San Antonio is famous for the Alamo, incredible Tex-Mex food and the lively River Walk. As one of America’s oldest cities, San Antonio has been a confluence of cultures dating back to 1718 when Spanish soldiers founded San Antonio de Béxar Presidio. It’s dubbed Military City USA because over 39,000 people graduate annually from military training. It’s home to the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas and is one of only two cities in the country to be designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.From Fiesta celebrations in the Spring to the more than 100,000 lights illuminating the River Walk during the holidays, San Antonio knows how to throw a great party and is a year-round celebratory.There are plenty of things to do in San Antonio, as it’s an affordable and fun family destination, yet romantic for a couple’s getaway and safe for a solo traveler.
I was a television meteorologist in San Antonio for a decade. I fell in love with the people, culture and the city’s incredible food and return to the Alamo City frequently. I love the city so much I’m co-author of the third edition of 100 Things to Do in San Antonio Before You Die (Fall 2024). Here’s a comprehensive guide of all of the things to do in San Antonio.
Visit the Alamo
The Alamo is a must-see destination in San Antonio.Before it was a battlefield during the 13-day siege in 1836, when “Remember the Alamo” became a battle cry as Texans fought for independence for Mexico, it was the first mission built in the area. Franciscans established Mission San Antonio de Valero in 1718. That’s why there’s a church at the Alamo. It’s free to visit the grounds where history guides are often doing hands-on demonstrations of daily life during the Texas Revolution.For a more in-depth experience, book a 45-minute guided tour. Visiting the Ralston Family Collections Center is an extra charge, but you can see a plethora of Alamo artifacts including hundreds of pieces from award-winning singer Phil Collins. Don’t miss the Alamo Diorama. Get in line before 9 a.m. if you want to beat the crowds to go inside the church. In 2027, a new Alamo Visitor Center and Museum is slated to open.
Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. All five Spanish frontier missions were built in the early 1700s as fortified villages along the El Camino Real de los Tejas. Missions Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada established in 1731 are about 2.5 miles apart on San Antonio’s southside.It’s easiest to drive or bike between them. To see them all, give yourself several hours or a half day. Mission Concepción is closest to the city. Don’t miss its colorful frescos created between 1740-1755.The most complete one is Mission San José, known as the “Queen of the Missions.” You can go on a 45-minute ranger-led walking tour offered daily at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. If you do a self-guided tour, make sure to see the Baroque-style Rose Window of mysterious origin. Mission San Juan has a different design, with its long white church topped with a simple three-bell steeple. It’s surrounded by a gravity-powered watering system known as an acequia. Mission Espada is farthest south and is the most remote mission. Constructed in 1745, the Espada Aqueduct is the most complete acequia system in the park.
Explore the River Walk
Strolling the River Walk, also known as Paseo del Rio, is always a highlight of any visit to San Antonio. Watching a parade or partaking in a festival is the best way to its over-the-top fun, but there’s always a lively atmosphere. There are multiple historic hotels in downtown.Topping the list is the Menger Hotel.It’s the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi River and is the historic partner hotel of the Alamo. Whether you’re a hotel guest or not, stop in the Menger Bar to be transported back to 1898 when Theodore Roosevelt selected most of his Rough Riders there. He spent time at the Menger three different times.Other excellent historic hotels include the Crockett, Emily Morgan, Hotel Havana, La Mansion Del Rio and St. Anthony. Each property is intertwined with San Antonio’s illustrious past and features unique architecture and museum-worthy furnishings.
Walk Through Downtown San Antonio
Downtown San Antonio is very walkable and easy to explore its historical side. From the Alamo, head to Main and Military Plazas established in the early 1700s.San Fernando Cathedral anchors Main Plaza. Built between 1738 and 1750, it’s the oldest standing cathedral in Texas. It’s free to enjoy the Gothic and Romanesque architecture of the sanctuary, just be respectful of mass times. Just inside the left entrance of the cathedral is a small tomb. It’s the final resting place for Alamo heroes including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and William Travis.
