SeaWorld San Antonio
40 minMarine park + water park combo. Best for families with kids 4–14. Plan a full day; arrive at opening.
10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (varies by season)
Buy online for 30%+ off gate price; multi-day passes include parking.
Home / San Antonio Attractions Guide
Your Basecamp for San Antonio — 20 Attractions, All Within an Hour
Stay at Son's Rio Cibolo and you're 20 minutes from downtown San Antonio, 15 minutes from Natural Bridge Caverns, and 25 minutes from SeaWorld — without paying downtown hotel prices, fighting River Walk parking, or losing your kids to a high-rise pool. Below: 20 of our favorite San Antonio attractions, with drive times from the cabin and suggested 2- and 3-day itineraries.
Theme Park
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
35 minCoasters, kid rides, and a full water park (Hurricane Harbor) on one ticket. Bigger thrills than SeaWorld.
Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels
25 minOriginal Schlitterbahn — uses spring-fed Comal River water (cold!). Best in Texas for older kids and teens. Closes after Labor Day.
History
The Alamo
25 minThe most-visited historic site in Texas. Free to enter the shrine and grounds; the new Alamo Exhibit Hall is worth the ticket. Plan ~1.5 hours.
Daily 9 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Free shrine entry; reserve a timed Alamo Exhibit Hall ticket online to skip the line.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
30 minFour 18th-century Spanish missions south of downtown (UNESCO World Heritage). Free to enter. Mission San José is the visitor hub.
Daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Nature
Natural Bridge Caverns
15 minTexas's largest commercial caverns. Underground guided tour is a must — cool 70°F year-round. Above ground there's a zipline, maze, and gem mining for kids.
Daily 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. (tour start times)
Combo passes (cavern + zip + maze) save 25%; book online for guaranteed entry.
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
15 minDrive-through safari park with 40+ species — feed zebras and ostriches from your car. Excellent for kids of all ages.
Daily 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. last entry
Son's Island on Lake Placid
25 minOur sister property on a private spring-fed lake. Rent a lakeside cabana for the day, paddle the calm waters of Lake Placid on Kayak & Paddleboard Wristbands ($19.99/person), or swim off the dock. A favorite day trip for overnight guests at Son's Rio Cibolo.
Seasonal — see site for hours
Cabanas book out fast on summer weekends — reserve online ahead of your stay.
Son's River Ranch on the San Marcos River
35 minOur sister property on the crystal-clear San Marcos River. River tubing, kayaking, and riverside cabins in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. An easy add-on day during a multi-night stay at Son's Rio Cibolo.
Seasonal — see site for hours
Japanese Tea Garden
30 minFree, shaded garden in an old rock quarry. 30-minute walk, photo-friendly, great morning stop before lunch downtown.
Daily 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
San Antonio Botanical Garden
25 min38 acres with a kids garden, family adventure trail, and rotating exhibits. Easy 2-hour visit.
Daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Family
San Antonio River Walk
25 minWalk the famous downtown river loop, grab dinner on a patio, or hop a 35-minute narrated barge cruise.
Always open (shops & barges 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
GO RIO barge tickets are cheapest on weekdays.
San Antonio Zoo
25 minCompact, walkable zoo inside Brackenridge Park. Great for half a day with younger kids; pair with a Brackenridge Eagle train ride.
Daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Hemisfair & Tower of the Americas
25 minDowntown park with one of the best splash pads in Texas (free) and a 750-foot observation tower with a revolving restaurant on top.
Park always open; tower 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Witte Museum
25 minTexas natural history + dinosaurs + a 4-story science treehouse. Indoor-friendly rainy-day backup plan.
Mon–Sun 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The DoSeum (Children's Museum)
30 minHands-on museum aimed at ages 2–10. Best in San Antonio for under-7s on a 100°F afternoon.
Tue–Sat 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sun 12–5
Buc-ee's (New Braunfels)
20 minYes, it's a gas station — and yes, you should stop. World's largest Buc-ee's, brisket sandwiches, clean restrooms, and the kids will demand a Beaver Nugget bag.
24/7
San Antonio Aquarium
30 minSmaller than SeaWorld but interactive — touch tanks, sloth and stingray encounters, indoor air-conditioned escape on a hot day.
Daily 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Food & Drink
Pearl District
25 minRestored brewery turned outdoor food + shopping district. Weekend farmer's market, riverside lawn, and 20+ restaurants. Date-night and brunch favorite.
