I moved to Houston in June 2015. And it was a struggle to find different things to do. I would ask locals and recent transplants what is there to do in Houston,and the answer would always be “Oh there’s a lot!”. But they could never tell me anything other than going to the club or hanging out downtown. I’m not a huge club person so the answers wasn’t all that helpful. I decided after many failed attempts at asking others to do my own research and exploring. I’ve come up with an array of different things you can do with family, use as a date, or just exploring by yourself. This Houston Bucket list will guarantee that you will always have something new to explore. Some of these will be Houston and some will be in the surrounding areas. But if you’re from Houston then you will know that driving 45 mins to an hour is normal around here.
Also, check out:
North Houston Coffee Shops
Best Houston Restaurants at Different Price Points
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London 4 day Itinerary For First Time Visitors
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Houston Bucket list
Restaurants
Houston is a huge transient city and their food tends to reflect that! They have a wide array of different restaurant settings and cuisines. Read about my favorite Houston restaurants at different price points here.
Desserts
Coffee
I’m trying to broaden my coffee horizons , so I love trying different shops in my area. Houston has a lot of unique shops with amazing coffee. Read about my favorite coffee shops in North Houston here.
Activities
Indoors
- BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
- Houston Underground Tunnel
- Inspire Rock Climbing
- Iceskating at the Galleria Mall
Museums
I love the museum district in Houston. Make sure to take advantage of the free admission days listed below. There are more museums in the area, but these are just my favorites. The Art Car Museum is not in the museum district, but it’s worth the trip.
- Art Car Museum
- Comtemporary Art Museum (Always free)
- Museum of Fine Art (FREE Thursday 10 am–9 pm)
- Museum of Natural Science (FREE Thursdays: 6-9 pm)
- Health Museum (Free Thursdays from 2-7pm)
Outside Activities
- Houston Police Memorial
- Japanese Garden @ Hermann Park
- James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace
- Skywave Art Installation
- Roof Top Movie
- Aggieland Safari
- Texas TreeVentures
- Bayou Wildlife Zoo
- Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
- Old Town Spring
- The Woodlands Waterway
- Lake Conroe Boating/ Jet Skis
SAVE FOR LATER
London has been on my travel buckle list since my freshman year of college. I’ve even considered moving there for a year on a work visa! So when I finally got the opportunity to go, I made sure that I was able to pack a lot into my four day trip. I made sure to keep everything I did each day within walking distance to save on travel expenses. Here is my 4 day London itinerary, a simple guide for first time visitors.
What To Pack For London
- Washcloths / Loufer: Only one hotel during our trip to both Paris and London had a washcloth. A towel and hand towel was provided.
- Outlet Converter: Some hotel had USB plugs, but I wouldn’t depend on it.
- Rain jacket: It would be sunny outside, and then the rain would come. Rain jackets are way more convenient than an umbrella. Roll it up and place in a bag for emergencies.
- Comfortable Shoes: There is a lot of walking involved! Also, bring shoes that you don’t mind getting scuffed.
- Allergy Medication: We all started sneezing after walking to Buckingham Palace. Good thing we had non-drowsy Benedryl.
- Small Compact Bag/purse: You have to keep your belongings close to you, especially on the metro. A small bag that doesn’t pull on your shoulder and can fit your essentials is a must.
Transporation Advice
During our trip to London, we mostly walked and used Uber when the destination was out of walking distance. We didn’t take the subway at all. It was more expensive than other metros we have encountered. We determined that it was more cost-effective to take Uber and split it than each of us paying for metro trips.
DAY 1 LONDON EYE TO BUCKINGHAM PALACE
| The London Eye
Walk 5 Mins
Westminster Bridge
Walk 6 mins
Big Ben
Walk 3 mins
Parliament Square
Walk 13 mins
Buckingham Palace |
- How could I go to London without seeing the London Eye? There are passes that you can purchase if you also want to visit the Tower of London, do a river cruise, Madame Tussaud’s, etc.
- Westminster Bridge was beautiful to walk across. It has a gorgeous view of the river.
- Big Ben was just as important as seeing the London Eye. It was under construction when we went so I wasn’t able to check that off my list.
- Parliament Square is where you can find the British Parliament, London Supreme Court, the Abbey, and statues of some of the worlds most influential leaders and people.
- The walk from Parliament Square to Buckingham palace is about a 13 min walk, but it is well worth it. The view on the way was beautiful, especially on a beautiful day.
DAY 2 TOWER OF LONDON TO ST PAUL CATHEDRAL
| Tower Of London
Walk 5 mins
Tower Bridge
Walk 13 mins
Sky Garden Observation Deck
Walk 15 mins
St Paul Cathedral |
- Tower of London is a historic castle and home to the Crown Jewels. It’s well worth the trip.
- Tower Bridge is what most people think is the London bridge (Thanks Fergie). We stood on the London bride to take pictures of the Tower Bridge.
- Sky Garden Observation Deck is a glass dome with amazing views of the city. Grab a drink and enjoy a break from all the walking.
- St Paul Cathedral is still a working church and is deemed by some as being one of the most beautiful churches in the world.
DAY 3 SHAKESPEAR’S GLOBE TO THE SHARD
| Shakespeare’s Globe
Walk 8 mins
Borough Market
Walk 6 mins
The Shard
Drive 15 mins
Covent Garden |
- Shakespeare’s Globe is a performing art theater reconstructed after the original Shakespeare Globe theater. You can get a guided tour for 17 pounds or watch a show for a little as 5 pounds(Standing). Make sure to book shows in advance because the standing tickets can sell out well before the show.
- If I had to have picked the highlight of my entire trip, it would be Borough Market. We went during lunchtime, and I’m not sure if that was a good or bad thing. We had everything from Malaysian Curry to Fresh Donuts and Cookies. I even tried Ethiopian coffee, which was delicious!
- The Shard has London’s highest viewing platform. Tickets to the viewing platform range anywhere from 25 – 41 pounds.
- Covent Garden was on all the must-see neighborhood lists. It’s a gorgeous area!
Borough Market
DAY 4 MADAME TUSSAUDS TO CHINA TOWN
| Madame Tussauds Museum
Walk 19 mins
Oxford Street
Walk 14 mins
China Town
Walk 5 mins
Piccadilly Circus |
- The Madame Tussauds Museum is probably the most iconic wax museum there is. They have wax figures of everyone from different celebrities to world leaders. It can be super busy, making it difficult to get around and see every wax figure.
- Oxford Street is any shopping lover’s dream! It has every store that you need.
- China Town is a must-see, even if it’s just for the food! They have a lot of different Asian cuisines and its home to the trendy Bubblewrap Waffle.
- Piccadilly Circus is to London as Time Square is to NewYork! Bright lights and big screens!
