There is a lot to love about Austin, Texas. A quirky and casual city with something for everyone: countless food trucks for the foodies, lakes and parks for the nature lovers, and live music for the country fans. There is a wonderfully weird buzz about the city that keeps you coming back for more! We spent two days exploring Austin and were able to squeeze in all of the must see places on our list. Check out our two day Austin itinerary filled with the main attractions in Austin and find out for yourself why this laid back city’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird”.
Day 1
Congress St Bridge
Famous for bats, the Congress Street Bridge is a popular spot for tourists from March till November. There is a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats that live under the bridge and migrate between Austin and Mexico each year. Tourists line up along the bridge to watch the bats fly out from underneath at sunset. Peak season for bat watching is in late July/early August when the babies start flying on their own and the 1.5 million population of bats flies out to hunt at sunset.
We went kayaking under the bridge and could hear chirping sounds called ‘colony chatter’ that the bats make all day, everyday. We recommend renting kayaks from Congress Avenue Kayaks and look for a discount on Groupon!
South Congress St (SoCo)
A popular and eclectic area in Austin is South Congress Street, also referred to as SoCo. There are plenty of fun shops, restaurants, and people watching to keep you occupied for hours! This area is great for afternoon shopping or grabbing a drink at night. It is also home to some of Austin’s most popular street art murals. Be on the lookout for pop up markets, musicians, and street performers. There are several stores that you shouldn’t miss, but don’t get there too early as most shops don’t open until 11am:
- Big Top Candy Shop (1706 South Congress) – A long and narrow store, but it is filled to the brim with every type of candy. I loved the old fashioned feel of the store and Chris loved the salted chocolate caramels.
- Uncommon Objects (1512 South Congress) – A great vintage store that lives up to its title. From old cameras, to spurs, dolls, jewelry, and so much more – the store is filled.
- Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds (1506 South Congress) – Love the name! A costume and vintage shop with racks and racks of clothing for all of your costume needs. Whether you need a suit covered in pictures of hamburgers, a curly pink wig, or a series of boas in every color, they will have you covered.
- The Continental Club (1315 South Congress) – A famous venue in Austin for live music and dancing.
- Austin Motel (1220 South Congress) – A historic motel that dates back to 1938. The motel is proud to remain old fashioned and family owned. The phallic looking motel sign is a popular photo spot for tourists.
South Austin Trailer Park & Eatery
Tacos! You can’t visit Austin without having tacos at least once. Our taco stop was Torchy’s Tacos food truck. We tried The Democrat, Crossroads, and Trailer Trash tacos. All of them were delicious, but the Crossroads was our unanimous favorite!
State Capitol Building
The Texas State Capitol building is impressive! The capitol building has the largest dome of any US State Capitol building. Bringing truth to the notion that everything actually is bigger in Texas! After exploring the outside of the building, go inside to see the rotunda and the many stunning details inside the building. Check out the intricate details of the door jams on the large doors, this small detail caught our attention! There are free guided tours available or you can take a self-guided tour during business hours.
Sixth Street
Austin’s famous nightlife street. There is A LOT you can do here, but be warned it can be madness on Sixth Street! These are our recommendations:
- Kung Fu Saloon – A sports tavern with giant Jenga and connect-4, top it off with free skee-ball and happy hour specials – you can’t go wrong with spending a few hours here!
- The Driskill – enjoy a “classy” drink at this old, haunted hotel!
- Alamo Drafthouse Ritz – Reserve tickets to see Master Pancake well in advance of your trip to Austin. Never heard of Master Pancake? It’s an experiences that blends the best of a comedy show with a movie. Exactly like a live version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. They show terrible movies and provide hilarious commentary throughout the movie. The best part of this old theater is that it has a full restaurant and bar, so you can enjoy dinner, a movie, and a comedy show all at the same time. We enjoyed Master Pancake’s rendition of Point Break.
Day 2
On day two of our time in Austin was filled with more street art and lots of breweries! We also stopped at a few must see locations as well:
LBJ Presidential Library
Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, served as President from 1963-1969. A controversial President due to the Vietnam War, but LBJ was a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. This Presidential Library is open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm. On your self-guided tour you will have the opportunity to hear recorded phone conversations with the President and experience LBJ’s large personality for yourself. It is an insightful visit and worth the $10 admission fee!
Hope Outdoor Gallery
Hope stands for Helping Other People Everywhere. This unique outdoor gallery is an educational non-profit project. Everyone is welcome to take a paint can and be creative! A new location is opening across from the Austin airport, be sure to look it up and add it to your Austin itinerary.
Mount Bonnell
A short walk up 106 stone steps leads to amazing views of the Austin city scape and the surrounding hill country. Views this beautiful shouldn’t be this easy to climb up to!
Breweries
As previously mentioned we visited a lot of breweries during our two days in Austin. Check out the Drunken Traveler reviews of St. Elmo Brewing, The AGBG, and Real Ale Brewing.
Even though two days in Austin is not a lot of time, with this two day itinerary you can see a lot including some of the famous Austin Street Art. We recommend adding Two Days in San Antonio to your Texas trip!
