One Day in Austin: Things To Do During 24 Hours in Austin

If you’re going to spend one day in Austin, you’ll definitely have a great time! There are great sights and many amazing things to do in the city.

Austin is a wonderful city in the United States that has a lot to offer. Furthermore, you can see all highlights in only one day! See Texas Capitol, go to a botanical garden, have coffee at a lovely cafe, and do so much more! Spending 24 hours in Austin is incredible.

I made this itinerary so you can get the most out of your one day in Austin. First, I’ll provide you with some information you should know before going to Austin. Then, I’ll start with the itinerary!

Why Spend One Day in Austin

If you're going to spend one day in Austin, I'm sure you'll have an amazing time! Austin is a wonderful city in the United States and it's the capital of the state of Texas. The city is an incredible destination for a city trip as there are many things to do.

There are amazing sights, cute places for coffee, beautiful streets, and more!

For example, you can find the Texas Capitol in Austin. This is a beautiful building that’s great to see for those who love architecture. Furthermore, you can find Barton Springs Pool in Austin too. This outdoor swimming pool is the place to be if you want to have a relaxing time. These are only two examples, but Austin has so much more to offer!

Thus, if you’re looking for a place in the United States with many things to see, Austin is a perfect city for sure.

What’s great is that you can see all highlights in Austin in only one day. Spending 24 hours in Austin will be very fun. You can do many great things in this city in only 24 hours.

How to Get to Austin

It is easy to get to the city of Austin. You can do so in several ways. These are by train, bus, airplane, and car.

There are several train connections to Austin. This is a convenient way to get to the city if you come from a place nearby. Although, the train can be slower than other options. So keep that in mind when you're going to spend 24 hours in Austin.

The train stations in the city are in the city center, so they are a great option for one day in Austin. That's because it allows you to better explore all parts of this itinerary.

Another way to get to the city is by bus. There are various bus companies that offer routes to the city of Austin.

For example, there is a bus that goes from Dallas to Austin. This journey takes about 3 hours. So that's great if you want to do a day trip to Austin

Besides that, you can go to Austin by airplane. There is an airport very close to the city with connections to many places in the US and beyond.

From there you can reach the city center in about 30 minutes by bus or 15 minutes by car.

Of course, you can also reach the city of Austin by car. This is a very convenient option and is often the quickest one.

Where to Stay When You’re One Day in Austin

If you are only one day in Austin I recommend staying in downtown Austin. You find here many hotels that are very close to all the places you'll see during 24 hours.

Because of that, you can better explore the city as you don't have to travel a lot within the city.

How to Move Around in Austin

Moving around in Austin isn't very difficult. What's great is that you can walk to a lot of places. Many sights are very close to each other, especially in downtown Austin. So that's very convenient if you're only 24 hours in Austin!

But there is also good public transport. There are many buses that can take you everywhere. That's why for some parts of this itinerary, I recommend going by bus.

Also, you can, of course, move around by taxi or by your own car, which is very convenient.

Itinerary for One Day In Austin

Now you know everything you should know before visiting Austin. So now it’s time for the itinerary for one day in Austin! Today, you’re going to do many amazing things in this beautiful city. Let’s begin!

Breakfast at Paperboy: The Start of Your One Day in Austin

Let’s start your 24 hours in Austin with an amazing breakfast at Paperboy!

Paperboy is an amazing restaurant where you can have breakfast, lunch, and brunch. It’s such a lovely place to go to for breakfast! There are many delicious dishes on the menu.

For example, there are very nice pasties. There's a chocolate croissant, a blueberry corn muffin, and more! But that's not all.

The toasts that Paperboy serves are very nice. For example, the avocado tostada is amazing if you love avocado. Furthermore, you can get quiches and pancakes at Paperboy too. And there's also a classic breakfast if you prefer that.

Moreover, the bowls at the place are very nice as well! For example, there's a texas bowl, a granola bowl, and a grain bowl. When you're having breakfast here, don't forget to check out the sides as well! There are delicious sides such as crispy potato wedges.

I’d definitely recommend checking out the menu because there’s so much to choose from!

Texas Capitol + tour

When you are one day in Austin you definitely have to visit the Texas State Capitol.

You find here the seat of government of the state of Texas. This makes this a very interesting place.

Furthermore, the Texas State Capitol is very impressive to see. That's because it is very large and tall. In fact, there are only 5 state capitol buildings in the US that are larger.

The design of the building is also very beautiful. The building features the Italian Renaissance Revival architectural style. So it's definitely a must-see when you're in Austin for one day.

Not only seeing the building is great, but it is also great to do a tour of the Texas State Capitol.

During the tours, you can learn a lot about the building, the history of Texas, and how the state government works.

What's great is that the tours are completely free!

Go to the UT Tower

After seeing the Texas Capitol, it's time to have a look at the UT Tower. The UT Austin Tower is the beautiful tower of the University of Texas. It's one of the most important landmarks in Austin.

The tower is very typical for the city and it looks beautiful. If you're in Austin for one day, you should definitely see it!

If you like photography, you should definitely take your camera with you. Taking photos of the tower is a very fun thing to do.

Furthermore, it's also great to see the University of Texas at Austin when you're in the city. The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university. Also, the university exists since the 19th century. The university has more than 50,000 students.

Moreover, the university is famous and the building looks pretty. There are many trees that surround the grey building which is nice to see.

Bullock Texas State History Museum

This morning I also recommend going to the Bullock Texas State History Museum. This is a very popular museum that has about 9 million annual visitors. So if you are one day in Austin, you should definitely go here too!

It is a great history museum in Austin that focuses on telling the story of the state of Texas! This makes it a great place to get a sense of the state and city during this day.

You find here all kinds of artifacts that are very interesting. And the museum adds new objects each week!

