United States · June 2026
Overview
Dallas is big, shiny and spread out, with glass towers, huge highways and a lot of good food. It is not a walkable city overall, but the downtown, the Arts District and a few neighbourhoods like Bishop Arts and Deep Ellum are great on foot. It is also a city with heavy history: you can stand at the exact spot where President Kennedy was shot.
John Neely Bryan founded Dallas in 1841 as a trading post on the Trinity River. The railroads arrived in the 1870s, and the city grew on cotton, then oil (after the East Texas discovery in 1930) and banking. On 22 November 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dealey Plaza, a moment that changed the city's image for decades. Today the Dallas–Fort Worth area is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the US, and it is a host region for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
How long to stay: 2 days for Dallas, 3 to 4 days for Dallas, Fort Worth and Arlington together.
Last updated: October 2026
Quick Facts
Location
North Texas, on the Trinity River, about 50 km east of Fort Worth and 30 km east of Arlington. Austin is about 3 hours south by car, Houston about 3.5 hours.
Budget
Per person, per day.
| Backpacker | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | $45–70 (hostel or budget motel) | $150–230 | $350+ |
| Food | $30–45 | $60–90 | $130+ |
| Getting around | $6–9 (DART day pass) | $30–60 (Uber) | $80+ |
| Daily total | $80–125 | $240–380 | $560+ |
Prices do not include sales tax (8.25%) or tips. A plate of brisket costs about $20–30; tacos $3–5 each.
Things to Do
Dallas is a city that plays big. Catch the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center for one of the most electric NBA experiences in the country, then head 20 minutes west to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the billion-dollar home of the Cowboys and one of the largest domed structures on earth.
The Dallas Museum of Art anchors the Arts District with a free permanent collection that spans five thousand years, from ancient Mediterranean works to modern American painting. Combine it with the Nasher Sculpture Center next door for one of the strongest one-two art punches in the country.
Between games and galleries, wander Klyde Warren Park, snap the skyline from Reunion Tower, and eat your way through Deep Ellum. Dallas rewards the traveler who moves in wide loops.
The museum is inside the former Texas School Book Depository, on the floor where Lee Harvey Oswald fired at President Kennedy's motorcade on 22 November 1963. The exhibits tell the story of Kennedy's life, the assassination and the investigations, and you can see the corner window (preserved behind glass) from which the shots were fired.
Price: about $25–30 with audio guide · Time needed: 1.5 to 2 hours · Tip: book a timed ticket online; it sells out on weekends.
Outside the museum, two white "X" marks on Elm Street show where the shots hit. Nearby is the "grassy knoll", and two blocks east is the JFK Memorial by architect Philip Johnson (1970), an open, roofless cenotaph.
Price: free · Tip: keep in mind that standing on the X marks means standing in traffic; look from the sidewalk.
One of the largest arts districts in the US, with the Dallas Museum of Art (free general admission, from Egyptian art to Monet), the Nasher Sculpture Center (Rodin, Picasso, Miró), the Crow Museum of Asian Art (free) and concert halls by famous architects.
Price: DMA and Crow free; Nasher about $10–20 · Time needed: half a day.
A 2-hectare park built in 2012 on a deck over a sunken freeway, linking downtown and Uptown. It has food trucks, games, a dog park and free events.
Price: free · Tip: grab lunch from the food trucks.
The tower with the lit-up ball on top (1978) has an observation deck at 143 m with a 360° view of the skyline.
Price: about $20–30 · Tip: go for sunset.
A historic neighbourhood just east of downtown where blues musicians like Blind Lemon Jefferson played in the 1920s. Today it is full of murals, live music bars, tattoo shops and breweries.
Price: free · Tip: best on a Friday or Saturday night.
A small walkable neighbourhood in Oak Cliff with independent shops, coffee and some of the best restaurants in the city.
Price: free.
A sculpture of 49 bronze longhorn steers and three cowboys, recalling the cattle drives along the Shawnee Trail.
Price: free · Time needed: 15 minutes.
The Arboretum is a 27-hectare garden on White Rock Lake, famous for its spring tulips and its autumn pumpkin village. The lake itself has a 15 km trail for walking and cycling.
Price: Arboretum about $20–25 plus parking.
Held every autumn at Fair Park, a collection of Art Deco buildings from the 1936 Texas Centennial. Expect Big Tex (the giant talking cowboy), fried everything and the Texas–Oklahoma football game.
Price: about $20–25 entry.
Transit Tips
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DFW Airport: DART Orange Line light rail to downtown (about 50 minutes) or TEXRail to Fort Worth. Uber or Lyft about $35–60.
Love Field: closer to downtown; Uber about $15–25, or DART bus 524 to the Inwood/Love Field station.
By car: Austin about 3 hours, Houston about 3.5 hours.
Uber and Lyft are the easiest way around.
DART: light rail and buses; a local day pass is about $6 and the regional day pass (which includes the Trinity Railway Express to Fort Worth) is $9 since March 2026. Buy in the GoPass app.
M-Line Trolley: free vintage streetcar in Uptown.
Keep in mind that Dallas is designed for cars. If you plan to visit many neighbourhoods and day trips, renting a car is often cheaper than many Uber rides.
Helpful Words
A few basics in English can make everyday conversations much easier.
Where to Stay
Plan & Book
Explore accommodation options and open hotel details directly from the map.
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