Stages and Street Art: a Creative Break in Austin

This glitzy high-rise hotel in the heart of downtown Austin has rock’n’roll swagger in spades – there are gilded accents in every room, epic skyline views from floor-to-ceiling windows and a see-and-be-seen rooftop pool scene. We think any Grammy-winning diva would approve of the sprawling spa, with its soaking pools, saunas and solariums (try the two-hour Texas Hill Country Awakening treatment to banish that honky-tonk hangover). The Fairmont also prides itself on being plugged into the city’s thriving arts scene. It has live music most nights in one of its five restaurants and bars, unique artworks by local artists on the walls and exciting culinary pop-ups in the event spaces.

Head to the historic Continental Club, boogie to bluegrass at Radio Coffee and Beer, or mosy over to the “Mystery Monday” concert at El Mercado on this foot-stomping tour of Austin’s legendary music venues. Your tour guide, Will, is the ultimate insider – an award-winning local musician who’s recorded with the likes of Willie Nelson and Gary Clark Jr. He might even serenade you with a song or two himself.

Sharpen your eye and capture Austin’s best angles with help from veteran photographer Mack McPhedrain on this downtown photography tour. Mack will take you to the best locations for snapping vibrant stills of the city’s scenery (he’s also a history buff, so expect a sprinkling of local lore, too). The tour starts and ends at the Texas State Capitol building, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to snap photos of this architectural wonder and its acres of lush grounds.

Mosaics, murals, street art, graffiti – the streets of Austin are a living open-air gallery, but not the kind that ever makes it into the guidebooks. On this colorful walking tour through East Austin, you’ll see the city’s weirdest, wackiest and most beloved street art (including works by world-famous artists Blek le Rat, JonOne and Meres One), get plenty of photo ops and uncover the nooks and crannies of the neighborhood that residents themselves often miss.