How to Spend 2 Days in Houston

With two days to spend in Texas’ largest city, you have time to see the highlights of downtown and the Museum District, plus learn more about Texas history and the city’s ties to space exploration. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your 48 hours in Houston. 

Day 1: Essential Houston

**Morning:**Start your trip off with a sightseeing tour of the city. Zip around town on a Segway, hit the highlights with a private guide and driver, or listen to narration as you ride the hop-on hop-off bus, with stops in six neighborhoods. Most tours include visits to Hermann Park, the Museum District, Market Square, Buffalo Bayou, and Downtown Houston.

**Afternoon:**Journey back into Texas history at the Battleship Texas State Historic Site and San Jacinto Monument. The 570-foot-tall (174-meter-tall) monument marks the spot where Sam Houston defeated General Santa Anna in the Texas Revolution. Take the elevator to the top for views of the Houston shipping channel, and board the USS Texas, a battleship that served in both World War I and World War II.

**Night:**Treat your tastebuds to a Houston specialty, whether it be Texas barbecue, Tex-Mex, or Viet-Cajun crawfish. If you’re not sure where to start, join a guided food tour through one of the city’s eclectic neighborhoods.

Day 2: Cultural Exploration

**Morning:**Get an early start for a trip to one of Houston’s most famous attractions, Space Center Houston at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Visitors take a tram tour through the facilities, view Mission Control, and see relics from space travel, including full-size rockets, moon rocks, and an Apollo 17 replica. 

**Afternoon:**Spend your afternoon touring some of the 19 museums in the Houston Museum District. Book your tickets ahead to maximize time, whether you visit the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Children’s Museum of Houston, or the Menil Collection. Alternatively, spend the afternoon soaking up the Texas sun at Kemah Boardwalk.

**Night:**Top off your Houston visit by exploring the darker side of the city’s history during a haunted pub crawl through downtown. Visit several local bars, each housed within a historically significant building, while learning sordid tales from Houston’s past.