5 Amazing Itineraries For Visiting Austin With Kids
Do you ever feel overwhelmed when planning a trip somewhere? You want to see and do it all and don’t know where to start or what the best places are. One of the questions I get asked most often is: “What should we do while visiting Austin with kids?” Here are 5 Amazing Itineraries For Visiting Austin With Kids when you have limited time and want to plan the best trip possible!
Itinerary #1: Outdoor Adventures
When the weather is nice in Austin, you’ll want to spend the entire time outdoors. Luckily, we have some amazing restaurants, coffee shops, and breweries with playgrounds that are designed for relaxing while your kids run around and play.
Coffee and breakfast with a rooftop playground
Kick off your weekend with a stop by Whole Foods North Lamar and grab some coffee and breakfast. Bring it up to enjoy on the roof, where the kids can play at the playground and you can enjoy the views. Then grab some foods for a picnic lunch for later at Zilker Park/Barton Springs!
Zilker/Barton Springs
Next up, pay a visit to Zilker Metropolitan Park, a 350-acre oasis in the heart of the city. There’s a giant playground for the kids and a beautiful hike & bike trail along the water. The new mini train (the Zilker Eagle) is coming soon! If it’s warm enough, you have to splash in Barton Springs Pool, a spring-fed swimming spot with year-round cool waters. The water is extremely cold- so make sure you’re good & hot (or just extremely brave!) before you do this! Read all of our tips before you go here. After drying off, explore the Zilker Botanical Garden or a free option that we love for kids- the Austin Nature & Science Center.
Restaurants Near Zilker/Downtown
If you didn’t bring a picnic lunch with you and you need a place to eat, here’s a list of all the closest kid-friendly restaurants near Zilker and downtown.
Hear some live music
Austin is the live music capital of the world, so you’re going to want to see some live music while you’re here! Central Market North Lamar has free live music on the patio every Thursday-Sunday from 5:30-8 p.m. They also have a cafe and a playground for the kids just off the patio, so you can eat dinner here as well.
See the bats!
If you come visit Austin from late March through early fall, you can see the world’s largest bat colony that lives under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Book a bat cruise to see them from the water (read our tips here before you go!). This is a great options for tourists because you get a sunset boat tour of downtown Austin and Lady Bird Lake before the bats emerge. It’s a fun way to see the city and learn some tidbits about Austin! You can also just see the bats for free by snagging a spot on the Congress Ave Bridge. This may be less ideal if you’re traveling with children, as it right along a busy street, in the dark, very crowded, and could be a long and hot wait for the bats. That’s why we usually opt to take our out of town guests on a bat cruise!
Itinerary #2: A Day on South Congress (Shopping Day)
You can’t come to Austin and not visit South Congress! Check out the funky vibe, do some eating and some shopping, and soak in the Austin spirit.
Breakfast
Pancakes at Magnolia Cafe, the best cinnamon rolls in town at Teal House, or grab donuts at The Salty. You can’t go wrong with any of these amazing spots!
Souvenirs
Right next door to Magnolia Cafe is a cute little souvenir shop called Prima Dora. Bonus: there’s a mural on the side of the building that says Love, from Austin! If you want the cutest kids clothes/souvenirs in the world, head a little farther down South Congress until you find the adorable bright yellow airstream called Lemon Drop Children’s Shop. She sells kids Austin shirts and souvenirs, as well as a bunch of other cute kids items.
There’s also a cute little toy store called Monkey See Monkey Do with all sorts of random toys and gifts. And if you can’t leave Austin without bringing a pair of cowboy boots with you back home, then stop by the famous Allen’s Boots.
Lunch
There are plenty of lunch spots to choose from while exploring South Congress. Home Slice Pizza will give your kids a piece of dough to play with while you wait for your food (best pizza in Austin, by the way!) A few other kid-friendly options are Hop Doddy Burger Bar, Guero’s Taco Bar, or Torchy’s Tacos.
Where to take a break/escape the heat
Aviator Nation has a cool downstairs area with couches, a pool table, and Mrs Pac-Man.
Jo’s Coffee/ I Love You So Much Mural
Another Austin must-do while visiting is getting a picture in front of the I Love You So Much mural at Jo’s Coffee. This is also a great time to grab a mid-day coffee pick-me-up if you’re dragging.
Sweets and Treats
If the kids need a little sugar boost, there are plenty of options! Amy’s Ice Creams is right across from Jo’s Coffee, Jeni’s Ice Creams is just a little further down, or you could make your way back up where you started and visit Big Top Candy Shop (my kids’ favorite part of visiting South Congress).
