Austin, Texas: A Complete Guide

Austin Texas Guide. Austin Texas Guide.

Welcome to Austin, Texas!

What you’ve heard is true. Not only is Austin the “Live Musical Capital of the World” it’s a vibrant hub of of lush waterways, delicious cuisine, quirky culture & a thriving college city with plenty of nightlife.

Whether you want outdoor activities (like kayaking on the Colorado River that cuts right through the heart of the city!) or cultural activities (like going to one of the 250+ live music venues!) Austin has something for everyone.

While this liberal, artsy city feels like it’s own bubble inside of Texas- you can still find classic Texan dance halls, tasty BBQ & plenty of saloons.

So grab your cowboy boots and let’s explore Austin!

Tour the Texas Capitol

Start your time off in Austin with a free 30 minute tour of the Texas State Capitol building running weeks days from 8:30am to 4:30pn.

Learn a little more about Texan history & politics while getting to take some great photos inside and outside.

The tour ends in the underground addition near the cafe which makes for a good place to grab lunch!

Free Tours Monday-Friday departing every 30 to 45 minutes.

See A Band Play In The Live Music Capitol Of The World

Live music is such an integral part of Austin’s culture, nightlife and energy in the city! You can’t come to Austin and not see a band (or several) play.

It would be like going to Italy and not eating pasta.

With over 250 venues, you have plenty of options. If you’re not dying to see a particular band, I recommend hoping on a live music tour! This one with Twisted Texas even has a bus with a live band on board as they take you around to 3 different venues!

The Quick & Dirty Facts on the Austin Live Music Tour:

Live band on board the bus! Sing along & rock out as you cruise from venue to venue
Stops at three awesome music venues to listen to local bands
“We’re with the band”: Experience Austin’s music scene with the band! Our bandmates party, pose for pics, and answer anything you want to know about the gritty truths of living for your craft
BYOB bus
Prizes, trivia games, lots of ruckus-raising, and Instagrammable AF
All venue entry fees included
Enjoy some bonus live music and drink specials at our start/end location, another Austin live music favorite!

Timing: 3 hours, 8:00pm Saturday. Private tours available all other evenings.

Start/End Location: Cedar Street Courtyard (208 W. 4th Street)

Monies: $59 per person (or only $599 for a small group private tour for up to 13 guests*)

All riders must be 21+, no exceptions, no babies. Valid ID required for boarding, no refunds given for underage or missing IDs.

Be on the lookout for the many murals & souvenirs with the logo “Keep Austin Weird”

That’s right. “Keep Austin Weird” is the city’s slogan which initially referred to the desire to protect the local business. However, nowadays it pretty much is synonymous with Austin itself.

You’ll find this slogan splashed all over murals, T-shirts and posters around town.

And it only furthers Austin’s reputation as a little quirky and zany. Did you know the city is home to the Cathedral of Junk?

Like I said, definitely quirky.

Party on 6th Street

If you’ve looked into visiting Austin, you’ve probably heard of the legendary 6th Street. In fact, downtown Austin is tied with New Orleans for the highest number of bars in a single zip code.

But downtown Austin beats even the infamous Bourbon Street when we are talking bars per capita because downtown Austin has the largest number of bars per capita in the entire country.

That’s right. According to RealtyTrac, Austin’s downtown zip code 78701 has 88 bars. That’s one for every 67 people!

With this many bars lined up and over 50,000 students alone enrolled at University of Teas at Austin, it’s a perfect storm for an epic nightlife experience.

On weekend nights, 6th Street is closed to traffic as well, a la Bourbon Street in NOLA!

With the street closed and people wandering from bar to bar, mingling in the streets, it feels like more of a drunken city festival as street performers make their appearance for the rowdy crowd!

Kayak on the Colorado River

One of my favorite things to do in Austin is to rent kayaks on the Colorado River.

Beautiful views, lush greenery and calm waters- this is the perfect daytime or sunset activity.

If I could only recommend one activity in Austin, it would be this!

Book with either Rowing Dock or Congress Avenue Kayaks.

Rentals are available daily, no reservations are needed- just remember to bring your ID!

Choose between single kayaks, double kayaks, paddles boards and canoes!

See the bats fly out at dusk from the Congress Bridge

During the spring and summer, 1.5 million Mexican freetail bats make make the Congress Bridge their home.

It is the largest urban bat colony in North America known as the Congress Bridge Bats. And the remarkable part? E

ach night at dusk, these bats fly out simultaneously from under the bridge and blanket the sky as they go in search of food.

