The Ultimate Travel Guide to Galveston TX

*this post was updated Feb 2022*

I’ve been working on my Galveston guide for what feels like months & months. Well, folks, it’s finally here, my Galveston Travel Guide!! While it’s more of a travel diary at first (got snap happy on a recent trip!), be sure to scroll on down below where I’m rounding up ALL of my favorite spots in this coastal getaway.

Shop the Look:

Galveston is just about an hour south of Houston and once you’re there you feel like you’re much further away. It’s hard to believe that the swaying palm trees, chirping seagulls, and crashing waves are so close to home. While Galveston makes for the perfect day trip from Houston, it also makes for an amazing weekend getaway. With so many fun things to do and see, spending the night on Galveston Island is a whole lotta fun!

Where to Stay: The Tremont House

I recently spent a little girl’s getaway down in Galveston with my mom & Annie. We stayed at The Tremont House just off of the strand. This historic boutique-style hotel is right in the heart of the city. With a delicious cafe, spacious marble lobby and The Rooftop Bar, it’s kind of hard to convince yourself to actually leave the property and see the city!

The guest rooms are seriously too cute! High ceilings and bold prints accent the striped wallpaper adorning the rooms. We brought Annie’s play yard and she was instantly right at home. (You can also use the hotel’s cribs, but since we lived so close we figured we’d just tote ours along.) I also couldn’t help myself and slipped into the cozy white robes each morning while I sipped on my coffee.

Tremont House’s rooftop patio is a great place to grab a drink and soak in the sights!

Where to Stay: Carr Mansion

For something more quaint, quiet and full of charm – check out Carr Mansion! This historic home boasts seven stylish guest rooms, a carriage house at back and an elegant happy hour put on each afternoon by the Mansion’s proprietor.

The stunning interiors are worth a visit alone. But the location can’t be beat – just a few blocks from the beach!

What to Do: Shop

Guests staying at The Tremont House have the option of signing up for the hotel’s shopping package. (Naturally, this was something we could not refuse!!) The Girlfriend Shopping Spree Getaway Package gives you the option to escape to Galveston for a bit of retail therapy! With special offers at nearby shops, wine glass decorating at Clay Cup Studios down the street, and breakfast for two … we were in absolute heaven!

One of my favorite boutiques we stumbled upon was Emboldened Elegance. The boutique was filled with the prettiest tassel earrings, colorful totes, and boho embroidered tops and dresses. While the boutique is no longer in business as of April 2019, you can still find an array of similar resort-wear finds at many of the boutiques along The Strand and in Downtown Galveston.

What to Do: Paint

After we were all shopped out, we headed on over to Clay Cup Studios to paint our wine glasses. This was probably an activity that my mom and I wouldn’t have thought to go out of our way to plan, but because it was included with our stay at The Tremont House, we didn’t want to miss out. Honestly, we had the BEST BEST time! Painting our wine glasses together and chatting with the adorable shop owner made for my favorite part of the trip. The team at Clay Cup even let Annie stamp her footprint onto a tile to be baked and saved for later.

What to Do: Explore

Where to Eat:

For dinner, we walked on over to Fisherman’s Wharf on the Pier. Guests can sit outside on the patio and watch the ships enter Galveston’s port while they snack on the most delicious of seaside faire – from fish tacos to fried calamari. We ate here in the middle of the work week and it while it felt a bit touristy, it still had a local vibe to it too … which you know means the food is going to be good!

Hearsay on The Strand is also fabulous! We loved dining at their downtown Houston spot back when we lived in Texas. Always a delicious dinner.

The Spot is a great “spot” to grab a tropical drink and watch the waves crash into the sand from your table on their second floor patio.

And last but not least, you can’t come to Galveston without a visit to La King’s Confectionery. This old soda & sweet shop serves up nostalgia (& ice cream cones) to cool off those hot summer Texas days.

Where to Swim & Soak up Sun:

Guests staying at The Tremont House can enjoy pool and beach privileges belonging to Hotel Galvez, right on the water. Their palm tree shaded pool makes for the most relaxing oasis and even has a swim up bar! We packed Annie’s flamingo float and spent all afternoon swimming and soaking up the sun together.

Where to Beach:

I’ve been down to Galveston several times and there are many great public beaches that anyone can enjoy. We love Stewart Beach and Beach Town. When it’s not very crowded, we’ll stop right at The Seawall and post up next to Pleasure Pier. (They always have beach chairs & umbrellas available to rent which is a plus!)

This recent trip, we stopped at Beach Town to swoon over the pretty houses and sit on the sand. I wore my latest favorite embroidered top from Emboldened Elegance too. It’s such a fun & casual throw on and go top that I plan to transition into fall too.

So now that I’ve shared my most recent travel diary, I’m rounding up my favorites briefly here for y’all below. Hope this post inspires y’all to plan a trip to Galveston soon! The city is recovered from Hurricane Harvey and ready with open arms to accept visitors. Plus, with the weather starting to cool off (at least a little bit) now is a better time than ever to stroll along the sand (or The Strand!)