The Perfect One Day Itinerary In San Antonio

By Sara Branstetter | September 23, 2024

Did you know that San Antonio, Texas is one of the top tourist destinations in the United States? With plenty of options for history, food, attractions, sports – SA is really the total package when it comes to vacationing and it’s easy to make a week of it here. But you can also get a ton out of your experience even if you don’t have a full week.

If you can’t spare more than a day or two, you can still manage to experience quite a bit of the city’s unique cultural offerings, you’ll just need to do a bit of planning. So if you are looking for that perfect one-day itinerary, look no further. Below are my recommendations for what to see in San Antonio in one day.

ABOUT US

We’re Kelsey and Sara, two local foodies with a combined 29 years of eating in San Antonio, two travel books, and millions of blog readers. We adore local spots, rarely visit chain restaurants, and we aren't afraid to tell you the truth. After spending thousands of our own $$$ at hundreds of local hot spots, we're sharing the best with you.

The Perfect One-Day Itinerary In San Antonio

Morning Activity

Start your day off in the early morning by taking a brief stroll along the San Antonio Riverwalk. Mornings are really quite unique along the river as they are quiet, peaceful, and empty.

Nothing will be open and very few people will be around. It’s really a totally different experience from the normally buzzing downtown area.

First thing in the morning you can actually enjoy the stillness and beauty of the enormous Cyprus trees, watch the morning sun glint off the calm water of the river (before the barges stir it up), and walk the pathways without dodging other tourists.

(Also, here are some consistently quiet parts of the riverwalk in case you want to avoid tourist crowds later in the day.)

The Perfect San Antonio Breakfast

Woot - let's kick this day of with some delicious food! After all, if you only have one day in San Antonio, you can't waste a meal!

After your morning stroll, you've earned a decent breakfast. And nothing says breakfast in San Antonio like our beloved breakfast tacos. Think giant, homemade fluffy tortilla stuffed to the gills with eggs, bacon, chorizo, cheese, and beans – it will fill you up and start your day off right.

The good news is that breakfast tacos are ubiquitous here. A taco joint can be found on nearly every corner in the city, and most of them are super good.

A few of my personal favorites are the Original Donut Shop, the timeless Garcia’s Mexican Food, and Tacos N Salsa, but given that you can find great tacos all over, just use our map so you can find breakfast tacos near you on this best breakfast tacos in San Antonio guide.

Next Up: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

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Now that you have had some sustenance, it’s time to tour. Head south of downtown to Mission Espada, the southernmost mission in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

San Antonio is home to 5 historic missions (yep, there's more than just The Alamo!) that detail the 300+ year history of the city and its heritage. All of the missions are free and very walkable. For a complete guide to the San Antonio missions, click here.

After visiting Espada, head north to Mission San Juan, followed by Mission San Jose, and then Mission Concepción.

You can access the missions by car, but if you are up for a challenge, try biking the river mission trail, a bike trail that runs along the river and connects all of the missions.

This 10-mile-long trail is our favorite way to view the missions, enjoy the river, and take in the local plant and wildlife. Bicycles are available to rent from BCycle San Antonio.

Lunch Time!

Once you have finished touring the missions, it should be about lunchtime, which is THE BEST time to enjoy one of San Antonio’s duly earned claims to fame – its BBQ.

Barbecue in San Antonio is more than food, it’s an art form. We did a deep dive into SA's BBQ scene and found the 10 best BBQ places to go. However...

If you happen to be here Thursday-Sunday, I highly recommend visiting one of the two best BBQ restaurants in the whole city - 2M Smokehouse or Reese Bros BBQ.

Both are outstanding when it comes to the barbecue greats like brisket, sausage, and ribs, but they also do a bang-up job on the sides with a few standouts including the ranchero beans at 2M and the poblano mac and cheese at Reese Bros.

If you happen to be in San Antonio Monday through Wednesday, don’t sweat it, there are still a number of solid, delicious San Antonio BBQ joints for you to enjoy. Check out Pinkerton’s in downtown San Antonio or South BBQ and Kitchen, which is conveniently located near a few of the missions.

