How to Plan a Trip to the Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a beautiful and fun place to explore. If you’ve never been there before, you’re missing out. I live here and have been to able to explore a good number of great places to eat, drink, and stay.
Just 30 – 90 minutes from Austin, depending if you are starting in Dripping or Fredericksburg, you could combine this trip with the city. San Antonio is also just over an hour away.
There’s a little bit of everything at this destination including wineries, breweries, rolling vistas, shopping and even hiking. So strap on your hiking boots, or bring your travel wine glass and plan your next trip to the Texas Hill Country with the tips below!
How to Get There
By Plane – If you are traveling from out of state, Austin Bergstrom International Airport is your best bet. You could also fly into San Antonio as an option. You will need a car to get anywhere.
Driving – If you are coming from somewhere in Texas, you’ll want to make your way to 290, the highway that flows through the majority of the things to do and see.
Seasons and Weather
The ideal time to visit Texas and enjoy the outdoors are Spring and Fall. With that said, that’s when everyone wants to visit. You’ll want to weigh temperature and weather with the cost of lodging during different seasons to decide on when to visit.
I’ll outline the seasons with pros and cons below.
Winter: December – February. Temperatures range from 30-60 degrees Fahrenheit. This can really vary, and could be worth the chance for the lower cost of lodging during this season. December is your best bet. You might even get to see some Christmas lights. (Johnson City has the best display)
Spring: March – April. Temps range from 60 – 80 degrees. This time of year is ideal, but expect higher prices and bigger crowds. Both months are equally great in my opinion. You might catch the wildflowers blooming, including bluebonnets, during this season!
Summer: May – September. It gets hot in Texas, really hot. Temperatures range from 80 – 100+ degrees. If you want to travel here during this time, I would suggest either May when it’s still closer to the 80 degree range, and maybe September, but it still tends to be pretty hot then. On the plus side, the crowds will be thinner.
Fall: October – November. Temps range from 50 – 80 degrees, with averages in the 70’s. This time of year is also ideal, but can be busy just like Spring. Fredericksburg, Johnson City or Wimberley could be great places to grab unique Holiday gifts.
If you want to book during the ideal seasons of Spring or Fall, plan to book accommodations in advance to insure a spot.
Where to Stay
There are a few areas you can stay in the Hill Country, depending what you are looking for. The largest amount of options are out closer to Fredericksburg, with Dripping Springs coming in second.
I’ll outline a few options below and which attractions they are closest to.
Fredericksburg – In town, close to the majority of wineries, restaurants and shopping. If you are looking to be walking distance to cute shops as well as tasting rooms in town, (these are off shoots of some of the bigger wineries close by) staying close to Main Street in Fredericksburg is ideal. There are shuttles here that you can book to take you to the wineries, and sometimes even German events like Oktoberfest.
Fredericksburg – Outside of town, close to nature and wineries. If you want views and peacefulness, staying in a cottage or rental outside of town will be perfect. Here you will be really close to the wineries, but would need to drive into town for supplies or better food choices.
Dripping Springs – Close to breweries, distilleries and wineries. The Dripping area has a lower volume of wineries, but it offers a lot more options if wine isn’t your thing. Most places to stay will not be walking distance to any shops, so it will have a more country or neighborhood vibe. This area is the closest to Austin, so if you wanted to do a bit of exploring there as well, it’s about a 30 minute drive vs over an hour From Fredericksburg.
Wimberley – Close to shopping and a few restaurants. Wimberley is a small little town with lots of cute shops and a few restaurants. This is further away from most things other than shopping, but it really is a quaint place with charm. There are just a few wineries close by.
How to find Accommodations – Now, how to actually find a place to stay. There are not many full service hotels in this area, so renting a cottage or Airbnb is the way to go. The local vacation rental site for Fredericksburg is called Gasthaus Schmidt. This site has many small houses and cottages for rent in the area.
I would recommend booking far out in advance for high season, as the cutest places go first. Also, most places in Fredericksburg require a 2 night minimum stay.
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Wine, Wine & More Wine
The Texas wine trail has over 50 wineries. Yes I said 50, can you believe it?
I wish it was possible to see them all in one trip, but that is a pretty tall order. I think Texas has some great things going on with wine, and it’s worthy of a full trip in and of itself.
If you have limited time and want to narrow down the choices, I would follow the tips below!
- Decide what kind of wine experience you want – Do you like bigger, well known wineries, or smaller up and coming ones? Wineries that use only Texas grapes, or ones that outsource some grapes? The Hill Country has the whole spectrum, so this could help narrow down your choices.
- Focus on a specific area – The are a few main wine areas in the Hill Country for wine. Fredericksburg and Stonewall have the highest number and most well known wineries. As you head East, Hye and Johnson City also have some good options, Further East and South, and closer to Austin, you have Dripping Springs and Driftwood.
