Austin itinerary: 1 to 7 days
Plans for one to seven days in Austin, day by day: Lady Bird Lake and the Texas State Capitol first, then Barton Springs Pool and Zilker Park, the Congress Avenue Bridge, Mount Bonnell and the University of Texas museums as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Austin in 1 day
Day 1
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the south bank of the river near Barton Springs, with a Japanese garden, rose garden and dinosaur trail.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Austin in 2 days
Day 1
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
UT Tower (Main Building)
The 94 m tower at the heart of the University of Texas campus, lit orange after wins; the observation deck is by booked tour only.
Blanton Museum of Art
University of Texas art museum with European, American and Latin American collections and Ellsworth Kelly's chapel-like building Austin.
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Day 2
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Zilker Park
Austin's big central park beside Barton Springs, with lawns, a botanical garden, the Zilker Hillside Theater and kayak rentals on Barton Creek.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the south bank of the river near Barton Springs, with a Japanese garden, rose garden and dinosaur trail.
Austin in 3 days
Day 1
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Performing arts centre on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, with a terrace offering a well-known view of the downtown skyline.
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
Day 2
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Esther's Follies
Long-running comedy and magic revue on Sixth Street, with evening shows from Thursday to Saturday.
Day 3
Deep Eddy Pool
Texas's oldest swimming pool, opened in the 1910s and fed by well water, set in a small park near Lake Austin Boulevard.
Mount Bonnell
One of the highest points in Austin, reached by a short stairway, with views over Lake Austin and the hills.
William Sidney Porter House
Small 1880s cottage where the writer O. Henry lived, now the O. Henry Museum with his belongings and family items.
Mexic-Arte Museum
Downtown museum of Mexican, Latino and Latin American art, known for its Day of the Dead exhibition in the autumn.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Austin in 4 days
Day 1
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Day 2
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Performing arts centre on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake, with a terrace offering a well-known view of the downtown skyline.
Deep Eddy Pool
Texas's oldest swimming pool, opened in the 1910s and fed by well water, set in a small park near Lake Austin Boulevard.
Pease Park
Long, narrow park along Shoal Creek with walking trails, playgrounds and the Treehouse, a short way from the University of Texas.
Day 3
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the south bank of the river near Barton Springs, with a Japanese garden, rose garden and dinosaur trail.
William Sidney Porter House
Small 1880s cottage where the writer O. Henry lived, now the O. Henry Museum with his belongings and family items.
Esther's Follies
Long-running comedy and magic revue on Sixth Street, with evening shows from Thursday to Saturday.
Day 4
Elisabet Ney Museum
The studio of 19th-century sculptor Elisabet Ney in Hyde Park, a small castle-like building with her portrait busts and statues.
Bailey Park
Small neighbourhood park near Hyde Park with a playground, pool and shady lawns.
Lake Austin
Reservoir on the Colorado River west of the city, lined with hills, used for boating, paddling and lakeside walks.
Mount Bonnell
One of the highest points in Austin, reached by a short stairway, with views over Lake Austin and the hills.
Austin in 5 days
Day 1
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
Esther's Follies
Long-running comedy and magic revue on Sixth Street, with evening shows from Thursday to Saturday.
Day 2
Buford Tower
Former fire department training tower on the Lady Bird Lake shore, now a memorial with a carillon of bells.
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the south bank of the river near Barton Springs, with a Japanese garden, rose garden and dinosaur trail.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
Garden and small museum near Zilker Park showing the works of sculptor Charles Umlauf among trees, ponds and paths.
Deep Eddy Pool
Texas's oldest swimming pool, opened in the 1910s and fed by well water, set in a small park near Lake Austin Boulevard.
Day 3
St. David's Episcopal Church
Gothic Revival church downtown, begun in 1853 and among the oldest Protestant churches in Texas still in use.
Mexic-Arte Museum
Downtown museum of Mexican, Latino and Latin American art, known for its Day of the Dead exhibition in the autumn.
William Sidney Porter House
Small 1880s cottage where the writer O. Henry lived, now the O. Henry Museum with his belongings and family items.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Day 4
Mayfield-Gutsch Estate
Historic cottage and gardens with ponds and free-roaming peacocks, beside a nature preserve with trails near Lake Austin.
Lake Austin
Reservoir on the Colorado River west of the city, lined with hills, used for boating, paddling and lakeside walks.
Mount Bonnell
One of the highest points in Austin, reached by a short stairway, with views over Lake Austin and the hills.
Day 5
Blanton Museum of Art
University of Texas art museum with European, American and Latin American collections and Ellsworth Kelly's chapel-like building Austin.
