Planning a visit to San Antonio, Texas, and also you’re undecided which sights to prioritize? The excellent news is that you simply’ve discovered the precise information to make it easier to plan your itinerary as a result of it’s stuffed with enjoyable and fascinating issues to do in San Antonio for vacationers of all ages!
San Antonio affords all kinds of sights that may enchantment to anybody. Want to go to a museum? There are at the least half a dozen fascinating ones in the town, which cowl all the pieces from the area’s pure historical past to Wild West displays. Maybe you’d like to take your youngsters to a theme park? You’ll be spoiled for selection for the reason that metropolis is house to a number of superior amusement parks, a few of that are the perfect and largest in the state.
I’ve solely scratched the floor of enjoyable issues to do in San Antonio, so bear with me as I let you know about all the opposite superior issues that you simply want to see in this pretty Texas metropolis.
San Antonio is a good vacation spot for {couples}, households, and solo vacationers. Anyone can discover one thing enjoyable to do in this metropolis, whether or not it’s touring a historic landmark or tasting native specialties in a restaurant inside an 18th-century brewery constructing.
Best of San Antonio Quick Guide
Must See: The Alamo, San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio Mission Trail, La Villita, Pearl District, San Fernando Cathedral Where To Stay: The Gunter Hotel, The Menger Hotel, Hotel Emma Fun To Do: River Cruise, The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, Ghost excursions, Tower of The Americas, Six Flags Fiesta Texas Day Trips: Austin, Natural Bridge Caverns Must-Try Food: Puffy tacos, Barbecue, Bean burger, Chicken on a stick
Best Things To Do In San Antonio, Texas
The issues to do in San Antonio vary from enjoyable excursions of historic neighborhoods to sightings of Teddy Roosevelt’s ghost. The metropolis has a lot to supply that anybody can have enjoyable right here no matter their age and private pursuits.
Kids love the amusement and theme parks, younger adults benefit from the colourful metropolis heart with enjoyable retailers and eateries, whereas correct adults can tour the Alamo and the historic Mission church buildings. Or have a blast on the largest Six Flags in Texas as a result of adults can take pleasure in amusement park rides too.
1. San Antonio River Walk
San Antonio’s River Walk is the highest attraction in this Texas metropolis. Landscaped strolling paths can be found on both facet of the San Antonio River for roughly 15 miles. Shops, eateries, and lodges line the promenade, which sits one stage beneath the town’s most important roads. The Downtown space of the River Walk is the most well-liked with vacationers and locals, however the promenade extends many miles north, and you possibly can proceed strolling for greater than an hour.
The River Walk can get awfully crowded in the summer season months, however discovering a extra tranquil space shouldn’t be a problem. Just hold strolling previous all of the busy eating places and bars; the additional down the River Walk you go, the smaller the crowds you’ll encounter.
How iconic is the San Antonio River Walk? Enough that the San Antonio Spurs rejoice profitable the title by doing a victory boat parade.
Practical Information: San Antonio River Walk is a 15-mile promenade accessible free of charge at any time of day.
2. Tour La Villita Historic Village
La Villita is a historic artsy neighborhood sitting one stage above the San Antonio River Walk. The district is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places for its Nineteenth-century buildings that function examples of early residential improvement in San Antonio.
This outdated neighborhood is house to artwork galleries, retailers, and colourful sculptures. If you just like the sugar cranium motif, you’ll adore it in this picturesque little village.
La Villita meeting corridor can be in this district, and it’s an iconic sight in the San Antonio skyline. The constructing is understood for the painted flower on its concave roof, and you may simply spot it from the statement deck on the Tower of the Americas.
Practical Information: La Villita Historic Village is accessible any time of day, free of charge. Most retailers in the neighborhood are open from 10 AM to 6 PM.
The Historic Market Square is in western San Antonio, exterior the middle of the town. And it’s completely value it to exit of your means to see it as a result of it’s one of many metropolis’s greatest locations for memento procuring and low-cost meals.
