Things to do · San Antonio · United States
18 best things to do in San Antonio
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Liveon001 ©Travis Witt, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in San Antonio are The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Of the 18 picks below, 10 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 3 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- The Alamo
- Free sights
- 10
- Good on a rainy day
- San Antonio Museum of Art
- Time to see the highlights
- 3 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Alamo | Downtown | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| San Antonio River Walk | Downtown | 2–3 hours | Free |
| San Antonio Missions National Historical Park | Mission Reach | Half a day | Free |
| The Pearl | Pearl | 2 hours | Free |
| Market Square (El Mercado) | Downtown West | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| La Villita Historic Arts Village | Downtown | 45 minutes | Free |
| King William Historic District | King William | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Tower of the Americas | Hemisfair | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair | Hemisfair | 1–2 hours | Free |
| San Fernando Cathedral | Main Plaza | 45 minutes | Free |
| San Antonio Museum of Art | Museum Reach | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| McNay Art Museum | Alamo Heights | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Japanese Tea Garden | Brackenridge Park | 45 minutes | Free |
| San Antonio Zoo | Brackenridge Park | 3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Witte Museum | Brackenridge Park | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| The DoSeum | Broadway | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Six Flags Fiesta Texas | Northwest | Full day | Expensive |
| SeaWorld San Antonio | Westover Hills | Full day | Expensive |
The 18 best things to do
Historic site · Downtown
1.The Alamo
Founded in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo became famous for the 13-day siege of 1836 during the Texas Revolution. Its carved limestone church façade and Long Barrack are the core of a site that includes gardens, exhibits and artefacts from the battle, on a plaza being redeveloped with new museum space.
Go early in the morning before tour groups, then walk a block to the River Walk for breakfast.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Book ahead
- Church entry is free, but reserving a free time slot online can save a wait at busy times.
- Iconic
- History
- Free
- Architecture
Waterfront · Downtown
2.San Antonio River Walk
A network of riverside paths one storey below street level, shaded by cypress trees and lined with restaurants, hotels and bridges. The busy downtown loop is the classic stretch, while the landscaped Museum Reach to the north and Mission Reach to the south are quieter and better for long walks or cycling.
Take a narrated river boat first to get your bearings, then walk the quieter Museum Reach to the Pearl.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Couples
- After dark
- Outdoors
Historic site · Mission Reach
3.San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Four 18th-century Spanish missions south of downtown — Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada — still serve as active parishes. Mission San José, the largest, has a restored compound wall and the carved Rose Window; Espada has a working colonial irrigation ditch and aqueduct. Together with the Alamo they were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.
Rent a bike and ride the Mission Reach trail along the river between the missions, starting at Concepción.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Pearl
4.The Pearl
The red-brick Pearl Brewery complex, which brewed beer for over a century, now holds restaurants, a bakery, shops, a Culinary Institute of America campus and the Hotel Emma, built around a plaza by the river. On weekends its farmers' market brings in growers and food vendors from the region.
Come for the Saturday farmers' market, then walk south along the Museum Reach to downtown.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- Architecture
Market · Downtown West
5.Market Square (El Mercado)
Three blocks of shops and stalls selling Mexican crafts, pottery, papel picado and embroidered dresses, plus restaurants and bakeries. It is the setting for many festivals, with mariachis and folklórico dancers on weekends, and Mi Tierra Café y Panadería is famous for its year-round Christmas lights and pan dulce counter.
Buy pan dulce at Mi Tierra's bakery counter rather than waiting for a table.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Food
- Free
- Kids
Historic site · Downtown
6.La Villita Historic Arts Village
One of San Antonio's first neighbourhoods, La Villita is a block of small 19th-century stone and adobe houses now used as artists' studios and craft shops. Across the river, the Arneson River Theatre has stone seating terraced down to the water, with the stage on the opposite bank.
Combine it with Hemisfair and the Tower of the Americas, which are a few minutes' walk east.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Shopping
- Art
Neighbourhood · King William
7.King William Historic District
Streets of grand 19th-century homes built by German merchants, many with wide porches and gardens. The Steves Homestead museum shows a Victorian interior, and the Guenther House, at the old Pioneer Flour mill on the river, serves breakfast and has a small museum.
Walk King William Street towards the river and return along the River Walk to downtown.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Free
- Couples
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Viewpoint · Hemisfair
8.Tower of the Americas
Built for the 1968 HemisFair world's fair, this 229-metre tower has an observation deck reached by glass-fronted lifts, with views over downtown, the missions corridor and the Hill Country on clear days. A 4D ride about Texas runs at the base.
