A San Antonio Itinerary Along the River, Not the Gift Shops

Day 1 of 3

Downtown, the River Walk and the Pearl

Do the famous bit first and get it out of the way. The downtown River Walk is a sunken pedestrian level along the river, and it is worth an hour or two even though it is the most touristed thing in Texas. The Alamo is three minutes away on foot and free to enter.

5 stopsDay one

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Arrive from where are you driving from?SAT is 20 min from downtown · Drive

   San Antonio International is unusually close to the centre, about twenty minutes. Days one and two barely need a car, so consider picking one up on day three instead.

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   The AlamoFree entry · Viewpoint

   Smaller than almost everyone expects and right in the middle of downtown. Free to enter, though timed tickets help in high season, and the church interior asks for quiet and covered shoulders.

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   The River WalkThe famous sunken mile · Water

   A pedestrian level sunk below the street along the river, lined with restaurants. Genuinely pleasant early in the day and overwhelming at dinner time. Worth an hour, not an evening.

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   Museum Reach to the Pearl~2 mi each way · route

   North of downtown the river is quieter, with public art and a lock. It ends at the Pearl, a former brewery now full of food halls and a weekend farmers market. Much the better half of the downtown river.

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5. ⠿↑↓5
   Night in San AntonioThree nights, one base · lodge

   Staying downtown or near the Pearl puts days one and two on foot. Boerne out in the hill country is prettier but adds a drive to everything.

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Day 2 of 3

The Mission Reach and four Spanish missions

This is the day the trip justifies itself. The Mission Reach runs eight miles south from downtown along a restored stretch of river, with more than sixteen miles of trail, and it connects Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada, roughly two and a half miles apart.

5 stopsDay two

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Mission Concepcion~2.5 mi south of downtown · Viewpoint

   The first mission south of downtown and the least altered of the four, with original frescoes still visible inside. Free, like all of them.

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   Mission San JoseThe largest · visitor centre · Viewpoint

   The Queen of the Missions and the largest of the five, with the national park visitor centre, a restored granary and the famous rose window. Start here if you only see one.

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   Mission San JuanQuieter, with a nature trail · route

   Smaller and much quieter, with a short nature trail down toward the river and a restored acequia, the Spanish irrigation channel that made these settlements possible.

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   Mission EspadaThe southern end · Viewpoint

   The furthest south, the smallest, and usually the emptiest. The Espada aqueduct nearby is the oldest Spanish aqueduct still in use in the United States.

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   Second night in San AntonioSame base · lodge

   Back downtown. The whole mission chain is a there-and-back from one base.

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⠿Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.

1. ⠿↑↓1
   Drive to Government Canyon~25 min north west · Drive

   Twenty-five minutes out of the city and the terrain changes completely: oak and juniper on the edge of the Edwards Plateau. Check the gate hours before you leave, because this park closes at night.

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   Frontcountry trailsMarked loops from the visitor centre · Hike

   A set of marked loops close to the visitor centre, wooded and mostly gentle. This is the sensible option if you want a morning walk rather than a full day out in the backcountry.

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   Backcountry and the dinosaur tracksSeveral miles each way · mtn

   The preserved sauropod tracks sit in a creek bed several miles out in the backcountry. It is a long walk on exposed trail with no water, so treat it as the whole day rather than a detour.

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4. ⠿↑↓4
   Fly home from San Antonio~35 min from the park · Drive

   Government Canyon back to the airport is about thirty-five minutes, which makes a morning hike and an afternoon flight easy to combine.

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