Quick Itinerary Guide: Austin, Texas

Austin is the state capital of Texas and has a unique vibe from the rest of the state. We’ve been to Austin several times, both without and with kids. You can easily find something for everyone to do. This family-friendly Austin itinerary guide is a collection from multiple trips, and additional things still on our list for the next time we return.

Before you dive into the guide, you may want to first read Understanding a Quick Itinerary Guide. This will provide you with details on our trip planning philosophy, why it’s a quick guide, and what resources we use to plan. It also details what we mean by family-friendly, and further explains each of the sections included in a Quick Itinerary Guide.

Contents

Our trip details

Length of stay: 1-3 nights
Accommodation: Hampton Inn Austin/Airport Area South & Omni Austin Downtown
Type of trips: couples trip, weekend getaway, trip with 6 week old baby, trip with 1.5 year old baby
Months visited: April, March & September
How we got in/out: fly in, fly out; drive in, drive out
How we got around: walking and rental/personal car

Family-Friendly Itinerary Ideas for Austin, TX

Hope Outdoor Gallery – art park, cool creative space dedicated to community street art
Murals – don’t miss checking at least some of the fun street murals all over town
State Capitol – largest state capitol in the US, impressive architecture, free tours available
University of Texas at Austin – esteemed public university, one of the largest in the US, see the Littlefield Home, Dorothy L. Gebauer Building, UT Tower, and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Greetings from Austin mural family-friendly itinerary ideas

Hope Outdoor Gallery in Austin, TX family-friendly itinerary ideas

The Driskill – historic hotel with a beautiful stained glass lobby
Walk along Sixth Street – the most iconic street in Austin where it became known as the “capital of live music,” restaurants, bars and live music flank the street, more rowdy and crowded at night
Lady Bird Lake – a reservoir formed along the Colorado River used for flood control and recreation, rent stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, pedal boats and more, walk along the boardwalk or take a river cruise
Mount Bonnell – hike up for beautiful views of the city and beyond
Austin Nature & Science Center – hands on facility geared toward kids, free entry, reservations now required
Zilker Park – 350-acre city park with hiking and biking trails, sports fields, playgrounds, Barton Springs Pool, botanical garden, boat rentals and more
- With young kids, don’t miss the Zilker Train and playground
Barton Springs Pool – a man-made public pool that’s naturally filled with underground spring water, located in Zilker Park

Exterior of The Diskill historic hotel in downtown Austin, TX family-friendly itinerary

Stained glass ceiling in The Driskill hotel lobby - Austin itinerary

Walk South Congress Street – a vibrant neighborhood with creative eats, boutique shops, the famous “I love you so much!” mural, and more
Mt Playmore – a huge indoor playground for kids
Inner Space Cavern – one of the best-preserved caves in TX, about a 30 minute drive outside of downtown
Dinosaur Park – outdoor interactive dinosaur museum and play park, about a 30 minute drive outside of downtown
Hamilton Pool – unique natural pool with waterfall, reservations required, about a 45 minute drive outside of downtown
Longhorn Cavern State Park – explore this unique cavern which was formerly used by Native Americans, soldiers and even as a speakeasy, a little over an hour outside of downtown
Turkey Bend Recreation Area – over 1,000 acres of outdoor recreation, a beautiful spot for admiring bluebonnets if in season (about end of March to April depending on the year), about an hour drive outside of downtown

Young mixed family mom kissing newborn baby in front of I love you so much mural on South Congress Street in Austin

Field of bluebonnets in Turkey Bend Recreational Area outside of Austin, TX

Food Ideas for Austin, TX

Foods/drinks to try: barbeque, brisket, tex-mex, queso, breakfast tacos, pecan pie, sweet tea
Kerbey Lane Cafe – Tex Mex and Southern classic comfort food, popular for breakfast
Magnolia Cafe – great American and Tex Mex breakfast spot
Last Straw – good for brunch and cocktails
La Barbeque – classic TX barbeque and small market shop, expect to wait in a long line

Franklin’s BBQ – the most famous barbeque in Austin, expect to wait multiple hours, they only serve until the meat is gone, so lots of people line up hours before they even open
Veracruz All Natural – authentic Mexican food, try their migas taco, female-owned, now with 5 locations
Torchy’s Tacos (at the Trailer Park) – delicious creative tacos in a mini food truck park
Hoover’s Cooking – southern soul food, try the fried chicken

Magnolia Cafe South neon sign breakfast spot

Torchy's tacos Austin trip itinerary things to eat

Ramen Tatsu-ya – authentic Japanese ramen shop
Rainey Street – various restaurants and bars in historic homes, can get rowdy at night
Black’s BBQ – oldest BBQ jointed owned by the same family in Texas, original location in Lockhart (about a 30 minute drive outside of downtown) opened in 1932, no frills, additional new location in Austin

Banger’s Sausage House & Beer Garden – fun, casual environment great with groups
Sway – modern Thai food in a trendy setting
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ – barbeque + tex mex, does it get any better?, known for their smoked brisket tacos
Salt Lick BBQ – featured on Man vs. Food, open fire pit cooking, expansive beautiful property, about a 30 minute drive outside of downtown

Top Tips for Austin, TX

Don’t leave without trying some BBQ!
Think outside the box of a typical restaurant and don’t miss all the great food trucks and trailers, many provide picnic tables to eat outside.
“Keep Austin Weird” is the city’s slogan, and it certainly lives up to this.
Be sure to catch some live music, even if only on the street.
Summer is generally not the best time to visit because of the extreme heat.
Bike-sharing or bike rentals are a great way to get around and see more.
Despite the sometimes rowdy nightlife, Austin is full of families and is a great place to visit with kids.

Austin is such a fun city to visit, one of our favorites that I’m sure we’ll return to again. Have you been to Austin? What other things should we add to our list?

Pin it for later

Don’t forget to pin this for future reference, and share it with any friends!