4 prime Texas itineraries – Lonely Planet
In Texas, every thing feels larger, from the 12-lane freeways and concrete sprawl to the jumbo margaritas and impossibly tall hairdos.
For those who’re considering of a highway journey by this country-sized US state, the place do you even start? Depart it to Lonely Planet’s specialists, who’ve crisscrossed Texas and plotted 4 terrific itineraries that strike simply the precise steadiness between rugged nature and thriving cities, rolling vineyards and Gulf seashores, fascinating historic websites and modern tradition.
As you hit the highway, you may count on indelible reminiscences of neighborhoods, landscapes and characters that you simply’ll discover nowhere else on the planet. The Lone Star State is, in any case, bigger than life. Listed here are 4 nice methods to expertise it.
1. Wend your means by the Hill Nation, plus two dynamic Texas cities
4-day itinerary
Distance: 205 miles (330km)
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Spilling east from Austin, the Hill Nation, the place winding roads and rivers lead previous historic cities set amongst rolling hills, is likely one of the most stunning areas in Texas. Out of doors sights abound and you’ll go to the realm’s wineries and state parks between stays in Austin and San Antonio. In spring, good wildflowers – together with the long-lasting Texas bluebonnet – carpet the panorama.
Austin: 1 day
Austin is Texas’ capital of quirky cool, and even a fast go to to the town will allow you to dig into the neighborhoods which have formed its character. Linger over drinks and snacks at espresso retailers and eating places in South Austin, stroll or cycle the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Path and beat the warmth with a dip at Barton Springs. Within the night, catch dwell music on the legendary Continental Membership.
Lockhart: half a day
The famed barbecue capital of Texas (and the universe?), Lockhart has a fairly city middle, with the photogenic Caldwell County Courthouse at its coronary heart. After strolling previous the retailers and classic structure, it’s time to feast on tender brisket – be a part of the road at Barb’s BQ for the most effective on the town.
Detour: It’s a fast 20-minute drive to Luling, which has a peaceable predominant avenue dotted with vintage retailers and curiosities just like the Luling Oil Museum.
Wimberley: half a day
It’s straightforward to fall for Wimberley, a small city filled with artwork galleries and farm-to-table eating places overlooking a tree-lined creek. Get a style of the native artwork scene at Artwork on 12, then go for a dip in one of many crystal-clear swimming holes simply exterior of city – we price Hamilton Pool and Jacob’s Nicely Pure Space. You’ll must e-book a spot at both properly prematurely.
Fredericksburg: half a day
The unofficial capital of the Hill Nation, Fredericksburg is a Nineteenth-century German settlement that packs quite a lot of attraction right into a small space. Spend a day on Most important St, searching the numerous shops and studying concerning the early settlers on the Pioneer Museum.
Detour: Make the 30-minute drive to Johnson Metropolis, the place you may tread within the footsteps of President Lyndon B Johnson. Alongside the way in which, you’ll go many vineyards that provide excursions and wine tastings.
Boerne: half a day
One other Hill Nation city with deep German roots, Boerne has a picture-perfect city middle and a creekside strolling path dotted with signage that sheds mild on the previous. See extra of the Hill Nation’s wilder aspect on the Cibolo Heart for Conservation.
Detour: It’s a 30-minute drive to Bandera, the place you may go horseback using at a dude ranch or catch a little bit of dwell music on the eleventh Avenue Cowboy Bar.
San Antonio: 1 day
In San Antonio, begin at Market Sq., the nation’s largest Mexican market. Take within the fabulous Latin American assortment on the San Antonio Museum of Artwork, adopted by lunch at the Pearl, a brewery complicated turned eating vacation spot. Double again downtown to study Texas historical past on the Alamo, then take a night stroll alongside the River Stroll, previous enchantingly illuminated gardens and footbridges.
2. Absorb Dallas and Fort Price, then set out on the Panhandle Plains
7-day itinerary
Distance: 538 miles (850km)
Get a style of cutting-edge tradition in Dallas, then head subsequent door to Fort Price, the place the Previous West lives on within the atmospheric Stockyards District. Past the city expanse of the so-called Metroplex, the area guarantees age-old canyons, offbeat highway journeys and loads of surprises – together with a small dwelling deeply related to the delivery of rock and roll.