Littlefield Fountain
Bronze fountain and memorial of the 1930s at the south end of the University of Texas main mall, below the UT Tower.
UT Tower (Main Building)
The 94 m tower at the heart of the University of Texas campus, lit orange after wins; the observation deck is by booked tour only.
Texas Memorial Museum
University of Texas natural history museum with fossils, a large pterosaur skeleton, minerals and wildlife displays.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
Presidential library on the UT campus about Lyndon B. Johnson's life and term, with a replica of the Oval Office.
Austin in 6 days
Day 1
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
Esther's Follies
Long-running comedy and magic revue on Sixth Street, with evening shows from Thursday to Saturday.
Day 2
Buford Tower
Former fire department training tower on the Lady Bird Lake shore, now a memorial with a carillon of bells.
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the south bank of the river near Barton Springs, with a Japanese garden, rose garden and dinosaur trail.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
Garden and small museum near Zilker Park showing the works of sculptor Charles Umlauf among trees, ponds and paths.
Deep Eddy Pool
Texas's oldest swimming pool, opened in the 1910s and fed by well water, set in a small park near Lake Austin Boulevard.
Day 3
St. David's Episcopal Church
Gothic Revival church downtown, begun in 1853 and among the oldest Protestant churches in Texas still in use.
Mexic-Arte Museum
Downtown museum of Mexican, Latino and Latin American art, known for its Day of the Dead exhibition in the autumn.
William Sidney Porter House
Small 1880s cottage where the writer O. Henry lived, now the O. Henry Museum with his belongings and family items.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Day 4
Mayfield-Gutsch Estate
Historic cottage and gardens with ponds and free-roaming peacocks, beside a nature preserve with trails near Lake Austin.
Lake Austin
Reservoir on the Colorado River west of the city, lined with hills, used for boating, paddling and lakeside walks.
Mount Bonnell
One of the highest points in Austin, reached by a short stairway, with views over Lake Austin and the hills.
Day 5
Blanton Museum of Art
University of Texas art museum with European, American and Latin American collections and Ellsworth Kelly's chapel-like building Austin.
Littlefield Fountain
Bronze fountain and memorial of the 1930s at the south end of the University of Texas main mall, below the UT Tower.
UT Tower (Main Building)
The 94 m tower at the heart of the University of Texas campus, lit orange after wins; the observation deck is by booked tour only.
Texas Memorial Museum
University of Texas natural history museum with fossils, a large pterosaur skeleton, minerals and wildlife displays.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
Presidential library on the UT campus about Lyndon B. Johnson's life and term, with a replica of the Oval Office.
Day 6
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Museum of the history of Texas near the Capitol, with three floors of exhibits and an IMAX theatre.
Harry Ransom Center
University of Texas archive and museum with a Gutenberg Bible, the first known photograph and rotating literary and art exhibitions.
Neill–Cochran House
Greek Revival house museum of 1855 in north-central Austin, furnished to show life in 19th-century Texas.
Pease Park
Long, narrow park along Shoal Creek with walking trails, playgrounds and the Treehouse, a short way from the University of Texas.
Austin in 7 days
Day 1
Lady Bird Lake
Reservoir on the Colorado River through downtown Austin, with a 10-mile hike-and-bike trail and kayak and paddleboard rentals.
Texas State Capitol
Pink granite capitol of 1888, taller than the US Capitol, with a rotunda, legislative chambers and free daily guided tours.
Day 2
Buford Tower
Former fire department training tower on the Lady Bird Lake shore, now a memorial with a carillon of bells.
Barton Springs Pool
Spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park, three acres in size, with water around 20 °C all year.
Zilker Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the south bank of the river near Barton Springs, with a Japanese garden, rose garden and dinosaur trail.
Deep Eddy Pool
Texas's oldest swimming pool, opened in the 1910s and fed by well water, set in a small park near Lake Austin Boulevard.
Day 3
Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum
Garden and small museum near Zilker Park showing the works of sculptor Charles Umlauf among trees, ponds and paths.
St. David's Episcopal Church
Gothic Revival church downtown, begun in 1853 and among the oldest Protestant churches in Texas still in use.
Mexic-Arte Museum
Downtown museum of Mexican, Latino and Latin American art, known for its Day of the Dead exhibition in the autumn.
William Sidney Porter House
Small 1880s cottage where the writer O. Henry lived, now the O. Henry Museum with his belongings and family items.
South Congress
Shopping and dining strip south of the river with quirky shops, food trucks, live music and views back to the Capitol.
Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
Bridge over Lady Bird Lake sheltering a large urban colony of free-tailed bats that emerges at dusk from spring to autumn.
