Whether you arrive by flight, train, or road, San Antonio is a city rich in culture, history, and entertainment, with something for everyone. From delicious food to beautiful architecture, from amusement parks to world-class museums, from the historic Alamo and the vibrant RiverWalk to the exciting theme parks and delicious Tex-Mex cuisine, San Antonio has countless attractions to offer. Therefore, based on our research, where we look at tourist reviews, we came up with a list of Top 10 must-see places to visit in San Antonio for you and your family!.
Here is the list of the 10 must-see places to visit in San Antonio
- Mission San Jose
- Sea World
- San Antonio RiverWalk
- The Alamo
- Natural Bridge Caverns & the Canopy Challenge
- San Antonio Missions Historical Park
- Brackenridge Park
- San Fernando Cathedral
- Historic Market Square
- Tower of the Americas
Mission San Jose
Visit Mission San Jose, the fourteenth of the 21 Spanish Missions in Alta California, to secure Spain’s claim to this land and to teach the native people Christianity and the Spanish way of life. This mission is known for its olive oil quality. Take a family tour through the Old Mission San Jose and visit the Mission Museum housed in the original 1809 Convento, the church, the historic cemetery, and the Garden. The old mission church is still serving as a chapel of Saint Joseph Catholic Church, a petish of the Diocese of Oakland. The museum also features a visitor centre, a museum, and a slide show telling the history of the mission.
Sea World
From a raft ride to a hypercoaster, experience some amazing, thrilling coasters and extraordinary rides with your family and friends at San Antonio’s SeaWorld. It is home to some of the tallest, fastest roller coasters in Orlando, among which the 3 most famous are the newest hypercoaster ride, Mako, and the floorless favorite, Kraken.
Seaworld is such a place where you can gather some lifelong memories for two to three days with your kids. Make a splash and cool off on Shipwreck Rapids and Journey to Atlantis. There are many kid-friendly fun activities in Sea World. You can enjoy some amazing rides like Tentacle Twirl, Sea Dragon Drop, Octarock, Rescue Rafter, Rescue Riders, and Tidepool Twist in this wasteland.
Make sure you book your tickets in advance to get the cheapest deals possible!
San Antonio RiverWalk
Regarded as one of the best places to visit in San Antonio, the RiverWalk is a site for sore eyes. Absorb the amazing views and beauty by taking a stroll along the River Walk or Paseo del Rio. River Walk is San Antonio’s most visited tourist attraction which meanders along the banks of the San Antonio River through the centre of the city. Visit the major attractions like Brackenridge Park and the San Antonio Museum of Art while taking a ride along the river.
You will find dozens of restaurants, boutique hotels, and sidewalk cafes shaded by colourful umbrellas and musical environments near the river. You can also take a boat tour with short narrated excursions, private charters, and a river shuttle service is also available from downtown to Museum Reach.
The Alamo
Visit The Alamo, one of the most famous historical sites in the United States that dates back to the 13 day Battle of the Alamo. You can also explore the famous chapel, barracks, gardens, and small museum of Alamo. See the famous artefacts of Alamo that belong to some of the Alamo’s most famous defenders including Davy Crockett and James Bowie.
Worship at the Alamo Church and check out some other attractions like the Alamo’s oldest building, Long Barrack, The Alamo exhibit featuring more than 500 artifacts, restored historic cannons, and the Statues of Heroes. You can also explore the bronze statues of Alamo soldiers in the Cavalry Courtyard. Learn about frontier life in early Texas at the Living History encampment with hands-on demonstrations. Try to visit this historical park early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid crowds.
Natural Bridge Caverns & the Canopy Challenge
Travel the Natural Bridge Caverns from San Antonio, the largest commercial caves in Texas. These spectacular caves are known for their huge open rooms but they also have narrow passages and interesting formations. You can enjoy two types of cave tours here that take approximately 70 minutes. There are plenty of things to do in these caves other than just touring the caves for adventure.
