3 days in Austin

Day by day

1. Day 1: Texas State Capitol and Sixth Street and Red River

   Texas State Capitol, Sixth Street and Red River and Lady Bird Lake and the Butler Trail, then Congress Avenue Bridge bats in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Texas State Capitol

      Completed in 1888 from pink Texas granite, the Capitol is taller than the US Capitol in Washington.

   2. Late morning

      Sixth Street and Red River

      For original bands rather than covers and shots, head to the clubs on Red River Street.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Central Texas brisket

      Franklin Barbecue in East Austin and other well-known pits; queues form for hours before the most famous ones open, and Lockhart is an hour away.

   4. Afternoon

      Lady Bird Lake and the Butler Trail

      A reservoir on the Colorado River through central Austin, circled by the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, a loop of about 16 km.

   5. Evening

      Congress Avenue Bridge bats

      Arrive about 30 minutes before sunset; August, when the young join the flight, is usually the biggest show. Bat-watching boat tours give a close view from the water.

2. Day 2: Barton Springs Pool and Zilker Park

   Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park and Umlauf Sculpture Garden, then Continental Club in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Barton Springs Pool

      Swim early in the morning on a summer weekday before the crowds and the heat.

   2. Late morning

      Zilker Park

      Austin's main green space covers about 140 hectares south of the river, with lawns, Barton Springs Pool, the Zilker Botanical Garden, canoe rentals and the Zilker Zephyr miniature train.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Breakfast tacos

      Taquerías and food trucks citywide, especially in East Austin and South Austin.

   4. Afternoon

      Umlauf Sculpture Garden

      A calm, shaded stop before or after Barton Springs.

   5. Evening

      Continental Club

      Early evening happy-hour sets are often free or low-cost and less crowded.

3. Day 3: South Congress Avenue and Bullock Texas State History Museum

   South Congress Avenue, Bullock Texas State History Museum and Blanton Museum of Art, then Sixth Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      South Congress Avenue

      The best-known shopping and eating strip in Austin, with Western boots and vintage clothing shops, food trucks, neon signs, the 'I love you so much' mural and a direct view up Congress Avenue to the Capitol.

   2. Late morning

      Bullock Texas State History Museum

      It is a few minutes' walk from the Capitol and the Blanton, so pair the three.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Queso

      Tex-Mex restaurants across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Blanton Museum of Art

      The University of Texas art museum has strong European, American and Latin American collections, and Ellsworth Kelly's 'Austin', a chapel-like building of coloured glass windows, the artist's only built work of architecture.

   5. Evening

      Sixth Street

      The famous bar strip east of Congress Avenue, with cover bands, shots and big crowds on weekend nights.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in LBJ Presidential Library (Hyde Park and the University): Allow time for the civil-rights galleries, which are the museum's strongest section.
• Swap in Harry Ransom Center (Hyde Park and the University): Entry is free; check the current exhibition before you go.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Downtown keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, South Congress (SoCo) ($$$) suits first-timers, couples, shopping and food lovers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 18–28 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Austin
• 2 days in Austin
• 5 days in Austin

Questions travellers ask