Today, I’m so excited to share all the details from our Austin girls trip! I have been wanting to take a weekend trip to Austin, Texas for years! Our trip was during the week and not on a weekend, but most of this Austin itinerary will work for you no matter which days you intend to visit. There are so many things to do – even if you do only have a weekend in Austin! This Austin itinerary could be used for couples also.
Our trip was in July. The temperature hovered between 105-106 degrees every day we were there! But we didn’t let a little sweat and blaring sun keep us from our Austin fun!
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. I use various programs to include affiliate links in my blog posts – such as the Amazon Associates Program and various travel partner programs – to earn from qualifying purchases.
I am going to share with you our Austin itinerary – where to stay in Austin, where to eat in Austin, and what to do in Austin, Texas for three days or four days. Stock up on ideas ahead of your girls weekend in Austin or even a day trip to Austin. My itinerary is super packed. Keep in mind you don’t have to do all the things. But you also don’t want to look back with regret and realize you wasted time and could have explored the area more.
Girls Weekend in Austin: Where to Stay in Austin? – The Hilton Austin
We stayed at the HIlton Austin. It is connected to the Austin Convention Center – which is why many people choose this particular Austin hotel. It is situated in the heart of downtown Austin, and it is super convenient to nearly every location I mention in this Austin itinerary. And the only reason we did choose to Uber in the few occasions we did was due to the 106 degree heat! Most outings are truly walkable in decent weather. (Now, I will caution that there were some streets – especially on the super popular 6th Street at night – where some might prefer an Uber over walking for safety purposes as there are often lots of folks out in the streets.)
The Hilton Austin has a fun rooftop pool, two hip restaurants, and a Starbucks. It offers tons of meeting space for large groups and small group collaboration spaces, as well. Check in is at 3 p.m. and check out is at noon. We had a great stay during our Austin getaway!
More Places to Stay in Austin
- I’m a huge of the Autograph Collection hotel line. The colors, the artwork the quirkiness…I love it all! The Otis Hotel Austin is part of the Autograph Collection line and it looks like such a fun place to stay! This place has great reviews.
- The Line Austin, a short walk from the Austin Convention Center, is another one that wows with modern charm – from the unique windows to the city views to the artistic installations throughout. This upscale hotel has a bit higher price point than others, but it features three hotels, bicycles, and other elements for convenience.
- How can you not like a hotel with a cute name like Hotel ZaZa Austin?! This luxury spa hotel is brimming with cool design and style. You can reserve a standard room or a studio apartment style room.
Renting a Car in Austin
Whether or not you choose to rent a car is up to you. We chose to use Uber for our stay after we flew in. And I don’t like driving in new places, but it might be just as affordable for you to rent a car at the Austin airport and split the cost among girlfriends.
Our Austin Itinerary for an Austin Girls Trip
Best Things to Do in Austin – Arrival, Night 1
- Arrive at Hilton Austin and get settled.
- Walk or Uber to Emma S. Barrientos Mexican-American Cultural Center. This center is a 12 minute walk from hotel. It closes at 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and has free admission. This center has a revolving art exhibit. I believe the exhibits change every three months. The art we saw is incredibly vibrant and represents both the obvious and the not-so-obvious parts of Mexican culture. There are other activities and classes associated with this center. We saw young girls, decked out in folkloric dresses, heading to their weekly folkloric dance classes. Again, you might want to go by car since it is so hot in the summer! We walked because we wanted to explore…but whew! It was a hot one!
- Walk over to Waller Creek Boathouse (3 minute walk from cultural center) and spend some time exploring Lady Bird Lake. If you arrive before 5:30, go into Alta’s Cafe and grab a coffee or wine and enjoy the lake views and city skyline. In the evenings, you can also book an Austin sunset kayak tour that looks pretty cool! Jump in your pre-reserved vintage jet boat from Retro Boats ATX and go for a 90 minute boat cruise on Lady Bird Lake (only 4 passengers are allowed per reserved boat at a cost of $160-200).
- Or more more adventure, you could do a brews and chews bicycle tour. Or the historical walking tour in Austin looks interesting. Just make sure you are conditioned to endure the heat, if you go for an outdoor tour in summer!
