Delightful wineries, sparkling rivers, and idyllic vistas aren’t the only reasons to visit the Hill Country! The best Texas Hill Country towns are as varied as they are interesting, featuring plenty of history, natural beauty, and fun things to do.
Whether it’s your first trip to the Hill Country or you’ve lived here all your life, these small towns in the Texas Hill Country are a delight to visit.
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Beautiful Texas Hill Country Towns
Fredericksburg
Without a doubt, Fredericksburg is the most famous Hill Country town in Texas!
Known for its German heritage, prominent location along Wine Road 290 (aka its many wineries), many festivals, and proximity to other Hill Country favorites like Luckenbach, Enchanted Rock, and Old Tunnel State Park, Fredericksburg is one of the absolute best TX Hill Country towns to visit.
While you’re there, be sure to indulge in a few wine tastings, enjoy shopping on Main Street, stay in a charming bed and breakfast, and have at least one gut-busting meal worth of German food!
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Fredericksburg!
Boerne
Located just outside of San Antonio, Boerne is not only one of the best day trips from San Antonio, but one of the coolest towns in the Hill Country!
Known for (like Fredericksburg) its German heritage, wineries, and shopping (in this case, the idyllic Hill Country Mile), Boerne also boasts some of the coolest caves in Texas, including Cascade Caverns and Cave Without a Name.
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Boerne!
Wimberley
Located right where the Blanco River meets Cypress Creek in the Texas Hill Country, Wimberley is one of the best Hill Country towns in Texas for those looking for a swim.
The nearby Blue Hole and Jacob’s Well both draw in plenty of visitors hoping to beat the Texas heat, but if you visit, be sure to also for exploring Wimberley’s wonderful art and music scenes, including the many whimsical painted boot sculptures you’ll find around town.
For incredible Hill Country views in exchange for very little effort, don’t miss climbing Old Baldy while in Wimberley!
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Wimberley!
Llano
Drive Highway 71 from Austin to Llano (or nearby Burnet) in April, and you just may find some of the most beautiful bluebonnet patches in Texas!
The bluebonnets aren’t the only reason to visit, though.
Llano is packed with unexpected things to do, including spotting the bald eagles that nest nearby, strolling across the walkable Roy B. Inks Bridge that crosses the Llano River, and visiting Shakedown Street, an alley-slash-music-venue decorated with Grateful Dead-themed murals.
Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Inks Lake State Park are also both accessible from lovely Llano.
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Llano!
Luckenbach
With a population of literally 3 people, Luckenbach, Texas, is more of a music venue than a town these days–but despite its minuscule size, it’s well worth a visit!
Luckenbach’s historic post office is now a gift shop, but it remains one of the most popular photo spots in Texas.
And, whether you stop by on a random Tuesday afternoon or on a Friday night, you’re bound to enjoy some live music while relaxing under the shade of live oaks while you’re there.
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Luckenbach!
Dripping Springs
Home to the famous Hamilton Pool Preserve, plenty of wineries and distilleries, and some of Texas’ loveliest Hill Country wedding venues, Dripping Springs nicknamed itself the “Gateway to the Hill Country” for good reason!
While exploring Dripping Springs, be sure to check out Tillies, a beautiful restaurant housed in a former Vietnamese courthouse that was imported to Texas, charming Mercer Street with its boutiques and restaurants, the Dr. Pound Farmstead, and–my personal favorite–Texas Hill Country Olive Oil Co., where you can pick up local Texas olive oil (it’s delicious and we keep some on hand in our pantry at all times).
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Dripping Springs!
Blanco
As the Lavender Capital of Texas, Blanco is known for its beautiful lavender farms and the corresponding festival that happens each summer–but that’s not the only reason to plan a visit to Blanco!
Other attractions include going for a swim at Blanco State Park and chowing down at Old 300 BBQ (I love the Sam Houston sandwich, personally).
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Blanco!
Johnson City
A winery housed in a castle, one of the most beautiful displays of Christmas lights in Texas, and the Johnson Settlement (complete with a few longhorns) where President Johnson’s grandparents originally settled in Texas are just a few of the delightful things that you’ll find in Johnson City!
