary live music scene of Austin and the finest BBQ in America to the magnificent Big Bend National Park in the Chihuahuan Desert, the extraordinary River Walk and missions of San Antonio and the finest Gulf Coast beaches in Texas. This route covers the complete Texas experience. The extraordinary Franklin BBQ and 6th Street of Austin, the remote grandeur of Big Bend's Santa Elena Canyon and Chisos Basin, the extraordinary San Antonio River Walk and Alamo, the finest Hill Country bluebonnets and Luckenbach honky-tonks and the extraordinary Padre Island National Seashore.
Best Time To Visit
October to April. Avoid Big Bend June to September.
Getting There
Fly into Austin (AUS) or San Antonio (SAT)
Getting Around
Rental car essential. Texas distances are extraordinary.
Budget Per Day
Approx $110 to $180 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some desert hiking
DAY 1
AUSTIN
MORNING
FRANKLIN BARBECUE AND THE TEXAS BBQ TRAIL
Franklin Barbecue is the most celebrated BBQ restaurant in the world, its extraordinary brisket smoked over post oak for 18 hours earning the James Beard Award and the first perfect Texas Monthly score. Queue from 9am for the 11am opening. Also outstanding: La Barbecue on East Cesar Chavez and Micklethwait Craft Meats on Cesar Chavez give the finest BBQ trail in Austin. The brisket, with its extraordinary pink smoke ring and the peppery bark, is the finest in America. Approx $25 per pound. Drive: 15 min drive
MIDDAY
SOUTH CONGRESS AND BARTON SPRINGS POOL
South Congress Avenue is the most extraordinary street in Austin, its extraordinary strip of vintage boutiques, food trailers, the Continental Club honky-tonk and the legendary Hotel San Jose giving the finest example of Austin's Keep Austin Weird culture. Barton Springs Pool, a 900-foot natural spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park at a constant 68 degrees, is the most extraordinary urban swimming hole in America. Entry $9, free before 8am. Drive: 15 min walk
AFTERNOON
EAST AUSTIN FOOD TRAILER SCENE AND 6TH STREET
Austin's food trailer scene is the most extraordinary in America, its extraordinary parks of trailers on East Cesar Chavez serving Vietnamese banh mi, Korean BBQ, Thai food and wood-fired pizza to a crowd of tech workers, musicians and students on outdoor picnic tables. The 6th Street live music corridor gives extraordinary live country, blues and rock from early evening. The Red River Cultural District is the finest for authentic Texas music. Most venues free before 9pm.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Barton Creek Greenbelt is the finest hidden outdoor space in any American city, its extraordinary 12 miles of hiking and natural swimming holes through limestone canyon walls entirely free and within 10 minutes of downtown Austin. Twin Falls and Sculpture Falls are extraordinary. Free. The finest hidden gem in Austin.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Juan in a Million, East Austin The finest breakfast taco in Texas. Extraordinary Don Juan taco with eggs, potato, bacon and cheese. | Lunch: Franklin Barbecue Queue from 9am. The most extraordinary brisket and ribs in America. Worth every minute of the wait. | Dinner: Uchi, Austin The finest Japanese restaurant in Texas. Extraordinary sushi and hot plates with local Texas ingredients.
DAY 2
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK
MORNING
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, CHISOS BASIN
Big Bend National Park is the most extraordinary and remote national park in the contiguous United States, its extraordinary 801,163 acres of Chihuahuan Desert, Rio Grande canyons and the Chisos Mountains giving more landscape diversity than any other park in Texas. The Chisos Basin at 5,400 feet in the heart of the mountains gives extraordinary views of the Window, the Casa Grande peak and the surrounding desert. The Lost Mine Trail is the finest day hike in the park. Entry $35. Drive: 5.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
SANTA ELENA CANYON AND THE RIO GRANDE
Santa Elena Canyon is the most extraordinary canyon in Texas, its extraordinary 1,500-foot sheer walls of Mesa de Anguila rising directly from the Rio Grande in a slot canyon that forms the international border between the United States and Mexico. The extraordinary turquoise reflection of the canyon walls in the still river at the entrance is the finest natural sight in Big Bend. Kayaking the Santa Elena Canyon is the most extraordinary paddling experience in Texas. Entry free with park pass. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
BIG BEND DARK SKIES AND HOT SPRINGS
Big Bend National Park has the darkest skies of any national park in the lower 48 states, its extraordinary remoteness giving a Milky Way display from Chisos Basin or the Rio Grande Village campground that is the most extraordinary stargazing in Texas. The historic Hot Springs on the Rio Grande bank give natural geothermal soaking at 105 degrees beside the river with Mexico visible across the water. Hot springs free with park entry.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Boquillas del Carmen in Mexico is the most extraordinary border crossing in America, a rowboat ferry across the Rio Grande landing in a tiny Mexican village entirely off the grid. The cold beer and tamales at Jose's cantina are unmissable. Passport required. The most extraordinary hidden experience in Big Bend National Park.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Starlight Theatre, Terlingua The most legendary restaurant near Big Bend. Outstanding local Texas cuisine and live music most nights. | Lunch: Chisos Mountains Lodge Dining Room Outstanding park lunch. Local Texas beef, green chile and the most extraordinary mountain views in the park. | Dinner: Starlight Theatre, Terlingua The finest dinner near Big Bend. Outstanding Texas BBQ and cold Lone Star beer in a ghost town.