- Walk or take an Uber back to Hilton Austin to freshen up for an 8:30 dinner reservation at the modern hotel restaurant and bourbon bar, Cannon & Belle. The hotel is a 14 minute walk from Waller Creek Boathouse area. I suggest making reservations in advance on the restaurant’s website. Note, I was not able to schedule reservations for parties larger than four people.
Girlfriend Tip #1: For some of the dining reservations and attractions, you will want to set up reservations weeks in advance of your girls weekend in Austin. Weeks, not days! Most reservations can be set up through the individual restaurant or attraction websites.
Girlfriend Tip #2: On the first night of travel (especially if traveling by plane), make your dinner reservations for as late as the restaurant will allow. This will help greatly if you have flight delays or car travel issues.
Best Things to Do in Austin – Day 1, Night 2
- Make yourself a cup of coffee down in hotel room or hit the Starbucks located downstairs so you can caffeine up as you get ready.
- Head out on a walking mission to explore as much of downtown Austin as you can. There are cute little shops and bars to pop into for a drink or a cool down.
- For lunch, walk down to Fareground. This is an indoor food court type of establishment with great multicultural choices like Israeli street food and delicious Tex Mex. You will also find modernized American choices with farm to table products, etc. There is indoor and outdoor seating.
- Uber back to the hotel and spend a few hours relaxing at the rooftop pool.
- Visit the Mexic-Arte Museum. The museum is a seven minute walk from hotel. It takes most people 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to view everything as it is a smaller museum, according to lady I spoke with. It took us around 30-40 minutes. There is a $7 admission ticket per adult, and you can purchase tickets at front desk. The range of art styles of the Chicano Movement differ greatly in this Austin art museum, making it an appealing museum for most people. At the front of the museum is a fun and quirky gift shop, full of witty t-shirts with Spanish or Spanglish phrases, Mexican arts and crafts, and Spanish-language and bilingual books. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
- At 6:30, arrive for your dinner reservation at Taquero Mucho in downtown Austin – a 12 minute walk from the museum or 20 minute walk from hotel. Y’all. I can’t even tell you how tickled pink you will be with this place! It screams feminist attitude at the top of its lungs! The entire place is pink, and no details have been forgotten! The restaurant even has pink tortillas and the most fun pink drinks I’ve ever seen! All the food we tried was delicious. We reserved our dinner spots three weeks in advance and requested the back patio disco area. Even on a 105 degree day, the patio was not so bad. There were fans, and it actually felt quite comfortable back there. You simply must get your photos made in the iconic pink phone booth and in several photo spots around this fun pink restaurant in Austin! Add to the fun by wearing a pink outfit! There are a few things to know about Austin’s Taquero Mucho – the restaurant will not split more than four checks and the checks will be split evenly. It is a pet-friendly restaurant with a stack of pink dog water bowls on the back patio. Reservations may be requested during the week but not on the weekends. There is a DJ on the weekends. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Take an Uber or walk back up 6th Street and make your way to your 8:45 reservation at Midnight Cowboy Speakeasy. This historic Austin speakeasy is about a four minute walk from the hotel and a 15 minute walk from Taquero Mucho. It is really important you use the website to make reservations in advance for this place, or you will not get in. You will have to hold your reservations with a credit card, and you cannot make reservations for parties larger than eight. If you need to reduce your reservation number, do so in advance or you will be charged. You can either request to stay for one hour or two hours in your reservation window. Somehow we wound up in a super fun private room (a room that had a much different purpose years ago). Anyway, I’m not sure if it was by luck or if it was because we had a party of eight ladies, and the room seats eight people. Whatever the reason, we had the best time learning about this Texas speakeasy! No food is sold here. You can only order cocktails, and they are quite fancy shmancy. In fact, for some of the cocktail version, the bartender rolled his cart to our room and made the cocktails right in front of us. So fun! There is a trick to finding the speakeasy (as was typical with true speakeasy establishments in the past), and getting inside. You will have to do a bit of research to figure it out! I don’t want to ruin the fun for you!