Dallas: 2 days
Your journey begins within the Large D. Within the West Finish, you’ll get a riveting, up-close understanding of John F Kennedy’s assassination on the Sixth Flooring Museum. Have lunch on the Dallas Farmers Market, then head over to Bishop Arts District for procuring, strolling and cafe-hopping. Spend your second day exploring the Arts District, adopted by drinks and a present within the Deep Ellum space, a vibrant hub for dwell music.
Fort Price: 1 day
Begin off in Fort Price’s world-class Cultural District. The Amon Carter Museum has an distinctive assortment of artwork depicting the Previous West, whereas the Kimbell brims with outdated grasp work, all brilliantly illuminated in a refined, deceptively minimalist concrete constructing designed by Louis Kahn.
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After lunch, head over to the Stockyards. Go to the small Stockyards Museum for a dose of historical past, peek contained in the Cowtown Coliseum with its rodeo memorabilia, then watch the longhorns parade by within the every day afternoon “cattle drive.” After sunset, be a part of the boot scootin’ revelry at Billy Bob’s Texas.
Abilene: 1 day
Amid the rolling plains, Abilene has reinvented itself lately as America’s “Storybook Capital.” Try the newest exhibitions on the Nationwide Heart for Youngsters’s Illustrated Literature, take a tour into the previous on the Grace Museum, then immerse your self within the interactive displays (that are fabulous for teenagers) on the Frontier Texas! museum.
Detour: Make the 20-minute drive to see the lonely, windswept ruins of historic Fort Phantom Hill.
Lubbock: 1 day
Residence to an enormous college, Lubbock has some top-notch museums, together with the Museum of Texas Tech College, with its fascinating works by artists from over a dozen completely different Native American tribes. Lubbock can also be the birthplace of a rock-and-roll legend who died means too quickly; be taught all about his life and music on the Buddy Holly Heart.
Detour: Drive 1½ hours northeast to hike rugged trails and spot creatures giant (bison) and small (prairie canine) at Caprock Canyons State Park.
Palo Duro Canyon: 1 day
See layers of historical past written in stone within the magnificent canyon system of Palo Duro. On the small customer middle, choose up maps and browse exhibitions concerning the canyon’s Native American connection – then set out on a hike. You possibly can take it straightforward on the riverside trails or problem your self on a more durable hike just like the Rock Backyard Path or Lighthouse Path. Within the night, take within the sounds of dwell music on the fantastically sited amphitheater.
Now lined with vintage retailers and eateries, Amarillo’s SW sixth St as soon as fashioned a part of Route 66 – the fabled freeway connecting Chicago and Los Angeles. Take a wander, then search for desert critters on the Wildcat Bluff Nature Heart, and deal with the 72-ounce-steak (!!!) problem on the Large Texan.
Detour: Go for a spin on Route 66, stopping in on sleepy cities like Vega, and including your artistry to the graffiti-covered cars at Cadillac Ranch.
3. Benefit from the pleasures of East Texas and the Gulf Coast
5-day itinerary
Distance: 815 miles (1312km)
Nearer in local weather and really feel to the South than the Southwest, East Texas is dwelling to wildlife-rich wetlands and small settlements with historic downtowns. From there, the journey continues to the burgeoning dynamo of Houston, with its storied artwork and eating scene, adopted by a memorable highway journey tracing the shoreline of the beach-studded Gulf Coast.
Jefferson: half a day
Begin the journey in Jefferson, one in every of Texas’ most charming small cities. Get an eyeful of historical past on the fascinating Jefferson Historic Museum, then try grand Nineteenth-century houses like Home of the Seasons.
Detour: Head to the primeval wetland environs of Caddo Lake, a 20-minute drive east, for an opportunity to see distinctive plant and animal life.
Tyler: half a day
Famed for its roses (and its aromatic flower pageant in October), Tyler has a picturesque downtown that’s full of eye-catching structure. Spend the afternoon strolling previous artwork deco and beaux-arts beauties, see the sprawling Rose Backyard and the quirky Tyler Rose Museum, then seize a chew at Stanley’s Pit Barbecue, which serves up among the finest pit-smoked meats in East Texas.
Houston: 1 day
You would spend many days exploring the fourth-largest metropolis within the US. But with solely a short while, we suggest focusing your consideration on the excellent collections round Houston’s Museum District (don’t miss the Menil Assortment, and its extraordinary Rothko Chapel). Then discover the town’s numerous meals scene – which ranges far past Tex-Mex, taking in Vietnamese, West African and South Asian fare – within the neighborhood of Montrose. If time permits, slot in a go to to NASA’s Area Heart Houston en path to the shore.
