Under an hour
35–45 minutes west
Dripping Springs & Driftwood
The closest real wine country to Austin, with a dozen wineries, one of the most respected breweries in the country, two distilleries, and The Salt Lick. The plan: a winery at eleven, The Salt Lick at one, two more wineries in the afternoon, home by six.
50 minutes southwest
Wimberley
A creek-side village with an artsy square, Blue Hole, and Jacob's Well. The plan: reserve a swimming slot for the morning, lunch on the square, and Market Days if it is the first Saturday of the month.
45 minutes south
New Braunfels & Gruene
Tubing the Comal or the Guadalupe in summer, plus Gruene Hall and a preserved historic district. The plan: on the river by ten, Gristmill for a late lunch, Gruene Hall in the afternoon.
40 minutes southeast
Lockhart
The Barbecue Capital of Texas by legislative decree, with several of the oldest and most revered joints in the state within walking distance of each other. The plan: arrive by eleven, eat at two of them, walk it off around the courthouse square.
Austin Wine Car
The wine day, handled
Three wineries in Dripping Springs or Fredericksburg, door-to-door from Austin. Nobody has to drive.
Not ready to book?
One to two hours
90 minutes west
Fredericksburg
The center of Texas wine country, with a German Main Street and the 290 corridor east of town. The plan: leave by nine-thirty, three wineries with lunch in the middle, an hour on Main Street, home by eight.
60–70 minutes west
Johnson City & the 290 corridor
The eastern end of the wine corridor, with the LBJ Ranch and Pedernales Falls nearby. The plan: two wineries, the ranch, and a walk at the falls.
80 minutes south
San Antonio
The Alamo, the River Walk, the Pearl, and the four Spanish colonial missions that make up the UNESCO site. The plan: the missions in the morning when it is cool, the Pearl for lunch, downtown in the afternoon.
50 minutes west
Hamilton Pool & Reimers Ranch
A collapsed grotto with a waterfall, plus two thousand acres of climbing and river access next door. The plan: book the Hamilton Pool reservation weeks ahead, go early, and add a winery on the way back.
100 minutes northwest
Enchanted Rock
A pink granite dome with a mile-long summit hike and a view that runs for miles. Entry reservations required. The plan: leave at seven, hike by nine, lunch in Fredericksburg, home mid-afternoon.
60–75 minutes northwest
Marble Falls & the Highland Lakes
Lake country with Longhorn Cavern, a scenic railroad, and a couple of good wineries. The plan: the cavern in the morning, lunch on the lake, a winery on the way home.
90–100 minutes
Lampasas, Llano & the northwest
Cooper's mesquite-pit BBQ in Llano, plus courthouse-square towns and good driving. The plan: BBQ at noon, then wander.
2 hours east
Brenham & Washington County
Rolling farmland, wildflowers, and a wine trail. Best in April. The plan: the Bluebonnet Wine Trail, lunch in Brenham, and a drive through Washington-on-the-Brazos.
Choosing by what you want
| If you want… | Go to | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Wine, easy | Dripping Springs & Driftwood | 35–45 min |
| Wine, serious | Hye & Stonewall on 290 | 75–85 min |
| Wine, the full experience | Fredericksburg | 90 min |
| BBQ | Lockhart | 40 min |
| Swimming | Wimberley or Hamilton Pool | 50 min |
| A hike | Enchanted Rock or Pedernales Falls | 60–100 min |
| A city | San Antonio | 80 min |
| A river | New Braunfels | 45 min |
Making a day trip work
- Leave by ten-thirty for anything ninety minutes out, eleven for anything closer.
- Book timed entries — Enchanted Rock, Hamilton Pool, Jacob's Well, Blue Hole — well ahead. They sell out.
- Check closing times. Hill Country tasting rooms close at five or six, and small-town shops earlier.
- Eat properly in the middle of the day rather than snacking through it.
- Come back before four on a Sunday, or after seven. US-290 and I-35 both back up into Austin in between.
- Sort out the driving if the day involves tastings. Rural roads at dusk are the least fun part of any of these.