Itinerary

Land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, collect a rental car for the duration of your trip and head to your hotel in Fort Worth. Dallas is a dazzling metropolis filled with skyscrapers, and Fort Worth offers a small-town feeling with Western culture at its most authentic. You’ll be staying at the latter, so saddle up for a delightful, immersive experience—but you can always drive the short distance over to Dallas if you want a taste of contemporary Texas too. 

You’ll be centrally located in a beautiful historic building within easy walking distance of all there is to see and do, so spend a relaxing evening dining in one of the many restaurants in downtown Fort Worth or head to the newly developed entertainment district, Sundance Square.

Spend the morning touring the Stockyards National Historic District in Fort Worth. Your hotel is also around the corner from Fort Worth’s Main Street where the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive still takes place. You’ll find many delightful shops, bars and restaurants along the Main Street too. Come evening enjoy a truly Texan nightlife experience by heading to the famed Billy Bob’s Texas. Or, if you happen to be in Fort Worth on a weekend, check with your hotel what’s on to get a taste of the local cowboy culture.

Make the 1.5-hour drive northwest to Wildcatter Ranch where you’ll be spending the next two nights. 

Set on 1,500 acres overlooking the Brazos River, Wildcatter is a 4-star working ranch and resort in a beautiful, secluded setting, and will provide a one-of-a-kind ranch experience over your two day stay. Take part in a range of activities such as horse riding, clay shooting, cattle feeding, scenic hikes, jeep tours, archery and tomahawk throwing, most of which are led by Wildcatter’s exceptional staff. You can also just sit back and relax in the scenic serenity to be found on your cabin porch or by the pool. 

Leave at your leisure today for the town of Amarillo, a stop on the famed Route 66 that offers an inviting mix of Old West heritage and artistic energy. 

The drive is just over 4 hours and when it comes to finding your evening accommodation, you won’t miss it. The Big Texan is not only a fantastically fun western themed motel, but the adjacent Steak Ranch & Brewery is home to the biggest steak in Texas—and we guarantee a dinner there will go down in memory. 

As you’ll be situated in Amarillo’s phenomenal Route 66 historic district which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, spend the day exploring this unique 13-block development on foot. 

Home to numerous buildings built in the Art Deco, Art Moderne and Spanish Revival styles, it serves as the hub for socialising in the town. Take your time to explore its many quirks before heading to Amarillo’s outskirts to see the famed Cadillac Ranch. This interactive installation features a sculpture of 10 classic Cadillacs half-buried in the ground, and lineups of classic cars from the 1930s to the 1970s with funky street art to match. 

Head south on a 2-hour drive today to your overnight stop in the town of Lubbock. Situated in the Texas High Plains, Lubbock is the premier destination for the region’s award-winning wineries and annual wine festivals.  

Spend the afternoon tasting your way through the local varietals, or if you happen to be a music fan, pass by the Buddy Holly Centre in the city to learn all about Lubbock’s most famous son and his legacy as a rock & roll pioneer. Lubbock also boasts the most live music venues in the state, so chances are you’ll get to catch some great live music too come evening.

Today you’ll be heading back on the road for a 4.5-hour drive to the town of Van Horn. Established as a railroad stop in 1881, the town is also known as “The Crossroads of the Texas Mountain Trail” as it continues to serve as a hub for travellers, sitting at the intersection of several modern routes.  

You’ll be staying at Hotel El Capitan, a historic gem lauded across West Texas. Local attractions include the Clark Hotel Museum which showcases artefacts from the town’s former saloon, pioneer and railroad history, and scenic drives along the Texas Mountain Trail. Come dinner, ask your hotel for the best restaurants and bars – they know all the downtown gems. 

After breakfast head an hour north for a day of hiking and stunning scenery in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Located above the vast Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas, the park is home to Texas’ highest peak and is known for its bright white Salt Basin Dunes, fossilised reef mountains and wildlife-rich grasslands – not to mention its scenic hiking trails. 

Stop by the visitor centre on your way in to find the best trail for you: McKittrick Canyon Trail offers beautiful foliage, the Devil’s Hall Trail is one of the easier routes and for the ambitious hiker, Guadalupe Peak Trail features breath taking views of Texas’ El Capitan.

Make your way over first thing to Big Bend National Park. The drive is around 3 hours and you’ll be staying in the heart of the park at a one-of-a-kind accommodation in Terlingua, a ghost town that was once a former mining community and is now home to historic ruins.  

Remotely located in far West Texas by the border with Mexico, Big Bend National Park is an astounding 800,000-acre uncharted wilderness home to striking contrasts in topography and an impressive range of plant and animal life across three ecosystems: desert, mountain and river. It encompasses the largest protected area of the Chihuahuan Desert in the United States and is recognised as an International Dark Sky Park.  

You’ll be staying in luxury right in the desert landscape, enjoying over 1,000 acres of unspoiled desert to roam and breathtaking views, including almost 2,000 shining stars at night. 

With such exquisite surroundings, you’ll find there’s so much to explore. Drive along the scenic River Road that borders Texas and Mexico along the Rio Grande, hike along more than 200 miles of hiking trails or take part in the Night Sky Ranger Programmes offered in Big Bend National Park.  

You’ll get to see temple-like limestone canyons carved by the Rio Grande over millennia, the juxtaposition of pretty wildflowers nestled between cacti and creosote, the hand-carved petroglyphs of ancient nomadic Native American tribes and the waddling footsteps of the boar-like javelina. You might even catch a glimpse of a black bear whose presence is becoming more visible in the park thanks to conservation efforts. 

Spend this morning enjoying any last activities or trails you wanted to do in Big Bend before heading back on the road north to the small town of Marathon. The drive will be under two hours, and even though you’ll have left the confines of the park, you’ll find you are still in one of the least-populated regions of Texas ensuring more spectacular skies and scenery.  

You’ll be staying at an upscale, Mission-style hotel right next to the local gardens so head out for a leafy stroll, sit back and enjoy your hotel’s amenities or explore Marathon’s unique art galleries around town.  

Marathon is rated Class 1 on the Bortle Dark Sky Scale so if you’re interested, rent out a telescope for the night to enjoy the breath-taking night skies.

Today you’ll be driving around 4.5 hours to your last destination: Texas’ famous Hill Country region and its main city, Fredericksburg. A region of lush landscapes, award-winning wineries and pioneer heritage, Fredericksburg is one of the best kept secrets in the wine world, as well as one of the state’s prettiest towns—so make sure to start your journey early. 

If you’re interested, take a brief detour to Enchanted Rock State Park on your way there to see the striking pink granite rock that is native to central Texas, then head into Fredericksburg to your picturesque bed and breakfast. You’ll be located just off the charming downtown and historic Main Street, considered one of the most beautiful in the United States, so you can right away head out to explore.

Fredericksburg is home to more than 50 wonderful wineries and vineyards within the city as well as 13 tasting rooms right along Main Street, so take the day to do multiple wine tastings across town. 

That said, if beer or pioneer history are more tempting, you’ll be pleased to know that since the town was founded by German settlers in 1846, Fredericksburg also boasts great breweries with lush beer gardens, and fascinating historical stops like the Pioneer Museum and the town square or Marktplatz where you can see a replica of the famed Venreins Kirche church. 

Enjoy the morning in Fredericksburg if you still have the time, then drive 1.5 hours to Austin International Airport to drop off your rental car and catch your flight home.