Day One: Hit the Beach

The number one reason for heading to Galveston is the beach, and there are 20 miles of it to explore here. Start by considering which type of beach and Galveston Island attractions you prefer: the urban type, with loads of fun beachfront bars and restaurants? Or the wild kind, with plenty of sand dunes and migratory birds? Galveston has both kinds. For fun parties, stop by the beaches fronting the Seawall, where most of the action is, or maybe hit up a concert at East Beach if you’re lucky. If it’s peace and quiet you seek, head over to Galveston Island State Park, a 2000-acre nature preserve with plenty of trails for hiking, biking, and kayaking (yes, paddle trails). Whether you catch your own dinner, or just a good suntan, Galveston’s beaches are a great place to start!

Day Two: Take a Tour

Getting the most out of your vacation destination often involves taking an informative tour, so you have a better understanding of the place you’re in. Galveston has a wide variety of tours to choose from: take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, a walking tour of an old cemetery, or a boat tour of Galveston Bay! There are also helicopter tours, kayak tours, and more, so think about what type of tour you’d enjoy most.

Day Three: Dive into History

There’s just so many cool historical Galveston attractions! Spend a day walking around the East End Historic District and check out Victorian mansions like Bishop’s Palace. If you’re more interested in maritime history, stop by the Texas Seaport Museum, where you can visit the Tall Ship Elissa and browse the Galveston Immigration Database. If you really love everything Texas, you simply must stop by the Bryan Museum, which holds one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts pertaining to the American West.

Day Four: Head Out to Sea

Okay, so there’s obviously tons of fun to be had on land here in Galveston, but you’d be seriously missing out if you didn’t go out on the water at least once! There are boat rides here for every stripe of traveler, so take your pick. Whether it’s a 45-minute dolphin tour of Galveston Bay, or an all-day deep-sea fishing charter, Galveston is all about the boats. How about a sailboat ride, or a sunset dinner cruise? Don’t miss your chance to get out on the ocean with these Galveston Island attractions!

Day Five: Do Something Wild

Again, your own definition of “wild” is all that matters here, but you do want to have vacation stories to share when you get home! Tamer personalities might feel wild enough as they cruise down the exciting water slides at Schlitterbahn or ride the roller coaster on the Pleasure Pier. The truly adventurous will want to up their game with skydiving, which in Galveston has a guaranteed beach landing. Galveston is a great spot to go wild!

Day Six: Go Fishing, A Favorite Galveston Attraction

Galveston is all about the seafood, and many visitors here enjoy a chance to try catching their own at least once during their stay. Choose from beaches, jetties, and all-night fishing piers for land-based fishing, or charter a fishing boat to head offshore. Remember that a Texas fishing license is required in most cases to enjoy this Galveston attraction, though they’re not hard to get. Cook up your catch for dinner!

Day Seven: Relax on the Sand

You’ve had an active week, and you might as well take one last day to just chill on the beach before heading home. Try a different beach today and see Galveston Island from a new perspective. One last day to work on your tan!