Best Road Trips in Texas Hill Country Itinerary

After making countless trips to the Texas Hill Country, I will share the best itineraries for road trips in the Texas Hill Country region with you. 

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Our family made these road trips in the Texas Hill Country in four different seasons several times.

One time, we spent the whole Spring Break in the Texas Hill Country, and a couple of times, we went during Thanksgiving Break.

In the summer we jumped into the swimming holes and went peach picking.

Christmas in Fredericksburg was one of my favorite times in the region.

We did road-tripping to the Texas Hill Country for the weekend and stayed for longer days, too.

On one occasion, we even did a day trip to the Texas Hill Country.

We went on trips with our relatives and with a group of friends.

These road trips to the Texas Hill Country, the epicenter of Texas Wine Country, were started from where we live south of Fort Worth. But you can adjust these Texas Hill Country road trip itineraries from the different starting points in Texas. It’s either from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston.

Where is the Texas Hill Country?

After searching and comparing findings, it’s safe to say that the Texas Hill Country location is in Southwestern Central Texas, west of Austin and north of San Antonio.

Check out this map of Texas Hill Country from the Texas Heritage Trail Program. If you see the blue line, that is the Texas Hill Country Travel Trail. We like to plan our Texas Hill Country route around this travel trail. 

When we visited Boerne in May 2019, we found the Texas Hill Country Trail passport in the Visitor Center. It highlighted thirty-four historic sites, attractions, or destinations within the 19 counties in the Texas Hill Country. You can also find the map of the region in the passport. 

This passport is a keeper even after the program is over.

Road Trips in Texas Hill Country Itinerary

As I mentioned above, our road trips to the Texas Hill Country always started from south of Fort Worth. We prefer the back road rather than the highway. Firstly, it’s less traffic. Secondly, it’s more beautiful, and there are so many things to do between Fort Worth and Fredericksburg.

We pitched a tent, set up our travel trailer in RV Campground, or stayed in a hotel. Fredericksburg has hotels that suit your style and family; travel as a couple, with friends, or with your dog. Check out what accommodation you can find in the city here.

Bear in mind there are so many places in the Hill Country that we have yet to visit. You will need frequent visits to see all the places in this region.

So, check out these best road trips in the Texas Hill Country itinerary for your next vacation or weekend getaway.

1-3 Days Road Trips in Texas Hill Country

A Day Trip to Burnet

Cities visited: Burnet and Lampasas.

Longhorn Cavern is one of the most beautiful cave systems in Texas. It’s not big, but you will be amazed by the beauty of this underworld in Burnet.

It is a flow cave where water ran and penetrated the limestone bedrock for many years. As a result, it made the cave look more sculpted and has a very long, nearly level.

From Fort Worth to Longhorn Cavern State Park in Burnet, it takes about a 3-hour drive (180 miles.) From US-67 S, continue to US-281 S to Park Rd 4 S in Burnet.

Book your ticket for the tour, and adjust your starting point based on the tour time. You can visit the rest of the park before or after the cave tour.

On the way home, we stopped in Lampasas and visited the Hanna Springs Sculpture Garden.

Christmas Break in Fredericksburg – 2 Days

When my sister and mother made a short visit from Indonesia, we took them to Fredericksburg for two days.

We left the day after Christmas through Hico, Hamilton, Goldthwaite, San Saba, and Llano. It was cold and wet, and fortunately, the rain stopped when we arrived in Fredericksburg.

After checking in at the hotel we went to Main Street for lunch and window shopping. My mother was in a wheelchair, so we couldn’t move fast. But we managed to stop at the Markplatz to see the Pyramid and Christmas Tree. Then we continued to Das Peach Haus. One of our favorite stores in Fredericksburg.

From Das Peachhaus, we went to wineries. As most of you know, the Texas Hill Country is home to over 100 wineries and vineyards. With more than 50 wineries in Fredericksburg, it is the epicenter of Texas Wine Country.

You will find wine tour operators and shuttle services that will take you to wineries from town. So, you don’t need to find a designated driver when you go wineries hopping.