Johnson City is one of my personal favorite Hill Country towns: its downtown is small but fairly walkable, its courthouse square charming, the antiquing plentiful, and its location–along Highway 290 and not far from Pedernales Falls State Park–sublime.
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Johnson City!
Gruene
Technically, Gruene isn’t a Texas Hill Country town in its own right, but rather a historic district in the city of New Braunfels.
However, that wasn’t always the case, and to this day, visitors come from all over Texas to enjoy Gruene!
Known for being home to Gruene Hall, the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas, Gruene is a Hill Country favorite with locals and visitors alike.
This small town is both shady and walkable (both enormous wins in Central Texas), and packed with shops, restaurants (Gristmill, which is housed in an old cotton gin overlooking the river, is among the best), and access to tubing on the Guadalupe River.
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Gruene!
Lockhart
As the Barbecue Capital of Texas, there’s one rule for visiting Lockhart: arrive very hungry.
From the moment you arrive in town, Black’s Barbecue, Kreuz Market, Smitty’s Market, and Chisholm Trail BBQ are ready to compete for your attention!
If you can swing it, the perfect day trip to Lockhart includes two Texas barbecue stops (easier said than done–ask me how I know) and a stroll around downtown.
In addition to its barbecue fame, Lockhart is also known for having one of the most beautiful historic courthouses in Texas!
Marble Falls
Located on the banks of Lake Marble Falls (which aren’t set on marble at all, but that classic Texas staple of limestone), Marble Falls is a charming Hill Country town perfect for both outdoor enthusiasts and those hoping to hit up the small-but-lovely downtown.
If you’re visiting during bluebonnet season, don’t miss the Bluebonnet House along 281, an abandoned farmhouse in town that boasts a beautiful field of bluebonnets in front of it in the spring.
Also, regardless of the time of year, don’t leave town without trying a slice of pie from the Blue Bonnet Cafe, which serves up some of the best pie in Texas!
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Marble Falls!
Driftwood
The tiny, unincorporated community of Driftwood may be dispersed (you won’t find a charming town center here), but it’s still among the best small towns in the Hill Country to visit!
Home to famous Salt Lick BBQ, its share of wineries, a picturesque, historic Texaco station that makes a fantastic Hill Country photo op, and more, Driftwood is a delight to explore.
It’s also sandwiched between Austin and Dripping Springs, making Driftwood very convenient to visit.
Check out our guide to the best things to do in Driftwood!
Bandera
The self-proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the World is definitely worth checking out when exploring Central Texas!
If you’re looking for a great place to take an afternoon horseback ride or even to spend a full weekend at a dude ranch (definitely a Texas bucket list item for Texans and visitors alike), then Bandera is the TX Hill Country town for you.
Bandera’s cozy downtown is also home to plenty of restaurants and a surprising number of independent museums, ensuring you’ll find plenty of things to do both on and off the ranch.
Map of Beautiful Towns in the Hill Country
Very nicely put together. Makes me want to plane some summer trips.
Thanks, Denice! Summer is a great time to be out there–yes it’s hot, but it’s also peach season. 🙂
As a native 74 year old native Texan (who so longs to return to my home) MY State I can’t stand the idea of not seeing “Texas in the spring” (think music) I’m praying this year I can get there! Keep me posted.
Hope you can get home soon, Laura!
If your ready to smile read on…. My wife and are related to the Johnson Family, as in LBJ or President Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson…Wife, Lady Bird, me President Johnson. Thirty years back at our home in Dripping Springs.. Ready?…. One day decades ago, I was talking with Great Aunt Grace, who looked me in the eye saying, Cliff we always stopped in Dripping Springs as they had the best water and stay the night if we ran or just late in get supplies in Austin and wanted to be back at the ranch house or it was rain near. < they were in a two horse trailer back then on the "Dirt Hwy". This story, the interesting and funny is… this was back in the Nineteen Twenties~!