- Winery Atmosphere – Do you like a view, a more intimate experience, or somewhere that has a band playing or an event? Especially during high season, you’ll find a lot going on especially at the more well know wineries like Becker, Grape Creek, and 4.0 Cellars.
Recommendations: Below are a few of my personal favorite wineries in each area.
Drippings Springs/Wimberley – Hawk’s Shadow, Bell Springs, Wimberley Valley, Graveyard Vineyards
Johnson City/Hye – AB Astris, Lewis Wines, Texas Hills, Crowson
Frederickburg/Stonewall – 4.0 Cellars, Signor, Becker, Lost Draw.
Tasting Rooms on Main Street: Perspective Cellars (they offer a comparison of Texas varietals to wines around the world) & Becker (in the old Buick Dealership).
There are new wineries popping up all the time, so this list will be ever changing!
Breweries & Distilleries
You might just need a second trip to explore all of the Breweries and Distilleries in this area.
While most of the wineries are centered around Fredericksburg, the majority of the breweries are in Dripping Springs. Whatever style of beer you like, I bet you’ll find it at a Texas Brewery.
Here are my tips on how to narrow it down.
- First things first, liquor or beer (or maybe both) – There are definitely more breweries than distilleries, and most of the distilleries are more like tasting rooms. I would take 2+ days to try to tackle both.
- Brewery or Distillery hop, or spend all day in one location – The cool thing about being out of the city, is that these locations are built to hang out at all day. Many have food on site, playgrounds, live music, and more.
- Narrow down by beer or liquor type – Select based on your preferences. Most places have a somewhat varied selection, but focus heavier on a particular beer style or liquor. Do you like IPA, or Lagers, or German/Belgian beers? Do you like Whiskey, or Vodka, or Gin?
Dripping Springs/Johnson City: Jester King, Suds Monkey, Vista Brewing, Treaty Oak, Family Business Beer Co., Reck ‘Em Right Brewing
Outdoor Activities
Texas offers pretty great outdoor experiences all over the state. In the Hill Country, I’ll outline 3 that I think are great choices depending on what you are looking for.
Hamilton Pool – Pictured above, this swimming hole is beautiful. Located close to Dripping Springs, and not too far from Austin. If you want to swim here during the hotter months, you will need to make a reservation in advance. In the off-season you can hike around the grounds and do not need a reservation to do so.
Note: You will need to hike down to the hole a bit, so bring a decent pair of shoes. Reservations need to be made March – October. Cost is $15 a car, or $5 a car if someone is over 62.
Enchanted Rock – This popular hiking spot is located outside of Fredericksburg. It offers close to 11 miles of hiking trails to explore. If camping is your thing, you can do that here as well.
Note: There is an entrance fee of $7 for adults, children 12 & under are free. Also, this place can get busy, so I recommend getting there early to ensure you will be admitted.
Pedernales Falls State Park – Close to both Dripping Springs and Johnson City, this park offers a lot to do and see. There are hiking trails that are both easy or advanced, as well as mountain biking trails. You can hike to see a waterfall, or swim at other locations along the river. There are primitive camping sites, as well as sites that offer water and electricity.
Note: There is an entrance fee of $6 for adults, children 12 & under are free. Campsites range from $10 – $20 a night plus the daily entrance fee. Please read the safety guidelines on the park website before arriving,
What to Eat
The first foods people think of when they come to visit Texas are BBQ and Tex Mex. We do both well and if you’ve never had either, I do think they are worth trying.
Texas, especially Austin, has such a good food scene for almost any genre. Think outside the BBQ box and give some other foods a try here.
Dripping Springs Restaurants & Cafes
Pieous – Amazing pizza and pistrami as well as pastries.
Mazama – Great local coffee shop on historic Mercer Street.
Rolling in Thyme and Dough – Breakfast spot with fresh made food. Lots of pastry and dessert options too. Not open on Sundays.
Tillie’s – for an upscale experience, Tillie’s has delicious food and drinks.
Boil Shack – Just outside Dripping in Henly, known for their crawfish boil.
Fredericksburg Restaurants & Cafes
The Peach Tree – Great spot for breakfast or brunch, with some healthy options.
Old German Bakery – yummy pastries for a quick breakfast.
Vaudeville – Upscale bistro dining on Main Street. DELICIOUS!
Stout’s Trattoria at Grape Creek – Good option for food while on your wine tour. This place has great, although expensive, food.
Hye Market – for a quick lunch between stops, they offer sandwiches, salads and more.
I don’t know about you, but now I want to explore the Hill Country even more!
It’s truly growing quickly, and there are so many wineries I have never even been to (and I’ve been to a lot). Let me know if you plan a trip to the Texas Hill Country and discover a location you love that’s not on my list.
I love to hear about your adventures, so leave a comment below!
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