DAY 3
SAN ANTONIO
MORNING
THE ALAMO, THE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIC SITE IN TEXAS
The Alamo is the most important historic site in Texas, its extraordinary 1724 Spanish mission the site of the legendary 13-day siege of February and March 1836 in which 189 Texas defenders including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and William Barret Travis were killed by Santa Anna's Mexican army. The extraordinary Long Barrack museum and the Church give the finest introduction to the Texas Revolution. The Alamo is the most visited site in Texas. Entry free. Drive: 3 hr drive
MIDDAY
SAN ANTONIO RIVER WALK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY URBAN WATERWAY IN AMERICA
The San Antonio River Walk is the most extraordinary urban waterway in America, its extraordinary 15-mile network of cafes, restaurants, art galleries and hotels along the San Antonio River a story below street level giving a European-style waterfront experience entirely unique to Texas. The La Villita arts village, the extraordinary Tower of the Americas and the four Spanish missions south of downtown are all unmissable. River Walk free. Drive: 20 min walk
AFTERNOON
SAN ANTONIO MISSIONS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves the most extraordinary collection of Spanish colonial missions in North America, its four working Catholic parishes founded between 1720 and 1731 giving an extraordinary living history of the Spanish colonial era in Texas. Mission San Jose, the queen of the Texas missions, with its extraordinary Rose Window carved by indigenous craftsmen, is the finest single building in Texas. Entry free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Hotel Emma in San Antonio's Pearl Brewery complex is the finest boutique hotel in Texas, its extraordinary conversion of the 1881 brewmaster's house and brew hall into a hotel of extraordinary character. The lobby bar is the finest in San Antonio. Even non-guests can visit the bar. The most extraordinary hidden drinking experience in San Antonio.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: The Guenther House, San Antonio The finest breakfast in San Antonio. Extraordinary biscuits and gravy in an 1860 flour mill on the River Walk. | Lunch: The Pearl Brewery Market, San Antonio Outstanding artisan food market. Extraordinary tacos, oysters and local Texas produce in the finest complex. | Dinner: Bohanan's Prime Steaks, San Antonio The finest steakhouse in San Antonio. Extraordinary Texas aged beef and Hill Country wine list.
DAY 4
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
MORNING
ENCHANTED ROCK AND THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
Enchanted Rock is the most extraordinary natural landmark in the Texas Hill Country, its extraordinary 425-foot pink granite dome 1.1 billion years old giving the finest 360-degree view of the Hill Country from its summit. The extraordinary vernal pools support unique aquatic species found nowhere else on earth. The Comanche and Tonkawa regarded it as sacred. Book online in advance as it sells out by 9am on weekends. Entry $8. Trail to summit 0.6 miles. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
FREDERICKSBURG AND THE TEXAS WINE TRAIL
Fredericksburg is the most extraordinary small town in Texas, its extraordinary Main Street of 19th-century German immigrant buildings housing the finest concentration of wineries and peach orchards in the state. The National Museum of the Pacific War is the finest WWII museum in America. The extraordinary Texas wine trail through the Pedernales Valley around Fredericksburg has over 50 wineries producing the finest Tempranillo and Viognier outside Spain and France. Museum approx $20. Drive: 45 min drive
AFTERNOON
LUCKENBACH TEXAS AND THE HILL COUNTRY BACKROADS
Luckenbach Texas is the most extraordinary honky-tonk venue in America, its extraordinary 1849 general store and dance hall the living embodiment of outlaw country music. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Jerry Jeff Walker made it famous. The dance hall has free music every weekend. The Willow City Loop road nearby in April gives the most extraordinary bluebonnet wildflower display in Texas. Luckenbach free entry to grounds.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Willow City Loop near Fredericksburg is the finest bluebonnet drive in Texas, its 13-mile private ranch road through limestone hills carpeted in state flowers in April in the most extraordinary wildflower display in America. Free and open only in peak bloom. The finest hidden gem in the Texas Hill Country.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Rather Sweet Bakery, Fredericksburg The finest bakery in the Hill Country. Extraordinary peach kolaches and strong Texas coffee. | Lunch: Auslander Restaurant, Fredericksburg Outstanding German-Texas lunch. Extraordinary schnitzel, sausage and Hill Country craft beer. | Dinner: August E's, Fredericksburg The finest restaurant in Fredericksburg. Extraordinary local Texas venison, lamb and Hill Country wine.
