The Best Things to do in Fredericksburg, Texas on a Girls Trip
Updated: May 22, 2022
Fredericksburg is known for its delicious local food, wineries, and gorgeous rolling hills which lead to some awesome hiking and swim holes. There’s plenty of things to do in Fredricksburg to keep you busy. It’s perfect for a visit any time of year, but I definitely recommend fall because you not only get to experience the town, but you also get to experience cooler weather and Oktoberfest while there.
It’s located just 45 minutes outside Austin and I have to say, it pretty much was a perfect girls weekend in Fredericksburg.
I’m a Texan and love it when I get to explore a little more of my home state (I say little because it is literally so big you can only explore a little at a time!).
Where to Stay
So.. to have the perfect girls weekend in Fredericksburg, you first need the perfect Airbnb! To be honest, there are not many good hotels in the area either, so Airbnb is the obvious choice here. Plus, when you think about these cute little towns, why would you want to stay in a big hotel chain?
Aaaaand, actual bed and breakfasts feel too couple-ish to be honest. We looked a month out and were left with fewer options, so do look far in advance for more budget-friendly options! We were so happy with what we found though and splitting $200/night 4 ways is not bad.
So… we stayed at a really amazing spot right in downtown. We had a hot tub, were within walking distance to bars and restaurants, and were two blocks from Oktoberfest. It was pretty much more than worth it!
Pro-tip: If you are headed here in the fall on your girls’ weekend in Fredericksburg, book early! With Oktoberfest and the cooler weather (for Texas at least), tons of people are headed out-of-town to this cute area. More affordable places fill up quickly, and you may be left with few options in your price range.
Getting There
The closest airport is located in Austin. I flew into Dallas and drove down from there. Dallas is about 4 hours away by car. Houston is about the same. Basically, you will need to rent a car and drive here.
I got a super cheap flight on Southwest for just $100 each way from DC. Definitely look for great deals because they exist! After landing in Austin, you will need to drive about 45 minutes – 1 hour outside of the city to get to your girls’ weekend in Fredericksburg. I did a road trip from Austin to San Antonio, and Fredericksburg is right in between. The drive is gorgeous and totally worth taking. The winding roads through the Texas hill country are not something to miss!
Friday Evening
Dinner at Cabernet Grill — $20 – 30
This was our fancy dinner, and I loved this place! I am a firm believer in one nice meal per trip. They had delicious cocktails, friendly staff, and gorgeous grounds. We had a fun time relaxing on our first night with some really good food. This place is definitely one to try the steak at—so good!
Oktoberfest — $14 for 2-day ticket
We were there in the fall, which meant Oktoberfest was going strong in town! There were tons of people visiting that weekend, so the town was really busy. You could buy a weekend pass to Oktoberfest for just $14. so we bought tickets and headed inside. There were multiple performance stages with dancing and tables, tons of vendors, and lots of beer flowing. It was definitely a great way to start our trip!
Even if you aren’t here on Oktoberfest weekend, there’s some nightlife happening in this little town. Don’t think that Oktoberfest is the only way to get out at night!
Pro-tip: Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg only happens for one weekend. This year it is on October 2 – 4, so buy tickets early! You can find tickets on their website here.
Saturday
We started our day a little late. We were all tired after driving and flying, so we took it easy that morning, walking around town and checking out all the adorable boutiques. The main street has tons of unique shops and places to stop in. We also grabbed lunch at Hando’s on the Main for some excellent sandwiches and the like. I got some awesome chili because Texas chili is the best!
Winery Tour — $25 for bus, plus cost of wine
One of the things that makes Fredericksburg so unique is the cheap winery tour bus that leaves from right downtown! For just $25, you can get an all-day pass for the bus that goes to 14 wineries.
The bus also delivers any wine you buy back to the city, where it can be held for safekeeping. We took advantage of this service without an issue. This also meant we didn’t need a DD or have concerns about getting lost (cell phone service out there is spotty) because everyone was familiar with the bus.
