Houston—the 4th-largest city in the U.S.—has a fascinating mix of culture, cuisine, and art. Whether you're traveling for a sporting event, a family adventure, or simply exploring the New Capital of Southern Cool, Houston has much to offer. For food lovers, Houston’s diverse culinary scene boasts over 13,000 restaurants representing cuisine from more than 70 countries and American regions.
If you only have 48 hours to spend in Houston, here are some can’t-miss attractions and restaurants.
DOWNTOWN HOUSTON
Kick off the weekend exploring vibrant downtown Houston, easily walkable via pedestrian-friendly streets and a network of underground tunnels. Take a stroll around Discovery Green, a park where you can people-watch, walk your dog, enjoy live music, observe street art, try roller-skating, or go ice-skating.
Visit the massive, state-of-the-art music and art venue, Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, and learn about its history as a century-old former drinking water reservoir. Grab a snack or drink at POST Houston—once the site of the city's USPS headquarters, now a dynamic mixed-use complex with several local food vendors.
Check in to the Four Seasons Houston, centrally located downtown and accessible to major sporting and concert venues. Because of its luxurious amenities, there’s a good chance you may run into a celebrity artist or athlete at the hotel’s bar! Make sure to try their signature cocktail—a Dr Pepper Old Fashioned—or embark on a globally inspired bourbon tasting at Bayou & Bottle, where many regulars store their prized spirits. For dinner, head upstairs to Toro Toro, an award-winning Pan-Latin steakhouse curated by Mexican-American celebrity chef Richard Sandoval.
Burn off the calories by playing an array of interactive virtual games at the Topgolf Swing Suite, and if you are still in the mood for a nightcap, find your way to the secret speakeasy Bandista for a creative cocktail.
HOUSTON MUSEUMS
In the morning, grab a funky Asia-meets-Latin America brunch of green michelada with banana leaf-wrapped sweet-and-sour muffins at Jūn. Then, make your way to 20 world-class cultural locations around the Houston Museum District. You can easily spend an entire day exploring many different cultures at the Asia Society Texas Center, Czech Center Museum Houston, and Houston Museum of African American Culture. Make time for the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston, a new cultural and educational museum dedicated to preserving and promoting the nonviolent freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi's legacy.
SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING
If you need some retail therapy, there are a number of upscale boutiques, as well as Texas-style hats and boots outlets around the city. For one-of-a-kind pieces, check out Magpies & Peacocks, the country’s only nonprofit design house dedicated to the collection, curation, and sustainable reuse of post-consumer textiles.
To escape the afternoon heat, head to the Houston Galleria, an ultra-modern shopping mall with 400 stores and restaurants, modeled after Milan's elegant Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
GLOBAL DINING
Food may be the number one reason to travel to Houston right now! You’ll find everything from mom and pop to James Beard Award-winning restaurants in Houston, so it can be hard to pick where to eat first. For lunch, you can’t go wrong at the original location of family-run Goode Company Seafood, a sustainable Texas-style seafood restaurant configured inside a train wagon on Westpark Drive. Make sure to try their famous campechana—a fresh and delightful Mexican-style seafood cocktail.
In Houston’s international district, you’ll find more than 6,000 small businesses and restaurants offering flavors from all around the world—from African and Mexican to Vietnamese and Thai. For some of the best Indian and Pakistani dishes with surprising southern twists, such as paratha quesadilla and Himalaya Fried Chicken, grab dinner at the acclaimed Himalaya Restaurant Houston.
For dinner, treat yourself to a 15-course Indigenous dining experience led by Choctaw Chef David Skinner and Thai Chef “G” Benchawan Jabthong Painter, with wines paired by Indigenous sommelier Graham Painter at Th Prsrv (The Preserve).
