Weekend Getaways From Austin: Drive Times & Cost

The Hill Country starts at Austin's doorstep. Georgetown, Dripping Springs, and Lockhart are 35-minute drives, which makes the closest getaway on this list a barbecue run you could start after Friday lunch. The list now runs twenty-four deep, from that 35-minute smoke stop to a four-and-a-half-hour haul northeast to Paris and its cowboy-hat Eiffel Tower, sorted by drive time because the drive is the number every other roundup hides. Verified drive times, an honest all-in cost for two, and the month worth going.

Every drive time here was checked against a routing source, not the optimistic figure, and labeled one-way in typical traffic. The cost is an honest all-in estimate for two over two nights: lodging, fuel, and meals out. Nothing needs a ferry or a flight; every trip on this list is a drive.

The short list#

Best for the Hill Country#

If you make one weekend trip from Austin, make it Fredericksburg. The rest of the Hill Country fans out behind it: swimming holes, granite riverbeds, a fall-color canyon, and caverns at both ends of the drive.

Fredericksburg#

An hour and 35 minutes west, Fredericksburg is the weekend Austin measures the others against. Peach orchards ring the town, stands sell the fruit through summer, and the tasting rooms pour the wine that made this the center of the Hill Country's wine country. Main Street carries the shops end to end, and Old Tunnel State Park sits a short drive out. July, when the peaches are at their peak.

Fredericksburg

Wimberley#

Fifty minutes southwest, Wimberley is the swimming-hole town. Blue Hole Regional Park runs its cypress-shaded stretch of clear water, Cypress Creek Nature Preserve keeps the quieter bank, and Wimberley Square covers the browsing between swims. May, while the water is up and before the summer crowds arrive.

Wimberley

Dripping Springs#

Thirty-five minutes west on US-290, Dripping Springs is the closest Hill Country base. Hamilton Pool Preserve is the draw, a collapsed grotto where a waterfall pours into turquoise water, and Bell Springs Winery covers the afternoon after the swim. April, before the heat peaks.

Dripping Springs

Marble Falls#

An hour and five minutes northwest, Marble Falls stacks a lake town onto a pie stop. The diners here serve meringue slices tall enough to be the reason people pull off the highway, Lake Marble Falls handles the afternoon on the water, and Longhorn Cavern State Park winds underground a short drive out. May, for lake weather ahead of the July peak.

Marble Falls

Burnet#

An hour northwest, Burnet is the Highland Lakes weekend. Devil's Waterhole at Inks Lake State Park is the swim, a clear basin in the granite, with Lake Buchanan spreading just beyond for the bigger water. The Fort Croghan Museum holds the frontier history in town. May, when the water warms.

Burnet

Llano#

An hour and a half northwest, Llano runs on red granite: the Llano River pools over it right through town, and the dome of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area rises a drive south. The Llano County Courthouse and the old Lantex Theater hold the town side. October, once the heat finally breaks.

Llano

Kerrville#

An hour and 55 minutes west, Kerrville is the quiet riverside pick. Kerrville-Schreiner Park and the Riverside Nature Center keep the wildflowers and the birds along the water, the Museum of Western Art covers the cowboy canvases, and Turtle Creek Olives and Vines makes the tasting stop. April, when the wildflowers are thickest.

Kerrville

Bandera#

Two hours southwest, Bandera is the ranch weekend. Horseback rides at the Bar M Ranch carry the cowboy billing, the Frontier Times Museum backs it up in town, and the 11th Street Cowboy Bar takes the evenings. Hill Country State Natural Area and the Medina River fill the daylight in between. October, for riding weather.

Bandera

Vanderpool#

Two hours and 35 minutes west, Vanderpool is the fall trip. Bigtooth maples turn red and orange against the steep limestone canyons in November, a rare stretch of real autumn color in Texas. The rest of the year it is quiet canyon country. Go in November; the color is the point.

Concan#

Two hours and 40 minutes southwest, Concan is the Frio River weekend. The water runs clear and cold between limestone bluffs, and the swimming hole is the whole agenda through the summer. June, when the river season opens.

Concan

Sonora#

Three hours and 20 minutes west, Sonora is the longest Hill Country haul and the deepest one. The Caverns of Sonora hold intricate crystalline formations far underground, the butterfly formation among them, and the drive out through the hills is part of the trip. September, once the worst of the surface heat fades.

Sonora

Best for BBQ and small towns#

Half of these sit under an hour from town, and the barbecue one is 35 minutes.

Lockhart#

Thirty-five minutes south, Lockhart is the barbecue town, its pits smoking brisket the same way they have for generations. Kreuz Market is the must, the Caldwell County Courthouse towers over the square, and the county museum fills the hours between meals. October, when the smoke and the weather finally agree.

Lockhart

Salado#

Fifty minutes north along I-35, Salado is the creek-side art village. Galleries and pottery studios dot the historic center, Salado Glassworks anchors Main Street, and Stillhouse Hollow Lake sits close by for the outdoor half. November, for cool walking weather.

Salado

Georgetown#

Thirty-five minutes north, Georgetown holds the strangest close-in attraction on the list: Inner Space Cavern, a limestone cave system uncovered during highway construction. The cave keeps its own climate no matter what the Texas surface is doing, which makes it the rare trip that works in any month. April, all the same, for the mild drive.

Georgetown

New Braunfels#

Fifty minutes southwest, New Braunfels floats. Tubing the spring-fed Comal River is the local tradition for escaping the heat, Gruene Hall keeps the music going after the river, and Landa Park holds the slow end of the day. June, when float season is fully on.

New Braunfels

Waco#

An hour and 35 minutes north, Waco pairs Magnolia Market at the Silos with a real river behind it. The suspension bridge over the Brazos marks the historic Chisholm Trail crossing, and the Dr Pepper Museum and Cameron Park round out the weekend. March, before the heat arrives.