Daily — restaurants vary
Gruene Historic District
30 minHistoric German town inside New Braunfels. Visit Gruene Hall (oldest dance hall in TX), grab catfish at the Gristmill, browse antique shops.
Shops 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Gruene Hall later
Shopping
La Cantera & The Rim
35 minOutdoor shopping centers on the NW side. La Cantera is upscale (Apple, Nordstrom); The Rim is family-priced (Bass Pro, Target, big-box).
10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Market Square (El Mercado)
25 minLargest Mexican market in the U.S. Grab tacos at Mi Tierra (open 24 hrs), browse imported pottery, catch weekend mariachi.
Daily 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Suggested Itineraries
Three weekend plans that pair Son's Rio Cibolo cabin time with the best of San Antonio. All drive times are from the cabin.
Classic San Antonio Weekend (2 days)
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Friday
Arrive at Son's by 3:30 p.m. Settle into your cabin, kayak the creek, BBQ at the fire pit.
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Saturday
Morning: The Alamo + River Walk lunch. Afternoon: SeaWorld OR Six Flags. Evening: back to the cabin for hot tub + s'mores.
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Sunday
Late check-out swim, then brunch at Pearl District on the way home.
Kids Under 8 (3 days)
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Day 1
Arrive, pool + creek splash, dinner at the cabin.
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Day 2
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch in the morning (15 min away), Natural Bridge Caverns tour after lunch, hot tub at sunset.
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Day 3
The DoSeum or San Antonio Zoo, then easy drive home.
History + Culture (2 days)
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Saturday
Mission San José + Missions National Park tour, Japanese Tea Garden, dinner at the Pearl.
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Sunday
The Alamo first thing, River Walk barge cruise, Market Square lunch, drive back to the creek.
The Town of Cibolo & Nearby Essentials
Forgot the sunscreen? Need a grocery run or a real dinner out? The charming, fast-growing town of Cibolo sits about 10–15 minutes from the property and has everything you might need — full grocery, big-box retail, pharmacies, and a handful of genuinely good local restaurants. Even closer, Dollar General in Marion is just a 5-minute drive. And our on-site general store covers the essentials (firewood, ice, drinks, snacks, s'mores kits, sunscreen, basic toiletries) for anything you'd rather not leave the property for.
Stock up & forgot-something stops
Our On-Site General Store
On-siteEssentials
Firewood, ice, drinks, snacks, s'mores kits, sunscreen, basic toiletries.
Dollar General (Marion)
5 minConvenience
Nearest quick stop for snacks, basics, and last-minute essentials.
H-E-B (Cibolo)
12 minGrocery
Full Texas-favorite grocery — meat, produce, beer & wine, prepared meals.
Walmart Supercenter (Schertz/Cibolo)
15 minBig-box
Groceries plus anything else you might have forgotten — toys, fishing gear, clothes.
CVS / Walgreens (Cibolo)
12 minPharmacy
Pharmacy, OTC meds, baby supplies, and a quick toiletry run.
Buc-ee's (New Braunfels)
20 minGas & snacks
World's largest gas stop — brisket sandwiches, jerky, clean restrooms, road-trip fuel.
Eat local — Cibolo & Marion favorites
Kindling Texas Kitchen
15 minWood-fired Texas heritage
Downtown Cibolo's standout — wood-fired steaks, smoked plates, craft cocktails. Date-night pick.
1908 House of Wine & Ale
15 minWine bar & small plates
Cozy historic house in downtown Cibolo. Great wine list, charcuterie, and patio nights.
Old Main Ice House
15 minTexas icehouse / casual
Classic Texas icehouse vibe — cold beer, burgers, live music on the weekends.
Penshorn's Meat Market (Marion)
8 minButcher & smoked meats
Premium hand-cut steaks, sausage, and jerky — perfect for grilling at the cabin.
Brisket & Beer BBQ (Zuehl)
15 minTexas BBQ
Local-favorite BBQ joint — brisket, ribs, and ice-cold beer just down the road.
Why basecamp at Son's instead of a downtown hotel
- Half the price of a comparable River Walk hotel — and you sleep in a cabin with a creek out the back.
- Free parking. No daily resort fee. No valet line.
- 20 minutes east of downtown via I-10 — counter-commute, so you skip rush-hour traffic.
- Kayak & Paddleboard Wristbands ($19.99/person), paddleboards, pools, hot tubs, and game room are all on-site for the morning before you head into the city.
- Kids burn off energy in the creek instead of in a hotel hallway.
Book your San Antonio basecamp
Cabins on Cibolo Creek, 20 minutes from the Alamo. Real-time availability.
