San Antonio
Best things to do in San Antonio, including free and rainy-day options
Walk the River Walk and the Spanish missions first — both are free and both are what San Antonio does best. Add the Alamo and one museum. Do the missions by car or bike in the morning, the River Walk after dark. Rain moves the day indoors to the museums.
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GuideSan Antonio
Key facts
- Best free cluster
- River Walk, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Alamo grounds, Market Square
- Time needed
- 2 full days for the core; 3 if you add a museum and the missions properly
- Missions access
- Free; the four park units sit along a ~13 km (8 mi) river corridor south of downtown
- Alamo
- Free entry to the grounds and church; timed reservations may apply at busy periods
- Rainy-day picks
- The Alamo, San Antonio Museum of Art, Witte Museum, Briscoe Western Art Museum, the River Walk's covered stretches
- Getting around downtown
- Walkable core; bus, bike share and rideshare for the missions
- Best months
- Mar–May and Oct–Nov; summer afternoons regularly top 35 °C
- Parking
- Downtown garages charge by the hour; free lots at some mission sites
Quick answer
If you have one day, do the Alamo and the River Walk on foot, then drive or ride the Mission Reach south to Mission San José before sunset. If you have two days, put the missions and a museum on day two and keep the evening for the River Walk restaurants.
The city's strength is that its two headline sights cost nothing. Budget your money for food, parking and one paid attraction rather than for admission.
Choices: what to do, what it costs, how long
Prices are 2026 estimates and change; confirm on the operator's own page before you go.
| Thing to do | Cost | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Walk (Paseo del Río) | Free | 2–3 h, or an evening | First-timers, evenings, eating |
| The Alamo | Free (check timed entry) | 1–1.5 h | History, rainy days |
| San Antonio Missions NHP (4 sites) | Free | Half day by car or bike | History, photography, walking |
| San Antonio Museum of Art | Paid (2026 estimate, check) | 2 h | Rainy days, art |
| Witte Museum | Paid (2026 estimate, check) | 2–3 h | Families, natural history |
| Briscoe Western Art Museum | Paid (2026 estimate, check) | 1.5 h | Rainy days, Western art |
| Market Square (El Mercado) | Free to browse | 1–2 h | Souvenirs, Mexican food |
| Tower of the Americas | Paid (2026 estimate, check) | 1 h | Views, quick stop |
| Mission Reach / river biking | Bike hire paid (check) | 2–4 h | Active mornings |
Free-entry status for the Alamo and the missions is long-standing; opening hours and timed-ticket rules change, so check the day before.
Detail: how to sequence the city
Start at the Alamo early. It is small, central and the most crowded thing in town by mid-morning, so arriving at opening buys you a calmer visit. From there the River Walk is a two-minute walk down to the water; the loop through the downtown bend takes an hour if you keep moving and half a day if you stop for margaritas, which most people do.
The missions are the part visitors underrate. Four Spanish colonial church complexes sit along the San Antonio River south of downtown, linked by the Mission Reach trail. Mission San José is the largest and the usual first stop; the others are quieter. You need a car, a bike or a bus to cover them comfortably — the corridor is roughly 13 km end to end — and a half day is realistic.
Market Square, west of downtown, is the place for Tex-Mex food and stalls, and pairs well with an afternoon rather than a full day. The museums cluster north of downtown along Broadway and the river; pick one rather than trying to do all three.
Evenings belong to the River Walk. The downtown bend is restaurant after restaurant with tables at water level, and the stretch is lit and busy until late. It is a tourist strip and priced like one, but it is also genuinely the centre of the city's social life.
Costs
The headline sights are free, which makes San Antonio cheaper than most US city breaks of the same size. Your real spend is food, parking and any paid museum or tower ticket.
Expect downtown parking garages to charge by the hour, with day rates higher on weekends and during events; some mission sites have free lots. Rideshare between downtown and the missions is usually the cheapest option if you have no car. Museum and tower prices are 2026 estimates — check current rates and any free-admission evenings before you plan around them.
| Item | 2026 estimate |
|---|---|
| River Walk, Alamo, missions, Market Square browsing | Free |
| Museum admission (each) | Paid — check |
| Tower of the Americas | Paid — check |
| Downtown parking, per hour | Paid — check |
| Rideshare downtown ↔ missions | Paid — check |
Only the free entries are treated as settled; everything else varies by season and operator.
Tips
- Do the missions in the morning; the trail has little shade by afternoon.
- Carry water in summer — afternoons regularly exceed 35 °C.
- Book River Walk restaurants or eat early; the water-level tables fill first.
- Keep the Alamo and the River Walk in one block of time; they are minutes apart.
- If it rains, the Alamo, the museums and the covered parts of the River Walk all still work.
- Check the city's event calendar before booking a hotel — big conventions raise prices and fill downtown.
Questions people ask
What are the best things to do in San Antonio?
The Alamo, the River Walk and the four Spanish missions are the core, and the missions and River Walk are free. Add one museum and Market Square if you have a second day. Two full days covers it without rushing.
What are free things to do in San Antonio?
The River Walk, the Alamo grounds, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, Market Square and the river trails cost nothing to enter. Your spending goes on food, parking and transport between them.
What can I do in San Antonio when it rains?
The Alamo, the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Witte Museum and the Briscoe Western Art Museum are all indoor. The covered stretches of the River Walk still work, and the missions have interiors, though you will get wet moving between them.
How many days do you need in San Antonio?
Two full days is enough for the Alamo, River Walk, missions and one museum. Three days lets you slow down, add Market Square and the Tower of the Americas, and eat properly on the River Walk.
Do I need a car in San Antonio?
Not for downtown — the Alamo, River Walk and Market Square are walkable. You do want a car, bike or rideshare for the missions, which sit along a river corridor south of downtown.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialSan Antonio Missions National Historical Park (NPS)
- officialThe Alamo
- officialVisit San Antonio
- officialSan Antonio River Walk
- officialSan Antonio Museum of Art
- officialWitte Museum
- officialBriscoe Western Art Museum
- secondaryWikivoyage – San Antonio