How to see the best of Texas in 4 unique itineraries
Aug 11, 2025 • 11 min read
The road past the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Texas. imagoDens/Shutterstock
In Texas, everything feels bigger, from the 12-lane freeways and urban sprawl to the jumbo margaritas and impossibly tall hairdos.
If you’re thinking of a road trip through this country-sized US state, where do you even begin? Leave it to Lonely Planet’s experts, who have crisscrossed Texas and plotted four terrific itineraries that strike just the right balance between rugged nature and thriving cities, rolling vineyards and Gulf beaches, fascinating historic sites and contemporary culture.
As you hit the road, you can expect indelible memories of neighborhoods, landscapes and characters that you’ll find nowhere else in the world. The Lone Star State is, after all, larger than life. Here are four great ways to experience it.
1. Wend your way through the Hill Country, plus two dynamic Texas cities
4-day itinerary
Distance: 205 miles (330km)
Spilling east from Austin, the Hill Country, where winding roads and rivers lead past historic towns set among rolling hills, is one of the most beautiful regions in Texas. Outdoor attractions abound and you can visit the area’s wineries and state parks between stays in Austin and San Antonio. In spring, brilliant wildflowers – including the iconic Texas bluebonnet – carpet the landscape.
Austin: 1 day
Austin is Texas’ capital of quirky cool, and even a quick visit to the city will let you dig into the neighborhoods that have shaped its character. Linger over drinks and snacks at coffee shops and restaurants in South Austin, walk or cycle the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail and beat the heat with a dip at Barton Springs. In the evening, catch live music at the legendary Continental Club.
Lockhart: half a day
The famed barbecue capital of Texas (and the universe?), Lockhart has a pretty town center, with the photogenic Caldwell County Courthouse at its heart. After strolling past the shops and vintage architecture, it’s time to feast on tender brisket – join the line at Barb’s BQ for the best in town.
Detour: It’s a quick 20-minute drive to Luling, which has a peaceful main street dotted with antique shops and curiosities like the Luling Oil Museum.
Wimberley: half a day
It’s easy to fall for Wimberley, a small town full of art galleries and farm-to-table restaurants overlooking a tree-lined creek. Get a taste of the local art scene at Art on 12, then go for a dip in one of the crystal-clear swimming holes just outside of town – we rate Hamilton Pool and Jacob’s Well Natural Area. You’ll need to book a spot at either well in advance.
Fredericksburg: half a day
The unofficial capital of the Hill Country, Fredericksburg is a 19th-century German settlement that packs a lot of charm into a small area. Spend an afternoon on Main St, browsing the varied stores and learning about the early settlers at the Pioneer Museum.
Detour: Make the 30-minute drive to Johnson City, where you can tread in the footsteps of President Lyndon B Johnson. Along the way, you’ll pass many vineyards that offer tours and wine tastings.
Boerne: half a day
Another Hill Country town with deep German roots, Boerne has a picture-perfect town center and a creekside walking trail dotted with signage that sheds light on the past. See more of the Hill Country’s wilder side at the Cibolo Center for Conservation.
Detour: It’s a 30-minute drive to Bandera, where you can go horseback riding at a dude ranch or catch a bit of live music at the 11th Street Cowboy Bar.
San Antonio: 1 day
In San Antonio, start at Market Square, the country’s largest Mexican market. Take in the fabulous Latin American collection at the San Antonio Museum of Art, followed by lunch at the Pearl, a brewery complex turned dining destination. Double back downtown to learn about Texas history at the Alamo, then take an evening stroll along the River Walk, past enchantingly illuminated gardens and footbridges.
2. Take in Dallas and Fort Worth, then set out on the Panhandle Plains
7-day itinerary
Distance: 538 miles (850km)
Get a taste of cutting-edge culture in Dallas, then head next door to Fort Worth, where the Old West lives on in the atmospheric Stockyards District. Beyond the urban expanse of the so-called Metroplex, the region promises age-old canyons, offbeat road trips and plenty of surprises – including a small home deeply connected to the birth of rock and roll.
