Austin walking tour & city guide
Live music, barbecue and Texas Hill Country.
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Austin, the capital of Texas, calls itself the Live Music Capital of the World. It is a young, creative city on the Colorado River, where a pink granite Capitol, honky-tonks and food trucks share the streets with a fast-growing skyline. Its unofficial motto, 'Keep Austin Weird', sums up its relaxed, independent spirit.
Downtown and Congress Avenue
Congress Avenue runs straight from the Texas State Capitol, built in 1888 and taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, down to Lady Bird Lake. The Capitol grounds and building are free to visit. At the river end, the Congress Avenue Bridge shelters the largest urban bat colony in North America: from spring to autumn, around 1.5 million bats fly out at sunset, and crowds gather on the bridge and the banks to watch.
6th Street and live music
East 6th Street, known as Dirty Sixth, is a few blocks of bars and clubs that close to cars on weekend nights and fill with crowds. West 6th and the Rainey Street district, where old bungalows became bars, are a little calmer. Live music plays almost every night in venues across the city, and Austin hosts two big festivals: South by Southwest (SXSW) in March and Austin City Limits in October.
South Congress, East Austin and the outdoors
South Congress, across the river, is a strip of vintage shops, murals and food trucks with a view back to the Capitol. East Austin is the city's creative side, with breweries, street art and some of its best barbecue. The Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail loops around the river through downtown, and Barton Springs Pool, a spring-fed pool in Zilker Park, stays around 68°F (20°C) all year.
Visiting tips
Summers are very hot, so walk early or after sunset. Spring brings wildflowers to the Hill Country west of the city, and hotels fill up and prices rise during SXSW and Austin City Limits, so book ahead for those dates.
Top sights in Austin
- 1
Texas State Capitol
The pink granite Capitol, free to tour.
- 2
Congress Avenue Bridge
Watch 1.5 million bats fly out at sunset.
- 3
6th Street
Austin's famous strip of bars and live music.
- 4
South Congress
Vintage shops, murals and Capitol views.
- 5
Barton Springs Pool
A spring-fed swimming pool in Zilker Park.
- 6
Lady Bird Lake
A riverside trail through downtown.
Food markets & where to eat in Austin
East Austin
The heart of the city's barbecue scene.
South Congress
Food trucks and casual Tex-Mex.
Rainey Street
Bars and food trucks in old bungalows.
SFC Farmers' Market
A Saturday market downtown.
Food to try in Austin
Brisket
Central Texas barbecue, smoked low and slow over oak.
Breakfast tacos
Egg, potato and bacon in a tortilla, an Austin morning ritual.
Queso
Warm melted cheese dip with tortilla chips.
Migas
Scrambled eggs with crispy tortilla strips.
Opening hours and prices change often. Please check with each place before you visit.
Plan your trip to Austin
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- Hotels in AustinCompare places to stay and prices.
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