Nearly three-quarters of Americans are planning on going on vacation this summer, and San Antonio is climbing up the national hot list of the best summer destinations of 2026.
The San Antonio-New Braunfels metro ranked as the 11th best summer travel destination in WalletHub’s annual study, which compared 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas across 41 metrics based on travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, and activities and safety.
The U.S. metros that scored the top three spots are Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia (No. 1); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida (No. 2); and San Antonio’s closest neighbor Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (No. 3).
San Antonio’s 2026 ranking is up seven spots from last year’s report, when the city was the 18th best summer travel destination.
Here’s how the Alamo City stacked up in the six main categories:
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No. 29 – Travel costs and hassles
Summer activities in San Antonio aren’t limited to just the tourists. From visiting a local bookstore to enjoying a tiki cocktail pop-up to catching a family-friendly outdoor movie screening, there are plenty of things to do to keep occupied and beat the summer heat in the city. And trips to the River Walk, Japanese Tea Garden, the Alamo, San Antonio Museum of Art, or the Tower of the Americas are always options for locals who want to pretend to be tourists for the day.
Other top Texas summer travel destinationsThe Austin metro ranked as the third-best summer travel destination in the U.S. and is the most conveniently located neighbor from San Antonio.
The study found air travel to Austin — though not entirely cheap — has plenty of short nonstop flights from other major cities, making it an easily reachable destination compared to most other U.S. cities. Austin’s reputation as a foodie city and its outdoor recreational activities also bring in
“One reason why Austin is a great destination is that it’s really easy to find affordable restaurants that are rated at least 4.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp,” the report’s author wrote. “Austin offers a mix of culture and outdoor fun, boasting a high number of attractions, including the Bullock Texas State History Museum, as well as shopping centers, music venues, food festivals, and hiking trails.”
The suburbs also attract tourists looking for fun things to do that aren’t just in central or downtown Austin, like checking out new restaurants in Round Rock and Georgetown.
Visitors taking an extended trip to Texas can also visit Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, which also ranked among the top 25 and landed in the No. 20 and No. 21 spots, respectively.
The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2026 are:
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No. 1 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
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No. 2 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
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No. 3 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
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No. 4 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
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No. 5 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
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No. 6 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
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No. 7 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
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No. 8 – Salt Lake City, Utah
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No. 9 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
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No. 10 – Richmond, Virginia