Head back to Main Plaza at night to catch The Saga, a 24-minute video and light show projected on the façade of the cathedral.It’s also free and will wow you with colorful images telling the story of San Antonio’s history.
Inside the Bexar County Courthouse across the street from Main Plaza is the Bexar Heritage Center. It’s free and filled with multimedia exhibits on San Antonio’s Spanish colonial origins to the present day. Close to Main Plaza is the Spanish Governor’s Plaza. It’s the last remaining visual remnant of the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar. Take a self-guided tour through this lesser-known gem.
From there head to La Villita, developed in 1809 as the city’s first neighborhood. The cobblestone streets of the “Little Village” are a cultural hub filled with art, food, shopping, and history including boutiques and galleries featuring works of more than 200 artists. From La Villita, take a 10-minute or less walk to Historic Market Square, the largest Mexican market in the United States. Sip a margarita on the balcony of La Margarita Restaurant and Oyster Bar or enjoy Tex-Mex classics at Mi Tierra Café and Bakery. Shop for everything from knick-knacks to authentic Talavera pottery, fine silver jewelry, and Catrinas for Dia de los Muertos in the shops and stalls of the historic El Mercado, Farmer’s Market Plaza, and Produce Row in the multi-block pedestrian mall.
Explore Texas History at the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum
Stop in the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. Opening in 1881, it’s the oldest continuously operating saloon in Texas. Get fitted for a hat by at Paris Hatters. There are over 3,000 hats in stock at the oldest retail business in downtown San Antonio. “Abe the Hatter” has shaped hats for numerous famous clients including Dwight Yoakum, Luciano Pavarotti, Garth Brooks and multiple Presidents. For evening entertainment take in a concert at the Tobin Center, see a Broadway performance in the historic Majestic Theatre, comedy show in Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, or jazz music in the Aztec Theatre.
Visit Tower of the Americas
You can’t miss the Tower of the Americas. The 750-foot-tall tower soaring above the rest of the city skyline was built for the 1968 World Fair. Head to the top for a bird’s-eye view of the city from Bar 601, Chart House restaurant or observation deck.Hemisfair Park has recently gone through an extensive revitalization. Grab a French pastry and coffee at CommonWealth Coffeehouse and Bakery.Enjoy brunch any time of day at Box Street All Day. Have a cold beer and brats at Künstler Tap Haus or sip a Hill Country wine at Re:Rooted Urban Winery. Enjoy lunch or dinner at Bombay Bicycle Shop and Dough Pizzeria Napoletana. Cool off with an artisan pop from Paleteria. Test your competitive side on the larger-than-life chess and checkers boards in Yanaguana Garden. One of the best things to do in San Antonio with kids, they will love the Union Pacific Railroad Splash Pad, Big Blue Blocks or Sand Play Area.Take a stroll along the Mexican Sycamore lined pathway to Civic Park to enjoy the five interactive water features of The Springs inspired by the Hill Country, have a picnic, or enjoy a festival in the green space of the 7-acre park.
Eat Your Way Through a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
Known for incredible Tex-Mex and savory barbeque, San Antonio is considered the culinary capital of Texas. It’s one of two cities in America designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy because of its culinary heritage of Mexican, Indigenous, Spanish, German and American blending with new influences.
Chili with no beans was born in La Villita, San Antonio’s first neighborhood, in the early 1800s as “Chili Queens in Historic Market Square sold their homemade bowls of chili nightly. In 1932, Charles Elmer Doolin created Fritos. Restaurant chains from Luby’s (1947) to Macaroni Grill (1988) started in the Alamo City. In 2008, the third campus of the esteemed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) opened at the Pearl with a focus on Latin American cuisine. During the past several decades, chefs around town have infused global flavors into traditional Tex-Mex and South Texas cuisine creating Southeast Asian-inspired eateries like Best Quality Daughter and Curry Boys BBQ.
While San Antonio’s elevated cuisine scene is extraordinary, you have to sample the traditional specialties of the city. Mi Tierra Café y Panaderia is San Antonio’s most famous Tex-Mex restaurant with a lengthy list of famous patrons. Order their huevos rancheros, Machado or El Rancho Special and enjoy the music of strolling musicians in the tradition of Mariachi Trios, which have been part of El Mercado for over a century.