Come right here for genuine Tex-Mex meals, colourful garments, jewellery, and all kinds of trinkets and crafts. Even when you’re not very hungry while you go to the Historic Market Square, I like to recommend you attempt at the least the puffy tacos. They’re an iconic San Antonio delicacy and among the finest native meals.
Bean burgers, hen on a stick, and candy potato fries are different San Antonio specialties to attempt when you’re doing a culinary tour of the town. I’ll say that it’s an excellent factor a lot of the metropolis heart is walkable as a result of it is going to take 1000’s of steps to burn off all these scrumptious energy.
Practical Information: The Historic Market Square is open from 10 AM to 6 PM. Entrance to the realm is freed from cost.
4. Appreciate The View From The Tower of The Americas
The Tower of the Americas is one among two statement decks in Texas and the one one in San Antonio. It was initially constructed for the 1968 World Fair, and it took solely 18 months to full the development.
The tower is the centerpiece of the HemisFair Park in Downtown San Antonio. It has an statement deck on the highest ground and a revolving restaurant, the place you possibly can take pleasure in a pleasant (however expensive) meal together with fairly views. Visitors who buy tickets for the statement deck additionally get entry to the 4D theater, the place they’ll take pleasure in a 4D journey over Texas.
Insider Tip: Come right here after darkish for a wonderful view of the San Antonio skyline.
Practical Information: The Tower of the Americas is open from 10 AM to 10-11 PM. Tickets for the statement deck are $18.50 for adults.
5. Walk The San Antonio Mission Trail
Head to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park to uncover one among solely 24 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the United States. San Antonio missions had been essential outposts for Catholic spiritual orders established by the Spanish colonists. The objective of the missions was to assist unfold Christianity among the many native inhabitants.
Four out of 5 San Antonio missions are preserved in the park; the fifth is by far essentially the most well-known identified, often called the Alamo. The Mission Trail is a strolling path via the nationwide park, which permits you to uncover all 4 missions on the grounds. Bicycles can be found, they usually’re the perfect for getting from one mission to one other shortly.
It’s additionally potential to simply drive from one spot to one other, and that is the best choice in case you have very restricted time in San Antonio. If you solely have time to go to one among these landmarks, make it Mission San Jose. It’s the best-preserved constructing with interval furnishings and an exhibit that gives perception into the lives of the native inhabitants in the early 18th century.
Practical Information: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is open every day from dawn to sundown. Entrance to the park is freed from cost.
6. Go On A River Cruise
Don’t have sufficient time to discover the historic River Walk on foot? That’s high quality as a result of you possibly can tour the whole pedestrian space in a ship in about half-hour! Go Rio cruises can be found at a number of spots on the River Walk, so simply stroll alongside the river till you notice a Go Rio ticket sales space or empty boats.
The boats depart each 15-20 minutes, so that you might need to wait a short while for a free seat. Buy tickets on-line when you don’t need to wait in line on the ticket sales space, however hold in thoughts that they’re not timed tickets. Seats on the boat are given out on a first-come-first-served foundation.
I like to recommend doing the river cruise at evening for the very best expertise. The boats all mild up in shiny colours, and there’s one thing particular concerning the River Walk after darkish. All the cruises are narrated, and the information will inform you numerous concerning the historical past of the River Walk and its significance for San Antonio and its residents.
Practical Information: Go Rio cruises happen each 15-20 minutes. A ticket for adults is $14.5.
7. Ghost Tour of San Antonio
San Antonio is a superb vacation spot for ghost hunts and haunted excursions. If that doesn’t sound like one thing you’d take pleasure in, simply skip to the following factor on this record earlier than I traumatize you with ghost tales.
The most haunted constructing in the town is after all the Alamo, the place folks to at the present time report seeing ghosts of Texan troopers. Opposite the historic fort is the Menger Hotel, one other in style vacation spot in the town for ghost sightings. Guests have reported listening to unusual noises in the resort, seeing faces in the mirror, smelling cigar smoke, and even encountering the ghost of Teddy Roosevelt on the bar.
Visit all of San Antonio’s haunted websites by yourself, or organize a guided ghost tour of the town. They happen after darkish, after all, and are my advice if you need to finish the evening terrified and lie in mattress stressed.
