A PERFECT DAY
SAN ANTONIO
San Antonio has what every amazing city has – excellent food (tacos!), a solid walkable downtown, and rich history. It’s the perfect place to spend a day seeing missions, throwing back a margarita (or two) and enjoying the river walk. Even better – it’s just an hour and a half from Austin making it an ideal choice for a day trip.
How To Get TO SAN ANTONIO
San Antonio Airport is right in San Antonio. It’s just a fifteen minute drive from the airport to the downtown area. For this itinerary it’s helpful to have your own transportation, but if you only want to explore the River Walk area, you can easily catch an Uber or Lyft.
Austin is only an hour and half away, which makes San Antonio an ideal location for a day trip.
Best Time to SAN ANTONIO
Texas is a great place to visit at any time of the year, but spring and fall are our favorites. Summer can get pretty hot and during winter you’ll have shorter daylight hours for exploring.
Summer (June-August): Summer in Austin is hot, hot, hot! Average high temperatures hover in the mid-90s °F (35°C), with occasional days exceeding 100°F (38°C).
Fall (September-November): Temperatures gradually drop as we near the end of the year, with average highs in the low 80s °F (27°C).
Winter (December-February): Winters are generally mild, with average high temperatures in the mid-50s °F (13°C). Freezing temperatures are possible but infrequent.
Spring (March-May): Spring brings unpredictable weather, with warm days interspersed with occasional cool spells and possible thunderstorms. Expect weather to range from low 70s °F (23°C) to mid 80s °F (29°C) . Bring layers!
How Much Time Do You Need IN SAN ANTONIO
A day trip is the perfect amount of time to spend in San Antonio. It’s super easy to visit from Austin.
Morning
Breakfast
Grab a quick breakfast before heading to your first stop. If you’re starting in Austin, you can grab breakfast tacos. Check out our Guide to Austin for more foodie info!
Start at the Alamo
Get an early start visiting the famous Alamo! The Alamo is a historic mission complex that famously became the site of a pivotal battle during the Texas Revolution. The battle here became a rallying cry for Texan independence from Mexico. You can take a guided tour or read the many signs explaining the significance and history of the site. Sometimes they have live demonstrations – when we visited we saw a musket demonstration, the main weapon used during the battle.
Chance your luck with street parking, or park in one of the many lots within a five a minute walk of the entrance.
Walk the River Walk
From the Alamo, head on over to the River Walk. The River Walk spans 15 miles, but you can walk a portion and turn around whenever you like. A fun part of the River Walk is that there is no open container law, meaning you can grab a drink to sip while you stroll. They have a Fat Tuesdays (famous for their slushie yardstick drinks), a beer garden, and a bunch of other places to buy an alcoholic beverage along the River Walk.
Make sure to stop at The Grotto, a stony sculpture that looks like you’re entering into the mouth of a beast.
Lunch at Casa Rio
Casa Rio, the first restaurant to establish itself on the river, offers a solid lunch, but the best part is that it’s right on the water! It’s very popular and sometimes there’s a wait, but it moves quickly. If you’re seated near the river, you’ll be able to hear some fun facts about the area as water cruises float by. The food is decent – it’s more about the prime real-estate than the cuisine. You’ll recognize the restaurant from its colorful umbrellas. Beware of the pigeons! Tons of pigeons populate this area waiting for leftovers when customers leave. We had to really guard our food!
AFTERNOON
Mission Walk – National Park Trail
If you’re National Park geeks, like us, you’re going to love the Mission Walk. On this trail, you’ll visit FOUR missions in addition to The Alamo. We visited on a rainy day so we opted to drive to the different missions, but you can also bike the route. The biking trail is about 15 miles. Between exploring the missions and biking, I’d leave a half day for this activity.
If you only have time to visit one or two missions, I highly recommend Mission San Juan and Mission San Jose
NIGHT
Dinner at La Gloria
La Gloria is a solid spot for dinner. Seriously, the best tacos and margs! There was a special margarita when we visited with mango, cantaloupe, and chili powder. If it’s on the menu, you need to get it!
Drive by the world’s tallest cowboy boots!
You never know what you’re going to get with roadside attractions – some are a hit and some are a miss – this was in a mall parking lot – a quick glance out the window will be just fine as you’re driving by!
NOT DONE TRAVELING?
Check out our guides of nearby areas:
Texas Hill Country
Austin