Day 4
Mayfield-Gutsch Estate
Historic cottage and gardens with ponds and free-roaming peacocks, beside a nature preserve with trails near Lake Austin.
The Contemporary Austin
Contemporary art museum whose Laguna Gloria site has an Italianate villa and a lakeside sculpture park on Lake Austin.
Lake Austin
Reservoir on the Colorado River west of the city, lined with hills, used for boating, paddling and lakeside walks.
Mount Bonnell
One of the highest points in Austin, reached by a short stairway, with views over Lake Austin and the hills.
Day 5
Blanton Museum of Art
University of Texas art museum with European, American and Latin American collections and Ellsworth Kelly's chapel-like building Austin.
Littlefield Fountain
Bronze fountain and memorial of the 1930s at the south end of the University of Texas main mall, below the UT Tower.
UT Tower (Main Building)
The 94 m tower at the heart of the University of Texas campus, lit orange after wins; the observation deck is by booked tour only.
Texas Memorial Museum
University of Texas natural history museum with fossils, a large pterosaur skeleton, minerals and wildlife displays.
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
Presidential library on the UT campus about Lyndon B. Johnson's life and term, with a replica of the Oval Office.
Day 6
Bullock Texas State History Museum
Museum of the history of Texas near the Capitol, with three floors of exhibits and an IMAX theatre.
Harry Ransom Center
University of Texas archive and museum with a Gutenberg Bible, the first known photograph and rotating literary and art exhibitions.
Neill–Cochran House
Greek Revival house museum of 1855 in north-central Austin, furnished to show life in 19th-century Texas.
Pease Park
Long, narrow park along Shoal Creek with walking trails, playgrounds and the Treehouse, a short way from the University of Texas.
Esther's Follies
Long-running comedy and magic revue on Sixth Street, with evening shows from Thursday to Saturday.
Day 7
French Legation
Wooden house of 1841 built for the French envoy to the Republic of Texas, now a museum with period rooms and gardens.
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center
Museum and cultural centre on African American history and culture in Austin, with exhibitions, a theatre and a library.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Botanical garden of the University of Texas with over 900 species of native Texas plants, best in spring when the wildflowers bloom.
Victory Grill
Historic East Austin blues and soul club, once part of the Chitlin' Circuit, with live music in the evenings.
Watch: Austin in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Austin
March to May and October to November are the most pleasant months, with warm days and cooler evenings. June to September is hot and humid, often above 35 °C. SXSW takes over the city in mid-March and Austin City Limits Music Festival runs over two weekends in October; hotels fill and prices climb during both.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Austin on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Austin on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Austin on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for United States from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Austin with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Austin
- From late March to October, Mexican free-tailed bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge around sunset; watch from the bridge or the lakeside path.
- Barton Springs Pool closes for cleaning on Thursday mornings into the evening; the spring-fed water stays around 20 °C all year.
- Many Austin museums, including the Blanton, the Harry Ransom Center and the Umlauf, are closed on Mondays; The Contemporary Austin at Laguna Gloria is also closed Tuesdays.
- Free guided tours of the Texas State Capitol run daily; visitors pass a security screening at the entrances.
- Mount Bonnell is a short but steep climb of about 100 steps; go near sunset for the view over Lake Austin and the Pennybacker Bridge.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge: LoneStarMike, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bailey Park: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Barton Springs Pool: Downtown Austin, Public domain
- Blanton Museum of Art: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Buford Tower: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Bullock Texas State History Museum: WhisperToMe, Public domain
- Deep Eddy Pool: unknown author, Public domain
- Elisabet Ney Museum: JW1805 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Esther's Follies: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- French Legation: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center: David E Hollingsworth, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harry Ransom Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Margaretwmiller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lady Bird Lake: LoneStarMike, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lake Austin: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Littlefield Fountain: Bellerophon5685, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Long Center for the Performing Arts: Kevinwagn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum: Jay Godwin, Public domain
- Mayfield-Gutsch Estate: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Mexic-Arte Museum: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Mount Bonnell: Leaflet, Public domain
- Neill–Cochran House: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Pease Park: Bryanrutherford0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- South Congress: Justin Jensen, CC BY 2.0
- St. David's Episcopal Church: Dtobias, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Texas Memorial Museum: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Texas State Capitol: LoneStarMike, CC BY 3.0
- The Contemporary Austin: LagunaJones, CC BY-SA 4.0
- UT Tower (Main Building): Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum: Sculptor: Charles Umlauf , Photographer: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Victory Grill: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- William Sidney Porter House: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Zilker Botanical Garden: LoneStarMike, CC BY 3.0
- Zilker Park: Mwyzykowski0821, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
