The 10 best things to do in Austin

Austin has transformed in recent decades from a quirky college town into a global powerhouse. New towers are rising every month, the population continues to grow (the city added 500,000 residents between 2010 and 2020) and business is as booming as ever.

Yet amid all the change, Austin has retained the charms that have made it famous. Artists, foodies and other free thinkers still strive to “Keep Austin Weird.” The natural attractions that lie in and around the city, and in the surrounding Hill Country of Texas, remain as appealing as ever. The Tex-Mex food scene never gets old. And the live music here – arguably the best in the country – still rocks. 

Indeed, the city serves up a menu of fabulous options for travelers. From art and music to hiking and festivals, here’s our list of the best things to do in Austin.

1. Take a dip in Barton Springs Pool

A 3-acre spring-fed pool within the city limits, Barton Springs is an urban natural wonder. Fed by four different sources, the clear water of the pool takes on an almost turquoise color, offering depths of up to 18ft. What’s more,the pool has an average temperature of 68–70°F (20–21°C), which means you can swim here year-round. And since the pool opens at 5am and closes at 10pm, you can effectively watch the sun rise and set while floating in the water. While there is a small fee to swim here in the summer, it’s completely free from November 1 to spring break.

Planning tips: Lifeguards are on duty between 8am and 6pm; outside those hours, you swim at your own risk. Buy your ticket online or at a kiosk when you arrive. Veterans and children under 1 year old get in free.

2. Go for a paddle on Lady Bird Lake

When city of Austin dammed part of the Colorado River, authorities had in mind a cooling pond for a power plant. Yet this reservoir, Lady Bird Lake, is today the gorgeous, glittering centerpiece of Texas’ capital city.

Against a backdrop of downtown Austin’s skyscrapers, the 468-acre reservoir is a go-to destination for water sports enthusiasts. Expect to see kayakers, canoers, rowers and paddleboarders on the water every day. Watercraft-rental outfits like Zilker Park Boat Rentals and EpicSUP make it easy for visitors to get out there.

If canoeing and kayaking aren’t your thing, you can stick to the shores and admire the lake on foot or on a bike. A 10-mile loop, the Ann & Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail traces the perimeter of the reservoir, passing through numerous lakeside parks along the way.

Planning tip: You can also experience Lady Bird Lake with someone else at the rudder. Lone Star Riverboats offers sunset and bat-watching cruises, while Capital Cruises is a local go-to for dinner and lunch jaunts. Austin Duck Adventures is a fun option that takes you on a land and water tour in a Hydra Terra craft – a vehicle that drives from shore right into the reservoir, turning into a boat.

3. Find the party on Sixth Street

Ask any Texan where to party in Austin, and they’ll point you to Sixth Street. Referred to (lovingly!) as ”Dirty Sixth,” the entertainment zone stretches for several blocks in downtown Austin. it's full of bars with live music, restaurants and clubs that draw visitors during the day and well into the wee hours, Sixth Street is often compared to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. And like its Nola counterpart, Dirty Sixth closes to through traffic Thursday through Saturday night.

The iconic Maggie Mae’s has five bars, two stages and multiple floors. Dive fans will love Low Down Lounge, while Esther’s Follies serves up vaudeville acts, comedy and satirical shows. And don’t miss Midnight Cowboy, a reservations-only lounge with a phenomenal cocktail menu.

Detour: Before your night out, take time out of your day to visit the Texas State Capitol on Congress St, just a few blocks away.

4. Cheer on the Longhorns at a UT football game

Attending a football game in Texas may be a bit on the nose. (You know, Friday Night Lights and all.) Even so, cheering on the University of Texas Longhorns at a home is an unforgettable experience, as over 100,000 fans in orange and white fill the Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium. The chants, the food and the atmosphere will knock your socks off in the way that only larger-than-life Texas can.

Planning tip: Dive into the UT football game well before kickoff with some tailgating fun. Bevo Blvd delivers the ultimate pre-game street party: in addition to the street parade, you get to greet the players as they enter the stadium, order food and drink from food trucks, and watch other football games on two giant screens. The best part? You don’t need a ticket to visit Bevo Blvd and join the community of fans.

5. Learn about Austin’s Chicano and Latino history

As in much of Texas, Austin has deep Latin connections. Indeed, you can’t visit the city without feeling the Tejano and Chicano influence in the town’s food, art and music, and even simply in its street names.