Cidercade for dinner & games
This place is not on South Congress, but Cidercade would be a fun way to end your day. It’s only about 5 minute drive from South Congress. All-you-can-play video games after you pay the $12 admission. They even have stools for little kids who can’t reach the tall arcade games. My kids love this place and we go here all the time. They have pizza (even dessert pizza!) and cider (for the adults). Their outdoor patio has swings and a nice view of Austin.
Itinerary #3: A Day at Mueller
If you want to check out the only children’s museum in town, you’re going to The Thinkery! The Mueller neighborhood happens to be a wonderful pocket in the city of Austin. Here’s a fun way to spend an entire day in that area.
Breakfast
Start the day off with pancakes at Kerbey Lane Cafe, 2200 Aldrich St STE 100, Austin. Kids eat free on Tuesdays! If you happen to be there on a Sunday, you could also wait in line for bagels from David Doughies at the Texas Farmer’s Market.
Whimsical Parks
Mueller brings the “Keep Austin Weird” vibes with all the whimsical statues you can find at parks in this neighborhood. There’s a giant octopus named Ocho that lives at Jessie Andrews Park, 2601 Philomena St, Austin. A giant spider named Arachnophillia that lives at Mueller’s Southwest Greenway, 3700-3744 Berkman Dr, Austin. And don’t forget about everyone’s favorite sea monster, Lake Nessy at Mueller Lake Park, 4550 Mueller Blvd, Austin.
A few other parks in the Mueller neighborhood that are perfect to bring the kids to are Mary Elizabeth Branch Park (playground and splash pad) at 2006 Philomena St, Austin and John Gaines Park, which has turf covered hills and tunnels.
Lunch & Treats
Grab a pizza at Aviator Pizza, followed by ice cream from Lick. If you’d prefer baked goods, get a cookie or a cupcake from Lady Quackenbush’s Cakery.
Shopping
Learning Express is a cool toy store located at 1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd Ste 620, Austin. They have some toys on display that you can try out, as well as a train table and Calico Critters house to play with. They pretty much have any toy you could think of!
Children’s Museum
The Thinkery is Austin’s children’s museum and a jewel in Mueller’s crown. It offers hands-on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) experiences for kids. Whether they’re building in the Innovators’ Workshop or exploring the Light Lab, your children will leave both entertained and educated. There are 2 times the Thinkery offers FREE ADMISSION: Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. and Sundays from 3-5 p.m. To ensure you can access this deal, reserve your spot online (it’s free!) because these are popular times and they might not have room if you just show up. 1830 Simond Ave, Austin
Dinner
Dish Society just opened at 1900 Aldrich St Suite #130, Austin and kids eat free all day on Tuesdays with purchase of an adult entree! Or check out The Kebab Shop– kids eat free on weekends here with purchase of adult meal! For a restaurant with an outdoor play area for kids, try the new Redbud Ice House!
Itinerary #4: Keep Austin Weird
There are just some things that make Austin special, like that giant silver guy in front of Laguna Gloria, the views from Mt. Bonnell, the giant troll at Pease Park, and the crazy statues at Peter Pan Mini Golf. We’ve packed a day full of unique quirkiness into this itinerary!
Breakfast
Begin with breakfast at Brentwood Social House. You can bring your kids here to play no matter the weather as they have both indoor and outdoor play areas!
Morning Adventures
If you’re in the mood for some exploring, head over to mee the peacocks and take a short nature hike at Mayfield Park. It’s free! If you’d like more of a challenge with amazing city views, check out Mt. Bonnell which is close by. If art museums are more your thing, then check out the outdoor art museum Laguna Gloria which is also just down the street from here!
Lunch
Next, stop by Littlefield’s for lunch! Everyone gets what they want at this adorable food truck park with a play area. They have coffee, tacos, sandwiches, cookies, and snow cones!
Afternoon Adventures
A short 3 minute drive from Littlefield’s is Austin’s newest resident: a giant troll at Pease Park! We love coming to Pease Park to play inside the treehouse, at the splash pad, and on the playground. Now there’s even more of a reason to check out this park: Malin the Troll!
If you’re still feeling up for some more fun, head over to Peter Pan Mini Golf for some authentic Austin vibes, or take the kids to play some more at Alliance Children’s Garden (and Liz Carpenter Fountain Splash Pad on warmer days).
Dinner
End your day the Tex-Mex way with margs and jalapeno-ranch at Chuys on Barton Springs or El Mercado on S 1st (they have a playground).
Itinerary #5: South East Austin Fun
Morning
Grab some coffee and Veracruz breakfast tacos from Radio/East and then head over to McKinney Falls State Park for some gorgeous hiking and swimming.
Afternoon
Spend the rest of the day hanging out at our favorite brewery: Meanwhile Brewing! The kids can play, you can get BBQ or tacos (Austin’s 2 main food groups), and you can relax and drink beer in their shady tree-covered beer garden.
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