Breakfast tacos are a quintessential part of San Antonio’s culture. They’re simple, hearty and delicious. Most Tex-Mex restaurants serve them all day. My favorite in town is the chilaquiles taco at Mexico Lindo. Try the tradition of San Antonio’s southside with a combination of barbacoa and ice-cold Big Red soda at Garcia’s Mexican Food.Pair enchiladas with a margarita at Aldaco’s Mexican cuisine. Order the “Famous S.A. Puffy Taco” at Los Barrios. Local chef and restauranteur Diana Barrios beat Chef Bobby Flay with it in a television throwdown on the Food Network. At La Gloria, sample some of Chef Johnny Hernandez’s elevated street tacos inspired by what you find in street markets in interior Mexico.Devour some of Jason Dady’s brisket at Two Bros. BBQ Market.
Sample the Best Drinks in San Antonio
Quench your thirst with a refreshing margarita at El Catrin, Soluna, La Fogata, LaFonda on Main or Rosario's. Those are my favorite places to sip the signature drink of the city. San Antonio also has a growing scene of breweries, distilleries, and urban wineries—sample local brews at Blue Star Brewing Co., Alamo Beer,or Southerleigh Fine Food and Brewery. Taste Enchanted Rock Vodka at Rebecca Creek in the Hill Country. Try rakia, a traditional fruit brandy, at Dorcól Distilling Company in Southtown. Head to Re:Rooted 210 for a taste of Hill Country wine at Hemisfair Park or head to the far northside to enjoy the vine-lined rolling hills at In Contrada Vineyard. From the many hole-in-the-wall joints packed with patrons on the southside to the sophisticated dining experiences of Biga, Bohanan’s Prime Seafood & Steak, or Rebelle eating and sipping your way through San Antonio is a culinary experience unlike any other city.
Play at the Pearl
For a culinary adventure or shopping excursion, the Pearl is the hot spot town. Dating to 1883, Pearl Brewery was originally known as J.B. Behloradsky or San Antonio Brewing Company. It was the largest brewery in Texas by 1916. The name Pearl came from a German Kaiser-Beck brewmaster who though the bubbles of a freshly poured glassed looked like pearls. In 1952, the name changed to Pearl Brewing Company. In 2001, after 118 years, the brewery closed and the complex transformed into a culinary and shopping destination. It’s also home to one of three Culinary Institute of America (CIA) campuses in the country. You can taste the flavors of students’ educational efforts at Savor. If you want to beef up your culinary skills you can taste a workshop or bootcamp at the CIA. The Pearl is one of the best places in San Antonio to experience the town’s globally inspired epicurean pleasures.
Go Shopping for Trendy Clothes
One of my favorite shops in the city is in the Pearl. Adelante Boutique is a third-generation woman and family-owned boutique filled with trendy clothes, colorful accessories, and fun gifts. Get one of the candles made in Texas to take home a scent of San Antonio.Splurge on a custom-fit guayabera at Dos Carolinas. Traditionally worn by men for special occasions, a guayabera is a loose-fitting shirt perfect for summer. Peruse Feliz Modern for whimsical and quirky gifts then stroll through Rancho Diaz for artisan-inspired home décor. If you’re a fan of independent bookstores, enjoy wandering around The Twig Book Shop.If you’re at the Pearl on a weekend, there’s a farmers market every Saturday and makers market filled with booths of local artisans on Sundays.
Stay at AAA Five Diamond Hotel Emma
Stay where you play spending the night at the luxurious Hotel Emma, named after Emma Koehler. She ran the brewery after her husband passed away in 1914 and kept it going through Prohibition by converting operations to auto repair, dry cleaning and making near beer, ice cream, and soda. If booking a room for a night is out of your budget, walk through the lobby to see some history from the building’s days as a brewhouse, then buy a memento in Curio, the hotel’s gift shop filled with artisan finds. Have dinner at Supper or Larder. Enjoy a margarita or other cocktail for happy hour or a nightcap at Sternewirth where unique tank seats can be reserved by hotel guests.
