Your Handy Guide to One Day in Houston!
- Start at The Post Oak Hotel *
- Brunch at The Empire Cafe
- Snap Pics at The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
- Window Shop at The Galleria Mall
- Lunch at Frank’s Pizza
- Have Fun at The Kemah Boardwalk
- Eat Some More at Houston’s Asian Night Market
- Take a Pit Stop at Kelly’s Country Kitchen
- Relax at The Buffalo Bayou Park
- Take Pictures of The Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain
When it comes to cities, Houston is by far one of the bigger ones out there – in fact, it ranks as the 9th largest city out of the entire United States, with a land area of 599.6 square miles!
Houston’s sheer size means there are lots of things you can do and explore. But what if you only have a day to explore Houston?
Don’t worry – we got you! We’ve compiled together a list of the things that you can do in Houston all in a single day!
1. Start at The Post Oak Hotel *
Address: 1600 W Loop S, Houston, TX 77027
Phone Number: 346-227-5000
Hours: Open 24 hours
If you want to start your trip to Houston right, then we suggest booking a room at one of Houston’s most prestigious hotels, The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown. You might even spot some celebs like Beyonce or Lizzo, too!
Houstonians generally regard The Post Oak Hotel as one of their most prestigious hotels – and for a good reason. Their cheapest room, a single King Room, has all the amenities that you’d expect and costs $575 for a single night’s stay.
Their prices are worth it though, especially when you consider that you’ll be faced with celebrity-style treatment the moment you step in. Some rooms even offer a glimpse at Houston’s beautiful downtown!
| Pro Tips: Since The Post Oak Hotel has a certain image in mind, we strongly suggest you be on your best behavior during your visit. No swearing, no public intoxication, and no risque clothing, otherwise they can cancel your stay! |
2. Brunch at The Empire Cafe
Address: 1732 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098
Phone Number: 713-528-5282
Hours: Sunday – Thursday: 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday – Saturday: 7:30 AM – 11:00 PM
For brunch we recommend going the road less traveled and going to The Empire Cafe off Westheimer Road!
The Empire Cafe offers a filling and delicious experience, without tearing a huge hole in your pocket. If you look closely enough, they also have a “Good Portion” part on their menu, which has an $8, half-a-liter Mimosa!
But if you don’t want to get hammered on your Houston day trip, then you should order from their specialty menu! The Empire Chicken & Waffles and Huevos Rancheros are some of our favorite picks!
| Pro Tips: If you want to secure your spot at The Empire Cafe we suggest making a reservation ahead of time! Their wait times can be long, and it’s not worth it to wait 45 minutes for brunch. |
3. Snap Pics at The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park
Credit: @_destinationdani on Instagram
Address: 2800 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, TX 77056
Phone Number: 713-850-8841
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Now that you’ve gotten some food to start your day right, the next step should be doing some touristy things while the sun is still gentle. What better way to do that than visiting a Houston staple, aka the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park!
The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park is a man-made waterfall in the middle of Houston’s Downtown. It also has decent greenery around it too, since the park is surrounded by a wealth of Oak Trees that change color in the spring.
With the right gust of wind and just the right timing, you can even snap a water-bending-like picture that’s sure to be a hit with your Instagram followers. Even if there’s no wind though, the Waterwall Park still makes for a good backdrop for your pics!
The best thing about Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park though is that entrance is completely free! So you’re not just getting a beautiful picture taken, you also won’t need to pay a dollar more for it, too!
| Pro Tips: Traffic around the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park is insanely long, as you’d expect from Houston. Thus, if you want to visit them, then we suggest you be at least 30-40 minutes ahead of your itinerary time to make it to your next spot! |
4. Window Shop at The Galleria Mall
Address: 5085 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056
Phone Number: 713-622-0663
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 – 7:00 PM
If you’re looking for a place to shop for new items on the latter part of the day trip or to just window shop, then we suggest dropping by The Galleria! It’s Houston’s premier shopping mall and has been the go-to mall since its construction in the 70s!
The Galleria Mall is filled with top-end shops like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Balenciaga just to name a few. They also have the unique dining experience turned mainstream thanks to the Kardashians Nobu inside, too!
| Pro Tips: Thanks to its reputation for luxury, The Galleria Mall isn’t as crowded as other malls in Houston. But be prepared for the prices you’ll encounter! |
5. Lunch at Frank’s Pizza
Address: 417 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002
Phone Number: 713-225-5656
Hours: Monday – Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 AM – 3:00 AM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Since we’re already in Downtown Houston, we might as well have our lunch there. If you’re in the mood for Italian food, then we suggest dropping by Frank’s Pizza for their legendary, time-tested pizzas!
Frank’s Pizza offers the best of both worlds when it comes to Italian and American food. They have everything from pizzas to whole lasagnas, and even burgers and spicy wings for when you’re not particularly craving Italian food!
What makes Frank’s Pizza unique is their fast serving time and the wealth of pizza options that you can choose from. They have traditional options like cheese and pepperoni, but they also have vegetarian ones like Mergherita and Pesto Spinach, too!
But if those aren’t up to your liking, then Frank’s Pizza also has an option for you to make your pizza, too! You can have everything customized, from the meat or veggie toppings to your pick of dipping sauces, too!
