Houston Travel Guide: Things to Do in Houston, Texas

Houston is the fourth heavily populated city in the States, so that fact alone should have let me know that there was no way that I’d be able to eat, do & explore all of Houston in just 3 days.

I visited Houston a few days after the Houston Astro’s won the World Series. I’m not even a huge baseball fan, but even I was wishing that I would have been in Houston just a few days earlier. It would have definitely been fun to experience the celebration in the city especially after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey (look at God!!!!)

Anyway, during my trip to Houston we did a lot of the fun tourist activities. Most importantly, before I forget, our flights were ONLY $24. Super cheap right?! This is why I always say you don’t have to spend more to travel more! I feel like my motto is do more without spending more. & the best way to do more and still save while in Houston is by getting the Houston CityPASS. The Houston CityPASS is basically your ticket to the city. It’s a booklet of passes that gives you admission to Houston’s top 5 attractions including Houston Aquarium and Houston NASA Space Center for one low price saving you 48% on admission per person. That’s almost half price.

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So to give you some inspiration and ideas of things to do for a weekend trip or getaway in Houston here’s a quick list! I included a few things that are budget friendly and/or free too 😉

Top Things to Do in Houston

1. Go to the Houston Zoo

With over 6,000 animals including snakes, lions, monkeys, bears, elephants, flamingos & many more the Houston zoo is great for all ages! I highly recommend getting their early to beat the rush. Present your CityPASS here for admission and to skip the main lines!

2. Tour Houston’s Vibrant Wall Art

Photo from Flickr by Valerie Lawson

Colorful wall murals are all the craze right now & Houston has tons of them! Best of all, this is a free thing to do!

3. Go Shopping or Ice Skate at Houston Galleria Mall

Photo from Flickr by Judy Baxter

With over 2 million square feet (they weren’t lying when they said everything is bigger in Texas, huh) this mall has over 375 stores, 30 restaurants, 2 hotels, and a full size ice skating rink! Perfect way to spend the afternoon!

4. Visit the Houston Downtown Aquarium

Here you can see over 200 species of aquatic life including fish, alligators, sharks, snakes, & jellyfish. You can also see white tigers & even pet & feed a sting ray! This is also included with your CityPASS!

5. Have Fun at the Kemah Boardwalk

Open year round, this boardwalk features everyones favorite carnival rides, rollercoaster, food, waterfront restaurants, shopping & games. The CityPASS is also accepted here and gives you an unlimited ride band!

6. Explore the NASA Houston Space Center

This was one of my favorite parts of the trip! I definitely recommend spending an entire day here. You get to go inside the multiple exhibit complex Independence Plaza, which features the original shuttle carrier aircraft, touch a real moon rock, see real space shuttles that were actually flown, & walk inside the training station where astronauts actually trained for life in space. This is also included with your CityPASS!

7. Houston Museum District

Image by Horacio Maria from flickr

Featuring 19 museums including the Houston Museum of African American Culture, Holocaust Museum, Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Children’s Museum, 11 of which are free ALL THE TIME! & a few of the others are covered by your Houston CityPASS. 

FYI: They also have CityPASS in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Toronto & Southern California (Which I’m super excited about because the SoCal CityPASS also includes admission to Disneyland & California Adventure!!) Click here to go to the official CityPASS website and purchase CityPASS for Houston or any other destination.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Houston? Let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to subscribe to my new youtube channel! 

 

Thanks to Visit Houston for providing me with 2 complimentary CityPASS