Get Artsy in the Alamo City
One of the best things to do in San Antonio is check out the arts scene. San Antonio has a vibrant arts scene ranging from Texas-centric museums, exhibits to whimsical and colorful murals and sculptures dotting downtown. See the dinosaurs at the Witte Museum, admire fine art at the McNay Museum and enjoy contemporary works in the Blue Star Arts Complex. Check out the Dia de Los Muertos Museum devoted to the colorful Mexican holiday celebrating loved ones who have passed. Stroll through the Briscoe Western Art Museum then wander around the 35 sculptures in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden.
Do not miss Ruby City, a contemporary art center with more than 1,400 paintings, sculptures, installations and video works from artists, collectors, and philanthropist Linda Pace.
The hot spots for shopping for artisan goods are La Villita, Market Square and Southtown including Blue Star Arts Complex.While in Southtown, head to Little’s Boots Company for a custom pair of intricately designed cowboy boots, get a piece of hand-blown art from Garcia Art Glass and marvel at the architecture of magnificent homes in the historic King William District.
Take a Trip to the San Antonio Zoo
The Alamo City has a wild side, and the wildest place in town is the San Antonio Zoo. One of the most popular things to do in San Antonio for kids and adults alike, it opened in 1914 and is the number one zoo in Texas with over a million visitors a year. It’s often a global viral sensation thanks to the Cry Me a Cockroach fundraiser for Valentine’s Days and Timothy the Hippo for his “hippomance” with long-distance girlfriend Fiona. San Antonio Zoo was the first zoo in the country to go cageless in favor of moat and quarry habitats. There are over 750 different species of animals, including some endangered or extinct in the wild. It’s also home to one of the largest assortments of birds in the country. You can mingle with a flock of Caribbean flamingos, get up-close with red kangaroos in Kangaroo Krossing, and hand-feed giraffes lettuce as you get eye-to-eye with the world tallest mammal. The Congo Falls habitat opens in 2025 with gorillas returning to San Antonio Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years.
Visit the Natural Bridge Caverns
Go on a wild underground adventure at Natural Bridge Caverns. It’s considered one of the best show caverns in the world. You have six different cavern tours ranging from mild to wild levels of underground fun. You can easily combine that with a visit to the neighboring Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch for an African safari Texas style with over 500 animals from 40 different species ranging from American bison to wildebeest. It takes about 1-2 hours to cover the 6-mile safari trek in your vehicle.You can also go on a guided tour in their Safari Rover or Safari Shuttle.
Watch the Bats Emerge
Bracken Cave is just north of the city and home to the world’s largest bat colony and one of the largest concentration of mammals on the planet. At sunset on summer evenings, more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats take flight in a spectacle that is wild and…well, batty. It’s one of 12 bat-watching sites in Texas. In downtown San Antonio, approximately 50,000 male Mexican free-tailed bats emerge at sunset from the I-35 bridge near Camden Street along the Museum Reach of the River Walk between April and October.Best viewing is from the river level at the intersection of Camden Street and Newell Avenue. Frio Bat Cave near Concan is about an hour and a half from San Antonio. Approximately 10 million bats emerge from that cave at sunset on summer evenings.
Take a Trip to a Theme Park
If you like to get your thrills on wild rides and experiences, San Antonio is home to multiple theme parks. Sea World® San Antonio opened in 1988. Catapult Falls is Aquatica, the water park area. Six Flags Fiesta Texas is dubbed the “Thrill Capital of South Texas,” with exhilarating rides for all levels of thrill seekers. Morgan’s Wonderland is the “world’s first ultra-accessible™” park and was the first theme park in the world to cater to individuals with special needs. It’s truly a place where everyone can play.For wet and wild fun, Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resort is less than 40 minutes from downtown San Antonio.It’s been dubbed the “world’s best waterpark” and one of the coolest places to beat the sweltering South Texas summer heat. An interesting tidbit is that natural spring water from the Comal River powers miles of rivers in the original section of Schlitterbahn.
