Houston · Texas, USA
Things to Do in Houston: Tours, Tickets & Day Trips
The best things to do in Houston, ranked by real traveller reviews: touch a moon rock at Space Center Houston, explore the downtown tunnels, wander the Museum District from the Natural Science Museum to the Menil, watch the bats fly from Waugh Bridge, eat through a food tour and day-trip to Galveston’s beaches or the Kemah Boardwalk. Compare 110+ tours, tickets and day trips side by side — most with free cancellation.
302 experiences Free cancellation Top-rated tours Instant booking
Sunset tours in Houston
Departures that are under way when the sun sets in the coming weeks — start times checked against the local sunset.
Good for families in Houston
Children can join from a young age and pay less than adults — taken from each operator’s price list.
Browse
Explore Houston by interest
Whatever brings you to Houston — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
What to see
Top attractions in Houston
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Space Center
NASA home.
40 toursView tours
Downtown
Skyline & murals.
30 toursView tours
Museum District
Nineteen museums.
20 toursView tours
Kemah Boardwalk
Bayside rides.
20 toursView tours
Food Scene
Tex-Mex & BBQ.
20 toursView tours
Galveston
Island beaches.
20 toursView tours
Buffalo Bayou
City kayaking.
15 toursView tours
Skyline Flights
Helicopter views.
15 toursView tours
Space & science
Houston space & science
- 1Space Center
- 2Mission Control
- 3Natural Science
- 4Tram tour
1 hr awayGalveston
Island beaches.
from $60View trips
40 min awaySpace Center
NASA home.
from $30View trips
40 min awayKemah
Bayside rides.
from $35View trips
City awayDowntown
Skyline & murals.
from $30View trips
City awayMuseum District
Nineteen museums.
from $25View trips
City awayBuffalo Bayou
Kayaking.
from $40View trips
Practical guide
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Houston visitor asks before booking.
Spring (Mar–May)
Warm and pleasant, with blooming parks — the best time.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Hot and very humid; plan indoor and evening activities.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Warm days ease off — lovely for sightseeing.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Mild and comfortable, great for the city.
Hurricane season
Storms are possible from June to November on the coast.
Best overall
Spring and autumn are ideal.
One day
The Space Center and downtown.
Two days
Add Kemah and Galveston.
Three days
Add food tours and museums.
For space fans
The Space Center and museums.
For beaches
A Galveston day trip.
With kids
The Space Center and Kemah.
Car & rideshare
A car or rideshare is easiest in this spread-out city.
Light rail
The METRORail links downtown with the Museum District.
Tours
Guided tours handle the Space Center and Galveston.
On foot
The Museum District and downtown pockets are walkable.
Where to stay
Stay downtown or near the Museum District.
US dollar
The USA uses the dollar; cards are widely accepted.
Book the Space Center
Buy Space Center tickets ahead to skip lines.
CityPASS
A CityPASS bundles top attractions and saves money.
Beat the heat
In summer, plan indoor visits for the hot midday hours.
Try Tex-Mex
Don’t miss Houston’s Tex-Mex, barbecue and global food.
Galveston day
Set aside a full day for a Galveston Island trip.
Spring & autumn
Visit in spring or autumn for the best weather.
Space Center
Space Center tours and transport fill up — book ahead.
Galveston trips
Day trips to Galveston sell out — reserve early.
Food tours
Popular food tours have limited spots — book early.
City tours
Private and mural tours fill up — reserve ahead.
Helicopter flights
Skyline helicopter tours book out — reserve early.
Spring season
Spring is busiest — book everything ahead.
Space Center
Around $30–70 for a Space Center ticket with transport.
City tour
About $40–80 for a downtown and mural city tour.
Galveston trip
Roughly $60–120 for a Galveston Island day trip.
Food tour
Around $60–90 for a Houston food tour.
Helicopter
From about $150 for a skyline helicopter flight.
How to save
Use a CityPASS and join group tours to save.
When to visit
Houston through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
Spring (Mar–May)
Mar–May
- Best for
- Mild weather.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Best.