Dallas: 2 days
Your trip begins in the Big D. In the West End, you’ll get a riveting, up-close understanding of John F Kennedy’s assassination at the Sixth Floor Museum. Have lunch at the Dallas Farmers Market, then head over to Bishop Arts District for shopping, strolling and cafe-hopping. Spend your second day exploring the Arts District, followed by drinks and a show in the Deep Ellum area, a vibrant hub for live music.
Fort Worth: 1 day
Start off in Fort Worth’s world-class Cultural District. The Amon Carter Museum has an exceptional collection of art depicting the Old West, while the Kimbell brims with old master paintings, all brilliantly illuminated in a subtle, deceptively minimalist concrete building designed by Louis Kahn.
After lunch, head over to the Stockyards. Visit the small Stockyards Museum for a dose of history, peek inside the Cowtown Coliseum with its rodeo memorabilia, then watch the longhorns parade by in the daily afternoon “cattle drive.” After sundown, join the boot scootin’ revelry at Billy Bob’s Texas.
Abilene: 1 day
Amid the rolling plains, Abilene has reinvented itself in recent years as America’s “Storybook Capital.” Check out the latest exhibitions at the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, take a tour into the past at the Grace Museum, then immerse yourself in the interactive exhibits (which are fabulous for kids) at the Frontier Texas! museum.
Detour: Make the 20-minute drive to see the lonely, windswept ruins of historic Fort Phantom Hill.
Lubbock: 1 day
Home to a massive university, Lubbock has some top-notch museums, including the Museum of Texas Tech University, with its captivating works by artists from over a dozen different Native American tribes. Lubbock is also the birthplace of a rock-and-roll legend who died way too soon; learn all about his life and music at the Buddy Holly Center.
Detour: Drive 1½ hours northeast to hike rugged trails and spot creatures large (bison) and small (prairie dogs) at Caprock Canyons State Park.
Palo Duro Canyon: 1 day
See layers of history written in stone in the magnificent canyon system of Palo Duro. At the small visitor center, pick up maps and browse exhibitions about the canyon’s Native American connection – then set out on a hike. You can take it easy on the riverside trails or challenge yourself on a harder hike like the Rock Garden Trail or Lighthouse Trail. In the evening, take in the sounds of live music at the beautifully sited amphitheater.
Now lined with antique shops and eateries, Amarillo’s SW 6th St once formed part of Route 66 – the fabled highway connecting Chicago and Los Angeles. Take a wander, then look for desert critters at the Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, and tackle the 72-ounce-steak (!!!) challenge at the Big Texan.
Detour: Go for a spin on Route 66, stopping in on sleepy towns like Vega, and adding your artistry to the graffiti-covered automobiles at Cadillac Ranch.
3. Enjoy the pleasures of East Texas and the Gulf Coast
5-day itinerary
Distance: 815 miles (1312km)
Closer in climate and feel to the South than the Southwest, East Texas is home to wildlife-rich wetlands and small settlements with historic downtowns. From there, the journey continues to the burgeoning dynamo of Houston, with its storied art and dining scene, followed by a memorable road trip tracing the shoreline of the beach-studded Gulf Coast.
Jefferson: half a day
Start the journey in Jefferson, one of Texas’ most charming small towns. Get an eyeful of history at the fascinating Jefferson Historical Museum, then check out grand 19th-century homes like House of the Seasons.
Detour: Head to the primeval wetland environs of Caddo Lake, a 20-minute drive east, for a chance to see unique plant and animal life.
Tyler: half a day
Famed for its roses (and its fragrant flower festival in October), Tyler has a picturesque downtown that’s packed with eye-catching architecture. Spend the afternoon strolling past art deco and beaux-arts beauties, see the sprawling Rose Garden and the quirky Tyler Rose Museum, then grab a bite at Stanley’s Pit Barbecue, which serves up some of the best pit-smoked meats in East Texas.
Houston: 1 day
You could spend many days exploring the fourth-largest city in the US. Yet with only a short time, we recommend focusing your attention on the outstanding collections around Houston's Museum District (don’t miss the Menil Collection, and its extraordinary Rothko Chapel). Then explore the city’s diverse food scene – which ranges far beyond Tex-Mex, taking in Vietnamese, West African and South Asian fare – in the neighborhood of Montrose. If time allows, fit in a visit to NASA’s Space Center Houston en route to the shore.