- At this point, you can either walk back to your hotel or explore some of the other bars and restaurants that populate the bustling 6th Street in downtown Austin.
Girlfriend Tip #1: At Mexic-Arte Museum, there are discounts for veterans, active military, students, senior citizens, and teachers. We did not realize until we had already paid that the sign inside the museum mentioned teacher discounts as well (the website does not mention teachers at the time of this writing). But we probably needed to have our teacher IDs with us anyway.
Girlfriend Tip #2: If you are tired from your other excursions and would rather call in food and lounge by the pool, there are tons of local delivery options. Many of them deliver with the delivery robots! So cute!
Best Things to Do in Austin – Day 2, Night 3
- Drink coffee in your room as you get ready for a mid-morning excursion.
- Take an Uber to Wonderspaces – an interactive gallery of art installations and signature cocktails. The tickets for Wonderspaces Austin can be purchased at the door or online. At $24 a ticket, these tickets are the priciest of the the art gallery suggestions in this Austin itinerary. However, there are discounts offered for teachers, students, senior citizens, military, and healthcare workers. I would make sure to take an ID if you intend to request a discount at the door. The art installations change throughout the year. The hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, you can visit from noon to 8 p.m. The place is closed on Tuesdays.
- Walk back to the hotel for lunch on the main floor at Austin Taco Project. Austin Taco Project is just the most darling place! It has a colorful industrial vibe going on and the carne asada tacos I had were delicious! You can make reservations in advance on the website.
- Spend the afternoon relaxing at the rooftop pool of Austin Hilton before heading freshening up and heading to your next outing.
- Walk to Museum of the Weird which is about a three minute walk from Austin HIlton. It takes most people 30 minutes to 45 minutes to browse through, according to an employee I spoke with. Sure enough, it took my friends and I about 35 minutes to go through. It is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; The cost is $12 admission ticket per adult which can be purchased at the front desk. The website suggests coming in on a weekday if possible because the weekends are more crowded. The Museum of the Weird reminds me of a Ripley’s Believe It or Not kind of place. We had fun!
- Walk a very short distance to Moonshine Grill for a superb upscale southern dinner at 6 p.m. Some of our group arrived a bit earlier than the others and went to the patio bar for a drink while waiting for our table to be prepared. (The restaurant does not accept reservations, and the hostess will not set up a table for you until all members of your party are present. Plan to either all arrive at the same time or hang out for a drink while you wait for some of your group.) There was a wedding reception going on in the downstairs patio, and the downstairs was full of life and laughter. Upstairs, where our gorgeous table was being set, the place was filling up more and more. I was thankful we had come for an earlier dinner at 6 p.m. because the place exploded with a line after about 6:30. Cajun popcorn was served at the table when we sat down. The cathead biscuits on the appetizer menu are a must! One of us ordered the chicken fried steak which was as big as the plate. Not a single person was disappointed with what she ordered! I ordered the chicken mac and cheese, and it was scrumptious! Moonshine Grill has an interesting history going back to the 1950s. Ask your server about it! (Note: the restaurant touts its Sunday brunch as “Austin’s favorite brunch spot” so you might want to try brunch instead of dinner. You could easily switch this restaurant with the Austin Taco Project for the day’s itinerary if you wanted to eat lunch or brunch (Sundays only) here instead.
- Walk back to the hotel and sit in the industrial seating area for Cannon and Belle to enjoy an after-dinner drink, or turn in for an early night.
Girlfriend Tip #1: Using the scheduling tool on your Uber app, you can pre-schedule your Uber pick-up from wherever you want to be if you are running on a tight schedule.
Best Things to Do in Austin – Day 3, Night 4
- Have coffee at the hotel as you get ready. (If you have time, you can also grab breakfast at Austin Taco Project in the hotel!)
- Get ready for a mid-morning adventure with San Marcos River float tour! This Austin float trip – which runs April through October – takes about 3.5 according to the website. (Note, my friends and I did not do this adventure as we did not have the time to squeeze in anything of this length.) If you have the time for a half-day outdoor adventure go for it! The company provides ice coolers, ice, and tubes on the San Marcos River. The tour info gives information as to what to bring and what not to bring, etc.
