Neighborhood 48H guide
South Congress: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The Continental Club, Jo’s Coffee and Allens Boots.
SoCo is the strip of South Congress Avenue south of the river, lined with vintage shops, boots, restaurants and the Continental Club, with the Capitol at its northern end.
Photo gallery
Photo: formulanone from Huntsville, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Walk the shops and bars by day and the clubs at night, with downtown a short ride.
Who it's for: Couples, shoppers and music fans.
Pros
- Walkable strip
- Boutique hotels
- Live music
Cons
- Pricey
- Busy weekends
- Parking is tight
48H on South Congress
Coffee, boots, a night at the Continental.
09:00 – Jo’s Coffee
Coffee at the walk-up stand.
11:00 – Allens Boots
Rows of cowboy boots on South Congress.
19:00 – Home Slice Pizza
New York–style pizza on the strip.
21:00 – The Continental Club
Live music; check the calendar.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Coffee
Coffee
Jo’s Coffee
1300 S Congress Ave
The walk-up coffee stand with the “I love you so much” wall.
Official site / map →
Eat
Drink
Drink
The Continental Club
1315 S Congress Ave
SoCo’s classic live-music club.
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Shop
Shop
Allens Boots
1522 S Congress Ave
A big store of cowboy boots and Western wear.
Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hotel San José
1316 S Congress Ave
Restored motor court next to Jo’s.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
Hotel Magdalena
1101 Music Ln
Lake-house-style hotel just off South Congress.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for South Congress.
The City of Austin requires short-term rentals to hold an operating license. Look for it on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in South Congress on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Austin
- Downtown & Sixth Street — The Driskill, the Paramount and the Congress Avenue bats.
- Rainey Street — Bungalow bars, Banger’s beer garden and music at the Van Zandt.
- East Austin — Franklin Barbecue, the Texas State Cemetery and East Sixth bars.
- UT & Capitol — Capitol tours, the Bullock Museum and the Blanton.
- Lady Bird Lake & Barton Springs Road — Barton Springs Pool, Umlauf and a kayak on the lake.
- The Domain & North Austin — Domain Northside and Austin FC at Q2 Stadium.
- Lake Travis & Lakeway — The Oasis at sunset and the Mount Bonnell view on the way.
- Fredericksburg (Hill Country stay) — Main Street, the Pacific War museum and Enchanted Rock.