Where to Hit the Trail
It’s easy to get some trail time in San Antonio.One of the best options is the Mission Trail. Also called Mission Reach, it’s an 8-mile linear park with over 16 miles of trails.Since it connects to Mission Portals, you can easily bike from the Alamo to several of the missions south of downtown.You can also fish or paddle the Mission Reach, also excellent for birding. The 8-mile Mission Reach Paddling Trail has 30+ “Canoe Chutes” for when the water is low. This stretch of the San Antonio River is a quiet retreat from the bustle of downtown.When you’re done, stop at Hot Wells of Bexar County and Camp Hot Wells. After the discovery of sulfuric water in 1892, Hot Wells was a wellness resort attracting movie stars, politicians, and socialites in the late 1800s and early 1900s. You can still walk around the intriguing ruins of the famous wellness resort. Camp Hot Wells has revived the bathing experience in the 102°F therapeutic water in two soaking suites. If you don’t have time for a full bath, soak your feet for free if you patronize the bar.It’s the perfect post-workout stop along the Mission Trail. If you want to roll on two wheels along the Mission Reach or around town and need to rent a bike, Blue Star Bike Shop has rentals for townies, hybrids and road bikes.Mission Adventure Tours offers a fun excursion riding to two or three missions while on tours ranging from 9 to 14 miles and lasting 3-4 hours.
Amateur paleontologists will love hiking to see dinosaur tracks in Government Canyon State Natural Area. The only known dinosaur tracks on public land in South Texas are there where you can hike and bike. While there are many parks in and around San Antonio, Phil Hardberger Park is a green oasis that’s home to two unique features. To easily see both, park at the Blanco Entrance and take the Water Look Trail to the one-of-a-kind Skywalk. The curvy elevated walkway gives you a bird’s eye view as it leads to the land bridge. The 150-foot-wide bridge covered with native plants spans over Wurzbach Parkway and connects the two sections of the park. When you feel more like strolling than hiking, walk surrounded by vividly color flora at San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Don’t miss the Lucile Halsell Conservatory made up of five futuristic glass structures filled with a variety of flora from desert cacti to rare orchids.If you like to tee it up, there are 8 courses owned and operated by the City of San Antonio along the Alamo City Golf Trail. Built in 1916, Brackenridge Park Gold Course is the oldest municipal golf course in Texas.Start your golf rounds there and you’re playing at the original home of the Texas Open. While in Brackenridge Park, take in the serene scene strolling through the Japanese Tea Garden where you can sip a milk matcha tea sweetened with popping pearls while enjoying Asian cuisine for lunch in the Jingu House.
For the Sports Fan
San Antonio is a surprising sports city where you can root for the San Antonio Spurs, affectionally called “Los Spurs.”The NBA franchise has won five championships. For 18 days every February, cheer on bull riders, barrel racers and other pro-rodeo athletes during the annual San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. It’s an action-packed arena during this million-dollar rodeo, considered one of the best in the country.
Walk the course while rooting for your favorite PGA player during the Valero Texas Open. San Antonio’s only PGA TOUR event is held annually in the spring at TPC San Antonio. First played in 1922, the Texas Open is the third oldest PGA TOUR tournament and sixth oldest golf tournament in the world. The San Antonio Brahmas are a UFL professional football team playing in the spring. If you love soccer, or fútbol, root on the San Antonio FC during matches March through October at Toyota Field. Catch the “boys of summer” watching the San Antonio Missions, a Double-A Affiliate of the San Diego Padres, play at Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium. The “Flying Chanclas” are the Hispanic-themed alter-egos of the Missions honoring the matriarch of the Latino family and make appearances at special games. If you’re a college football fan, the Alamo Bowl in late December is always fun, even if you have “no dog in this hunt,” as they say.
Beyond the city, the adventures are endless from two-stepping in Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas, to sipping wine and experiencing the German heritage of the Hill Country in Fredericksburg.Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or a week, attending a conference, or watching a family member graduate from basic training, you’ll likely find San Antonio is one of the friendliest cities in America welcoming you with a hearty “Howdy y’all,” and “Benvenidos.”