An Afternoon In San Antonio

Grab some coffee (here's a map of the best coffee shops in San Antonio) to get your second wind, and then let's keep going! After your fantastic BBQ lunch, it’s time to swing by San Antonio’s most well-known piece of history: the Alamo.

The iconic façade of the Alamo is known the world over and is a must-see for any first-time visitor to SA.

Entry to the Alamo is free but does require reservations. You can reserve your spot or sign up for a guided tour (for a fee) by visiting the Alamo's website.

Shopping At Historic Market Square

After you visit the Alamo, head over to San Antonio’s Historic Market Square.

It's the largest Mexican market in the United States, and a great place to pick up some souvenirs or gifts from local artisans. Here's a little tour of it in case you want to get a taste of it before you go.

And you have to stop by Mi Tierra for a margarita or at least a Mexican pastry! It's the largest Tex-Mex restaurant in San Antonio, and it's 100% not a tourist trap! It's so great - I promise.

If You Have Time: Check Out A Museum

With afternoon temperatures likely starting to soar, it’s best to head indoors for a few hours of air conditioning. A great place to do this? One of San Antonio’s many fantastic museums.

If you’re feeling artsy, hit up the San Antonio Museum of Art, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, or the McNay Art Museum.

If you have children with you and are hunting for some kid-friendly options, you can visit the Doseum or the Witte Museum, both of which offer a number of family-friendly and interactive exhibits for the kids to play with and maybe even learn from.

Insider tip: you can get FREE access to a bunch of San Antonio hot spots like the SA Zoo, Spurs basketball games, and the Witte Museum with this POGO Pass! It’s normally $100 for a year of access to more than 25 destinations in Austin and San Antonio, but you can get $50 off with the code thesanantoniothings (all one word) at checkout. Order it ahead of time to save a lot of $$ on admission prices.

Dinner

With dinnertime in your sights, you now have a little “choose your own adventure” for where to eat.

Option 1: Head north of downtown to the Pearl Brewery Historic District to find a range of great restaurants. (Here are the top restaurants at The Pearl that we are obsessed with!) The Pearl is a pedestrian-friendly complex with with a phenomenal restaurant scene, plus a splash pad and turf area for families. It's a lot of fun. Top restaurant choice: Cured.

Where Can Adults Celebrate Birthdays in San Antonio?

Option 2: Go a bit south of downtown to San Antonio’s Southtown/King William Historic District. Some of San Antonio's best restaurants and bars are in King William.

It's funky part of the city that has been revitalized to offer food, entertainment, and nightlife. While here, be sure to take a bit of time to walk the neighborhoods and enjoy the beautiful, old historic homes that surround the area. Top restaurant choice: Bliss.

Post-Dinner Activity: San Antonio Spurs Game

If you happen to be in town during the NBA basketball season, you absolutely should catch a Spurs game. Bonus: you can go to a Spurs game for FREE if you got your annual POGO Pass! Here's a link for 50% off your pass.

We here in San Antonio LOVE our Spurs and there’s no better way to spend an evening than with 19,000 of your best friends, raucously cheering on our home team.

Believe me, if you aren’t a Spurs fan or even into basketball at all, it’s hard not to have fun with an excitable crowd of fanatics.

The End Of Your Day In San Antonio

After a full day in SA, close it down with one last trip to the Riverwalk for the nighttime experience.

You can take a narrated Go Rio River Cruise and learn about the city and its history as you float down the river, past bustling restaurants, and underneath centuries-old bridges.

Big bonus here if you come between Thanksgiving and Christmas when the Riverwalk is lit up with 100,000 twinkling holiday lights – it is beyond magical.

After a packed day in San Antonio, I hope you've booked yourself a gorgeous hotel room. Here are a few absolutely lovely boutique hotels in San Antonio, and these are the prettiest River Walk hotels that are 100% worth staying in overnight.

Looking for more suggestions: check out the all-time best restaurants in San Antonio, our kid-friendly guide to San Antonio, and a bunch of fun things to do on the River Walk.