Solo travel · Austin · United States
Solo travel in Austin
How to enjoy Austin at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Austin is easy to enjoy alone: live-music venues, food-truck parks and bars with communal seating make it simple to meet people, and the lake trail is good for solo exercise. Many solo travellers base themselves in East Austin.
Key facts
- Base
- East Austin
- Getting around
- Bus
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Language
- English and Spanish
Solo travel tips
- Sit at the bar at music venues; musicians and regulars are often chatty between sets.
- Join a kayak, food or music history tour to meet other travellers.
- Hostels and small hotels in East Austin and near downtown put you close to nightlife.
- Carry water and avoid long midday walks in summer.
- Use rideshare rather than walking alone late at night through quiet areas east of Interstate 35.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for food lovers, nightlife, solo travellers and budget
East Austin
East Austin, historically home to the city's Black and Mexican-American communities, has become a hub of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and barbecue joints along East Sixth Street, East Cesar Chavez and East 11th Street. Franklin Barbecue is on its western edge, and gentrification has changed the area rapidly.
- Good
- Some of the city's best bars and food; More local feel than downtown; Close to downtown
- Watch out
- Mostly rentals and a few boutique hotels; Noisy around East Sixth on weekends
- Nearby
- Franklin Barbecue, East Sixth Street, Plaza Saltillo, Rainey Street
Great on your own
Architecture · Downtown
Texas State Capitol
Stand in the centre of the rotunda and look up at the star in the dome, then walk the grounds' monuments.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Downtown
Lady Bird Lake and the Butler Trail
Rent a kayak or paddleboard from one of the rental docks and paddle towards the downtown skyline at sunset.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Views
.jpg){kind=link}
Museum · Hyde Park and the University
Bullock Texas State History Museum
It is a few minutes' walk from the Capitol and the Blanton, so pair the three.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
.jpg){kind=link}
Museum · Hyde Park and the University
Blanton Museum of Art
Visit 'Austin' in the morning when sunlight casts coloured patterns across the floor.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Hyde Park and the University
LBJ Presidential Library
Allow time for the civil-rights galleries, which are the museum's strongest section.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Viewpoint · West Austin
Mount Bonnell
Go at sunset, but arrive early as the small parking area fills.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Meeting people
- Barbecue queue — Lining up before opening at a famous barbecue joint is an Austin ritual; bring a chair, water and patience, and order by weight when you reach the counter.
- Food-truck parks — Trailer parks of food trucks on South Congress, South First and East Austin offer tacos, barbecue and international dishes with picnic tables and often a bar.
- Sixth Street — The famous bar strip east of Congress Avenue, with cover bands, shots and big crowds on weekend nights.
- Red River Cultural District — Long-running original-music clubs and rock venues.
Sensible precautions
Summer heat is the main risk: drink water, wear sun protection and avoid strenuous activity in the afternoon. Heavy rain can cause dangerous flash floods; never drive or walk through flooded low-water crossings. Sixth Street can be rowdy late at night.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Staying connected
- US SIM cards and eSIMs are easy to buy; free Wi-Fi is common in cafés, libraries and at the airport.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Austin good for solo travellers?
Austin is easy to enjoy alone: live-music venues, food-truck parks and bars with communal seating make it simple to meet people, and the lake trail is good for solo exercise.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Austin?
East Austin: Bars, barbecue joints and murals east of Interstate 35.