Go up shortly before sunset to see the city in daylight and as the lights come on.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Views
- After dark
- Kids
- Couples
Park · Hemisfair
1.Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair
A large free playground on the former world's fair grounds, with climbing structures, a splash pad, sand areas and giant board games, surrounded by restored historic houses and cafés. It is the best place downtown to let children burn off energy.
Bring swimwear in summer for the splash pad and visit in the morning, before the heat builds.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
Religious site · Main Plaza
2.San Fernando Cathedral
Founded in 1731 by settlers from the Canary Islands, San Fernando is one of the oldest cathedral sanctuaries in the United States. On several evenings a week, a free projection show called 'San Antonio | The Saga' plays across its Gothic Revival façade, telling the city's history in light.
Bring something to sit on in Main Plaza for the evening projection show; check the schedule for the current nights.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- After dark
- Architecture
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Museum · Museum Reach
3.San Antonio Museum of Art
Housed in the castle-like former Lone Star Brewery on the River Walk's Museum Reach, the museum is known for its Latin American art and folk art, its Greek and Roman antiquities and a large collection of Asian art.
Arrive along the River Walk from the Pearl, which brings you to the museum's riverside entrance.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Alamo Heights
4.McNay Art Museum
The first modern art museum in Texas occupies the Spanish Colonial Revival mansion of collector Marion Koogler McNay, with a courtyard, sculpture garden and modern wing. Highlights include works by Van Gogh, Cézanne, Picasso, Hopper and O'Keeffe.
Leave time for the sculpture garden and the tiled courtyard, which are among the most peaceful spots in the city.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
- Architecture
Garden · Brackenridge Park
5.Japanese Tea Garden
A former limestone quarry turned into a sunken garden in the 1910s, with stone bridges, koi ponds, a pagoda and a waterfall about 18 metres high. It sits in Brackenridge Park, close to the zoo and the Witte Museum, and is free to visit.
Visit in the morning when the light falls on the waterfall, then walk to the zoo next door.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Zoo · Brackenridge Park
6.San Antonio Zoo
A long-established zoo in Brackenridge Park with an African savanna area, big cats, hippos, a children's area and a large collection of birds and reptiles, set among limestone cliffs from the old quarries.
Go at opening on summer days; animals are most active before the afternoon heat.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Brackenridge Park
7.Witte Museum
The Witte covers Texas natural history and culture, with a dinosaur gallery, exhibits on the Lower Pecos rock art and cowboy history, and a hands-on science centre for children.
Pair it with the Japanese Tea Garden and the zoo for a full Brackenridge Park day.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Broadway
8.The DoSeum
San Antonio's children's museum is designed around hands-on play: a water-science area, a spy-themed maths zone, building workshops and a large outdoor play space. It is aimed at children up to about ten.
Bring a change of clothes for the water exhibits; children get soaked.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
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Theme park · Northwest
9.Six Flags Fiesta Texas
A large theme park built into a former limestone quarry, with roller coasters set against 30-metre cliff walls, family rides and a water park included in admission in the warmer months.
Go on a weekday outside school holidays and head to the biggest coasters first.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Active
- Outdoors
Theme park · Westover Hills
10.SeaWorld San Antonio
A marine theme park on the west side of the city with animal presentations, roller coasters and aquarium areas, plus the separate Aquatica water park next door.
Check the show schedule on arrival and plan rides around it, as shows set the rhythm of the day.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | La Villita Historic Arts Village, San Antonio Museum of Art, McNay Art Museum and Witte Museum |
| History | The Alamo, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, La Villita Historic Arts Village and King William Historic District |
| Views | Tower of the Americas |
| Outdoors and nature | San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair and Japanese Tea Garden |
| Food and markets | The Pearl and Market Square (El Mercado) |
| After dark | San Antonio River Walk, Tower of the Americas and San Fernando Cathedral |
| With children | Market Square (El Mercado), Tower of the Americas, Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair and San Antonio Zoo |
| On a rainy day | San Antonio Museum of Art, McNay Art Museum, Witte Museum and The DoSeum |
What to book ahead
- The Alamo: Church entry is free, but reserving a free time slot online can save a wait at busy times.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in San Antonio?
The Alamo. Founded in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo became famous for the 13-day siege of 1836 during the Texas Revolution.
+What can you do for free in San Antonio?
The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, The Pearl and Market Square (El Mercado). More free things to do.
+What is there to do in San Antonio when it rains?
Head indoors to San Antonio Museum of Art, McNay Art Museum, Witte Museum and The DoSeum.
+What is there to do in San Antonio at night?
San Antonio River Walk, Tower of the Americas and San Fernando Cathedral are best after dark.