Travel is travel no matter how far or how long you go. So, if you are a Texan or want to visit Texas this blog is the perfect place for you to be! I will guide you through the best places to visit in Downtown Houston.
Saturday / Day 1:
- Arrive in Downtown Houston: If driving, you can head straight there. If flying into George Bush Intercontinental Airport Houston, IAH, you can Uber or Lyft towards Downtown this will take around 30 minutes. It is also possible to take a bus to Downtown, but it typically takes a minimum of 1 hour. Remember, you can always rent a car, but you will then need to factor in the cost of parking and the car rental price.
- Hotel Check-In / Bag Drop: The Laura Hotel at 1070 Dallas St, Houston, TX 77002. The Laura Hotel is a contemporary upscale hotel offering a restaurant, an outdoor pool, and a gym. They even have a spa where you can get your hair and nails done or get a massage. All components to a wellness / relaxing weekend! This hotel is centrally located in Downtown Houston near a MetroRail stop. Depending on when you arrive, you can check into your room, or you can at least drop off your bags so you can explore Downtown without carrying that around.
- Lunch: Lone Star Taco Co. at 1001 Texas St STE 100, Houston, TX 77002. They sell tacos, nachos, burritos, and quesadillas. We recommend getting The Sampler! It includes a sampler size of their Tejano nachos and five sampler guisado tacos. Specifically, the five tacos you get are the Carol Burnett, El Americano, El Alamo, El Picadillo, and Las Carnitas. The Sampler is a perfect meal if you want to try various tacos from their menu. FYI, they also have breakfast tacos if you arrive Downtown earlier than lunchtime.
- Explore Downtown: A great way to process your food and explore Downtown is to walk or bike around. Walk towards the "Houston is Inspired" Mural at 313 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002. It's a colorful wall mural great for photo opportunities! On your walking or biking journey, check out Market Square Park. Earlier in the day, this park is an excellent place to take a breather and relax. There is also a large turf field you can picnic on if you choose to later on. In the late afternoon/evenings, you can find some live shows or lawn games. There is almost always something going on at Market Square Park for locals and visitors alike! As you explore Downtown, you will find various parks, restaurants, shops, and bars - a little something for everyone.
- Dinner: Pappas Bar-B-Q at 1217 Pierce St, Houston, TX 77002. If you are looking for Texas BBQ - both in flavor and size portions, be sure to check out Pappas Bar-B-Q! The best way to get here is by public transport, you can take the bus or the MetroRail. They have pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs, chicken, burgers, sandwiches, and more. It is a lot of food, so be prepared and certain things are a bit pricey. Holistically, we are not big fans of Texan BBQ, so we thought it was alright. However, if you love Texan BBQ, I am sure you will enjoy this place as a lot of other locals did while we were there!
- Late-Night Fun: Puttshack at 1200 McKinney St. Suite 100 & 300, Houston, TX 77010. Puttshack is not your typical old windmill and bright blue water mini-golf, and is it not like Popstroke, another mini-golf course we love. Puttshack is an indoor tech-infused mini-golf course with a restaurant and bar. We went on a Saturday night when it was only for those 21 and older, and they even had a DJ. We had a great time, and it was so much fun - we highly recommend it! FYI, this is a relatively new attraction in Downtown Houston, so make a reservation online to secure your spot.
Sunday / Day 2:
- Chill Hotel Morning: The Laura Hotel is too fancy not to enjoy it, and after a jam-packed first day, you deserve a chill morning! If you are a breakfast person, you can enjoy a meal at Hull & Oak at The Laura Hotel. They have an Avocado Bowl, Egg White Omelet, Pulled Pork Benedict, Pound Cake French Toast, and other delicious options. Afterward, head to the pool, grab a day bed or lounge chair, and relax! The pool has a big tanning ledge, perfect for chilling without submerging yourself. There is also a gym and spa if you prefer to relax in that manner. All great things for a relaxing morning!
- Check out from The Laura Hotel: Check out is typically at 11 am, but do not worry. You will not have to haul your stuff around. You can check in your baggage with the hotel lobby receptionist, and they will store it in a secure room! It will allow you peace of mind that your stuff is fine and save you energy from hauling it around Downtown. Also, you may not be able to take your baggage everywhere you go if you follow this itinerary to the T.