Waco

Brenham#

An hour and 35 minutes east, Brenham is Blue Bell country. The creamery is the family draw, the rolling land around it goes solid blue with bluebonnets in spring, and Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site sits a short drive off, with Brazos Valley Brewing Company for the evening. April, for the bluebonnets.

Brenham

Glen Rose#

Two hours and 35 minutes north, Glen Rose is the odd one out, and better for it. Dinosaur Valley State Park runs rugged riverbed country you can hike and bike, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center sits down the road, and Big Rocks Park and the Somervell County Courthouse hold the town end. September, once the summer heat eases.

Glen Rose

Paris#

Four and a half hours northeast, Paris is the far edge of this list and the joke that pays off: its own Eiffel Tower wears a giant red cowboy hat. The Sam Bell Maxey House and Bywaters Park cover the rest of a slow afternoon. June, with long light for the photo.

Paris

Best for the cities#

San Antonio#

An hour and 25 minutes down I-35, San Antonio is the essential Texas city weekend. The Alamo and the River Walk anchor downtown, Historic Market Square adds the market blocks, and the Tower of the Americas looks over all of it, skyline to river. March, before the heat settles in.

San Antonio

Houston#

Two and a half hours southeast, Houston is too big for a weekend, so pick a lane: Space Center Houston on one side, the Museum of Fine Arts and Hermann Park on the other. The Waterwall pours its semicircle beneath the live oaks either way. November, in the cool dry window.

Houston

Fort Worth#

Two hours and 50 minutes north, Fort Worth keeps the cattle era in working order: the Stockyards' wooden walkways and pens still stand from the livestock-exchange days. The Kimbell Art Museum and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden cover the other half of the weekend. April, before summer.

Fort Worth

Best for the coast#

The Gulf is the long haul from Austin; both coast picks sit past the three-hour line.

Galveston#

Three hours and 25 minutes southeast, Galveston layers Victorian streets against the seawall and the Gulf beaches beyond it. Bishop's Palace is the grandest of the old houses, The Strand keeps the historic shopping blocks, and the Pleasure Pier and the Naval Museum split the waterfront. October, after the summer crush.

Galveston

Corpus Christi#

Three hours and ten minutes south, Corpus Christi docks its history in the bay: the USS Lexington sits permanently moored where you can walk her decks. Shoreline Boulevard runs the waterfront, the Art Museum of South Texas makes the culture stop, and Padre Island National Seashore stretches beyond town. September, when the water is still warm.

Corpus Christi

Getting there and getting around#

A car covers all twenty-four; nothing here needs a ferry or a flight. US-290 west is the wine road, running through Dripping Springs on its way to Fredericksburg, and I-35 south to San Antonio is the easy hop, one straight interstate run. The summer river towns, New Braunfels, Wimberley, and Concan, book out early, so reserve lodging well ahead of a June or July weekend. The far edges, Sonora to the west and Paris to the northeast, are long enough to want a Friday-morning start.

Common questions#

What's the best weekend getaway from Austin? Fredericksburg, an hour and 35 minutes west, for the tasting rooms and the peach orchards that ring the town. Wimberley covers the swimming holes at 50 minutes, Lockhart the barbecue at 35, and San Antonio the city weekend at under an hour and a half.

Is Fredericksburg a weekend trip from Austin? Yes, about an hour and 35 minutes west. Main Street holds the shops and tasting rooms, Old Tunnel State Park sits a short drive out, and the peach stands around town are the summer draw. July catches the orchards at their peak.

How many weekend getaways are within 2 hours of Austin? Fourteen of the twenty-four on this list sit under a two-hour drive, from Georgetown, Dripping Springs, and Lockhart at about 35 minutes to Kerrville just inside the line. Bandera lands right on the two-hour mark.

What's the closest weekend getaway from Austin? Three tie at about 35 minutes: Georgetown for Inner Space Cavern, Dripping Springs for Hamilton Pool Preserve, and Lockhart for the barbecue pits. New Braunfels, Wimberley, and Salado follow at about 50 minutes.

What's the best weekend trip from Austin for swimming or a river? New Braunfels for the Comal River float, Wimberley for the cypress-shaded swimming at Blue Hole, and Concan for the clear, cold Frio River between limestone bluffs. Llano adds pools in the red granite of its riverbed. All of them want the summer heat.

What's the best fall weekend trip from Austin? Vanderpool, two hours and 35 minutes west, where bigtooth maples turn red and orange against the limestone canyons in November. Lockhart's pits and Bandera's ranches are at their best in October, once the heat breaks.

How much does a weekend getaway from Austin cost? Most of these run $600 to $890 all-in for two over two nights, covering the room, fuel, and meals. Georgetown, Dripping Springs, Lockhart, and Wimberley open at $600 to $830; Paris, the farthest at four and a half hours, tops out at $690 to $930.

Which weekend getaways from Austin reach the coast? Galveston, about three and a half hours southeast, pairs Victorian streets and Bishop's Palace with the seawall and the Gulf beaches. Corpus Christi, three hours and ten minutes south, docks the USS Lexington in its bay with Padre Island National Seashore beyond.

The bottom line#

Fourteen of these sit inside two hours, so the drive rarely decides an Austin weekend; appetite does. Water at Wimberley or the Frio, smoke at Lockhart, a city at San Antonio, fall color at Vanderpool. If you make one, make it Fredericksburg. Either way, plan your weekend free and it ranks these for your exact dates, group, and budget.

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Cover photo by Quintin Soloviev (CC BY 4.0) via Wikimedia Commons. Drive times verified against routing sources August 2026; confirm seasonal river conditions and summer lodging availability before you travel.