Observing the bats has become a hugely popular activity in Austin. People gather on top of the bridge, below it on the shores, in the water on kayaks and even book boat tours specifically for seeing the bats make their epic nightly appearance.

This fun but odd activity only contributes to the whole “Keep Austin Weird” don’t you think?

Get an authentic dance hall experience At Broken Spoke

What could be more country western than a classic Texas dance hall?

The Broken Spoke is Austin’s “last authentic dance hall” and from the moment you walk inside, it feels like you’ve been transported to an entirely different part of Texas. One where the men all say “howdy partner” and the ladies braid their hair, rock cowboy boots and sing entirely Dolly Parton!

“Live music & boot-scootin’, plus beer & chicken-fried steak since 1964.”

Bands begin at 9pm Wed-Sat
Dance Lessons 8-9pm Wed-Sat
Dancehall opens at 7:30pm Tues-Sat

Cash only for dance lessons & entry for the band. The bar and restaurant take cards.

Check out the Broken Spoke website here.

See a Longhorn Game

The University of Austin is home to some fantastic sports teams.

If you want that “all American college football experience” complete with tailgating- be sure to buy tickets to a Longhorn game!

Check their schedule and buy tickets here.

Tube Down The River With Atxcursions

One of my favorite memories in Austin will always be the perfect, sunny day we spent lazily floating down the river with Atxcursions.

With round trip transportation and tubes provided, all you need to do is round up some friends and fill a cooler with ice cold beverages!

Swim at Barton Springs

Another great summer activity: go take a dip at this outdoor swimming pool filled entirely from nearby springs. For non-residents, a single adult costs $8 for entry.

Hours

MON 5:00am – 10:00pm
TUE 5:00am – 10:00pm
WED 5:00am – 10:00pm
THU 5:00am – 9:00am & 7:00pm – 10:00pm
FRI 5:00am – 10:00pm
SAT 5:00am – 10:00pm
SUN 5:00am – 10:00pm

Chicken Shit Bingo at The Little Longhorn Saloon

Every Sunday night from 4-8PM, come on down to the Little Longhorn Saloon for the original home of chicken shit bingo!

Yep, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Chicken Shit Bingo has become a tradition here & draws pretty big crowds.

The bar calls themselves “The Honkiest Tonkiest Beer Joint In Town.”

Plus it’s only $10 for a bucket of 5 beers & they always have a live band onstage!

Visit The Little Longhorn Saloon site here.

Where to Eat BBQ

If you’re going to Texas, you’ve got to have some classic BBQ right? These two joints are your no frills, tried & true Texan BBQ joints in Austin.

Cooper’s Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que

At Cooper’s, you order meat by weight in a cafeteria style. The sides come in an individual order, quart or gallon serving. This place is quite popular!

Green Mesquite BBQ *veggie burgers available

Get your family style meat served here with the $46 BBQ for Four Special. One big tray with brisket, chicken, sausage, potato salad, cole slaw and pinto beans. Add just $11.50 for each extra person. This is a big platter!

Take in the gorgeous city views from one of Austin’s many Rooftop Bars

Austin has a beautiful city skyline. And what better way to appreciate it from one of it’s many rooftop bars?

Check out: HandleBar located at 121 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78701

Rainey Street

Not quite as legendary as “Dirty 6th”, this stretch of bars and restaurants are located inside renovated historic homes.

It feels like you’re hopping from one house party to the next as you make your way from bar to bar!

If you’re looking for a fun night out that’s perhaps slightly less crazy than 6th Street- head on over to Rainey.

This is the slightly more classy, quaint and charming street of Austin nightlife.

Eat at one of the many food trucks

WIth over a 1,000 food trucks in Austin (and more opening daily!) the city really does run off these mobile eateries.

Not only can you find them scattered throughout the city- but they have actual food truck parks where you can walk around and sample different fun and creative cuisines from all over the world.

And unlike the rest of Texas, Austin offers TONS of vegetarian and vegan options! Check out the amazing vegan dogs at Mission Dogs located at 1412 East 6th Street, Austin, TX, United States. Every time I’m in Austin, I make sure to stop here for a mind blowingly delicious vegan meal!

Austin Texas Guide. Austin Texas Guide.

And don’t miss these two food truck parks! One is even conveniently located on Rainey Street so you can bar hop and grab a bite to eat all in one.

The Picnic – Food Truck Park
1720 Barton Springs Rd

Rainey Street Food Truck Lot
82 Rainey St, Austin, TX 78701