Galveston: 1 day
Though devastated by a hurricane in 1900, the seaside city of Galveston still has fascinating vestiges of its 19th-century past that you can see in the Bryan Museum (a former orphanage) and the Moody Mansion. After exploring the city streets, head to the shoreline to look for birds and marine life at the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve, followed by some downtime on the beach at Galveston Island State Park.
Corpus Christi: 1 day
Sitting pretty midway down the Gulf Coast, Corpus Christi is both a vibrant city and seaside retreat. Spend the morning learning about the aquatic life in the Texas State Aquarium, then explore the galleries of the Art Museum of South Texas. Afterward, hit the beach at Padre Island National Seashore. Cap the day with cold brews at the laid-back Executive Surf Club downtown.
South Padre Island: 1 day
Home to Texas’ loveliest beaches (and liveliest spring-break scene), South Padre Island makes a great finale to this southbound road trip. Indulge in the life aquatic by taking a fishing tour or heading out on a dolphin-watching cruise, then learn about endangered marine life at Sea Turtle, Inc, check out the vast dunes beyond Edwin King Atwood Park and feast on fresh oysters at Liam’s.
4. Road-trip through the epic Concho Valley and West Texas
7-day itinerary
Distance: 820 miles (1320km)
Wide-open West Texas is perfect for road-tripping. Big Bend National Park, with its endless vistas, is reason enough to make the trek all by itself – but you can expect plenty of fun along the way, taking in the art scene in pretty San Angelo, hiking the trails of Guadalupe Mountains National Park and exploring multicultural El Paso.
San Angelo: 1 day
Greet the day in San Angelo with a walk along the scenic Concho River, then stop in the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, a pillar of the local arts community. Tour the 19th-century Fort Concho before visiting the galleries of the Chicken Farm Art Center.
Detour: Drive 80 minutes south of San Angelo to the Caverns of Sonora, where you can take a guided tour through a dazzling stalactite-filled underworld.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park: 1 day
Guadalupe Mountains National Park doesn’t have any paved roads, so you’re going to have to leave the car behind to take in its high-country splendor. A hike up Guadalupe Peak will get you to the tallest point in Texas at 8751ft (2667m). McKittrick Canyon is especially lovely in fall, when the leaves of the bigtooth maples turn golden and bright red, but it’s a forested oasis at any time of year.
El Paso: 1 day
Wedged into the farthest-flung corner of West Texas, El Paso is a border city with a diverse heritage. Check out its cultural treasures at the city’s many free museums; downtown, the El Paso Museum of Art has a terrific Southwestern collection. Stop for sunset drinks at enchanting La Perla and make dinner reservations at Elemi, one of the city’s best restaurants.
Fort Davis: 1 day
The town of Fort Davis amounts to little more than a desert crossroads – but with the dramatic remains of the fort itself on its doorstep and the McDonald Observatory high in the mountains nearby, it’s worth an overnight stay. The observatory has some of the clearest and darkest skies in North America, and astronomers are on hand at “Star Parties” to explain the constellations and beyond.
Marfa: 1 day
Mystery lights and modern art deep in the West Texas desert set the scene in surreal Marfa. Donald Judd put Marfa on the art-world map in the 1980s, when, at the Chinati Foundation, he created one of the world’s largest permanent installations of minimalist art in abandoned military buildings.
By night, head to the Marfa Lights Viewing Area to catch a glimpse of the famous ghostly illuminations, whose source (car headlights? desert mirages? extraterrestrials?) remains a hot topic of debate.
Big Bend National Park: 2 days
Talk about big – at 1252 sq miles (3245 sq km), Big Bend National Park is larger than Rhode Island. Hikers have more than 150 miles (241km) of trails to explore, winding over the mountains, through the desert and along the Rio Grande.
For the perfect ending to a trip around West Texas, go rafting. The river has earned its place among the top North American trips for rafting and canoeing. Rapids up to class IV alternate with calm stretches perfect for wildlife-viewing, photography and relaxation.
This article was adapted from the 7th edition of Lonely Planet’s Texas guidebook, published in August 2025.