Day Trips In The Texas Hill Country

Here are seven fabulous day trips in the Texas Hill Country when you only have a day!

Sometimes, jumping in the car and going somewhere in the spur of the moment is fun and joyful! Texas day trips are great road trips and could do us all some good. But when you’re in the Hill Country, whether looking to visit towns alternative to Fredericksburg or heading to wine country (Fredericksburg), you don’t want to miss out on all the beautiful things to do and see. When all you have is a day, go for one of these day trips in the Texas Hill Country.

7 Fun Day Trips In The Texas Hill Country To Enjoy

If you’re traveling to San Antonio, Austin, or any other area close to the Hill Country and have some time to spare, you’ll want to look at these fun Texas day trips near these cities or spread out in the country. You only need a half day to enjoy these drives and places.

1. Kerrville Day Trip

The Guadalupe River winds alongside Kerrville, making any stop in town a potentially beautiful vista. If you’re lucky to be in the area in spring, take the backroads to view the wildflowers.

Pax Coffee

We recharged our batteries at Pax Coffee downtown. The coffee was fabulous, and the setting was fun and refreshing. If you’re there on a Saturday morning, you can walk over to the farmers market.

Wineries In Kerrville

If wine is on your list, there are about ten wineries in the area that you might want to visit. Kerrville Hills Winery is a great place to start.

Parks In Kerrville

Louise Hays Park is centrally located downtown and offers an excellent place for picnicking.

Kerrville-Schreiner Park has a diverse offering, including hiking, bike trails, canoeing, and kayak rentals.

Cafe at the Ridge

It’s easy to spend a full day or evening here, from enjoying breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the cafe to shopping at the gift shop and in the garden. Also, you’ll want to dress your kiddos in adorable outfits to take their pictures anywhere outdoors. Every inch of the place is fantastic, and the flower gardens are the best.

2. Johnson City Day Trip

One of the best day trips in the Texas Hill Country is to Johnson City, but that’s my opinion.

On a day trip, scope out the food truck on Princeton Rd that makes authentic Mexican street tacos. Everybody loves tacos, right? Shop the antique stores and have some wine in town.

Proof & Cooper

Go here for great food and score shareable meals. My friend and I shared the delicious beef nachos, and I don’t think we finished it. The location is 209 E. Main Street. It’s across the street – catty-corner from the Farmhouse Vineyard.

Farmhouse Vineyards & Marketplace

Wine lovers should visit the Farmhouse Vineyard & Marketplace for excellent wine, like their signature, The Boyfriend. I think the names given to their wines are hilarious. And you’ll be in luck if the Tipsy Trailer is open. It wasn’t when we were there.

The Tipsy Trailer is on the winery’s property, where they serve wine. It’s very darling, and there are tables and chairs to sit in and enjoy your wine. I’m not sure when it’s open, but I’m guessing on lovely spring days and not days below freezing—like when we were there!

Pedernales Falls State Park

If you’re an outdoorsy person, you might want to take part in hiking, mountain biking, and horse riding at Pedernales Falls State Park, and if not, opt for a picnic and bird watching. If the kids are with you, have you ever thought about geocaching? You can do that here as well. There is an entrance fee, and booking your day and time slot online is best, especially if you are going on Saturday. The weekends do sell out fast.

 

3. Blanco Day Trip

An easy 30-minute road trip from north San Antonio and about a 45-minute road trip from Austin makes a nice day trip. If you didn’t know (I did not), Blanco is known as the Lavender Capital of Texas. That would be a great time to visit and see the blooming lavender fields.

There are a few shops in town and some fun places to eat – like the BBQ joint.

Blanco State Park

The scenery in this park is better than excellent. I took the photo above the day after the 2022 winter freeze. I can only imagine seeing it in the spring and summer and swimming in the water when it gets warmer.

Lunch At The Old 300 BBQ

Have a plate of fantastic barbeque at Old 300 BBQ (look for the old red truck in front), and then splurge on a smoked blueberry cheesecake topped with fresh blueberries and drizzled in blueberry sauce. Then, walk around town to burn it off!

Historic Town Square

Explore the shops, the Pioneer Museum, breweries, and clothing stores. You can fill up a full day in the town square while walking off that amazing cheesecake you ate!

4. San Saba Day Trip

At the northern tip of the Texas Hill Country, nestled among the pecan trees, sits peaceful San Saba. I’ve heard nice things about one of the wineries (below) and how pretty the town is. I suspect San Saba will be another town on my favorite THC town list. San Saba is roughly 50 miles from Brownwood.

Colorado Bend State Park

I see picnics in the future, with three city parks and Colorado Bend State Park all in the area! Be sure to visit the Gorman Waterfall and, if there’s time, take a swim.

Wedding Oak Winery

I know of three Wedding Oak Winery wineries and have visited Fredericksburg and Burnet. The owner’s daughter served me wine and told me stories about how the winery got its name. I’d love to visit where it all started with Wedding Oak Winery in San Saba.

Grab Some Texas Pecans

Since San Saba is known as the Pecan Capital of the World, it makes sense to buy a pound or two while you’re there…even if you don’t love pecans – someone you know does, right? There are a couple of places in town where you can get pecans or treats with pecans added.

5. Georgetown, TX Day Trip

If you’re in Austin for the day or come to town with your spouse and have a day to yourself, head to Georgetown. There are plenty of things for you to do, including nature and shopping. Visiting Georgetown with my grandson was one of the trips in the Texas Hill Country that gave me many memories with him.

Hike The San Gabriel Trail

Take a walk (or a hike) on the 9-mile trail along the river while viewing the wildflowers—plenty of benches along the way for breaks, water foundations, and restrooms. After your walk/hike, head to San Gabriel Park, enjoy a picnic and watch the ducks.

Shop In The Most Beautiful Town Square In Texas

Since Georgetown’s town square is the most beautiful in Texas, may I suggest not passing it up? You don’t have to buy anything, but you’ll want to see it. I saw it in October, but it’s so beautiful around Christmastime.

Lunch At Wildfire

Wildfire is a steakhouse and saloon restaurant in Town Square and a local favorite. If steak is too heavy, don’t worry; there are plenty of places to eat.

6. Dripping Springs Day Trip

They don’t call Dripping Springs “The Gateway to the Hill Country” for nothing. Just a short drive from Austin, you’ll be in a world of wineries, brewers, and distillers – they have all three and are the only town in the THC to have all three. But if that’s not on your list, there are plenty of reasons to visit Dripping Springs.

Salt Lick BBQ

Go to Salt Lick BBQ for the best barbeque or the perfect atmosphere. Live music might be playing outside under the oak trees.

Winery Hopping & Wine Tasting

Two of my favorite wineries are Solaro Estate and Driftwood Winery, but a few more in town have fantastic scenic views and good wine. Choosing which ones is hard, especially if you only have a day. We were following the wineries on the Texas Wine Trail list when we were there, so it was easy for us to choose.

Hamilton Pool Reserve

There is a beautiful pool with a waterfall and places to sit and watch. When you enter, you must read over several rules, and swimming is no longer allowed. So be sure to read the information at Hamilton Pool Reserve.

7. Fredericksburg Day Trip

People search for three things when planning a trip to Fredericksburg: shopping, wine, and German history. Yep, this small town reigns with all three. There are roughly 75-100 shops in Fredericksburg, most on Main Street. Plan for an all-day trip here.

Shopping on Main Street

Visit the wineries on Main Street and around town

Buy tickets to the Pacific War Museum

Learn about German Heritage at the Pioneer Museum

Well, the Texas Hill Country has seven beautiful day trips to consider. Have fun choosing!

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