Some of the wineries are pet-friendly and kid-friendly. A few of them serve food as well. Find all the information you need about wineries and vineyards in Fredericksburg here.

After supper, we went back to town to see the Christmas Lights. 

The next day, we left through Lampasas. We stopped at Momma Jean’s BBQ for lunch. It was delicious, but too bad a few months later, the owner/chef got a heart attack. He couldn’t work anymore and couldn’t find people to continue the place. Eventually, he had to close the restaurant.

Chasing Fall Foliage to Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City – 3 Days

Cities visited: Fredericksburg, Johnson City, Comfort, and Marble Falls. 

We like to hike, and I have a subscription to Backpacker magazine. One year there was an article about hiking in Pedernales Falls State Park for a dramatic view in the fall. Mid-to-late November is the best time to see the cypresses along the riverbank change colors. So, we decided to make a trip there during Thanksgiving Break.

On this road trip to Hill Country, we took our dog Snoopy who was 6 months old at the time. It was his first long trip. We decided not to make too many visits. 

After we pitched our tent at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, we went to town. We went to see the German Christmas Pyramid and the town’s Christmas Tree. The city put them up a week before Thanksgiving.

The next morning we went to Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City. It’s about an hour’s drive from where we stayed in Fredericksburg. Not too many visitors that day. I think we saw less than 10 people on the trails. 

We hiked the Pedernales Falls Trailhead, Twin Falls Nature Trail, and part of Trammell’s Crossing Trail. Cypresses were along the riverbanks, but I think Thanksgiving Break was too late to see the colors. Most leaves were already on the ground, and what was left were brown and dry leaves. It still looked beautiful, but not dramatic like the Backpacker magazine’s said.

In the afternoon we made a trip to Comfort, about a 30-minute drive from Fredericksburg. It’s a small town in the south of Fredericksburg. The reason we went there was because I wanted to visit The Elephant Story. 

The Elephant Story is a store selling a wide variety of vintage fabrics, craft products, clothing, and jewelry from Asian elephant countries. Most of the products had elephant prints. The owners opened the store to fund elephant conservation in Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. 

Then we went home the next morning with a stop at Marble Falls. From Fredericksburg to Marble Falls takes around an hour’s drive. Go on US-290 E towards Johnson City. Then turn left onto US-281 N until you get to Marble Falls.

Since it’s a quick stop, we only visited the Marble Falls downtown area. It’s not big, so it’s completely walkable. Shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and boutique galleries were dotting the area. What I liked was finding sculptures on Main Street.

Note: In Texas Hill Country, cypress trees grow along the riverbanks, such as the Guadalupe River and Frio River. In the fall, the leaves change color to vibrant orange turning the river views exceptionally beautiful. Some said the peak season is between the end of October to the end of November. I would say try to come at the end of the first week in November to the end of the third week. Lost Maples State Natural Area, Guadalupe River State Park, Garner State Park, Enchanted Rock, and Pedernales Falls State Park are a few of the best places to see fall colors.

Long Weekend Road Trips in Texas Hill Country

Long Weekend Road Trip to Fredericksburg

Cities visited: Fredericksburg, Ingram, Boerne.

One Labor Day weekend we made another road trip to Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country. I just heard about bat emergence from Old Tunnel State Park in Fredericksburg which took place every year from May through October.

After we pitched our tent at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park in Fredericksburg, we drove to Ingram for about 30 minutes in the southwest direction. We went to see Stonehenge and Easter Island’s head and torso. 

In case you do not know, you can see both of these world’s famous on your Texas Hill Country trip. They are located at 120 Point Theatre Rd. S in Ingram.

In the late afternoon, we went to Old Tunnel State Park at 10619 Old San Antonio Road in Fredericksburg. We wanted to see millions of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from the abandoned railroad tunnel. The bats emerge every night from May to October, and you need to make a reservation to see them.

On Sunday, the second day we were in Fredericksburg, we visited the National Museum of the Pacific War at 340 E. Main St. It’s a great museum and the right place to learn about World War II in the Pacific. We spent around 4 hours here. 

