Budget Guide to 1 Day in Austin: 10 Local Gems
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The capital of Texas is also known as the Weird City or the Live Music Capital of the World.
Austin is a city with soul.
On any sunny morning, you’ll find residents and college students alike enjoying a delicious breakfast or going for a jog by the lake.
On my trip to Austin, I had the pleasure of being given a tour by a friend and long-time Austin local.
During that 1 day in Austin, we visited must-see locations and places dear to his heart like:
- Downtown
- The capitol and UT
- Mount Bonnel.
We also ate delicious food all day and finished the day trip to Austin with live music.
I was surprised by how much there was to do, and I want to share my experience with you.
Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country because it’s just plain awesome.
It’s a place where you can enjoy a bunch of different foods, the architecture of a booming city, and the identity of a place where art and music are at its core.
I’m not much of a city tourer, but the combination of food, outdoorsiness, and big-city vibes was SO enjoyable.
And the fact that we were able to explore the city without spending a lot was the best part.
As with any budget-friendly city tour, it meant seeing more than doing, and eating at the right spots.
Austin Itinerary Tips (Know Before You Go)
Lodging for your 1 Day in Austin
If you know me, you know I try to never pay for hotels.
Throughout my 2 years traveling across the US, I car camped for free everywhere, stayed in awesome houses through Trusted HouseSitters or stayed with friends.
In Austin, I was able to stay with family friends.
That’s always best because they give you the greatest tours!
But if you want free lodging, but don’t have any friends in a certain place, I seriously recommend you try Trusted HouseSitters.
It’s how we traveled up the west coast for a whole year, pretty much for free!
You pay a fee to get on their platform and then you can apply to different sits. It’s like an Airbnb, but with the responsibility of a pet.
And cities have LOTS of house sits available all the time.
But Austin also has some great budget hotel options that are highly rated.
The best budget hotels in Austin are:
- Firehouse Hostel: my personal favorite, it’s a gorgeous hostel located right in downtown, with immaculate vibes. Great for making new friends.
- CitizenM: It’s a quirky hotel in the Weird City, with a superb central location to access everything downtown.
To browse more budget stays in Austin, check out the map below:
Getting Around Austin
First, you’ll probably want to rent a car, because this Austin itinerary starts downtown but also includes several destinations outside the city. Find the best prices by using Discover Cars.
Now, like any downtown in a big city, parking in Austin can be frustrating. But it has a surprising number of good options.
Some parking garages offer flat fees, great for long stays, and others charge per hour. There is also metered parking on streets, and some streets that offer the first 2 hours of parking for free.
We parked at the One Eleven parking garage at 133 Brazos St for all our downtown activities.
Itinerary: 1 Day in Austin
This is how to spend the perfect 1 day in Austin, an amazingly soulful, vibrant city.
1. Coffee at Desnudo
Walking up to Desnudo Coffee in Downtown Austin made me realize: this city is young.
Students and young adults filled the street, some jogging in the morning sun while others got together with friends for brunch.
Desnudo Coffee is a Colombian-owned coffee truck. It serves the most interesting brews, like the Forbidden Latte I got (panela-carmelized black rice, coconut cream, and ginger powder). But fear not, it also has all your classics.
The coffee truck is on a corner right off the Fareground Austin building, which is also a pleasure to walk through. If you’re down for a pre-brunch snack, try an arepa at Four Brothers Venezuelan Kitchen.
We parked at the One Eleven parking garage at 133 Brazos St, which has a tunnel to Fareground Austin.
2. Breakfast Burritos at Veracruz
Austin’s signature food is the breakfast burrito, so we got… tacos for brunch! Close enough.
We walked from Desnudo to Veracruz All Natural (see reviews), by recommendation of my local friend.
Their tacos were amazing! They have some delicious flavor combos, among which our favorite were the La Reyna and Migas Tacos.
The Migas Taco was my friend’s recommendation, and it didn’t disappoint. We got the Reyna Taco because of the combination of avocado and cheese… you just can’t go wrong there. It sounded like the Venezuelan Reina Pepiada arepa, which I LOVE.
