Top 10 Fun Things To Do In or Around Austin

Here are Texas Outside’s list of top 10 fun things to do in Austin, Texas.

Okay, you got me. Austin has so many fun things to see and do that we added a few more to our list. Check out our list of top 14 fun things to do in or around Austin, Texas. On your next visit to Austin, set a goal to visit at least some of these attractions.

Above all, have fun!

Top 14 Fun Things To Do In or Around Austin

We decided to expand our list of top 10 fun things to do in Austin to the top 14 fun things to do. We know you’ll find some great ideas here. Dive right in.

1. Lakes & Boating – Boat Lake Austin and marvel at the multimillion dollar homes, ski on some smooth water, and hit some great restaurants. Stop at Ski Shores for burgers and music on the deck. Even better, head to Abels or Hula Hut for appetizers, drinks, or dinner. Alternatively, you’ll enjoy the nearby Highland Lakes. Hot tip: watch the sun set at the Oasis overlooking Lake Travis. Other things you can co include rent a boat, waverunner, or party barge on any of the Highland Lakes, join the fun at Devils Cove on Lake Travis, or boat up to a restaraunt on Lake Travis. Read Texas Outside’s review of Lake Austin and Lake Travis. Also, be sure to check out Boating the Highland Lakes for more information and fun things to do.
2. Hike or Bike – Bike or hike around Zilker Park and Town Lake. For some real fun, take the trail around Town Lake and over to Barton Springs Pool. After that, continue on to the Barton Creek Trail. Then, bike over to watch the bats take flight on the Congress Street Bridge at dusk. Make sure you stop for lunch, dinner, or appetizers and music at Shady Grove, or Chuy’s for Mexican food. Take a short hike to the top of Mount Bonnell or the bluff on the east side of the 360 bridge for a fantastic panoramic view of Lake Austin and the Austin hills. Texas Outside’s Biking & Hiking Section has more information, including trail maps, on biking and hiking around Austin.
3. Zip and Fly Across Lake Travis – Imagine launching from a 20-story cliff above Lake Travis for a two-and-a-half-hour zip line tour featuring five zip lines. These zip lines with take you across incredible canyons and inlets on beautiful Lake Travis. You can also enjoy some fun in the sun and the water on a pristine Lake Travis beach. You’ll zip on the longest zipline in Texas at 2,000 feet! This is one of the most fun things to do in Austin. So, sign up for a tour with Lake Travis Zipline Adventures
4. Austin Nightlife – Austin bar districts are a don’t-miss opportunity. West Sixth Street is an awesome adventure for posh young professionals. Rainey Street has lots of spacious patios. East Side features lots of fantastic dives. And Dirty Sixth showcases loud music, lots of street activity, and plenty of intoxicated tourists and college students.
5. Swimming Holes – You can’t leave the Austin area in the summer without partaking of the refreshing and clear water at Hamilton Pool, Krause Springs, Barton Springs or some of the numerous other swimming holes within 30 miles of the city.
6. Soar Above the Austin Skyline and Lake Travis – The newest, most exciting adventure to hit the Austin area is flying above the Austin skyline and sipping champagne as you watch the sun set over Lake Travis. Alternatively, try some aerial acrobatics in a shiny red biplane with a decorated combat pilot. Read our article on a flight with Austin Biplane.
7. Music, Music, Music – Austin is the music capital of Texas (and maybe the world). You’ll find every type of music in a wide variety of different venues. For Country, try the Continental Club, Hills Cafe, The Backyard, Saxen Pub, Broken Spoke, or one of our favorites … Gruene Hall. Better yet, get outside and listen to some good sounds at Shady Grove, Johnny Fins, Carlos & Charles, The Oasis, Ski Shores, or Stubbs BBQ. You can’t beat these music festivals: Austin City Limits, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Old Settlers Music Festival, Texas Music Festival, or South-by-Southwest. Austin has over 250 music venues. We know you’ll find something that fits your music tastes because music in Austin is really fun.
8. Fly Across Lake Travis – You’ve got to try this adventure of Flyboarding. One-thousand pounds of water will shoot out of the bottom of your Flyboard lifting you up to 17 feet in the air. You can then navigate forward or backward, do dolphin dives or flips, or most likely, on your first experience, do a nose dive back into the lake. Call Aquafly and reserve a time slot for this fun adventure.
9. Try Some Unique and Adventures Attractions – Spend some time on a water-based obstacle course at Quest ATX or Waterloo Adventure Park. Hit a home run the baseball park of your choice at Home Run Dugout. Or learn how to wakeboard at Quest ATX. Austin has no limit to the adventures you can enjoy and the fun things you can find to do.
10. Austin Tours – Try something a little different and unique. Book a beer tour with ATXcursions. Visit a local Austin brewery and sample some beer from Austin’s best microbreweries. You’ll also enjoy a tour of Austin in a bi-plane or a Segway. Plus, there are a lot more fun tours of Austin.
11. Golf – Golf courses don’t get much better than what you’ll find in the Austin hills. Courses feature elevation changes, scenic beauty, and many challenges. Check out our list of the best golf courses in Austin and our Austin golf course map. Austin also has TopGolf, an outstanding indoor driving range with computerized targets, a restaurant, a pool, shuffleboard, live music, and more. Read about our fun experience with TopGolf. Or try any of the outstanding Austin disc golf courses.
12. Enjoy a Cultural Event – I know, some of these are indoors. As hard as it is for you outdoor enthusiasts to go indoors, you’ll want to reserve these options nonetheless. If it’s raining or cold, or you need a break from the sun, explore the Austin capital building. The Bob Bullock Museum showcases some great Texas History. You might also enjoy the tour of the University of Texas, or Esters’ Follies for some humorous political satire. You might be surprised to find that cultural events are some of the most fun things to do in Austin, Texas.
13. Restaurants – Austin has some of the best restaurants and we love the ones with outdoor patios. Shady Grove has good food and music. Iron Works has the best BBQ. At County Line on Lake Austin, you can eat your BBQ on the deck. Hula Hut is right on Lake Austin. Iguana Grill has great views of Lake Austin. Other great restaurants include Trudy’s for its breakfast buffet, Chuy’s for Mexican food, Pappadeaux for seafood, and Hills Cafe for chicken fried steak and great music.
14. Camping – Try Emma Long Metropolitan Park for camping on Lake Austin or McKinney Falls State Park to enjoy nature. For the big rigs, head to Austin Lone Star RV Park or La Hacienda RV Resort. All of these parks are within 15 minutes of downtown Austin.

