The Ultimate Weekend in Austin, Texas Travel Guide

Austin is one of the best travel destinations in America right now and it’s easy to see why. Hot Texas weather, amazing food, and a trendy, vibrant, young, up-and-coming scene and energy everywhere you look. It’s one of the most popular group destinations for bachelor and bachelorette parties, but also makes for a great destination for couples, friends, or anyone looking to see what all the fuss is about in this wonderfully weird Texan desert town. Here are all my favorite recommendations on where to eat, where to stay, and where to play in Austin, Texas.

Table of Contents

The Ultimate Austin Travel Guide

Where to stay in Austin

The JW Marriott Austin

This contemporary hotel is sophisticated, yet super welcoming and ideal for a bachelorette party. It’s centrally located right near the river in downtown Austin and has an amazing rooftop pool and bar overlooking the city!

Photo courtesy Marriott Resorts

The South Congress Hotel

A super cute boutique hotel located in the chic South Congress district of Austin. If you’re a smaller bachelorette party, or looking for a chic hotel for your group, this is your spot. I love their hotel bar and patio any day of the week and their prime location makes for an ideal base for a fun weekend in Austin.

Photo courtesy of South Congress Hotel

Where to stay in Austin with a big group:

Inn Cahoots on Sixth Street

5BR/13 beds, Pool, Amazing roofdeck

This house is insane and sleeps 16+! It’s hard to find a bachelorette party house in Austin with a pool and this is the DREAMIEST one!! It also has this to-die-for rooftop!

Where to eat in Austin:

The food in Austin is world-famous for everything from Barbecue, to tacos, to farm-to-table fresh contemporary cuisine. You will DEFINITELY not go hungry visiting Austin, TX. But here are the absolute best spots to eat in town.

The best dinner restaurants in Austin

Odd Duck

I LOVE this restaurant. Great for brunch, lunch or dinner. If there’s ONE restaurant I’d recommend you in Austin, it’s this one. The food is very contemporary gourmet American and super innovative and DELICIOUS. You can’t go wrong with anything on their menu and the atmosphere is so nice. Perfect for a date, a double date, girls dinner or an upscale family dinner.

Franklin BBQ

Did you even go to Austin if you didn’t hit up Franklin’s world-famous barbecue? The best barbecue in Austin, hands down.

Salt Lick BBQ

A little out of town but well worth the trek. Salt Lick is BYOB – in true communal Austin style, which is an added bonus for groups like bachelor parties dining in Austin.

Photo via Kenny Flowers

Launderette

Healthy, locally sourced, and super cute. This sleek-designed space with a cute patio is SO delish. Do not, under any circumstances, skip the ice cream sandwich. It is OUT OF THIS WORLD.

Photo by The Infatuation

Truluck’s

For a fancy night out – Truluck’s has the freshest crab and seafood & best steaks in Austin in a sophisticated atmosphere. The perfect special occasion restaurant in Austin.

Fareground Food Hall

for a casual lunch or dinner, head to the super cute Fareground Food Hall for TONS of great options. My favorite is Dai Due Taqueria – I seriously dream about their tacos. Such a fun place to grab a drink and whatever food you’re feeling and eat outside.

Bouldin Creek Cafe

If you’re a vegetarian eating in Austin, THIS is your spot. Order the “Wanna BLT” and thank me later.

The best outdoor patio restaurants in Austin

P6

The brand new rooftop bar and lounge from the Line Austin Hotel is super chic and right in downtown Austin. It has stellar views of the Colorado River and delicious creative cocktails – making it a fab outdoor dining or patio happy hour in Austin.

Olive & June

The tucked-away three-story Italian restaurant has a stunning patio with a beautiful ancient oak tree, perfect for happy hour cocktails or dinner.

Photo by Austin Eater

Justine’s Brasserie

Dine alfresco in the gorgeous French garden at Justine’s for a perfect date night spot.

The Best Breakfast and Brunch in Austin

Where to brunch:

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ

The best breakfast tacos in Austin!! Warm, perfectly-cooked, airy flour tortilla with smoked brisket (always grass-fed), bacon, a fried egg, tomato-serrano salsa, beans, and potatoes. This is the best food truck in Austin and AUSTIN BREAKFAST AT ITS BEST.

Photo by CondeNast Traveler

Banger’s

I love this german beer garden for a fun group vibe in Austin. The food and drinks are SO good and there’s also a BYO Michelada bar that makes me feel like I’m in Colombia. Huge win.