After a lunch break at Rathskeller, we continued to the Pacific Combat Zone which is also part of the museum. Its location is one block away from the museum, at 508 E Austin St.

From here we went to Boerne to visit our friends. But first, we stopped at Luckenbach where ‘Everybody’s Somebody’. After all, it is located between Fredericksburg and Boerne. Just around 20 minutes drive from Fredericksburg.

On our last day in Hill Country, we took a dip in the Guadalupe River in Boerne. You can always do it at Cibolo Nature Center or somewhere along the road. But for this one, you must have a local friend that knows the right place. That’s what we did with our friends.

Long Weekend Trip to Boerne

Cities visited: Boerne and Blanco.

One Memorial Day weekend our family had a fun road trip to Boerne, another Germantown in the Texas Hill Country.

Even though Boerne is not as big as Fredericksburg, you can easily spend a long weekend there without having to visit the neighboring towns.

Our visit to Boerne started on Saturday at the Visitor Center for some info. Then we continued to the Farmers Market in Historic Herff Farm & Homestead. They have it every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm, from March to December.

While at the Homestead, we explored the area all the way to the back pasture. Wildflowers were abundant. There’s a connecting trail to Cibolo Nature Center, but we didn’t visit the center that day.

Then we went back to town and explored the Main Plaza area. Lots of old buildings, occupied by shops and restaurants/cafes.

We stayed on the campground of Cave Without a Name, just outside the city. It has a restroom facility with flush toilets and hot showers. The water source was from the river inside the cave. It was so quiet when we were there.

Our Sunday morning started with a tour inside Cave Without a Name. One of the most beautiful caves in the Hill Country. You must visit this cave while in Boerne. They even conduct music performances inside the cave. Go check Cave Without a Name website for the schedule. 

After that, we had brunch in town. Then we did the Cibolo River Trail while looking for sculptures along the trail. We also walked the Hill Country Mile, which is the 1.1 mi street along historic downtown Boerne. At the same time, we did part of the Historic Walking Tour and did a little shopping.

Then we visited two old churches in town, St. Helena’s Episcopal Church and St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Churches. 

The Kronkosky Tower, the highest point in town, is in the same complex as the Catholic church. You can see Boerne from the tower, but by appointment only. 

In the afternoon we went to Cibolo Nature Center and had fun playing in Cibolo Creek. It was shaded with towering cypress trees that canopied the creek. Even our dog Snoopy had fun here.

Our visit to Boerne ended with watching a Memorial Day Concert in the Main Plaza.

On the way home to Fort Worth, we made a stop in Blanco. We drove through Blanco State Park and strolled the historic downtown. Blanco State Park has one of the favorite swimming holes in the region.

Blanco is known as The Lavender Capital of Texas. Part of it is because Blanco is home to the first commercial lavender field in the state. Normally you can enjoy the field from late May to early July. But they were still in the early stages when we were there. The second weekend of June is where you can visit the Lavender Festival in town.

No lavender, but we got to visit Arnosky Family Farm. Texas’ premier cut flower farm on the east side of historic downtown.

Longer Road Trips in Texas Hill Country

Thanksgiving Break Road Trip to Kerrville – 5 Days

Cities visited: Burnet, Llano, Mason, Kerrville, Bandera, Castroville, Boerne, Comfort, Concan, Uvalde, Rio Frio, Leakey, Ingram, Fredericksburg, Luckenbach.

A road trip to the Texas Hill Country we did during Covid. All of the Visitor Centers were closed, as well as some businesses.

Day 1

Our first stop for this Texas Hill Country road trip was Inks Lake State Park in Burnet. Famous for its Devil’s Hole swimming hole. At this time of year, the water might be too cold for a swim, but you can always hike or kayak.

Then we headed to Llano, driving through Buchanan Dam on TX-29 W. A quick dangerous stop was made when I saw the Lake Buchanan Lighthouse on the right. Cars were moving fast and it seemed nonstop from both directions. 

Llano is the Deer Capital of Texas, but of course, it’s more than deer hunting here. Explore all the cool things to do in Llano during your quick stop in town.