Miscellaneous Fun Things To Do In Austin

While we were expanding our list of fun things to do in Austin, we ran into more great adventures. So, in the spirit of expansion, we made another list. When you run out of the above things to do, if that’s possible, then try some of these miscellaneous adventures.

• Get locked in a room with friends, family, and co-workers with 60 minutes to escape. Austin Panic Room is challenging you.
• Try an exciting new indoor adventure suitable for all ages: indoor sky diving with iFly. Read about our fun fly with iFly
• Fake a fun ride on Austin Steam Train.
• Sip some tasty craft beer or whiskey at one of these Austin Breweries and Brew Pubs and Austin Distilleries.
• Canoe or kayak on Town Lake.
• Take in a ball game or other special event at Dell Diamond. Get a large group together and rent one of the group outing venues.
• Put on your cowboy hat and boots. Go for a trail ride across splendid water crossings, hilly pastures, open fields, and woods with Maverick Horseback Riding. And think of the fun you’ll have!
• Watch the bats head out for dinner from under the Congress Street Bridge.
• Take a tour of Austin and Lake Austin on the Austin Duck.
• Enjoy the sunset (plus live music, excellent views, and okay food) at The Oasis on Lake Travis.
• Hike to the top of Mt Bonnell for a magnificent view of Austin and Lake Austin.
• Visit the Austin Zoo, smell the roses at Zilker Botanical Gardens, or picnic in Zilker Park.

That’s 26 magical and fun things to do in Austin, Texas. If you’ve got the idea that there are plenty more, then you’ve caught the spirit. You’ll never run out of fun things to do in Austin, Texas. So, plan your Austin adventure now.