Cheap things to do in Austin
Tacos, free museums, live music, and cold beer without spending much at all.
This is Austin for people who want the real thing: neighborhood taco spots, a proper honky-tonk, free history, and long walks along the lake. You will not set foot in a rooftop bar or pay for valet parking. Three days, two sides of the city, and a running tab that stays very manageable.
Day 1: East Austin, slow and deliberate
Coffee in South River City, an 1841 diplomatic house, cheap tacos, a free museum, and a scrappy East 6th dive bar to close it out.
- 9:30 AM
Two Hands
Australian-style cafe on South Congress; a flat white keeps it cheap, the brunch plates less so.
Map - 11:00 AM
French Legation Museum
1841 house built for France's envoy to the Republic of Texas; a small museum, $7, open Tuesday to Saturday.
Map - 12:30 PM
Cuantos Tacos
Mexico City-style tacos from a truck on East 12th; get the suadero and the campechano.
Map - 2:00 PM
George Washington Carver Museum
Free museum of Black history and culture in Austin, with a permanent Juneteenth exhibit and changing art shows.
Map - 7:30 PM
Madrasdhaba
Cheap, no-frills Indian kitchen a short walk from the East 6th bars; ask what the day's curries are.
Map - 9:00 PM
HOTEL VEGAS
Scrappy East 6th dive with cheap beer and local bands on the back patio most nights.
Map
Day 2: South Congress and the Capitol
Walk the lake, eat from Veracruz, take the free Capitol tour, then end the night standing at the Continental Club while the band warms up.
- 9:30 AM
Jo's Coffee, South Congress
South Congress landmark coffee spot, snap the 'I love you so much' mural while you sip.
Map - 10:30 AM
Auditorium Shores at Town Lake Metropolitan Park
Lakeside lawn with a wide skyline view across Lady Bird Lake and an off-leash dog area on the shore.
Map - 12:30 PM
Veracruz All Natural
Get the migas taco, the one that made this family-run Austin taco truck famous, and an agua fresca.
Map - 4:30 PM
Texas Capitol
Free tours of the pink-granite Capitol, taller than the US Capitol; the marble halls stay cool on hot days.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:00 PM
The Continental Club
Live roots and rockabilly since 1955; early happy-hour sets are cheap or free, the later bands charge a cover.
Map
Day 3: Holly, the lake, and East Austin markets
A long Lady Bird Lake trail walk, lunch at Mercado Sin Nombre, a quiet park afternoon, and dinner at Dee Dee before a nightcap at a low-key wine bar around the corner.
- 9:30 AM
Elizabeth Street Café
Vietnamese cafe and French bakery on South First; banh mi or pho for breakfast with a croissant on the side.
Map - 10:30 AM
Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail
Free 10-mile trail along Lady Bird Lake with skyline views and a boardwalk, walk as much or little as you like.
Map - 12:30 PM
Mercado Sin Nombre
All-day Mexican market cafe on the east side; tacos, coffee and pastries at counter prices.
Map - 2:00 PM
Rosewood Neighborhood Park
Chill afternoon at this local neighborhood park, bring a book or just hang after lunch.
Map - 7:30 PM
Dee Dee
Northern Thai cooking from a trailer; order the laab with sticky rice and a papaya salad.
Map - 9:15 PM
Where to stay
Native Hostel
A hostel with real character right in East Austin, close to nearly every stop on this plan and the obvious call for a thrifty trip.
East Austin Hotel
A budget-friendly East Austin base that puts you within walking distance of the taco spots, the trail, and the bars on this itinerary.
Make Austin your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- ACL Live at Moody Theater: weeks ahead
- Cathedral of Junk: a few days ahead
- Rowing Dock: a few days ahead
- Fazio Canyons Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Fazio Foothills Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Hamilton Pool Preserve: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Dirty Sixth as a destination: go once to say you saw it, then drink on West 6th, East 6th or Rainey instead.
- Settling for Torchy's: it is a chain now, so start with Veracruz, Cuantos, Discada and Rosita's.
- Stubb's as a barbecue destination: go for a concert or Gospel Brunch, eat serious barbecue elsewhere.
- The Domain as Austin: it is a nice mall, not what a visitor travelled for.
The full Austin travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around