- That sun probably took it out of you! Go back to your room and rest up for an hour or so.
- Walk over to The Garage and try some fun drinks from the cocktail menu. This modern industrial bar is super cool – whether you sit indoors or out in the courtyard as we did! This is a secretive speakeasy bar in Austin with an unassuming entrance but a grand interior with high ceilings and reflective brick walls. The entrance is very easy to overlook – which is typical of a speakeasy trying to stay out of sight. The hours are Tuesday through Wednesday 5 p.m. to midnight. On Thursday through Saturday, the hours are 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Request an Uber to take you to dinner at Black’s Barbecue Austin which is open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. This family-owned establishment goes back to the 1930s and operates several locations. You can order all sorts of meats from ribs to pulled pork to turkey breast to brisket.
- Head back to the hotel and get a good night’s rest for the journey home! (Or maybe you prefer to hit up 6th Street one last time during your weekend in Austin!)
Final Girlfriend Tip: Maybe you do not have enough time or enough travel funds to cover all of these items on the itinerary. If so, I definitely think you should be sure to include Taquero Mucho, Midnight Cowboy Speakeasy, and one of the museums on your trip to Austin! Taquero Mucho is my absolute favorite Austin restaurant for a weekend in Austin.
More Recommended Places to Visit in Austin on Girls Trips
The bad thing about visiting a cool city like Austin is you never have enough time to do everything! Here are some more recommendations that came our way while we were planning our Austin girls trip. I wish we had time to cover them all! This just means we just need another girls weekend in Austin!
More Recommended Places to Eat in Downtown Austin and Nearby
The majority of these need reservations well in advance.
- Casino el Camino – super casual dive place; doesn’t take reservations; known for great burgers; has been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives”
- Voodoo Doughnut – lots of hype and stays open until 3 a.m.
- The Jackalope – highly rated dive bar with dive bar type food; open 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Stella San Jac – excellent reviews; open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; located inside the Westin Austin Hotel
- Stubb’s Bar-B-Q – iconic bbq spot with live music on both small stage and amphitheater; order tickets online; bbq nachos with brisket looks good; has a Sunday gospel brunch that looks interesting
- Kinfolk Lounge and Library – a cocktail lounge of spirits; serves charcuterie; located in the cellar of Moonshine Grill; reservations required and you can book up to 14 days in advance
More Things to Do in Austin and Surrounding Areas
- Austin Escape Game – need to book a game ahead of time if interested; the only game that can accommodate 9 people is the Playground Room; $38 a person; very close to Hilton Austin
- Original Selfie Museum Austin – $25 – $32 per person; take selfies with all kinds of fun backdrops; right across from Hilton Austin
- Cidercade Austin – a 29 minute walk from Hilton Austin – take an Uber; $10 day pass for full arcade use plus the cost of pizza and drinks; family friendly during the day but 21 and up after 8 p.m.
- Waterloo Park – check the events tab on the website in advance to see if any special programs or concerts are going on
If You Like This Girls Weekend in Austin Post, Check Our Other Travel Guides
Guess and Company Christmas Warehouse in Des Arc
How to Book a Savannah Cooking Class
5 Fun Things to do in St. Louis
Places to Eat at Branson Landing
Down
What to Do in Panama City, Panama
Atlantic and Pacific Restaurant
Treehouse Cabins in Eureka Springs
Our Stay in a Caribbean Beach Resort Pirate Room
Tips for a First Time at Disney World
Disney Animal Kingdom Outfit Ideas
Cinderella’s Royal Table Visit
Weekend in Charleston Itinerary
Gorgeous Luxury Cabins in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Spudnut Shoppe in El Dorado, Arkansas
Staying at Comfort Inn San Juan (Abitta Boutique San Juan)
Best Ideas for Kids at Condado Beach in San Juan
Cruising Ducks for Duck, Duck, Cruise
Quotes About Cruising and Cruising Captions
All About Cruising on Carnival Valor
The Best Quotes About Cruising
And, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed my girls trip to Austin itinerary and will find it helpful for planning your own girls weekend in Austin trip! Would you add anything else for an Austin weekend trip?
Leave a Reply