The Best Things to Do in Austin – Your Ultimate City Guide

Austin Greenbelt (aka Barton Creek Greenbelt)

The Barton Creek Greenbelt is minutes from the center of downtown and has various access points. We got lost the first couple of times searching for the entrance as it’s confusing, since the Austin Greenbelt goes straight through the city. We thought this can’t be it, we’re right next to an office complex, but yep there it is, right off of the highway.

Once you find your way and you’re on the path there are various activities that the Austin Greenbelt offers. Of course, there is hiking but there is also mountain biking, rock climbing, and in the summer there are swimming holes where you can cool off.

Overall this trail is pretty easy. You’ll see young and old, families to couples here throughout the year. If you’re visiting Austin in the Spring or Summer get there early if you want to avoid the crowds. During the winter time December – February, it’s pretty quiet.

Mount Bonnell

The Mount Bonnell Hike gives you one of the best views around because it’s the highest point in Austin. The trail itself is pretty easy and short. You’ll spend about 30 minutes getting to the top, and you’ll spend more time admiring the view than hiking in this case.

Once you climb the stairs to the top you’ll get a gorgeous panoramic view of the city. Enjoy views of Lake Austin, downtown, and the hill country. Make sure to bring a camera!

360 Bridge Austin

This short 5-minute hike presents you with another breaktaking view of hill country. The overlook gives you a view of Lake Austin, the Pennybacker Bridge, and downtown Austin off in the distance. It’s super short but worth the trip if you love views and grand photos. If it’s a workout you’re looking for then the next hike is for you.

River Place Nature Trail

This is one of the most difficult hikes in Austin. The River Place Nature Trail is about 20 minutes from the center of downtown and is located in a suburban area. There are a ton of stairs in this hike, and if you’re looking for more than just a pretty view this hike is it. It’s not a loop so you’ll need to park at the top or at the bottom and go in one direction and once you reach the end turn back.

We parked at the top of the trail and hiked down, and didn’t go back through the trail but instead walked through the neighborhood to get back to our car. We thought it was going to be easier but it wasn’t. In the dead of summer, this hike is not only difficult, it’s super hot.

You could also park at the bottom of the trail and hike up to the other entrance and hike back down.

Either way, it’s difficult. Make sure to bring water and wear sunscreen and a hat if you’re hiking in the summer.

Bar Hop on Rainey Street

We know this street well, not because we spend all our time in bars but because we lived in an apartment complex on this street. Rainey Street is like a block party and everyone is invited. This famous street is also lined with bars, but this is a lot more toned down from Sixth Street.

Rainey Street consists of homes that were turned into hip and chic bars with a casual cool vibe. You can find live music here every weekend and there’s a mix of cocktails, beer and hard alcohol, if that’s your choosing.

If you want some nibbles here on a late evening after some drinks, head to Craft Pride and get a Detroit Style Pizza from Via 313. The Cadillac Pizza is freaking delicious.

Explore South Congress

South Congress (aka SoCo) is lined with interesting shops, cafes, bars, clubs, and restaurants. While walking or driving down this street make sure to turn around because you’ll have a gorgeous view of the state capital.

There are many shops, restaurants, bars you can go to on South Congress, so here are a few of our favorites and locations you should make some time to check out.

Allens Boots

If you’re in Texas you need to go into a boot store and why not one of the biggest boots stores, Allen’s Boots in Austin! There will be no shortage of boots options here, from traditional to colorful, from ankle boots to knee-high boots. There’s a boot for everyone here and they also have boots for children!

Uncommon Objects

The name fits this store perfectly, they have many uncommon and some common vintage objects. The store is set up in a U formation so you walk in and go in one direction. It’s also color coded so there is one area where all the uncommon objects are blue, another area that yellow, and so on. We went into this store maybe 4 or 5 times, we never actually bought anything, but we took guests that visited us here because they have such an interesting setup.

Lucy in Disguise

This is a Halloween fanatics dream store. I can’t say that it’s just a Halloween headquarters because it’s open year-round.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar

If you want to have the best burger ever, go to Hopdoddy Burger Bar. During the weekend at lunch and dinner you’ll see the line wrap around the building! Yes it’s that good. Austinites will wait for food. If you’re short on time and don’t want to wait in a line for an hour or more, go at an odd time, the in-between hours, and usually there is only a line inside. This was one of our favorite restaurants, I’ve also listed it below.

Perlas Seafood & Oyster Bar

The seafood here is fantastic, we’ve eaten here at various times and we’ve enjoyed them all. They have a very nice outdoor patio where you can enjoy dinner or just some drinks. They are on the pricier side, so if you order drinks, an appetizer, and two entrees it will be $100+.

South Congress Cafe

We came here for the brunch. Brunch is a big deal in Austin, which is why there is an entire list below on the best places to brunch in Austin! This restaurant is right in the middle of it all and usually there is a wait on the weekends like most good restaurants in Austin.