Practical Information: Ghost excursions of San Antonio happen at evening and normally final for 2-3 hours.
8. Get Lost At The Japanese Tea Garden
The Japanese Tea Garden is shut to the San Antonio Zoo, north of the town heart. The botanical backyard dates again to the early twentieth century and options koi ponds, stone bridges, a pagoda, and a waterfall. Countless crops and bushes adorn this lush backyard, and the mesmerizing landscaping is the perfect factor about it.
Come right here when you ever want to escape the busy streets of Downtown San Antonio. You can overlook you’re in Texas for a second as you roam across the grounds of the fascinating botanical backyard.
Practical Information: The Japanese Tea Garden is open from 7 AM to 5 PM. Entrance to the botanical backyard is freed from cost.
9. Visit The Alamo
The Alamo might be essentially the most well-known landmark in the state of Texas. The legendary fortress is without doubt one of the earliest missions that had been constructed in Texas, and it’s previously often called Misión San Antonio de Valero.
It would develop into world-famous after the Battle of the Alamo, which was an important turning level in the Texas Revolution. Today, the small fortress serves as a museum with a group of artifacts from the revolution period, probably the most essential occasions in Texas historical past. The Alamo is without doubt one of the hottest historic websites in the United States, and as such, it tends to be busy on a regular basis.
The complicated is fairly small, and it doesn’t take an excessive amount of time to tour it. However, the queues are sometimes lengthy, and ready in line is inevitable at such a well-liked landmark. Entrance to the on-site church is freed from cost, however it’s mandatory to purchase tickets for different buildings on the grounds.
Practical Information: Tickets for the Alamo exhibit are $14 for adults. A guided tour of the complicated with entrance to all of the buildings is $45.
10. Sightseeing in The Pearl District
The Pearl District is the realm of San Antonio surrounding the historic Pearl Brewery. Originally based because the City Brewery in 1881, it will shortly develop into the most important brewery in Texas and the one one to survive the prohibition.
The brewery closed down in 2001, and the constructing at this time homes retailers and eating places. Come right here to uncover a unique a part of San Antonio, one which’s stuffed with historical past and fascinating landmarks however away from the town heart.
The Grotto can be in the Pearl district, located on the River Walk south of the brewery constructing. It’s a man-made riverfront cave with faces carved into the rocks, strolling paths via the cliffs, and man-made waterfalls.
Practical Information: The Pearl Brewery is roughly a 30-minute stroll from the Downtown, accessible by strolling paths on the San Antonio River Walk.
11. Discover The Collection at The San Antonio Museum of Art
The San Antonio Museum of Art is located in the previous constructing of the Lone Star Brewery, only a 15-minute stroll from the colourful Pearl District. It boasts an intensive exhibit of Latin American, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian artwork that spans practically 5,000 years. Items exhibited on the museum embrace work, sculptures, images, furnishings, on a regular basis objects, and rather more.
The museum’s assortment of American paintings and artifacts spans two flooring and features a particular part devoted to artists from Texas. Also, the Asian paintings exhibit is the most important of its form in the Southwest, making this museum an absolute should for all artwork lovers in San Antonio.
Practical Information: The San Antonio Museum of Art is open from 10 AM to 5/7 PM each day besides Monday. Tickets are $20 for adults.
12. Amusement Park Rides at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
If you’re in San Antonio with youngsters, there’s no higher place to take them than Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The theme park is often known as The Thrill Capital of South Texas with greater than 60 rides all through the grounds, together with a water park with at the least 15 slides. If you’re in search of much more water rides, I recommend you try SeaWorld San Antonio as a substitute.
Rising to a formidable 205 toes, the Scream drop tower is the park’s scariest journey. If you need to really feel adrenaline coursing via your veins, it’s THE journey for you. But the centerpiece of the amusement park is the Boomerang rollercoaster, that includes insane twists and turns at a velocity of just about 60 miles per hour.
The amusement park might be achieved in a few hours when you’re quick on time, or you possibly can spend a whole day right here happening completely different rides and having the time of your life. If you determine to keep on the Six Flags Fiesta for at the least half a day, think about getting a One-Day Dining Deal to lower your expenses on meals.