Try the canopy challenge, a course of platforms and ladders 60 feet above the ground, as well as zip lines, or go for the rope course sky tykes with your children. Take a gem and fossil mining experience and learn how miners pan for gold find and identify their own gems in mining rough. You can also enjoy shopping souvenirs, food, and fresh fudge from this place.
San Antonio Missions Historical Park
San Antonio Missions Historical Park(Paseo Del Rio) is a famous attraction to the tourists for housing several parks, historic missions, shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Take a bike ride along the road of this park and explore the large urban ecosystem. All of San Antonio’s historic missions – Mission San Jose, Mission Concepcion, Mission Espada, and Mission San Juan are located near this park making this historical park a must-see place.
From the undisturbed frescos at Mission Concepcion to the Romanesque arches of Mission San Juan every mission is beautiful in their own ways. You will also find remnants of granaries, workshops, and water mills scattered around the missions. The missions retain many of Native American influences including the building frescoes, and mission customs. To honour this history this park was named a UNESCO world heritage site in 2015.
Brackenridge Park
Seek relief from the heat and the swarms of tourists in Brackenridge Park. Explore the rustic stone bridges and shaded walkways of the park that are perfect for strolling. You can visit the Japanese tea garden that beckons to botanists. Take advantage of Brackenridge’s jogging trails, golf concerts and athletic fields with family and friends.
The park also hosts outdoor concerts in the natural Sunken Garden Theatre. Find popular attractions like the Witte Museum and the San Antonio Botanical Garden about a half-mile east to the park. Enjoy the park’s train ride which runs through the zoo. It offers an excellent opportunity to get around the large area.
San Fernando Cathedral
The San Fernando Cathedral is one of the oldest cathedrals in the U.S. Many heroes from the Alamo Battle are buried here in an unmarked tomb. This cathedral is a witness to centuries-old history and is home to an antique appearance and breathtaking interior.
Visit the church at night to take advantage of the free light show. You can also view a dazzling light show titled ‘The Saga’ Tuesdays to Sundays from 9-9:30pm. The show is projected on the building’s facade–an overall beautiful experience with family and friends.
Historic Market Square
Visit Historic Market Square, which is a feast for the senses. It is the biggest Mexican market in the U.S. This three-block plaza has more than 100 local shops and stalls that sell salivating delicacies, handmade goods. You can also find clothes, folk art making it one of the must-see places to visit in San Antonio.
Dive into the Mexican culture by seeing the brightly colored papel picado (a traditional Mexican banner). You can also enjoy the stirring sounds of mariachi, and the lingering smell of Tex-Mex. Taste some fresh-baked pan dulce, a sweet bread, at Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery.
Tower of the Americas
Visit the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas, which provides some of the most spectacular views of the Alamo City. Enjoy the gorgeous panorama from the Tower’s revolving Chart House Restaurant, capture the scenic beauty from the Observation Deck. You can also experience the thrilling 4D Theatre Ride. Visit the gift shop and buy some cool souvenirs to take home as a remembrance.
To sum up…
Having proper awareness of the hot and humid climate, limited public transportation options, and traffic congestion, San Antonio offers you some thrilling, beautiful, and historical places to visit with an essence of native culture.
FAQs on San Antonio
Generally, the best times to visit San Antonio are spring and fall, when the weather is warm without the scorching heat and the city’s entertainment is in full swing.
San Antonio is a modern, vibrant city, rich in heritage with colourful personality forged across three countries. Its unique mixture of native Mexican, German and Spanish influence is noticeable in the city’s distinctive architecture, music, arts, and cuisine.
The VIA Metropolitan Transit offers bus routes that are both inexpensive ( $1.30 per ride or $2.75 for an unlimited one-day pass) and tourist-friendly. Buses are also available to visit the top attractions of San Antonio, and the downtown core is walk-friendly, especially the area surrounding the River Walk.
Some top San Antonio food to seek out are Puffy tacos, Chilaquiles Verdes, Chicken fried steak, and smoked barbeque brisket.
