San Antonio

Best things to do in San Antonio

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   1. The Alamo

   • 1 to 3 hours
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Families
   • Adults
   • No car needed

   An 18th-century Spanish mission and fortress, and the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. Today it is a museum in the Alamo Plaza Historic District and part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site.

   We have not confirmed ticket or entry arrangements; check the official site before you go.

   8,231 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Alamo Mission

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   2. San Antonio River Walk

   • 2 to 3 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Couples
   • Families
   • No car needed

   A city park and pedestrian street one level below the road, winding along the San Antonio River as two parallel sidewalks lined with restaurants and shops. It links sights including La Villita, HemisFair Park and the San Antonio Museum of Art.

   4,093 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, San Antonio River Walk

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   3. Six Flags Fiesta Texas

   • A full day
   • Tickets needed
   • Families

   A 200-acre amusement park in San Antonio that opened in 1992 in the La Cantera development, originally built around the musical culture of Texas. It has carried the Six Flags brand since 1996.

   We have not confirmed ticket or entry arrangements; check the official site before you go.

   3,587 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Six Flags Fiesta Texas

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   4. San Antonio Missions

   • Half a day to a full day
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • Active
   • Couples
   • Adults

   Four Spanish frontier missions, Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada, preserved in a national historical park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The churches are open to visitors during park hours.

   The National Park Service lists park hours of 9am to 5pm, and says churches may close for special services. Its page does not say whether tickets are needed.

   3,494 readers a month

   Sources

   • National Park Service, San Antonio Missions, plan your visit
   • Wikipedia, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

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   5. Tower of the Americas

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • Tickets needed
   • Families
   • Couples
   • No car needed

   A 750-foot observation tower in the HemisFair district downtown, built as the theme structure of the 1968 World's Fair. It combines an observation level with a restaurant.

   We have not confirmed ticket or entry arrangements; check the official site before you go.

   2,913 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Tower of the Americas

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   6. SeaWorld San Antonio

   • A full day
   • Tickets needed
   • Families

   A 416-acre marine-life and animal theme park in the Westover Hills district on the city's west side, and the largest of the three SeaWorld parks.

   We have not confirmed ticket or entry arrangements; check the official site before you go.

   2,473 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, SeaWorld San Antonio

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   7. HemisFair Park

   • 1 to 2 hours
   • No booking needed
   • Families
   • No car needed

   The site of HemisFair '68, the official 1968 World's Fair, held from 6 April to 6 October 1968 to mark the 250th anniversary of the city's founding. The Tower of the Americas was built as its theme structure.

   1,599 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, HemisFair '68

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   8. Fiesta San Antonio

   • A day or more
   • Check entry rules before you go
   • April only
   • Families
   • Adults
   • Couples

   The city's signature annual festival held in April since 1891, commemorating the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. The springtime River Parade sends flower-decked floats down the river.

   Event dates and ticketing vary by year; check the official programme.

   1,003 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, Fiesta San Antonio

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   9. San Antonio Zoo

   • Half a day
   • Tickets needed
   • Families

   A 57-acre zoo in Brackenridge Park with over 750 species and annual attendance above one million. It also has the Richard Friedrich Aquarium and a zoo train.

   We have not confirmed ticket or entry arrangements; check the official site before you go.

   919 readers a month

   Sources

   • Wikipedia, San Antonio Zoo

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    10. Natural Bridge Caverns

    • Half a day
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Families
    • Active
    • Rainy day

    The largest commercial caverns in Texas, named for a 60-foot limestone slab bridge over the cavern entrance, left suspended when a sinkhole collapsed beneath it.

    The caverns are outside the city; check tour times and booking with the site.

    885 readers a month

    Sources

    • Wikipedia, Natural Bridge Caverns

Just missed the list: San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden (11th by readers; a historic garden in a former limestone quarry); San Antonio Botanical Garden (12th by readers)