Practical Information: One-day passes for the Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme park begin at $45.
13. Explore The Natural Bridge Caverns
One of the perfect pure landmarks in Texas is only a 30-minute drive from central San Antonio. Come right here for underground excursions of the caverns but additionally to have some enjoyable on the journey programs above floor.
The caverns are exceptional to see with all of the completely different geological formations. However, I don’t advocate this tour for vacationers with restricted mobility as a result of it could actually get very strenuous at occasions. Also, the humidity is consistently at 99% and the temperature is generally round 70 levels, which is uncharacteristically heat for underground caves.
The journey park encompasses a maze, rope programs, and a number of zip rails above the bottom with panoramic views of Texas Hill Country. Everything right here is kid-friendly, and there are even a few displays which are particularly designed for the youngest guests.
Insider Tip: Wear sturdy sneakers as a result of the cavern ground is moist and slippery.
Practical Information: The payment for cavern excursions is roughly $30-50, relying on the day you go to and the kind of tour you select. Natural Bridge Caverns Park is open every day from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
14. Native Flora at San Antonio Botanical Garden
San Antonio Botanical Garden is an enormous inexperienced area in the northern a part of the town. Featuring ponds, landscaped strolling trails, and plush greenery throughout, the place is a sight for sore eyes when you’re uninterested in wanting on the downtown buildings.
Several conservatories are on the botanical backyard, they usually’re particular not just for the crops you’ll see inside but additionally for his or her form. The glass constructions are virtually items of artwork and fantastic to see. The crops and flowers inside are principally those which are native to the area, however they’re nonetheless pretty.
The botanical backyard additionally encompasses a cafe, and it’s an excellent place to sit down for a fast break earlier than you progress on to the following San Antonio landmark.
Practical Information: The San Antonio Botanical Garden is open from 9 AM to 5 PM. The entrance payment is $18-22 for adults.
15. Jump Into an LED Ball Pit at Hopscotch San Antonio
Hopscotch San Antonio is a contemporary artwork gallery with very enjoyable interactive displays. There are solely two Hopschotch galleries in the United States, so a visit to San Antonio is the proper alternative to uncover this fabulous area.
It’s not like any artwork gallery you’ve ever visited. Many displays are interactive and intensely enjoyable. You can play in an LED ball pit, stroll round a rainbow cave, and bounce round on a quantum trampoline. The exhibit additionally options murals and sculptures, however they’re removed from conventional artworks.
The artwork gallery can be probably the most Instagrammable locations in San Antonio, so you could come right here if you need to commemorate your journey to this metropolis with epic pictures.
Insider Tip: To have interaction with a number of the interactive displays, guests should take off their sneakers and put on socks.
Practical Information: Hopscotch San Antonio is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12 PM to 10 PM. General admission to the artwork gallery is $24.
16. Travel Back In Time At The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum
Head to the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum in Downtown San Antonio for a touch of the Wild West. The restaurant is styled as a conventional Western saloon and options two very fascinating museums on the grounds. A single ticket grants you entry to each museums.
The Buckhorn Museum encompasses a weird assortment of taxidermied animals, which I didn’t like very a lot. Don’t get me fallacious, it’s an fascinating assortment and I haven’t seen something prefer it anyplace in my life, it’s simply that taxidermy freaks me out fairly a bit.
I loved the Texas Ranger Museum rather more, with its reconstruction of a Wild West city, full with a saloon and a jail cell. You can stroll via these basic saloon doorways and pose for images behind bars, pretending to be a correct outlaw. The exhibit additionally options weapons of well-known Texas rangers, in addition to their badges and images.
Practical Information: The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission tickets are $22.99 and embrace entrance to all of the displays in the constructing. You can guide them right here.
17. Tour The Spanish Governor’s Palace
The Spanish Governor’s Palace is considerably of a hidden gem in San Antonio. Include it in your San Antonio itinerary if you need to see a captivating stucco palace full with interval furnishings and ghosts. The palace is rumored to be haunted, and it’s typically included in San Antonio ghost excursions.
