Austin trip cost: flights, hotels, food and things to do
Live music, barbecue and swimming holes. A 3-night trip for 2 starts at about $960 for the cheapest flight, hotel and food, depending on where you fly from. Pick your airport to see three ready-made plans.
Plan my Austin trip
What it costs from your airport
For 2 travelers, 3 nights. "From" is the cheapest flight and hotel plus everyday food; "Suggested budget" also covers a mid-priced flight and hotel and things to do.
| Flying from | From | Suggested budget |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) | $960 | $1,800 |
| Houston (IAH) | $990 | $1,800 |
| St. Louis (STL) | $1,060 | $1,900 |
| Tampa (TPA) | $1,070 | $2,000 |
| Nashville (BNA) | $1,080 | $1,900 |
| Miami (MIA) | $1,090 | $2,000 |
| Atlanta (ATL) | $1,100 | $1,900 |
| Orlando (MCO) | $1,100 | $2,000 |
| Chicago Midway (MDW) | $1,100 | $2,000 |
| San Diego (SAN) | $1,100 | $2,000 |
| Salt Lake City (SLC) | $1,100 | $2,000 |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | $1,100 | $2,100 |
| Phoenix (PHX) | $1,120 | $2,000 |
| Charlotte (CLT) | $1,130 | $2,000 |
| Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | $1,130 | $2,000 |
| Denver (DEN) | $1,140 | $2,000 |
| Detroit (DTW) | $1,140 | $2,000 |
| Las Vegas (LAS) | $1,140 | $2,000 |
| New York JFK | $1,140 | $2,200 |
| Newark (EWR) | $1,150 | $2,100 |
| San Francisco (SFO) | $1,150 | $2,100 |
| Minneapolis (MSP) | $1,160 | $2,000 |
| Philadelphia (PHL) | $1,160 | $2,100 |
| Washington Reagan (DCA) | $1,170 | $2,100 |
| New York LaGuardia (LGA) | $1,180 | $2,100 |
| Portland (PDX) | $1,180 | $2,100 |
| Chicago O'Hare (ORD) | $1,210 | $2,000 |
| Baltimore (BWI) | $1,210 | $2,100 |
| Washington Dulles (IAD) | $1,210 | $2,100 |
| Boston (BOS) | $1,210 | $2,200 |
| Seattle (SEA) | $1,210 | $2,200 |
| Honolulu (HNL) | $1,650 | $2,600 |
Food: about $80 a person a day
Restaurants worth the trip
- Franklin BarbecueOrder: Brisket, sold by the pound · about $35 a person
- Veracruz breakfast tacosOrder: Migas breakfast taco · about $10 a person
- UchiOrder: Hama chili (yellowtail with ponzu and Thai chili) · about $90 a person
- Torchy's TacosOrder: Trailer Park taco, ordered "trashy" · about $12 a person
- The Salt Lick BBQOrder: Family-style brisket, sausage and ribs · about $30 a person
Where to stay
- Thompson Austin (World of Hyatt)5★ · $420 a night · or about 25,000 Hyatt points
- Hyatt Regency Austin4★ · $260 a night · or about 17,000 Hyatt points
- JW Marriott Austin4★ · $340 a night · or about 45,000 Marriott points
- Moxy Austin University3★ · $180 a night · or about 22,000 Marriott points
- South Congress motel3★ · $200 a night
- East Austin hostel, private room2★ · $90 a night
Things to do
- Congress Bridge bats at duskfree · 1h 00m
- Texas State Capitolfree · 1h 15m
- South Congress shopsfree · 2h 00m
- Barton Creek Greenbelt hikefree · 2h 30m
- Zilker Park and botanical garden$8 a person · 2h 00m
- Barton Springs Pool$9 a person · 3h 00m
- LBJ Presidential Library$15 a person · 2h 00m
- Hamilton Pool day trip$15 a person · 4h 00m
- Blanton Museum of Art$15 a person · 1h 30m
- Sixth Street live music$20 a person · 3h 00m
- Lady Bird Lake kayak$25 a person · 2h 00m
- Austin City Limits taping$40 a person · 2h 00m
Questions
How much does a trip to Austin cost?
For 2 travelers and 3 nights, the cheapest flight and hotel plus everyday food start at about $960 from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and run to about $1,650 from the farthest major US airport. A comfortable budget with things to do is $1,800 to $2,600.
How much should I budget for food in Austin?
About $80 a person a day at mid-range places: breakfast $14, lunch $18, dinner $40, snacks and coffee $8.
How many nights do I need in Austin?
3 nights covers the main sights at an easy pace; the day plans on each route page show how the days fill.
Plan your Austin trip
Tell us your airport, dates and budget, and get three plans with flights, hotel, food and a day-by-day itinerary.
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