Pro-tip: The bus only runs from 10:30 am – 5 pm. Start early enough to get your fill of wine, but not too early so that you are done by 1 pm. We stopped at our first winery around 1:30 pm and headed back at 4:30 pm. It was just the right amount of time to visit four wineries!
Our first stop was at Grape Creek Vineyard. This vineyard had the best atmosphere of anywhere we stopped because the outdoor space was beautiful, offered live music, and an awesome view. They offer wine tastings inside, but outside is where the action really happens. We did a quick wine tasting then went outside for a gorgeous view and live music. This one was definitely one of the best wineries in Fredericksburg!
Our next stop was at Becker, which had a beautiful, open tasting room. It was quite crowded, but they offered free tours of their cellars so you could learn more about their wines. This sounded so fun, but we missed it by 10 minutes!
After this, we stopped at 4.0 cellars, where there was more live music! We loved this spot because they offered sangria made with their wine, which was a nice way to switch things up after drinking so much wine. We were getting a little tired at this point and didn’t spend as much time here. Funny enough, we bought the most bottles from this winery though! They definitely had some delicious wines, and it was worth the stop.
The last stop we made was at Fat Ass Winery, where we took some hilarious photos, but mostly TACOS! They had food, and we ate while there to hold us over before dinner. Necessary after so much wine.
By the end of the day, we had tried Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Lenoir, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Shiraz, Syrah, and more! It’s fair to say we were exhausted and full of wine as we got off the bus, picked up our wines, and headed to our Airbnb. We bought a lot of bottles between the four of us as well, but it was so easy to keep track of because of the delivery back to town.
The wineries come in all different sizes and shapes with something to offer for everyone. One of our favorite things about them all was that they offered wine tastings and almost always let you keep a glass—something very different from other wineries I had been too!
Dinner at Vaudville — $20 – $30
After all the wineries we needed another nap. We went back to our Airbnb, took our naps, showered, and got ready for another night out! This time, we went to a spot right downtown called Vaudville—a great little French bistro on the main street. This time, I went budget and got a flatbread for $12 and was able to pay less than $20 for my meal, including a drink!
More Oktoberfest and Bars
What’s a girls’ weekend in Fredericksburg without more wine and karaoke in the evening? We were surprised by how much fun we had out in Fredericksburg. We stayed until closing at Oktoberfest then went to a bar to do some Karaoke. Of course, I sang a ridiculous song by Britney Spears and Tayor Swift (okay, so maybe it’s awesome to me…), and then we headed home to get another good night’s rest.
Pro-tip: Bars will call a cab for you in Fredericksburg, but the town also now has Uber. It is a small town so getting an Uber can be tricky at times. If you want a cab, make sure you let the bar know you want a cab, and they can usually help you out. We walked to a bar from Oktoberfest, but after being in heels for so long, we wanted a ride home!
Sunday
Shop around town
We just had to check out the town one more time. There’s definitely enough to see and explore it for a few days. We loved all the shops and coffee spots. Oh—and tons of Texas paraphernalia. My favorite!
Hike Enchanted Rock — free
If you are in the Texas Hill Country, don’t skip hiking! It’s a beautiful area, and there are some awesome options. I suggest checking out the Old Tunnel State Park (bat cave!), Lost Maples State Park, and of course, Enchanted Rock! This was an easy hike, about 45 minutes, mostly uphill, but easy to stop along and the perfect way to head out-of-town from your girls’ weekend in Fredericksburg.
Enchanted Rock has a great view of the Texas Hill Country and is only about 15 minutes from Fredericksburg. There is ample parking, and it’s free!
From here, we all had to head our separate ways back home. I seriously had a blast while here. This was pretty much the perfect place for a girls’ weekend. If you have the chance, don’t miss it—go on a girls’ weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas! You’ll love the food, wine, shopping, and of course, hanging out with your friends.