Cafe No Se

We ended up going to Café No Sé because we saw a review on it for the best burgers on the Food Network Channel. I was like what, we have to go there! So this burger is not like a regular burger, which is why I say that the Hopdoddy Burger is still the best burger. Café No Sé created a shrimp burger. Yes, a burger made out of shrimp! Crazy I know. I ordered it of course, it was good and interesting. If you really like shrimp I would recommend checking it out.

Visit Hamilton Pool Preserve

In order to visit this designated nature preserve during the high season (May 1 – September 30) you need to make a reservation. If you know you are visiting Austin during those months, make sure you go online and book your reservation ASAP because they fill up fast.

We went one morning in August and made the reservation 2 months in advance! You have a choice to go either in the morning time slot of afternoon time slot. We selected the morning because we wanted to be the first ones there. We wanted to see this gorgeous place when it wasn’t filled with people, and we did. We were the first ones to arrive and it was peaceful and serene. We quickly took a lot of photos and not too long after we arrived a lot of people started filling up the small beach area.

The Hamilton Pool Preserve is a large natural swimming pool, the water is very cold and there is a waterfall that falls into the pool year-round. Once you park in the limited parking area, it’s a short hike to the pool, a directional wooden sign guide the way. The mini hike is a treat unto itself, with a little stream, natural steps, and high stone walls along the side of the trail. Once you cross a little wooden bridge and hear the noise of water in the distance you’ve made it. The large collapsed grotto captures your attention and all you can think is “wow.”

Go Wine Tasting

Yes you can go wine tasting in Texas. There are not hundreds of wineries around Austin but there are some nice ones to visit if wine tasting is one of your favorite things to do. This is the perfect thing to do after you go have barbeque at Salt Lick. This is what Peter and I did with some of our friends. We had lunch at Salt Lick BBQ and then went wine tasting and enjoyed a gorgeous day outside with some beautiful views of the countryside. We enjoyed a beautiful Saturday afternoon enjoying some wine at Bella Vista Ranch, Duchman Vineyard, and Wimberley Valley Winery.

Another popular area to go wine tasting near Austin is Fredericksburg but it’s about an hour and a half away. The wineries near Salt Lick BBQ are about 30 minute drive from Austin.

Our Favorites

During the course of our year in Austin, we had the opportunity to try out restaurants all over the city. Some we found by accident, some recommended, others we read about and had to try. You won’t be disappointed by any of these, although you may need either a reservation (if they take them) or have to wait in a line to get in to eat – either way they are worth the effort.

HopDoddy
The Hightower
Odd Duck
Ramen Tatsu-Ya
Buenos Aires Cafe
Bufalina
Via 313
Uchi
Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden
Emmer & Rye
Launderette
Justine’s Brasserie

Best Brunch in Austin

As I mentioned before, brunch is a big deal in Austin and there are plenty of restaurant to choose from when it comes to the weekend’s mid-day meal. You’ll find sweet and savory dishes, specialty coffees and cocktails, buffets and sit-down meals with white tablecloths. During the warmer months, you can enjoy brunch outdoors, often with live music, which just improves the experience.

Moonshine
Banger’s Brunch
Kerby Lane
South Congress Cafe
Magnolia Cafe
Bouldin Creek Café

Trail of Lights

This annual holiday festival in Zilker Park is an Austin mainstay, attracting 400,000 visitors from all over the state. It runs every night for two weeks in December and features more than 40 displays and over 2 million lights, making it a true jaw-dropping spectacle. We loved seeing the joy on the children’s faces, listening to carolers, and noshing from the food trucks. We promise you will not be disappointed, just remember to dress warmly!

South by Southwest

South by Southwest, aka SXSW, is an annual conference and festival, featuring everything from emerging technology to film to music. What we love about it is its somewhat eclectic nature, kinda weird like the city itself. The conference is always cutting edge and features stars of the literary, technology, and entertainment fields. The music festival portion of the 10-day event is now the largest of its kind in the world, making it a bit intimidating. But, like us, you’ll get over it when you see the line-up of performers—both well-known and up and coming. The same can be said about the film festival, which premieres both blockbusters and indie films. You get to rub elbows with people from all over the country (and a few famous ones as well), learn about some very cool and innovative technology, hear nothing but great music, and see films before the rest of the world. It’s an event we plan on attending in the future, even though we no longer live in Austin.

Blues on the Green

It doesn’t get much better than free concerts in the summertime! We loved taking a picnic basket and blanket and hanging out once a month at Blues on the Green, also held at Zilker Park. Hosted by a local radio station, we experienced not only blues, but country, rock and Latin music. It’s a great family friendly event and a great way to kick back and relax.

Rodeo Austin

We couldn’t live in Texas without experiencing a rodeo, and you know this one’s special when it bills itself as “Where Weird Meets Western.” This annual event, held in March, features all your favorite rodeo events (bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, and more), as well as a stock show, fair, and live music. We put on our boots and moseyed on over to experience this quintessential Texas event, and we were not disappointed. We thoroughly enjoyed the “official sport of Texas,” especially the mutton busting, where kids get to test their mettle riding on sheep out of the chute into the arena.