From Llano, we continued to Kerrville where we stayed for this trip. Instead of driving through Fredericksburg on SH-16, we stayed on TX-29 W towards Mason.

Mason is known as the Gem of the Hill Country and the only place in Texas where you can find topaz in nature. There are three places where you can mine for topaz here, but we didn’t have time to do it. Save it for another visit.

In the end, we still had to drive through outskirt Fredericksburg to get to Kerrville. This is where we stayed for 5 days, at Kerrville-Schreiner Park. 

Kerrville-Schreiner is the city’s busiest park. It has two areas separated by I-173 S. The Park Office and several camping sites and cabins are on one side, and bigger and more sites and hiking trails are on the other side. Free WiFi is only available around the Park Office.

Our campsite was across the street from the Park Office. It was big and spacious between sites.

Day 2

On the second day, we visited Castroville, the Little Alsace of Texas. We drove on I-173 S to I-90 through Bandera for about an hour.

Just around 10 minutes from our campsite, we made an unplanned stop at Camp Verde General Store & Restaurant. It wasn’t in our itinerary and we never heard about the place before. 

I fell in love with Camp Verde General Store. The store was pretty and full of cool things including kitchen stuff, gifts, jewelry, baby stuff, and more. It was just a few days before Thanksgiving, but the store was ready for Christmas.

Too bad we just had our breakfast so we couldn’t eat at the restaurant. Later my friend who lives in Boerne told me that the food there was great. Put this in your itinerary.

Next stop, Bandera. Another small town in the Texas Hill Country. They proclaimed themselves as the “Cowboy Capital of the World.” This is where you go for the Texas Dude Ranch.

We made a quick stop at the Courthouse Square. The Nativity Set was out in the courtyard, but instead of the three Wisemen, they had a cowboy.

Then we continued to Castroville, a charming little town that sits around 30 30-minute drive to the west of San Antonio. Explore the downtown area by foot or car, and don’t forget to stop at the only Alsatian house in Texas. It housed the Visitor Center and a small museum on the second floor. Too bad it was closed because of Covid.

From Castroville, we headed to Boerne. The downtown area was already dressed up for the holiday. It’s so pretty.

Then we continued to Comfort, another small town in the Hill Country. It’s our second time in town around Thanksgiving Break. The town was ready for Christmas, but there weren’t too many people there. The pandemic was killing businesses, but I hope it starts back on track again. 

Elephant lovers, you must stop at The Elephant Story. This was the reason we went to Comfort the first time.

Since it’s not dark yet by the time we arrived in Kerrville, we decided to drive to Ingram. It’s where you see the Texas’ Stonehenge and Easter Island torso.      

Day 3

Our road trips in the Texas Hill Country continued to Garner State Park in Concan on the third day. 

Initially, we would drive through Medina and Vanderpool to see the fall colors. But just a few minutes on Ranch Road 337 from Medina to Vanderpool, the road was closed for construction works. I was bummed because the view was beautiful.   

Then we turned around and drove on Ranch Road 470 through Tarpley and Utopia. It turned out the view was beautiful, too, especially the part between Utopia and Garner SP.

At Garner State Park we hiked to Old Baldy to see the spectacular fall view of Frio River from the summit. Apparently, it’s already at the end of fall, so the colors weren’t sharp anymore. But it’s still beautiful. 

Then we drove to Uvalde, famous for its Opera House. It is located right across the courthouse. At this time of year, the courthouse was ready for Christmas, too.

From here we drove on TX-55 N towards Camp Wood. Here we turned east to Leakey. 

From Leakey, we went back to Kerrville. We followed US-83 N to TX-41 E, then made a right to I-10 E. It was a beautiful drive, too. There was part between TX-41 E and I-10E that reminded me of the drive in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

Day 4

On Thanksgiving Day, we went to Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg. We made a morning reservation because at this time of year weather in the Texas Hill Country could still warm around noon.