- Lunch: POST at 401 Franklin St, Houston, TX 77201. POST is a multi-use space that was previously the Houston Downtown Post Office. Today it serves as a space for art, businesses, a flex workspace, an event hall, and most importantly, a large food hall! At POST, you will find 27 delicious food, drink, and dessert options, making it a great place to try a little bit from different cultures. The variety of food options is astonishing - they have Mediterranean Food, Pasta, Burgers, Chicken, Indian Food, Mexican Food, Healthy Juices, Cotton Candy, Ice Cream, and more. Before you leave, visit the Skylawn to check out the rooftop park with views of the city skyline!
- Watch the 2022 MLB World Series Champions play a game at their home stadium: Minute Maid Park at 501 Crawford St, Houston, TX 77002. Located in Downtown Houston is Minute Maid Park, home to the Houston Astros. Check out the schedule to see if there is a special event happening on the days you are visiting, so you can get the most out of your experience! For instance, the weekend we went, they had a family and friends event with bounce houses, music, and food vendors. We passed by to see what was going on, but we did not have tickets for that baseball game and could not partake. However, we had tickets for Sunday, which was the Astros' mascot's birthday! Sometimes they give away goodies as well, you do not want to miss out on the fun!
- Dinner: Food Stands at Minute Maid Park at 501 Crawford St, Houston, TX 77002. MLB games average around 3 hours, so depending on when the game starts and when you head home, you may be enjoying dinner at the park! They have traditional baseball stadium eats like chicken tenders, corn dogs, hot dogs, and drinks. However, you can also find chicken-loaded baked potato, elote, pupusas, Papa John's Pizza, Chick-fil-a, and many others.
- Head back home: Once the game is over, it may be time for you to head over to the airport. Make your way back to The Laura Hotel to pick up your bags, and then you can return to the airport in the same manner as you arrived. If you have extra time and energy left, check out Discovery Green, one of the City of Houston's many green spaces. It is a beautiful park on the East side of Downtown Houston, within walking distance from Minute Maid Park - there is even a place to eat there if you need a snack or dessert!
How to Get Around Downtown
You can walk, bike, scooter, ride a bus, or take the MetroRail. There are various alternatives for getting around Downtown Houston feel free to try them all!
Other Food Options
In the past few years, there has been an increase in food halls around the country, and I think Downtown Houston takes the cake in having the most food halls in such a small square footage. Aside from POST, there is Underground Hall, Lyric Market, Finn Hall, and a few more. You will find plenty of restaurant options at these other food hall locations perfect for brunch, lunch, dinner, or dessert!
Other Forms of Entertainment
Houston is a large city as such, it has plenty of other attractions and places to visit outside of the Downtown bubble. The only issue is having enough time to explore it all if you cannot extend your time to a long weekend. However, the best part about Houston is that they also have a CityPASS for you to enjoy 5 popular attractions at a discounted price!
These 5 top tourist attractions include Space Center Houston and 4 more attractions of your choice. You can pick from the Downtown Aquarium, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo, Kemah Boardwalk, Children's Museum Houston, and the Houston Museum of Fine Arts.
If you bring or rent a vehicle, you will have no issues visiting all five attractions. If you do not have a car, it will be difficult to access Space Center Houston and Kemah Boardwalk unless you Uber or Lyft there. On the other hand, you can ride a bus or take the MetroRail to visit the other locations in less than 30 minutes from The Laura Hotel!
Disclaimer: As an affiliate of CityPASS, I may receive monetary compensation if you purchase through the links in this blog post. However, I want to clarify that this will not come at an extra cost to you. Your use of the links will help support my blog and allow me to continue creating high-quality content for you. Thank you for your support! |
Want to purchase the Houston CityPASS to visit these amazing attractions and save 49% at 5 Must-See Attractions? Click the below image to do so!
You can also click this link: https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-100848743-10762944.
Safety Advisory
As in most Downtown areas in the country, there tends to be a higher concentration of homeless people. We stayed alert and stayed away as such, we did not have an issue. Our main concern was walking around at night, but truly, we felt safer at night as there were more people out in the streets, more security personnel, and the streets were well-lit. Anywho, stay vigilant and have fun!
Houston, we have a problem! We have reached the end of this article. 😞
Downtown Houston has something for everyone! If you are a foodie, art enthusiast, nature lover, baseball fan, or in need of some relaxing time, this itinerary has something just for you! Enjoy your jammed packed Saturday and chill Sunday, everything you need for a fun weekend getaway in Downtown Houston!
Have you been to Downtown Houston? If so, what was your favorite place to visit? Let us know in the comments below. If you haven't gone when you do, share your experience on social media and tag us on our Dale, Let's Travel! pages. Speaking of social media... don't forget to follow us! 😊
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