Cheap things to do in Houston
Free museums, cheap bowls, great bars: Houston on your own terms.
This is Houston for people who want to eat well and spend almost nothing doing it. Three days take you from world-class free art in Montrose to the full sensory overload of Asiatown to a downtown morning walk along the bayou, with local bars and cash-only classics to close each night. No dress codes, no reservations, no regrets.
Day 1: Museum District and Montrose
A day of free world-class art at the Rothko Chapel and the Menil, bookended by neighbourhood coffee, cheap tacos and a Montrose dive bar.
- 9:30 AM
Black Hole Coffee House
Cheap, neighbourhood coffee house close to the museum district, perfect low-key start to the day.
Map - 10:15 AM
Rothko Chapel
Free and silent: 14 dark Rothko canvases in an octagon, with Newman's Broken Obelisk in the pool outside.
Map - 12:30 PM
BB's Café
Tex-Orleans comfort food: a roast beef po'boy or the gravy-and-cheese fries, cheap and filling.
Map - 2:00 PM
The Menil Collection
Free 30-acre Menil campus with a Renzo Piano building and Cy Twombly Gallery, world-class art at zero cost.
Map - 7:30 PM
Tacos Tierra Caliente (Food Truck)
Montrose's favourite taco truck: al pastor off the trompo, eaten at the ice house tables across the street.
Map - 9:00 PM
Poison Girl
A dark Montrose dive with a wall of pinball machines, a deep whiskey shelf and a big back patio.
Map
Day 2: Asiatown, Bellaire Boulevard
Spend the day grazing through miles of Vietnamese grocers, Korean bakeries and Taiwanese tea shops before sitting down to some of the cheapest and best Chinese and Vietnamese food in the city.
- 10:30 AM
Bellaire Boulevard Asiatown
Stroll miles of Bellaire Blvd, Vietnamese grocers, Korean bakeries, Taiwanese bubble-tea shops and open-air markets, all free to wander.
Map - 12:30 PM
Central China
Highest-rated spot in Chinatown, cheap, packed, and the real deal for Chinese lunch.
Map - 2:30 PM
Hong Kong City Mall
Asiatown's big indoor mall under the Chinese arch: a huge Asian supermarket, bakeries and cheap boba.
Map - 7:30 PM
Pho Bò Tơ & Bò Né
Order the sizzling bò né, steak and eggs on a hot plate with a baguette; the pho comes second.
Map
Day 3: Buffalo Bayou and Downtown
A free morning walk through 160 acres of bayou trails and skyline views, an underground 1920s reservoir for almost nothing, and La Carafe, the oldest cash-only bar in Houston, to close it out.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Buffalo Bayou Park
Free 160-acre bayou park with trails and skyline views, perfect thrifty morning walk.
Map - 12:00 PM
Treebeards (The Cloister)
Weekday lunch only: red beans and rice or shrimp étouffée in the cloister of Christ Church Cathedral.
Map - 2:15 PM
The Cistern
Eerily beautiful 1926 underground reservoir of 221 concrete columns, cheap ticket, totally unique Houston sight.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:15 PM
La Carafe
Classic, cheap Houston bar, La Carafe is one of the oldest in the city, cash only and full of character.
Map
Where to stay
C. Baldwin, Curio Collection By Hilton
An upscale downtown Hilton hotel; worth it on a deal, and steps from Day 3's bayou walk and the Cistern.
Make Houston 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
- Space Center Houston: a few days ahead
- Buffalo Bayou Park: a few days ahead
- Houston Zoo: a few days ahead
- Trellis Spa at The Houstonian: a few days ahead
- Twilight Epiphany Skyspace: a few days ahead
- Memorial Park Golf Course: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Downtown Aquarium is small, pricey and restaurant led; the zoo and natural science museum do the job better.
- Kemah Boardwalk is chain restaurants and carnival rides, a pass-through, not a destination.
- The Galleria is a large mall, not a sightseeing stop; the Waterwall is a five minute photo.
- Check CityPASS maths against buying Space Center, HMNS, zoo and MFAH direct, as it bundles the Aquarium.
The full Houston travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around