Austin is jam-packed with good food, live music venues, and tons of fun outdoor activities. You will never run out of things to do when you visit Austin, Texas!
The city is well-known for its laid-back and eclectic vibe. It won’t be long before you hear the city’s motto: “Keep Austin Weird.”
And “weird” it is! But in the coolest way possible!
Let’s put it this way- Austin has the largest urban bat community in North America! Austin loves its bats. People show up to the Congress Avenue Bridge during the summer nights to watch the bats fly out from underneath the bridge! How cool and quirky is that?!
It just goes to show how intertwined city life is with nature.
If you love being outdoors and staying active – you will love Austin! Wherever you are in the city, you are sure to be close by to swimming, hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, boating, stand-up paddle boarding, and more.
There is a perfect mix of city life and nature, which I love. You can experience the busy city life and then go out into nature to get away from it. All on the same day!
And let’s not forget that Austin has been named “The Live Music Capital of the World” due to the large number of live music venues in the Austin area, so make room in your itinerary to catch a show.
I personally enjoy eating my way through Austin. It’s a must-do, for me.
So eat all the tacos. Eat all the BBQ. And drink all of the margaritas! It’d be weird *wink* if you didn’t!
Here are some of the top things to see and do in Austin, Texas!
Have all the Breakfast Tacos
Start your day off the right way with breakfast tacos! This is probably the unofficial breakfast food in Austin, Texas – so it’s a must do!
While there are plenty of places that serve breakfast tacos, the best ones can be found at Veracruz All Natural. I visited their school bus turned food truck located in 2505 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702.
The star of the show here is definitely the “Migas” Taco which contains egg, tortilla chips, tomato, onion, cilantro, Monterey Jack cheese and avocado.
If you are a “pineapple kind of girl” be sure to try the “Al Pastor” Taco (pork marinated with pineapple and spices, cilantro, onion, and grilled pineapple). It’s pretty amazing.
Equally as important are the drinks. Be sure to order their agua frescas. My favorite is the watermelon (I found myself craving this every day during our trip), but the mango is also very yummy.
Go Mural Hunting
If street art interests you, SoCo (South Congress neighborhood) is home to some of the most iconic murals in the city. You may recognize some of them; they have become very popular tourist stops for photo ops in Austin.
Grab your camera (or phone) and go mural hunting!
Here are the addresses to some of the ones we found:
The “I Love You So Much” mural (it’s probably the most popular mural in town)
1300 S. Congress
Greetings from Austin – The iconic postcard mural
1702 S. 1st Street
Willie for President
1423 S Congress Ave (on the side of STAG Provisions)
Mr. Rogers
1421 S Congress Ave
South Congress Mural
1800 S Congress Ave
6th Street Mural
582 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd
Go Shopping on South Congress
Austin has many funky stores on South Congress to keep you entertained for an entire afternoon.
Even if you walk out of the stores empty-handed, it’s still a fun place to look around and get a glimpse of what makes Austin “weird.”
See the Bats
Yes, you read that right. Austin is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America!
If you happen to be visiting in the summer, without a doubt, this is a must-do while in Austin. As with all things nature, it’s never a guarantee that they will fly out and give you a show. But you have to at least try!
You can view the bats by standing on the bridge or find a spot on the grass on the southeast corner of Congress Bridge and Lady Bird Lake. You can also do a kayak or boat tour that puts you on the water to look up at the bats.
The bats usually start to fly out 30-60 minutes before sunset, so give yourself enough time to park and find a good spot on the bridge or on the grass.
I know it sounds a bit unusual (in true Austin fashion), but it’s actually pretty cool!
Attend a Concert
There’s a reason why Austin is called “The Live Music Capital of the World,” it’s well known for its high volume of live music venues and it is home to some of the biggest music events and festivals, such as South by Southwest (SXSW) and Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL). In case you still need more reasons to visit.
While we were there, we attended a concert at the Moody Amphitheater. It’s a new outdoor music venue which we were very impressed by!
It was very organized, the music sounded great, and the seats we sat in were very comfortable. The bathrooms were spacious and clean, we had an easy time entering and exiting the venue, and the staff was nice.
On the other hand, I can’t speak for the lawn section because there aren’t any screens to see the performers on stage, so not sure how I’d like it if I were further back.
Go Bar Hopping on Rainey Street
The nightlife in Austin is very vibrant, making it a popular destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties.
You will see A LOT of them bar hopping in different areas around town, mostly down Sixth Street and Rainey Street.
Rainey street gets a little too wild and crazy on the weekends for my taste, but even if you aren’t into the party scene, it’s an experience you must do at least once.
The strip is filled with old bungalow homes turned into bars; it’s all very cute!
My favorite bar on Rainey Street is Half Step. They serve AH-mazing cocktails in a very relaxed atmosphere.
If you ask for a menu, it will seem very limited, but it’s only to help you get started.
The magic truly begins when you tell the bartender what kind of liquor you prefer and they take their time to make you a special creation!
I asked for a sweet rum drink and the bartender created this beautiful and delicious drink. It had blackberries and powdered sugar sprinkled on top!
Kayak or Paddle board on Lady Bird Lake
If you happen to be in Austin in the summer, you will realize veeery quickly that it gets HOT.
I was there during the second weekend of May and it was a little hot but it was very manageable. If you go June-September expect the heat to be INTENSE.
My suggestion…get on the water! It’s a must-do to beat the heat.
Many companies rent kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards. We used the company Rowing Dock and had a lovely time. The staff is very friendly and guides you on where to go.
We grabbed a double kayak and paddled toward the Congress Ave Bridge to get a view of the skyline, and then paddled in the opposite direction to go more into nature where there were fewer people.
Visit the State Capitol
This one surprised me.
I didn’t think I’d enjoy this visit as much as I did. Maybe it was the Game of Thrones theme being played by an orchestra as we immediately walked in, but the sound and THE VIBE got to me. It was epic.
Tip: try to be there when the Cinematic Symphony is performing on the ground floor in the Rotunda. You can check The Capitol Events Calendar online before you go.
Fuel up with Coffee
Jo’s Coffee is a great place to grab coffee before you make your way through SoCo. While you wait for your order, take a picture of the famous “I Love You So Much” mural on the side of the building.
Tip: Order their delicious Turbo iced coffee. Their Honey Lavender iced coffee is another yummy option.
Can’t Miss the Food Trucks
Austin has a food truck for any craving! You will find hundreds of food trucks parked around the city.
My favorites are Veracruz All Natural for tacos (2505 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702) and Via 313 for Detroit-style pizza (96 Rainey St Austin, TX, 78701).
BBQ & Margarita’s
You can’t come to Texas and not try the barbecue! It’s a must-do! There are so many restaurants to choose from and they are all VERY popular. You will see lines of people waiting outside for HOURS at some of the most popular BBQ places.
Because we didn’t want to wait hours in line to eat, Terry Black’s came highly recommended, and it did not disappoint!
There was a line outside, but we were only waiting for about 30 minutes, which isn’t bad compared to the other places.
The food was good, although pricey. But, the highlight was the Black Margarita with a red salt rim! I don’t know what they put in this thing, but it is GOOD!
It kinda made me forget all about the high bill! Well, almost.
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