Galveston: 1 day
Although devastated by a hurricane in 1900, the seaside metropolis of Galveston nonetheless has fascinating vestiges of its Nineteenth-century previous which you can see within the Bryan Museum (a former orphanage) and the Moody Mansion. After exploring the town streets, head to the shoreline to search for birds and marine life on the East Finish Lagoon Nature Protect, adopted by some downtime on the seaside at Galveston Island State Park.
Corpus Christi: 1 day
Sitting fairly halfway down the Gulf Coast, Corpus Christi is each a vibrant metropolis and seaside retreat. Spend the morning studying concerning the aquatic life within the Texas State Aquarium, then discover the galleries of the Artwork Museum of South Texas. Afterward, hit the seaside at Padre Island Nationwide Seashore. Cap the day with chilly brews on the laid-back Govt Surf Membership downtown.
South Padre Island: 1 day
Residence to Texas’ loveliest seashores (and liveliest spring-break scene), South Padre Island makes an ideal finale to this southbound highway journey. Indulge within the life aquatic by taking a fishing tour or heading out on a dolphin-watching cruise, then study endangered marine life at Sea Turtle, Inc, try the huge dunes past Edwin King Atwood Park and feast on recent oysters at Liam’s.
4. Highway-trip by the epic Concho Valley and West Texas
7-day itinerary
Distance: 820 miles (1320km)
Huge-open West Texas is ideal for road-tripping. Large Bend Nationwide Park, with its infinite vistas, is motive sufficient to make the trek all by itself – however you may count on loads of enjoyable alongside the way in which, taking within the artwork scene in fairly San Angelo, mountain climbing the paths of Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park and exploring multicultural El Paso.
San Angelo: 1 day
Greet the day in San Angelo with a stroll alongside the scenic Concho River, then cease within the San Angelo Museum of High quality Arts, a pillar of the native arts neighborhood. Tour the Nineteenth-century Fort Concho earlier than visiting the galleries of the Hen Farm Artwork Heart.
Detour: Drive 80 minutes south of San Angelo to the Caverns of Sonora, the place you may take a guided tour by a blinding stalactite-filled underworld.
Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park: 1 day
Guadalupe Mountains Nationwide Park doesn’t have any paved roads, so that you’re going to have to go away the automotive behind to absorb its high-country splendor. A hike up Guadalupe Peak will get you to the tallest level in Texas at 8751ft (2667m). McKittrick Canyon is particularly beautiful in fall, when the leaves of the bigtooth maples flip golden and brilliant purple, but it surely’s a forested oasis at any time of yr.
El Paso: 1 day
Wedged into the farthest-flung nook of West Texas, El Paso is a border metropolis with a various heritage. Try its cultural treasures on the metropolis’s many free museums; downtown, the El Paso Museum of Artwork has a terrific Southwestern assortment. Cease for sundown drinks at enchanting La Perla and make dinner reservations at Elemi, one of many metropolis’s finest eating places.
Fort Davis: 1 day
The city of Fort Davis quantities to little greater than a desert crossroads – however with the dramatic stays of the fort itself on its doorstep and the McDonald Observatory excessive within the mountains close by, it’s value an in a single day keep. The observatory has among the clearest and darkest skies in North America, and astronomers are available at “Star Events” to elucidate the constellations and past.
Marfa: 1 day
Thriller lights and fashionable artwork deep within the West Texas desert set the scene in surreal Marfa. Donald Judd put Marfa on the art-world map within the Eighties, when, on the Chinati Basis, he created one of many world’s largest everlasting installations of minimalist artwork in deserted navy buildings.
By night time, head to the Marfa Lights Viewing Space to catch a glimpse of the well-known ghostly illuminations, whose supply (automotive headlights? desert mirages? extraterrestrials?) stays a scorching subject of debate.
Large Bend Nationwide Park: 2 days
Discuss massive – at 1252 sq miles (3245 sq km), Large Bend Nationwide Park is bigger than Rhode Island. Hikers have greater than 150 miles (241km) of trails to discover, winding over the mountains, by the desert and alongside the Rio Grande.
For the right ending to a visit round West Texas, go rafting. The river has earned its place among the many prime North American journeys for rafting and canoeing. Rapids as much as class IV alternate with calm stretches good for wildlife-viewing, images and leisure.
This text was tailored from the seventh version of Lonely Planet’s Texas guidebook, revealed in August 2025.