Summer (Jun–Aug)
Jun–Aug
- Best for
- Indoor fun.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Humid.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)
Sep–Nov
- Best for
- Sightseeing.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Lovely.
Winter (Dec–Feb)
Dec–Feb
- Best for
- City visits.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Mild.
People also ask
Houston travel FAQ
What are the top 10 things to do in Houston?
Ranked by traveller reviews: 1) Space Center Houston and the NASA tram tour, 2) the downtown tunnel and hidden-gems walking tour, 3) the Houston Museum of Natural Science, 4) the official city and mural tour, 5) the Museum of Fine Arts and Menil Collection, 6) a Houston food tour, 7) Buffalo Bayou Park and the Waugh Bridge bats, 8) the Kemah Boardwalk, 9) the Houston Zoo in Hermann Park and 10) a Galveston day trip for the beach, Moody Gardens and Pleasure Pier.
How many days do you need in Houston?
Plan two days, three with Galveston. Day one: Space Center Houston in the morning (allow four hours), then the Kemah Boardwalk on the way back. Day two: the Museum District — Natural Science, Fine Arts, the Menil — a downtown tunnel or mural tour and dinner in Montrose or the Heights. Day three: Galveston’s Strand, Moody Gardens and the seawall beaches.
What to do in Houston for free?
The Menil Collection, Rothko Chapel and Cy Twombly Gallery, Buffalo Bayou Park with the bat emergence at Waugh Bridge, Hermann Park’s gardens and McGovern Centennial Gardens, Discovery Green downtown, the Waterwall in Uptown, the Houston Arboretum, the Beer Can House exterior, Rice University and the Sky Lawn on the roof of POST Houston. The MFAH is free on Thursdays; several museums have free hours each week.
What are the best day trips from Houston?
Galveston (50 minutes) for the beach, the Strand’s Victorian district, Moody Gardens and Pleasure Pier; the Kemah Boardwalk (35 minutes); the San Jacinto Monument (30 minutes); Brazos Bend State Park for alligators (one hour); the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham and the bluebonnet fields in spring (90 minutes). Austin and San Antonio are about three hours each. Space Center Houston itself is 25 miles from downtown.
What to do in Houston at night?
Watch 250,000 bats leave Waugh Bridge at sunset, take a ghost tour of downtown, see the Theater District (the Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet and Grand Opera), catch an Astros game at Daikin Park, bar-hop along Washington Avenue, Midtown or White Oak in the Heights, or ride the party bike. The Downtown Aquarium and Kemah Boardwalk stay open late with the rides lit up.
What is there to do in Houston in winter?
Winter is Houston’s most pleasant season, with highs in the 60s°F. Space Center, the Museum District and the Zoo are crowd-free, Zoo Lights runs from mid-November, the Galleria ice rink and Discovery Green rink are open, and ICE LAND at Moody Gardens in Galveston runs through early January. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the world’s largest, takes over late February and March.
What are the best things to do in Houston with kids?
Space Center Houston (touch a moon rock, see the Saturn V), the Children’s Museum Houston, the Houston Museum of Natural Science and its dinosaur hall, the Houston Zoo and Hermann Park train, the Downtown Aquarium’s rides, the Kemah Boardwalk and, in Galveston, Moody Gardens’ aquarium and rainforest pyramids and Schlitterbahn water park. Buffalo Bayou Park has splash pads and paddleboat hire.
When is the best time to visit Houston?
October to April — dry, mild and comfortable. March brings the Rodeo and the bluebonnets; November and February are the sweet spot for weather and prices. Summer is very hot and humid with daily highs in the 90s°F, and August–September is peak hurricane season.
Is Space Center Houston worth it?
Yes — it is the most-reviewed attraction in the city and the only place to see a Saturn V rocket, the Independence shuttle replica and, on the tram tour, the historic Apollo Mission Control. Allow four to five hours; buy timed tickets ahead or take the combined NASA and city tour with hotel pickup.
302 Houston experiencesfrom $25 · free cancellation
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