You received’t see any ghosts when you go to throughout the day, and you may concentrate on the impeccable colonial structure and beautiful vintage furnishings. Beautiful artworks adorn the inside of the palace and its grounds, however I personally discovered the kitchen space essentially the most fascinating. I’ve by no means seen something prefer it earlier than, particularly in such good situation.
Insider Tip: The Palace is located between the San Fernando Cathedral and the Historic Market Square, so you possibly can see three in style San Antonio sights in one afternoon.
Practical Information: The Spanish Governer’s Palace is open from 9 AM to 5 PM. Tickets are $5.
18. Day Trip to Austin
San Antonio is simply an hour and a half from Austin. The bustling state capital is without doubt one of the greatest locations to go to on day journeys from San Antonio, each for the proximity and fantastic sights it affords. Austin is understood for its glorious cultural scene, nice meals, reside music, and only a nice environment throughout.
If you think about your self an artwork lover, you’ll have the time of your life in Austin. The metropolis is house to many fantastic museums and artwork displays, which vary from a museum devoted to Charles Umlauf’s works to a contemporary artwork set up named Cathedral of Junk.
The Texas Capitol is an iconic constructing which you can’t miss whilst you’re in Austin. It is completely unimaginable to see and guests can get free, 30-minute guided excursions of the landmark complicated.
Practical Information: Austin is 80 miles northeast of San Antonio. It takes about an hour and a half to attain the town each by automotive and native bus.
19. Learn About Texas at The Witte Museum
The Witte Museum is about in Brackenridge Park, and it’s one of many oldest museums in San Antonio, devoted to recounting tales about Texas, from prehistoric occasions to the trendy day. The museum’s assortment consists of all kinds of historic artifacts, and a number of the highlights are dinosaur bones and Sheriff’s badges from the late 1800s.
The exhibit is fascinating, and I like that there’s one thing for everybody, no matter their age. Kids are normally captivated by the large replicas of dinosaurs, whereas adults have extra enjoyable discovering Texan artwork, textiles, and on a regular basis objects from a earlier period.
This museum is exterior central San Antonio, however it’s simply accessible by public transport. A bus can take you from the Alamo to the Witte Museum in simply 20 minutes.
Practical Information: The Witte Museum is open from 10 AM to 6 PM. Tickets are $16 for adults.
20. See The Historic San Fernando Cathedral
San Fernando Cathedral is yet one more in a string of historic landmarks to be discovered in Downtown San Antonio. The landmark church was initially constructed in the early 18th century and serves as an exquisite instance of Spanish colonial structure.
The opulent altar and marvelous stained glass home windows are the highlights of San Fernando Cathedral. Free guided excursions can be found to all guests, though you received’t get to see the inside of the church. Instead, the excursions take you across the cathedral grounds whereas the native information recounts the church’s historical past.
This church is commonly included in ghost excursions of San Antonio. If you come right here at evening, you’ll get to see a spectacular mild and music present, and also you may even expertise some paranormal occasions.
Practical Information: San Fernando Cathedral is open from 9 AM to 5 PM and is accessible freed from cost.
Frequently Asked Questions For San Antonio, Texas
How Can I Spend 3 Days In San Antonio?
Three days are sufficient time to see all of San Antonio’s greatest landmarks and do a day journey to a close-by metropolis or nationwide park. Visit the Alamo, San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio Mission Trail, the River Walk, the Witte Museum, the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, the San Antonio Botanical Garden, and the Pearl, and go on a river cruise in the downtown.
What Is The Most Visited Place In San Antonio, Texas?
The Alamo is essentially the most visited landmark in San Antonio, Texas. The San Antonio River Walk is an in depth second, with a way more touristy environment than the historic battleground.
What Is San Antonio Best Known For?
San Antonio is greatest identified for the Alamo and the Spanish mission church buildings. Its wealthy and battle-ridden historical past has additionally made it well-known for ghost sightings.
How Do I Spend A Day In San Antonio?