My son and I went to the summit and did several other trails before we met my husband and Snoopy in the car. Dogs are not allowed on all elevated areas including the Summit Trail. So, my husband took him to part of Loop Trail, the trek around the perimeter of the park.

Then we went to town for our Thanksgiving lunch. We had lunch at the only restaurant opened that day, Cultures. I had Wiener Schnitzel, my husband had Chicken Fried Steak, and a burger for our son. We sat outside, so Snoopy could come with us.

After lunch, we walked around the main street. So quiet, I could count people on the street. It’s a good time to take pictures, especially around the Christmas Tree and the Christmas Pyramid.

Before we went back to our campsite, we visited The Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville. 

Back at the campsite, I saw our neighbor enjoying their deep-fried turkey for supper while we had grilled cheese. Haha…

Day 5

Since the radar showed an 80% chance of thunderstorms starting at 9 a.m. for the rest of the day, we decided to pack and go home.

But first, we stopped at Luckenbach. It’s so quiet and they were about to open. For people who like crowds at this place, maybe it’s not a good time to visit. We liked it because we could take pictures without others in the frame.

Then we continued to LBJ National Historical Park and Sauer Beckmann Farm in Stonewall. We were probably the first visitors at both places. We’ve been here before but without our dog Snoopy.

Pedernales Falls was our last stop in this 5-day road trip in the Texas Hill Country. There weren’t too many people like in the summertime or Spring Break. Too bad the water volume was a bit low that day.

RV Trip to Fredericksburg – 4 Days

Cities visited: Fredericksburg and Johnson City.

Just recently we spent four days in Fredericksburg with our Small Group friends. Two couples in our group haven’t been to Fredericksburg before. Four days in Germantown (including travel times) would be a good introduction for them.

For this trip, we stayed in the Vineyards of Fredericksburg RV Park. Check-in time at the campground was 2 p.m. That’s when we met with others.

Day 1 – Monday

Before we got to Fredericksburg, we made a stop at Baby Head Cemetery in Llano. Its location is around 9.5 miles south of Llano. If you come from the DFW area, you will get here before Llano. 

For supper on the first night, we decided to eat dinner in town. We ate at Auslander on 323 E Main St. because it’s a pet-friendly restaurant. Our dog Snoopy could sit with us at the Biergarten. 

The food was good, but the wait was super long. I couldn’t blame the restaurant, because we were a group of eleven and they only had one table that could fit a big group like us.      

Day 2 – Tuesday

Not that we didn’t want to cook breakfast, but today was the only chance for us to eat breakfast at an Old German Bakery Restaurant. Originally we would go there on Wednesday, but they closed that day. The food was really good, you must give it a try.

After breakfast, we went to Pottery Ranch. I couldn’t believe my eyes at all the stuff they have there. You might need a trailer if you plan to shop here. Seriously!

Then we went to Jenschke Orchards for peach picking. They open from May to September for peach picking, February to May for strawberries, May to June for blackberries, September to October for pumpkins, and November to December for Christmas Trees. It’s a fun experience!

Jenschke Orchards’ location is 8301 US-290. It’s around a 15-minute drive from Main Street to the west. 

From here we drove to Johnson City for lunch and planned to visit the Boyhood Home of LBJ. We canceled the trip to LBJ’s place because everyone was exhausted from the peach picking. It was really hot that day. 

We had a good lunch at Proof and Cooper the Lumberyard. It has outdoor seating where Snoopy could come with us.    

On the way back to Fredericksburg, we visited Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park.

When everyone else went back to the campground, we stopped at Das Peachhaus. We just like the place, so it’s like a mandatory stop when we are in Fredericksburg.

Day 3 – Wednesday

In the morning we visited the National Museum of the Pacific War at 311 E Austin St. It’s a cool museum that you must visit if you haven’t been yet. Everything you want to know about the Pacific War during World War II is here.

After having lunch at a pet-friendly Tubby’s Ice House across from the museum, some of us went back to the museum, and some of us went for a stroll around Main St.

We stopped at Der Kuchen Laden, a kitchen store that is also one of our favorite places in town. Then we went to a dog owner’s must-visit store, the Dogologie. We also went to Dooley’s 5-10 & 25c Store.

