The 5 Best Things to do in San Antonio this Saturday
In 2024, a whopping forty million people visited the Alamo City, making it one of fastest growing cities in the United States. San Antonio is known for many things, including being the second home of the late, famed Tijana performer, Selena. In fact, parts of the 1997 movie of the same name was filmed along the banks of perhaps the city’s most popular attraction; the world-famous Riverwalk.
Whether you'll be visiting or you're a newly minted local looking for something to do on a Saturday, there are many local attractions with live music, culinary events, live entertainment, and more. Below are my five recommendations for best things to do in San Antonio on a Saturday.
1) San Antonio River Walk
One of the most famous attractions in the city, the San Antonio River Walk is 15-miles long and winds through roughly 5-miles of the downtown area. There is no fee to enjoy the River Walk and you can begin at any of the multiple starting points off the street.
Dotted along the river are local and brand restaurants, hotels, shops and various attractions that charge their own fees. The most popular being cruising the river itself. We took a cruise with Go Rio Cruises and found it be fun, informative and relaxing.
We didn’t try many restaurants on the river, as we tend to drift away from the touristy areas and dine where the locals do. There is one that I highly recommend, though, and that’s “Boudro’s on the Riverwalk”. Both the food and service were fantastic.
Throughout most of the year, you'll likely encounter live entertainment along the river's banks, including live music, performances, festivals, and other free events. There are also seasonal parades, including the Ford Parade of Lights in the summer and Day of the Dead parade in October. You can view the full schedule here.
2) Japanese Tea Garden at Brackenridge Park
The Japanese Tea Garden is located within the grounds of Brackenridge Park. Admission is free and it's not far from the downtown area, making it an easy drive or ride share away. It's open every day, between the hours of 7am and 5pm.
As stated above, admission is free but if you’re looking to do a professional photoshoot here, you’ll need to contact them to obtain a permit. Additionally, you can bring your dog here, provided you keep it on a leash.
You could easily spend hours here enjoying the year-round flora, stone walkways and bridges, the 60-foot waterfall, Japanese pavilion and more. When we were here (mid-day in July) there was only a few other people there. It was peaceful, tranquil and the perfect way to escape the hoards of tourists at the more popular spots.
Also located on Brackenridge Park grounds is the Witte Museum. It's the most visited museum in San Antonio, inspiring visitors and locals like to shape the future of Texas through relevant and transformative experiences in science, culture, and nature.
3) The Alamo
When planning a trip to San Antonio, especially for the first time, The Alamo is right up there with the River Walk as a must-see attraction. The Alamo is a significantly historic building where many people died during the Battle of the Alamo is 1836 (including Davy Crockett).
As with the prior two entries in this list, the Alamo is free to visit (timed reservations now required). I highly recommend paying a visit and seeing it for yourself. The interior is small and won’t take long to look through, but you’ll also be able to explore the beautiful grounds behind it that includes a mini museum, a water fountain dedicated to Davy Crockett and bronze statues of the most-known individuals who fought here.
4) Natural Bridge Caverns
The Natural Bridge Caverns gets its name from the 60-foot limestone bridge above it and was discovered in 1960 by four college students. It has since turned into a huge entertainment complex with zip lining, mazes, wall climbing, obstacle courses, restaurants and shops making up the surface activities.
Under the surface, however, is where the main attraction lies. There are two tours available. The first being the Discovery Tour, which is their most popular. You’re guided 180-feet below the earth’s surface through multiple cavern "rooms". For the more adventurous, the Hidden Passages Tour takes you through the natural darkness of the cave and into rooms not seen in the Discovery Tour.
Tickets can be purchased online or on-site (you’re better off with the former) and it seems that prices are determined by which day you want to come. Weekends are higher priced than mid-week. Adult tickets start at $37.75 with child tickets starting at $24.50. Note that these prices are for the cavern tour and do not include access to the surface activities. Parking is complimentary, so there's that.
I would avoid this tour in the summer, as the caverns remain at a year-round temperature of 70 degrees and a sweat-inducing 99% humidity. If you happen to be here outside of the summer when it's cooler, it's the perfect activity to get out of the elements for a while.
5) The Historic Pearl District
We discovered the Pearl district by complete accident and it ended up becoming our favorite part of the trip. We were on our way to a great bakery in the area called, “Bakery Lorraine”, and after our brunch, we decided to abandon our plans and stay to explore the area.
The old Pearl Brewery building has since been converted into, “Hotel Emma”, and is a stunningly beautiful hotel. Stunning goth and industrial style decor come together to form the interior. The lobby is open to the public and we highly encourage you check it out. Next time we’re in San Antonio, we’re definitely booking a room here.
On Saturdays the Pearl hosts a famers market, the third campus of the Culinary Institute is here, as well as numerous restaurants, coffee shops, stores, and more! There’s also a small section of the river behind Hotel Emma. This vibrant community is well worth exploring. You could spend a couple hours or all day here.
Where We Stayed
JW Marriott
My wife and I very much enjoyed our stay here. They take great care of the property as everywhere you look you’ll find an abundance of lush greenery and flora. The lobby is huge and instead of just a pool, they have an entire water park out back that’s included in the price of your room.
The rooms were clean and well organized while the bedding was incredibly comfortable. The shower was walk-in style and the view from our balcony was amazing. The customer service from the staff was impeccable in every way possible. It’s truly a great property.
The only downside was how far away it was from literally everything in the city. Thankfully, the majority of the event we attended took place on property and transportation was provided to us for activities off property, so it wasn’t a huge issue. For clarity, it is a 30-minute drive from this hotel to the Riverwalk (one-way). Just something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of booking here.
Our Airbnb
Since the event was only going to be a few days, we decided to extend our time in San Antonio by booking an Airbnb that was closer to the action. After searching through all the listings, we decided on the, “Butler’s Attic”. It was located in a quiet neighborhood that’s just a short walk from the Pearl District and a quick ride share from just about everything else.
The owners took great care in designing this one. They managed to make this relatively small space feel roomy and comfortable. The shower is walk-in and all the amenities such as body wash and shampoo were provided. You can come and go as you please through the side door with coded, keyless entry. The only downside, to me, was the stairwell. Dragging our luggage up that thing wasn’t fun.
Stairs aside, this was one of the best Airbnbs were ever stayed in and would not hesitate to book it again. You can view the full listing here.
Tips For Your Trip
Avoid summer, if possible. We visited San Antonio in July and believe me, that would not have been our first, second or even third choice. The event we were attending was in July and it was that or nothing, so off we went. Summer is miserably hot, humid and attractions are crowded. We were told by multiple locals that spring and winter are the best times to visit.
Ride sharing is prevalent. Outside of any sponsored event activities in which transportation was provided to us, we utilized Uber for practically everything except for the Caverns (which was event sponsored). We never had an issue with any drivers and never waited longer than a few minutes for one to arrive.
Eat local. San Antonio has many, many solid local restaurants to choose from. Unfortunately, a lot of people stick to the branded ones located along the River Walk. With Boudro’s being the sole exception, we were told by multiple Uber drivers and locals to avoid the restaurants there as they cater to tourists and don’t have very high standards. A few places we can recommend are Bourdro’s, Bakery Lorraine (Pearl), and NOLA.
Take day trips! There are a few day trips you could take from San Antonio that I wish we had time for. Some of these include Austin, Fredericksburg, Guadalupe River State Park, New Braunfels, Gruene, and more! Be sure to look into some of these and include one (or more) into your plans.
