Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Houston - San Antonio - Austin - Dallas
100% customisable for you
Your city-hopping road trip through Texas starts today with an 11-hour flight to Houston, an exciting cosmopolitan hub in the south of the state. On arrival, collect your hire car and head to your first accommodation: an elegant and historic hotel in the heart of Downtown.
The remainder of the day is yours to ease into your surroundings – perhaps with a wander through the neighbourhood or dinner at one of the city’s many acclaimed restaurants. Your tailor-made Dossier is full of suggestions, whether you’re seeking Southern comfort food or cutting-edge cuisine.
Rise and shine, it’s your first full day in Texas, and there’s not a moment to waste in Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis. This morning, we recommend taking a few hours to tour The Menil Collection, an impressive museum housed within buildings designed by renowned architect, Renzo Piano. Inside, marvel at works by Magritte, Pollock, Ernst, Klee, Warhol, Matisse, Picasso and Cézanne, alongside ancient Byzantine artefacts and tribal art from Africa and Oceania.
This afternoon is best left unscripted. Your Concierge can guide you towards leafy neighbourhoods, independent galleries or rooftop bars depending on your mood.
Today is dedicated to one of the city’s most fascinating institutions: NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Located near the coast, this vast facility is where mission control has overseen some of humanity’s greatest achievements. Tour enormous hangars filled with retired spacecraft, stand beneath Saturn V, the giant rocket which landed on the moon, and learn about the past, present and future of US space exploration.
It’s time to bid a warm farewell to Houston and continue to your next city destination. After breakfast, hop back into your hire car, set the satnav west and follow rolling highways for three hours to San Antonio, a beautiful city known for its rich colonial heritage. Your home for the next two nights is a boutique hotel filled with nostalgic Hispanic charm.
Later, step into one of Texas’s most imaginative creative spaces: Hopscotch. With tickets pre-booked, wander through immersive installations created by artists around the world – equal parts light show, sculpture gallery and interactive playground. There are several different installations spread across the 6,500 square foot building, as well as a bar and food truck.
Today is devoted to discovering San Antonio’s layered past and riverside charm. Begin with a morning stroll along the beautifully landscaped River Walk, where 15 miles of pathways stretch from Brackenridge Park (San Antonio Zoo) to Mission Espada, linking green spaces and historic landmarks. Locals jog, cycle and picnic along the water’s edge, and it’s an easy, scenic way to explore the city on foot.
Your walk leads you to the Alamo, Texas’s most visited historic site and one of the most photographed landmarks in the United States. Originally a Spanish mission, it later became a fortress and the final stand of folk hero Davy Crockett, who perished here in the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
Today, leave San Antonio behind and set off for Austin, the state capital and creative heartbeat of Texas. The scenic drive takes around 90 minutes, but we recommend taking a slight detour en route.
Stop at Luckenbach, a tiny Texan town that oozes the old-school charm of yesteryear. Local cowboys and globe-trotting travellers gather here beneath 500-year-old oak trees to sip cold beers and listen to live country music, just as they have for decades.
From here, continue on to Austin and check into your stylish downtown hotel. The evening is yours to unwind or begin exploring a city famed for its live music scene, inventive food spots and laid-back energy.
Today is yours to explore at leisure, but one stop is unmissable: the Texas State Capitol itself. Built in the late 19th century from locally quarried pink granite, it’s one of the largest state capitol buildings in the USA and a fine example of grand American architecture.
Beyond the buildings, the city hums with musical history – from singer-songwriter Janis Joplin to guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan – and you’ll find live performances echoing through streets, bars and backyard venues from day into night.
Today is all about slowing down and exploring the beautiful city surroundings. Head to Lake Austin for waterside walks, linger over smoky brisket at County Line on the Lake, sit and daydream in Zilker Park, or cool off in clear waters of Barton Springs Pool.
As evening falls, don a cowboy hat and follow live music posters into dive bars and dance halls – the White Horse and the Broken Spoke are both legendary spots.
A three-hour drive north brings you to Dallas, a thriving cosmopolitan hub with a creative spirit and laid-back lifestyle. Your home for the next two nights is a stylish hotel in the lively Deep Ellum district, a neighbourhood known for its street art, live music and independent spirit.
Once you’ve settled in and freshened up, head out to enjoy the delights of the city. Wander the Arts District, home to world-class museums and architectural heavyweights such as Pei, Renzo Piano, Norman Foster, Rem Koolhaas and Thom Mayne; stroll through leafy urban parks; or browse galleries and boutiques back in Deep Ellum.
For a deeper dive into the city’s story, visit Pioneer Plaza to see its iconic bronze longhorn sculptures. Then, continue to the JFK Memorial, designed by architect Philip Johnson following the president’s assassination here in 1963.
Today, drive 30 minutes west to Fort Worth, Dallas’ boots-and-spurs cousin and the historic centre of Cowboy Country. While Fort Worth has evolved into an arty city – home to the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum and the Amon Carter Museum – the heart of the city still beats in the old Stockyards, a beautiful district listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Spend the day wandering wooden sidewalks and brick-built streets lined with saloons and honky-tonks (country music bars). You may even catch sight of longhorn cattle being driven through town, a daily ritual that nods to the city’s past as a major livestock trading centre.
This evening, tickets await at the legendary Cowtown Coliseum, one of America’s most iconic rodeo arenas. Expect bronco-busting, barrel racing and a soundtrack of cheers and country twang.
It’s time to bid farewell to the Lone Star State and begin your journey home. Head to Dallas Airport, whizz through security and stock up on any last-minute souvenirs before departure. The flight time back to the UK is around 14 hours, including a layover on the USA’s East Coast. Most flights depart in the afternoon, so you’ll arrive back on home turf the following morning.
If you’re not quite ready for the adventure to end (we don’t blame you), your trip can easily be extended into neighbouring New Mexico or Louisiana – the perfect way to add another chapter to your American road trip.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