After a yogurt treat (it was another hot day in Fredericksburg,) we went to Das Peachhaus. Second time for us during the trip, but the first time for our friends.

Day 4 – Thursday

It’s time to go home. I was sad because I couldn’t get anything from the Old German Bakery & Restaurant. They also closed every Thursday.

Store hours in Fredericksburg are a bit weird. Some of them are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, while some others are closed on Wednesday and Thursday. I think it’s because they rely heavily on tourists who mostly come for the weekend.

On the way home we stopped at pecan.com in Goldthwaite. I just wanted to check what’s in the store, and I was glad we made a stop. I have found the best pecan Sandie cookies ever from their store. If you like pecan sandies and drive through Goldthwaite, stop here. Of course, they have all kinds of pecans as well.

Spring Break Road Trip in the Texas Hill Country – 4 Days

Cities visited: Fredericksburg, San Saba, Stonewall, Mason, Johnson City, Burnet.

One Spring Break we went for a road trip to the Texas Hill Country. We pitched a tent at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park in Fredericksburg and visited different state parks in the Texas Hill Country.

Day 1

As always, our first stop on the way to the Texas Hill Country is Hico. A small town about an hour and a half drive to the southwest of Fort Worth. We liked to grab donuts or cinnamon rolls from Koffee Kup and chocolate treats from Wiseman House Chocolate in town.

From Hico, we followed US-287 S to Hamilton, then turned to TX-16 S to Llano. 

When we got to Llano, we turned to Rural Road 152. It is said as one of the scenic drives in the Hill Country that will “take your breath away” during springtime. I guess it was too early as we didn’t see any wildflowers. We ended up in Mason, the Gem of the Hill Country.

After we pitched our tent at Lady Bird Johnson Municipal Park, we made a quick visit to downtown Fredericksburg. It’s about a 10-minute drive, depending on the traffic. 

A scoop of ice cream from Clear River Pecan Co. on E Main St. was always a special treat when in town.    

Day 2

In the morning we went to Colorado Bend State Park near San Saba. We spent about 5 hours there, hiking to the famous Gorman Falls and a few other trails.

From Fredericksburg to the park was about 1 hr 30 min drive. We drove on TX-16 N towards San Saba passing Llano. Before we got to San Saba, we turned east from Cherokee to Bend.

It was a long day and we decided to take a rest by the time we got back to the campground. 

Day 3

Today’s trip was a bit of a history tour in the morning. We visited Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park and Sauer-Beckmann Farm in Stonewall.

After lunch, we went to Pedernales Falls State Park in Johnson City. It’s about a 30-minute drive from LBJ National Historical Park.

Pedernales Falls is one of the must-visit state parks in Hill Country with its unique potholes. Don’t forget to bring your swimsuit because the water might be warm enough for swimming.

Day 4

Last day in the Texas Hill Country. Our first stop on the way home was Enchanted Rock. It’s a must-visit on your first time in Fredericksburg. 

Enchanted Rock gets very busy during the Spring Break. Check their website whether you must make a reservation to get in. If not, try to arrive before 8 a.m. to secure a parking spot. Whenever parking is full, they will close the park until spots are available.

Our next stop was Llano, to have lunch at Cooper’s BBQ. It was really delicious!

Then we continued to Inks Lake State Park in Burnet. We drove through TX-29 E and Bluebonnet and Indian paintbrushes were blanketing the roadsides already. Very pretty!

We didn’t stay long in the park. It was late and we still had 3 hours to drive before we got home. For a short visit like this, make sure you walk to Devil’s Waterhole.

The Texas Hill Country is my favorite place to visit in Texas. My family and I like to visit the region, and we don’t see a plan to stop road-tripping here. There are so many places that we haven’t got to see, and there are places that we like to revisit. 

Over time I will add more itineraries to this article. If you notice, I didn’t even put San Antonio or Austin here, because those cities deserve their own articles. There are so many things to see and do there. 

I hope you can use these itineraries for your future road trips in Texas Hill Country.