Their prices are on the cheaper side too, with none of the options exceeding $20. You will have to spend a bit more if you want to create your pizza, but it’s only either $3 or $5 more, which is relatively cheap considering that you can tailor it to your tastebuds!
| Pro Tips: The parking situation at Frank’s Pizza is, in their words, a miracle. We suggest parking at the parking garage in front since it’ll cost $5 for 30 minutes. But if you’re looking for free parking, then you should visit them for dinner, instead! |
6. Have Fun at The Kemah Boardwalk
Address: 215 Kipp Ave, Kemah, TX 77565
Phone Number: 281-535-8100
Hours: Monday – Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Wednesday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Friday, Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
After you’ve had your fill of pizza, it’s time to take the long, 45-minute drive from Downtown to Kemah Boardwalk for their exciting rides! From Ferris wheels to thrilling rides like the Drop Zone, it has everything you’d expect from a theme park – and more!
Kemah Boardwalk is huge – it’s 60 acres big, which means that you can take your time and have the time of your life. But if you want to make the best out of your time there, then we suggest buying the All Day Ride Pass for $22.99.
Depending on your visit, then they also have events that can help make each visit different, too! As of the time of writing, they’re currently running a Jazz Fest where students from nearby schools perform at the Boardwalk for good-time fun!
| Pro Tips: We recommend using Kemah Boardwalk’s online portal to buy your tickets to the amusement park. Purchasing them at the park itself will waste a lot more time, and buying them online means that you can get a jumpstart, too! |
7. Eat Some More at Houston’s Asian Night Market
Address: 11502 Hughes Rd Houston TX 77089
Phone Number: 281-610-9175
Hours: Varies per event
After a long day at the amusement park, you might expect the day to be over – well, not quite, since you’d be hungry from all the excitement! If you’re looking for a unique dining experience in Houston, then the Asian Night Market at Hughes Road is a nice place!
The thing that makes the Asian Night Market unique for both Houstonians and tourists alike is the fact that they change vendors now and then. This means that every visit is sure to be unique, and you’ll have lots of fun trying their cheap food!
If you’re still doubting Asian Night Market and its infamy, then you’d be delighted to find out that there was an entire Top Chef episode dedicated to the night market! It’s an interesting watch, and it shows everything that they have in store if you visit them.
| Pro Tips: If you plan to visit Asian Night Market, we suggest visiting them on the weekdays rather than the weekends. They can get extremely crowded during the weekends, which can be a safety and personal issue. |
8. Take a Pit Stop at Kelly’s Country Kitchen
Credit: @hotboy_ronno on Instagram
Address: 8015 Park Pl Blvd, Houston, TX 77087
Phone Number: 713-645-6428
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
If you don’t want to walk around while eating or you’re still feeling the effects of Kemah Boardwalk, then we recommend trying Kelly’s Country Kitchen for dinner! They have, after all, 2016 prices for 2005 serving sizes – aka, cheap, generously portioned meals.
Kelly’s Country Kitchen also serves all-day breakfast! We suggest going with the $16 Grand Slam Breakfast with eggs, chicken fried steak, and hash browns if you’re feeling particularly hungry after all that walking.
But if you’re not in the mood for breakfast food in the evening, then Kelly’s Country Cooking also has good dinner options you can try out. We suggest their $14 Hangover Burger for a filling, delicious meal all wrapped in a bun.
| Pro Tips: Kelly’s Country Cooking has daily specials that you can try other than their regular menu! If you’re craving beef, then we suggest dropping by on Sunday evenings for their Beef Tips and Roast Beef! |
9. Relax at The Buffalo Bayou Park
Address: Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street between Allen Parkway and, Memorial Dr, Houston, TX
Phone Number: 713-752-0314 ext. 301
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM
After dinner, sometimes the best thing to do is to just take a seat and enjoy the sights of the city. What better way to do that than dropping by Buffalo Bayou Park Downtown and taking it all in, while also resting your legs?
The Buffalo Bayou Park spans 160 acres across. It’s so large that it doesn’t have an address! There are plenty of things to do in the park even in the evening, but our main point here is to rest your weary legs for the last stretch before turning in for the night.
We picked the Downtown area for two things: one, it’s a lot closer to The Post Oak, and two, it lets you witness Houston’s beautiful evening cityscape all for free. Oh, and did we mention that entrance to Buffalo Bayou Park is free?
| Pro Tips: Even if you’re just at the Buffalo Bayou Park to rest, remember to pick up after yourself! CLAYGO should be observed everywhere, especially at the park since it also serves as a nature conservatory, too! |
10. Take Pictures of The Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain
Credit: @nigulag on Instagram
Address: Buffalo Bayou Park, 2904 Allen Pkwy, Houston, TX 77019
Phone Number: 713-348-2787
Hours: Monday – Sunday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
To wrap up your day in Houston, we’re staying at Buffalo Bayou Park to see the night show that can only be seen at the Gus S. Wortham Memorial Fountain! Unlike its name, it’s just a beautiful fountain that’s open for anyone to visit and take pictures of!
It’s so much more than just a fountain too. Its unique, dandelion-style design makes it stand out from other fountains not just in Houston, but in the entire US. Though its dandelion design is more prevalent in the mornings, the night light is pretty, too!
| Pro Tips: If you want to take pictures of the Wortham Foundation Grove in the evenings, we strongly discourage using flash photography and using long exposure times instead. just leave the camera as it is! Flash can mess up your picture rather than help it – just look for a different light source if you’re against the light! |