DAY 5
TEXAS GULF COAST
MORNING
PADRE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE, THE LONGEST UNDEVELOPED BARRIER ISLAND IN THE WORLD
Padre Island National Seashore is the most extraordinary undeveloped barrier island in the world, its extraordinary 70 miles of pristine Gulf Coast beach with no development, no hotels and no facilities giving a completely wild beach experience on the Texas Gulf Coast. The extraordinary Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting season from April to July gives the finest sea turtle encounter in the United States. Entry $10 per vehicle. 4WD recommended for beach driving beyond the paved section. Drive: 2.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
ARANSAS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, THE WHOOPING CRANE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast is the most extraordinary wildlife refuge in America, its extraordinary coastal prairies and tidal flats hosting the world's only self-sustaining wild flock of whooping cranes from November to March. The whooping crane, once reduced to 15 individuals, now numbers over 500 at Aransas. The extraordinary boat tours give the finest close-range views. Entry $3 per vehicle, boat tours approx $45. Drive: 1 hr drive
AFTERNOON
ROCKPORT AND THE TEXAS GULF COAST
Rockport is the most extraordinary small coastal town in Texas, its extraordinary Little Bay of fishing boats, waterfront seafood shacks and the Rockport Beach Park giving the finest Gulf Coast experience outside Padre Island. The extraordinary Rockport Art Center and the Texas Maritime Museum give the finest introduction to the cultural heritage of the Texas Gulf Coast. The extraordinary Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary is the finest birdwatching spot on the coast. Free to explore.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Goose Island State Park near Rockport is the finest hidden coastal park in Texas, its extraordinary 1,000-year-old coastal live oak known as the Big Tree, the largest coastal live oak in Texas, and the extraordinary whooping crane viewing in winter entirely unknown to most visitors. Entry $4 per person. The most extraordinary hidden gem on the Texas Gulf Coast.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Snoopy's Pier, Corpus Christi The finest fish taco on the Texas Gulf Coast. Extraordinary fresh-caught local fish and cold Lone Star beer. | Lunch: Charlotte Plummer's Seafare, Rockport Outstanding Gulf Coast seafood lunch. Extraordinary local shrimp, oysters and redfish on Little Bay. | Dinner: Chez Ardid, Corpus Christi The finest restaurant in Corpus Christi. Extraordinary French cuisine with Gulf Coast ingredients.
Where To Stay
Austin, Night 1 Hotel Saint Cecilia or South Congress Hotel. Approx $150 to $280 per night. Terlingua or Study Butte, Night 2 Lajitas Golf Resort or Basecamp Terlingua. Approx $100 to $200 per night. San Antonio or Fredericksburg, Nights 3 to 5 Hotel Emma San Antonio or Fredericksburg Inn. Approx $130 to $250.
Top Tips
1. Franklin Barbecue opens at 11am and sells out by 1pm. Join the queue by 9am. The brisket is the finest in the world.
2. Big Bend has the darkest skies in the lower
48. The Milky Way from Chisos Basin is the most extraordinary in Texas.
3. San Antonio's Hotel Emma in the Pearl Brewery complex is the finest boutique hotel in Texas. Extraordinary.
4. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Corpus Christi has the world's only wild whooping crane flock. Extraordinary.
5. Enchanted Rock sells out on weekends by 9am. Book at texas.reserveamerica.com weeks ahead.
6. Padre Island National Seashore is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. Entry $10 per vehicle.
Total Budget
$110 to $180/day