Start at the Mexic-Arte Museum, which showcases Mexican and Latino artists from the US and beyond. La Peña Gallery exhibits similar artists on a smaller scale, while Teatro Vivo is a phenomenal destination for English and Spanish performances that focus on the Latino experience.

Round out your trip with the self-guided East Austin Barrio Landmarks historic walking tour, offered through Preservation Austin. This tour celebrates the Mexican American community of the city’s historically working-class, now-gentrifying east side by taking travelers past important places like the Holly Street Murals, Parque Zaragoza and the Herrera House.

Detour: Austin’s Black history is equally fascinating. Javier Wallace is the founder of Black Austin Tours, and his programs recount how people of African descent have shaped ATX. He even takes travelers onto the Colorado River to show how the waterway was used in race-based enslavement and as an important gathering spot for Austin’s Black community.

6. Have a drink (or a few) on Rainey Street

Close to Lady Bird Lake and the Austin Convention Center, Rainey Street is lined with charmingly historic bungalows that have been renovated and turned into bars like Half Step and Clive Bar, and restaurants such as Banger’s and Emmer & Rye. Because of the neighborhood's compact size, it’s easy to hop from place to place on foot and take it all in. The lively district is truly one of a kind thanks to the house-style bars. At any joint along Rainey, you’ll feel like you’re having a drink in your friend’s backyard.

7. Join the tastemakers at SXSW

Every March, thousands from around the globe descend upon Austin for South by Southwest (SXSW). Founded in 1987, the event mixes business, current affairs and culture, as participants come together for big discussions on tech, climate change, education, energy, travel, startups and more. Arts offerings abound during three separate festivals that coincide with the conference: events for film and TV, music and comedy. It’s a heady mix you’ll find only in Austin.

8. Hike to waterfalls and swimming holes without leaving the city

Most US cities don’t have hiking destinations within the city limits – but most cities aren’t Austin. Southwest of downtown, the sprawling Barton Creek Greenbelt offers 12 miles of hiking and biking trails, forests, waterfalls, swimming holes and cliffsides for climbing.

For this reason, the Greenbelt is incredibly popular, especially on weekends and in the summer. Steep ascents make for strenuous hikes while swimming holes bring folks together to swim and relax. Twin Falls, Sculpture Falls, Gus Fruh and Campbell’s Hole are popular destinations within the park – though they’re just a few of the many highlights of this magnificent urban-outdoors destination.

9. Listen to amazing bands at Austin City Limits Music Festival

While you can catching a band playing in “live music capital of the world” just about any day (even at the airport!), die-hard music fans should mark their calendars for the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

In 1974, KLRU-TV created Austin City Limits, a televised concert series on PBS that’s been going strong ever since; in 2002, the producers launched a live festival at Zilker Park. Every year since, 225,000 fans have descended for a two-weekend event with world-famous and Texas-based musicians on nine different stages.

Planning tip: There is no parking at Zilker Park during the festival (except for a limited number of accessible parking spaces), so you’ll have to consider other transportation options. The most sustainable transportation method is to rent a CapMetro bike and dock it at the park. A free shuttle runs between downtown and the festival. A few public bus routes stop near Zilker Park, but you’ll have to walk the rest of the way. The festival usually partners with Uber, with specific areas where you can be dropped off and picked up by your rideshare.

10. Browse the independent shops of S Congress Ave and beyond

Austin has its malls, sure – yet there’s nothing like setting out shopping on South Congress Avenue. Along “SoCo” (also the name for the surrounding neighborhood), you’ll find hipster boutiques, funky shops and Western wear – and the kind of vibe that, boom or not, makes Austin, Austin.

When you buy a beautifully made outfit at Cove Boutique, you’re supporting an Austin woman-owned shop. Go full cowboy and get your hat at Maufrais and your boots at Heritage Boot Co. or Tecovas. And if thrift store or vintage shopping is your thing, Prototype Vintage is a must-visit. 

Other independent shops beyond SoCo also appeal. (We especially love Nina Berenato, where a new bauble always appeals.)

Detour: SoCo is home to one of Austin’s oldest and most famous attractions: Peter Pan Mini Golf. Since 1946, this local treasure has been serving up kitschy fun on its two 18-hole courses. And don’t think this is just a destination for families: a BYOB policy makes it a fun option for adults, too.