From brunch, it’s time to get moving and get digesting.
3. A Stroll on Lady Bird Lake
From Veracruz, you can cross the street and walk down to the Pedestrian Walkway borders Lady Bird Lake. It’s a beautiful walk, with the downtown skyscrapers on your right and the water on your left.
You’ll pass crowds on crowds of hikers and cyclists, cross a bridge to shoal beach and exit the walkway right after the Google building. You’ll see the most amazing library I’ve ever seen – the Austin Public Library.
4. Austin Public Library
Walking up the library’s stairs felt like a scene from Harry Potter if Hogwarts were in a modern city center. The library is THAT big and its wide staircases seem to float in the air.
It also has a bit of everything – computer, work, kids, teens, and innovation sections – on its six floors.
I love libraries because they’ve been a haven for me on my indefinite road trip across the USA, and this library is the best I’ve even seen.
The most comfortable seats of all time are on the top floor (good luck working). But the cherry on top is the view from the terrace.
The view of the lake, metro park on the other side and some of downtown is gorgeous. With more time, I’d love to spend an afternoon here.
5. Texas Capitol
Did you know Austin was the capital of Texas? I didn’t. I thought it was Houston or Dallas.
The Capitol is an impressive, beautiful building in downtown Austin.
From the public library, you have two options.
You can walk to the Capitol, which I recommend to fully experience Austin. The other option is to drive over and find street parking near Bullock Texas State History Museum to explore the area.
Walk around the Capitol’s large grounds, take in the history, and consider visiting the Visitor’s Center for a deeper experience.
6. University of Texas
Spending a day in Austin and being so close to the Capitol, it makes sense to walk through what gives Austin its youth: the University of Texas.
Walk down the pedestrian street, which you can access from the Blanton Museum of Art.
Visit the emblematic UT Bell Tower and look for a spot for lunch close to UT.
7. Lunch
We ate at Cava, which isn’t a signature Austin restaurant, but is great nonetheless.
Equally delicious are these Austin recommendations:
After a wonderful meal, head back to your car and prepare for some afternoon fun.
8. Mount Bonnel
Mount Bonnell is one of Austin’s highest points and the view is spectacular.
Don’t be afraid, though… the hike up to Mount Bonnell is steep but very short.
When you get to the top you’ll get an amazing view of the lake, and make sure you look at the houses. You’ll notice getting to Mount Bonnell that the houses start getting bigger and bigger.
The ones down by the lake are the biggest of them all. It’s a showcase of how much money has been moving from the west coast to Austin.
Tip: walk left of the overlook for the best view of the Austin skyline!
9. The Oasis
Time to drive to the last overlook.
The Oasis is a restaurant 400 feet above Lake Travis, with a spectacular view of the lake. You’ll also get to see some more enormous houses.
The Oasis is known as the Sunset Capital of Texas because, you guessed it, sunsets here are a delight. But in this Austin itinerary, I’d recommend enjoying the view while you get a drink at the bar under the restaurant.
That’s because dinner is next…
10. Live Music at Central Market
Enjoy an amazing dinner at Central Market’s North Lamar campus.
You have two options here: get fresh food from the Central Market Café or shop for packaged food at the market.
Both are great options. I had the Pork Torta with sweet potato fries from the café, and their salmon salad looked incredible.
Central Market has live music often and you can check ahead of time on their website!
Congratulations, you just had a hell of a day in Austin!
If you’ve found this post helpful, or would like to ask me any specific questions, let me know in the comments below!
Road Trips that Include Austin
This blog is all about budget road trips, so here are a couple road trips that include Austin:
- You’d think a road trip from Texas to California might be boring, but no! From Austin, driving west, you pass through 5 different national parks and 2 other awesome cities. It ends with a few days in San Diego.
- You can drive from Austin to El Paso and do a road trip from White Sands to the Carlsbad Caverns. It goes through 3 national parks and 2 state parks. It’s a unique road trip in a place you’d think there’s absolutely nothing!