If you solely have a day in San Antonio, spend it visiting the River Walk, the Alamo, Historic Market Square, San Antonio Mission Historic National Park, and the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. One day is sufficient time to see all these landmarks, and also you may simply have sufficient time to squeeze in a visit to one of many botanical gardens.
Tips And Information For Visiting San Antonio, Texas
Best Time To Visit
The greatest time to go to San Antonio is from November to April. March and April are typically the most well-liked months for journeys to this Texas metropolis due to the gentle, heat climate. It’s excellent for lengthy walks across the metropolis heart and excursions to close by parks and nationwide landmarks.
Avoid touring to the town in the summer season when you can. San Antonio has extremely popular summers, and the temperatures typically exceed 90 levels all through the day. That’s too sizzling to be snug while you’re exterior a lot of the day, particularly with the town’s excessive humidity.
Getting There
Look for flights to San Antonio International Airport. It’s solely a 15-minute drive from downtown San Antonio, so that you’ll be at your resort in no time. Buses additionally run from the airport to the town heart; tickets are cheap at $2.5, and the journey is simply 30-40 minutes lengthy. It’s value contemplating when you’re on a tighter finances and don’t need to spend cash on taxis.
Alternatively, you possibly can fly to Austin after which get a journey to San Antonio. The airport in Austin is larger and busier than the one in San Antonio, with extra home and worldwide connections. The capital is simply an hour and a half from San Antonio by each automotive and bus.
Getting Around
Much of central San Antonio is walkable, so you possibly can discover a big portion of the town on foot. Cycling is in style right here and a very good different to taxi rides and automotive leases. San Antonio has an excellent bike-sharing system, and you may go to a lot of the sights listed in this information on a bicycle.
A rental automotive would make it easier to get round San Antonio faster, however it’s not a necessity. The public transport community in San Antonio is sweet and might even make it easier to get all the way in which to Austin. So, think about renting a automotive solely in case you have very restricted time in the town and also you need to go to as many landmarks as potential.
How Much Time Do You Need
Three days is the proper period of time for a San Antonio journey. It’s greater than sufficient time to cowl all the highest landmarks in the town, in addition to a day journey to a close-by metropolis or nationwide park. I like to recommend incorporating a day journey to Austin in your three-day itinerary as a result of it’s very shut to San Antonio.
The metropolis might be achieved in two days, however you’ll want to select between a day journey or metropolis sights for the second day of the journey. And when you solely have in the future in San Antonio, prioritize all of the historic locations and buildings.
San Antonio City Pass
The San Antonio City Pass is absolutely good worth for cash and I extremely advocate you get it when you’re severe about sightseeing in the Texas metropolis. The move affords free entrance to 4 out of eight sights of your selection for $59:
Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises ($14.5) San Antonio Zoo ($25) The Tower of The Americas ($18.50) The DoSeum ($18) San Antonio Botanical Garden ($18-22) Witte Museum ($16) San Antonio Museum of Art ($20) The Alamo – Exhibit and Church ($14)
You can get your cash’s value when you go to simply three displays and the fourth one is virtually freed from cost! Getting the San Antonio City Pass is a no brainer if at the least three of those locations have already made it onto your itinerary. Grab your Pass right here.
Where To Stay in San Antonio, Texas
First-time guests ought to search for lodges in Downtown San Antonio for simple strolling entry to all the perfect vacationer sights. Many lodges can be found alongside the historic River Walk, they usually’re a number of the greatest lodges in the town.
The Pearl district can be a beautiful a part of the town to keep in, with loads of fascinating sights close by. Here are a number of the greatest lodges in San Antonio for all budgets:
The Gunter Hotel is an reasonably priced choice in the Downtown, shut to all the perfect San Antonio landmarks. The Menger Hotel is an effective mid-range choice in the town heart, with the added bonus of ghost sightings. Hotel Emma is a high-end luxurious resort on the River Walk in the Pearl District of San Antonio.
Whether you keep at a haunted resort or an all-out luxurious resort, I’m fairly certain you’ll have a good time in San Antonio. Especially when you prioritize visiting the sights that you’re genuinely in, as opposed to queuing at in style locations simply because it’s what you’re supposed to do.