Irene’s

I love Irene’s for brunch in Austin. It’s so cute, and the perfect restaurant to go to with your girls.

Check out their m enu here.

Epicerie

For a delish French and New Orleans-inspired breakfast, head to Epicerie, where you can find things like pastrami muffins, dirty rice and poached eggs and buttermilk pancakes, and of course, Beignets! Go for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Where to eat dinner with a big group in Austin:

Grizzelda’s

This adorable Tex-Mex spot is ideal for bachelorette parties of all sizes. Definitely recommend calling ahead and booking a table on their beautiful patio! The mexican food is amazing, the margaritas are even better, and the prices are perfect so even after a few rounds of margs and queso, your bill won’t break the bank.

Photo courtesy: Grizzelda’s

What to do in Austin:

A lake day on Lake Travis or Lake Austin

It’s impossible to beat a day on the Lake in the Austin heat. A boat day in Austin as it is sure to be a highlight of the weekend (especially in the summer, when it’s HOT and you’ll be craving a day on the water)

Photo via Dskymedia

Pedalbiking bar hop with Hipside Peddler

Doing a pedalbike or ‘pedal pub‘ bar hop with Hipside Peddler is so much fun if you have a group traveling to Austin. It was around $40 per person for a 3 hour ride. You casually pedal on the bike, while dancing and screaming your heart out to music on the loudspeakers as the guide takes you to a few different bars throughout Austin. You can even BYOB on the bike for in-between bars. We went to a couple really cool breweries and bars and had SO much fun on the bike, while getting to see a ton of the city. PLUS you feel active and like you’re getting a workout while day-drinking!

Paddle-boarding in Ladybird Lake

Ladybird Lake is a beautiful dammed-off stretch of the Colorado River that makes for an ideal day on the water right in central Austin. And, since no motorized boats are allowed on the lake, it’s ideal for paddleboarding and kayaking! If you’re with an active group or want to start your day off with a workout, I love going to Ladybird Lake.

Shopping on South Congress

Walking and shopping on South Congress is one of my favorite things to do in Austin. You can stop by instagram spots like the “I love you so much” wall and the Austin Motel, or pop into the many boutiques lining the street.

Bar hopping on Rainey Street

A great day or nighttime activity with any bachelorette party is just bar hopping down Rainey Street. Check out my recs for specific bars below under Where to Go Out in Austin!

The best bars in Austin:

Container Bar – Rainey Street

Really fun day or night. The Container Bar is a huge space and usually has an amazing DJ playing.

Photo courtesy: Container Bar

Bungalow – Rainey Street

Located right next to Container Bar, Bungalow is a great spot to go out on Rainey. Theres a ton of outdoor space, along with a fun dance floor inside.

Photo via Bungalow

Maggie Mae’s Austin – Sixth Street

If you’re looking for a little-more-ratchet-but-a-ton-of-fun vibe in Austin, Maggie Mae’s on Sixth street is your spot. Think multi-level outdoor dancing to hip hop overlooking sixth street.

Photo courtesy Maggie Mae’s

Easy Tiger – Sixth Street & North Austin

Contemporary German-style beer garden with ping-pong, house-made sausage and bread, and beer.

Photo courtesy Easy Tiger

The best bars for happy hour in Austin:

If you’re looking for a chill vibe, or a pre-dinner cocktail spot, these are your go-tos:

Kitty Cohen’s

Adorable retro-inspired patio on the East Side with a chic fountain/pool that’s ideal on a sunny day in Austin.

The rooftop bar at the JW

Order the frose and soak up the city views at this chic hotel rooftop bar.

Irene’s Austin

One of the best happy hours in Austin (3:30 to 6:30 and all day Sunday), this is a perfect spot to head during the afternoon.

The South Congress Hotel Bar

Whether it’s happy hour or a nightcap, I love popping into the cozy-chic South Congress Hotel bar for a drink.

The best time of year to go to Austin:

Austin is great year-round, but the warmest times of year will be May through October! So if you’re planning on soaking up the sun on the lake or taking advantage of all the outdoor restaurants, that’s the best timeframe to go.

What do people wear in Austin?

Austin is super casual, but still trendy! You’ll see a lot of cowboy boots, denim, and cute-casual outfits. Here are some of my favorite things to pack when traveling to Austin!