Have you ever visited San Antonio during the holidays? The twinkling lights over the River Walk are a beautiful sight. With upcoming breaks from school shortly, we’re here to remind you why San Antonio is a perfect spot to take the kids for fun adventures.

Only about an hour’s drive south of Austin, San Antonio provides SO MANY amazing things for kids to see and do year-round. There’s the beautiful River Walk and the historic Alamo, as well as engaging museums, parks, a zoo, and more. Take a little trip down and enjoy being a tourist for a day or two.

Holiday Magic: Last year was our first visit to San Antonio during their famous holiday lights on the River Walk where you can see over 100,000 lights (2,250 strings of light) draped over the towering bald cypress trees that line the water. It’s as gorgeous as it sounds, whether you’re taking a boat cruise down the water or taking a stroll on foot. This year’s holiday lights are lit from November 24 – January 7, 2024. 

Other holiday events include:

— Ford Holiday River Parade and River Lighting Ceremony: The 42nd Annual Ford Holiday River Parade is a San Antonio tradition that offers a spectacular one-hour parade along the San Antonio River Walk. This year, the parade takes place on Friday, November 24, 2023, at 6 pm featuring illuminated floats and costumed parade participants. Learn more about attending.

— Six Flags Fiesta Texas Holiday in the Park: Select days from November 18 – December 31, Six Flags will be open for the holiday season with magical lights and scenes, a Holiday Express train ride, Looney Tunes characters dressed in their holiday finest, and lots of special seasonal shows. Learn more.

— SeaWorld San Antonio’s Christmas Celebration – Visit Nov. 9  through Jan. 2 for Christmas shows, festive foods, Santa Claus, the largest Christmas light display in Texas. Enjoy the Sesame Street Christmas Parade and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer-themed events all at the park. More info.

— Zoo Lights at the San Antonio Zoo: Stroll through the zoo as you sip hot cocoa and become surrounded by the bright glow of the lights from Nov. 18 – Dec. 31. Visit all the themed areas around the zoo, hop aboard a Holiday Sing-Along Express train ride, and enjoy life-sized illuminated animals like a 15-foot-tall giraffe in Starry Safari. Zoo Lights is included in regular admission. Learn more.

— Christmas at the Natural Bridge Caverns: Hear your favorite carols echo through Texas’ largest underground cavern. Take a stroll through the 1/3-mile trail of lights. Visit with Santa “Spelunker” Claus, then round up his reindeer in the 5000 square foot outdoor maze. Don’t forget to roast s’mores, enjoy live music, and shop for your holiday gifts!  Check here for hours and more info.

What to See & Do in San Antonio:
Our family is pretty enthusiastic about being “on the go” and exploring lots of new things, so we pack a LOT into a visit. However, you could kick back and take it slow, choosing one or two activities. We’d suggest beginning at the Visit San Antonio website. Or you can stop at the Visitors Center next to the Alamo (317 Alamo Plaza) for maps and more. Below are the fun things we enjoyed on our trip:

— Go Rio Cruise
Informative and relaxing, taking a 35-minute cruise of the River Walk was a great way to see the sights and enjoy a little boat ride. You’ll hear a narrated history of the San Antonio River along the cruise. Click here for details on pricing and hours.

— The Alamo
It would be hard to take a trip to San Antonio without a stop at their most famous landmark. The Alamo shaped the city of San Antonio, ignited the battle for Texas independence, and influenced American history. You can take a guided tour and learn much about the history and importance of this site or do a self-guided walk around the grounds. Click here for all the details about visiting the Alamo and for listings of special events.

— Witte Museum
This was a huge favorite among our family! The Witte Museum is located next to Brackenridge Park on the banks of the San Antonio River. Its focus is on natural history, science, and South Texas heritage. You’ll find dinosaur bones, cave drawings, Texas wildlife dioramas, Texas art & textiles, and more. Click here for admission info and all the details about visiting the Witte.

— Tower of the Americas
The 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas can be spotted from all over the downtown area. Visitors are invited to take the glass-windowed elevator up for spectacular views of the city. The tower was built as the theme structure of the 1968 World’s Fair. The kids thought the ride up and down was quite fun, and they enjoyed using the coin-operated telescopes for views of landmarks down below. The Tower also has a revolving restaurant and a 4D Theater Ride. Click here for admission, hours, and more info about the Tower.

— Hemisfair Park – Yanaguana Garden
This playground within downtown Hemisfair Park is amazing! Yanaguana Garden includes a splash pad, sand play area, giant chess and checkers, cool climbing structures, swings, and slides. It’s a clean, pretty park perfect for kids of all ages. Click here to learn more and get directions and parking info.

— San Antonio Zoo
The San Antonio Zoo, located in Brackenridge Park, includes 35 acres and houses a collection of over 3,500 animals representing 750 species. The kids were most excited about the African savanna area where you can find elephants, zebras, rhinos, big cats, and even feed giraffes. For little ones, bring along a swimsuit if the weather is warm and let them splash in the Tiny Tot Nature Spot area. Click here to learn all about zoo admission and attractions.

— Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
The kids call this one the “drive-thru zoo” because you will mainly stay in your car, driving through the 400-acre private property in the San Antonio hill country, where animals roam freely within the pastures. The ranch features more than 500 animals representing over 40 species, including giraffe, gazelle, zebra, ostrich, llama, African buffalo, emu, elk, and more. It’s a pretty crazy experience to drive by and feed animals from your car along the way. Click here for the full details about visiting this Wildlife Ranch.

Note: The Natural Bridge Caverns are located just next door to this ranch. While they are not affiliated, they are in such proximity that you might wish to include both attractions on your trip. Click here for info about the caverns.

— The DoSeum
The Doseum on this trip is one of the best children’s museums we have ever been to! It’s a very fun place to spend a day for both indoor and outdoor play. It offers unique exhibits including a spy academy, a treehouse and outdoor water feature, a musical staircase, programmable robots, and so many hands-on activities. Read all about it in our review.

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There’s so much more to check out in San Antonio — Kiddie Park, the Botanical Garden, the Pearl area, the Missions, and theme parks, too. You can view Visit San Antonio’s list of Trip Ideas and their roundup of Family Entertainment for even more suggestions.