Explore San Antonio on the Cheap
Texas takes the saying, “Everything is bigger in Texas!” to heart, and the City of San Antonio is no exception. In fact, there are so many San Antonio attractions that your family will want to stay for a week, just to make a dent in the list of things to do. Fortunately, this dent doesn’t have to find its way to your wallet.
How it Works
The San Antonio Savings and Beyond card will save your family up to 48 percent off your next 7-day vacation. There are several cards to choose from, so you can pick the one that suits your family’s needs best. Here’s how it works:
- You can pre-purchase your cards online and or in person once you’ve arrived.
- You’ll have either 3 or 7 consecutive days with which to use your passes (depending upon the pass you pick)
- The countdown doesn’t start until you start using it
Purchasing this card gives you one-time passes into each of the 16 participating San Antonio attractions your family wants to visit most, like the San Antonio Children’s Museum or the Tomb Rider 3D Adventure Ride and Arcade. You have the flexibility of creating your own daily itinerary and you can switch it up at any time throughout your stay. Just show your passes at each of the locations to gain entry.
Where to Go
After you’ve dropped off your bags at the kid-friendly hotel of your choosing, enjoy a walk downtown. Running through the heart of the city is the San Antonio River, which is the backdrop to River Walk. This elongated stretch along the river bank is actually a network of walkways that weave in and out of small shops, restaurants and art galleries. If shopping is on your to-do list, check out the Historic Market Square.
San Antonio used to be a Spanish military encampment. It began life as an isolated waystation and grew to be the thriving hub that it is today. While the encampment is a thing of the past, the Spanish architecture is still around. With your Savings and Beyond cards, you can hop on the Alamo Trolley Tours, included in the passes, and head over to one of the many Spanish missions in the city.
As the most famous of all San Antonio attractions for a family vacation, The Alamo is steeped in history, architecture and natural beauty. It also happens to be one of the sites included on the cards. While it won’t take your family long to peruse the mission itself, be sure to take time to stroll along the grounds outside.
Use your cards to visit Ripley’s Believe it or Not! or the Texas Ranger Museum, or go to one of the many jaw-dropping, excitement-inducing amusement and theme parks, including SeaWorld, Six Flags Fiesta and Splashtown.
Top 10 Things To Do In San Antonio With Kids
As the second-largest and second-most-populous state in the country, Texas has a huge number of kid-friendly attractions to visit. With so many San Antonio attractions to suit your family’s needs and the right cards to see them for a discounted price, you’re sure to have fun!
1. Tomb Rider 3D
Tomb Rider 3D is a multimillion-dollar special effects, 3D interactive adventure ride and arcade. Try to defeat the curse of Anubis! It was fun! You sit 2 to a car and wear 3D glasses. Each person has a laser gun, and as you ride through the course you shoot at dots and earn points. Enjoy the FREE PLAY arcade on the way out.
2. Guinness World Records Museum
Guinness World Records Museum is a state-of-the-art interactive museum that brings the world-famous book to life via 14 fun, themed galleries. We saw so many fun and interesting. Imagine a giant Light Bright screen that looks like Justin Beiber! Get a $3 Coupon here.
3. Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works
200 life-like wax figures in themed settings. We saw everything from the president to Batman! I saw Oprah and Ellen! WOOHOO!
4. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is one of the largest and most interactive in the United States–explore three floors with over 500 unusual and fascinating exhibits. $3 off coupon here.
5. Ripley’s Moving Theater 4D
The newest attraction is a motion simulator special effects theater! Get seated and prepare to ride with the characters on the screen. You feel the cool breeze, feel the crashes, and smell the scents. This was an experience like none other. $3 off coupon here.
6. AMC Rivercenter 11 With Alamo IMAX
Before you see the Alamo, see “Alamo…The Price of Freedom.” The giant crystal clear images and wrap-around sound of IMAX thrills in a way no ordinary theatre can, and we have the biggest screen in Texas! This was a great learning experience for the kids and for me!
7. The Alamo
When visiting San Antonio with kids, you must visit this piece of Texas history! Located on Alamo Plaza in downtown San Antonio, Texas, the Alamo houses exhibits on the Texas Revolution and Texas History. Visitors are welcome to stroll through the beautiful Alamo Gardens. It is like being transported back to this special time in history. Very humbling and emotional! This is FREE.
8. Tower Of The Americas
Get a view of San Antonio from high in the sky! Ride the elevator up and see the entire town. Located in downtown San Antonio, the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas provides guests the most spectacular view of the Alamo City. Enjoy the gorgeous panorama from the Tower’s revolving Chart House Restaurant, take in the scenery from the Observation Deck or experience the thrilling 4D Theater Ride. For a taste of the best dining and fun that San Antonio Riverwalk restaurants have to offer, come take a flight with the Tower of the Americas. Get your $2 off coupon here.
9. The Riverwalk
Take a stroll down the San Antonio Riverwalk. You will see the beauty of the river, the ducks, the restaurants. You can take a boat ride and you may even see a wedding. Consider staying on the San Antonio Riverwalk and enjoy it the entire stay!
10. Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is your dream come true. From the comfort of your own vehicle, travel through hundreds of acres of Texas ranch land that are a safe home away from home to species from all over the world. We had such a blast. The tropical storm rolled in while we were there. I discovered that the rain brings out their energy! The pics in the rain were not great, but trust me, the animals were very active in the rain! Get your coupon here.
Are you ready to SAVE big?
When visiting San Antonio with kids, you’ll want to use all the savings that you can. SAVE stands for the San Antonio Vacation Experience and with it you can SAVE over $1,800. Only SAVE has the BEST DEALS on SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Plus, with SAVE you will get at least 15% off rates at hotels around town and discounts on all of our can’t-miss attractions, restaurants, tours, shops and more.