The exhibition on the first floor is "Becoming Texas" and spans about 16,000 years of the state's history. You find here objects from before 1821, the year of Mexican Independence.

On the second floor, you can learn about the history of Texas from the year 1821 till the year 1936.

And you can go to the third floor of the museum to learn about the more recent Texan history.

Also, what's great about this museum is that there are lots of changing exhibitions and events. Because of that, there is always something new when you visit the museum.

Lunch

After this morning where you learned a lot about the history and culture of the city, it's time for lunch!

A great place for lunch in downtown Austin is CAVA. You find here delicious Mediterranean food.

For example, they serve delicious Greek Tzatziki, falafel, great pitas, and much more.

Also, they have a seasonal menu that changes, so each time you go back here there could be something else!

I recommend going here for sure! That's not only because of the food but also because of its location! It's a very convenient place for lunch when you're 24 hours in Austin.

Go shopping and walk through Downtown Austin

Now it is time to explore a bit of the city center of Austin. The city center is where most of the activity of the city is happening.

This is a great experience when you are only one day in Austin, as you can get a great impression of what the city is like.

That's why I recommend spending some time in this part of Austin.

Also, this is a great place for shopping. There are many shopping streets in Austin that are great if you want to buy something or if you only want to stroll.

One of the best places for shopping here is 2ND Street District. Here you find a large collection of wonderful shops. There are both large retail stores and boutique shops here, which is great!

Another great place for shopping is South Congress Avenue. You find this place south of the Colorado River. When you cross the Congress Avenue Bridge, you get there.

There are lots of shops here that are great to go to. Also, you'll find here the next stop of this itinerary!

Have some coffee at South Congress Cafe

After shopping, it's time for coffee! One of the cutest cafes to visit in Austin is South Congress Cafe. So if you follow this itinerary, you're going to visit South Congress Cafe now!

The coffee at this cafe is very nice. But even if you don't like coffee, you'll love this place! There are many delicious drinks. For example, the cocktails here are delicious.

It's very relaxing to spend some time in the cafe. The place looks very beautiful from the inside. Furthermore, South Congress Cafe has a lovely patio too! So if you want to sit outside, you can do that as well.

The patio looks very pretty. There are many trees that look gorgeous. Especially when it's warm outside, it's very relaxing to spend some time at the patio. So I'd definitely recommend going here if you're in Austin for one day.

Moreover, South Congress Cafe serves delicious food too. So if you want to have something to eat with your coffee or other drink, that's possible as well! You should definitely have a look at the menu when you're at the cafe.

I’d also recommend taking some photos at the cafe as it’s very photogenic. The doors of South Congress Cafe are especially pretty.

Go to Zilker Park

During this busy day in the bustling city of Austin, a great place for relaxation is great to add to your itinerary! That's why I recommend going to Zilker Park this afternoon.

You find here beautiful nature, trees, grass, plants, flowers, it's all here! This makes the park great to relax during your one day in Austin.

There are hiking trails and bike trails here. So if you like that, this park is great.

Furthermore, you can play on the sports fields and be active during these 24 hours in Austin.

Also, many festivals in Austin take place here. One of these is the Austin City Limits Music Festival. This is a very large festival that is great for listening to music and dancing!

So if you happen to visit Austin during this time, you could consider going there.

Another great thing about Zilker Park is how beautiful it is. Also, there are lovely views from the park. For example, you can see the city's skyline from the park. This makes it great for photography as well!

Zilker Botanical Garden

When you are at Zilker Park, don't forget to go to the Zilker Botanical Garden too!

This is one of the most popular places at Zilker Park, so it's great for your one day in Austin!

The botanical garden features a collection of separate gardens. Each of these focuses on other types of plants, trees, and flowers.

For example, you can visit the Rose Garden to see some beautiful roses. This is incredible if you love flowers. Or you can go to the Taniguchi Japanese Garden for a Japanese-themed garden.

What's great is that there are paths between all the gardens of the Zilker Botanical Garden. That makes it possible to walk through the whole botanical garden and see all kinds of pretty things!

Keep in mind that you need a ticket to visit the Zilker Botanical Garden, there is no free entrance. But if you are 24 hours in Austin, I definitely recommend going here!

Barton Springs Pool

At Zilker Park, you can also find Barton Springs Pool. Now it's time to go there! This is one of my favorite things to do on this itinerary for one day in Austin.

Barton Spring Pool is a beautiful outdoor swimming pool. It's the perfect place to visit if you love swimming! When it's summer, going here is a lovely activity. But during the other seasons, you can also go here for a swim! The temperature is always comfortable, so that's very convenient.

Moreover, Barton Springs Pool isn't only an amazing place to swim. It also looks incredible! The color of the water is very beautiful and it's a great place to see the nature of Austin. I love how beautiful the pool looks with the trees surrounding it. So even if you don't like swimming, visiting Barton Springs Pool is a very nice activity.

You can relax here for a while and enjoy the beauty of the city.

Dinner at Taquero Mucho: A Beautiful Place to Have Dinner During Your One Day in Austin

Taquero Mucho is a great restaurant for having dinner during your 24 hours in Austin.

It is a good Mexican restaurant with all kinds of delicious Mexican dishes. For example, you can have here very tasty tacos and great Mexican-style sandwiches.

Also, they have great drinks that also look great! Many of the drinks have fruit in them.

Besides the great food and drinks at the restaurant, there is so much more here.

The whole place looks amazing. You can see the color pink everywhere. All the furniture features this color and looks great. Furthermore, there are many decorations in the restaurant that fits very well.

This makes the experience at the restaurant even better. Not only can you go here for great food, but you can also go here for having a great time!

Furthermore, it makes the restaurant one of the most Instagrammable places in Austin! It is great if you want to take lots of pictures.

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