Day Trips from Dallas

Dallas is the third largest city in the state of Texas with an active cultural and commercial life. There's plenty of fun things to do in Dallas, making it a great place to stay and tour the surrounding area.

From taking a trip to the Wild West by visiting Forth Worth, to visiting the ranch from the legendary Dallas series, there's a wide variety of options you can't miss out on. You can also find more challenging activities such as jumping through a wind tunnel or testing your wits in an Escape Room, so the whole family is sure to find an interesting tour to do from Dallas. I'll tell you about those tours in this article.

If you're curious about how they lived in the Wild West, you can take a trip to Forth Worth from Dallas, the place that used to be a stop for cowboys driving cattle up the Red River in the 19th century. Forth Worth is about half an hour from Dallas, and is the 12th largest city in the United States.

The Forth Worth tour is a half-day trip, and usually starts early in the morning. It is conducted in small groups and is accompanied by a historian guide who tells you about cowboy life in old Texas as you walk through the Wild West streets of the Stockyards district. It's a tour that kids can join too, and they're sure to love it.

Some of the sites that are often included in tours to Forth Worth are:

• Hell's Half Acre: a place where whorehouses used to be and cowboys used to get drunk and get into fights.
• The Stockyards National Historic District, a place where twice-daily harnessing takes place (except on some holidays), and there are some 46 historic buildings, plus the city's famous sign.
• The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, which used to be a horse and mule stable, was built in 1888.
• The Cowtown Coliseum, where rodeos are held.
• The Livestock Exchange Building, built in 1902, now a historical museum.

Details of interest

• Price: about 74€ per person.
• Duration: approximately 4-5 hours.
• Means of transport: minivan.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the city that has most preserved the Far West spirit and its historic buildings from the 19th century.
• Disadvantages of this option: lunch is not included.

Fans of the series Dallas can't miss the Southfork Ranch, where the famous series was filmed, which today has been converted into a tourist attraction, museum and event centre. The mansion is located in Parker, a half-hour drive from downtown. The 17-season series was created by David Jacobs and had millions of viewers worldwide.

The Southfork Ranch tour includes a minivan transfer to the ranch's visitor centre, where you'll take a tram to the mansion. Once there, you'll embark on an expert-guided tour of the mansion, where you'll relive some of the most memorable scenes from the series.

At Southfork Ranch there are exhibits where you will find objects that appeared in the series, such as Lucy's wedding dress or the gun that killed JR. You can also tour the outside of the ranch, where you'll find Jock's 1978 Lincoln car. You can also buy souvenirs related to the series in the ranch shop.

Interesting details

• Price: around €74 per person.
• Duration: approximately 3 hours.
• Means of transport: minivan.
• Advantages of this option: you will see the mansion where the series Dallas was filmed and you will see many objects that were used during the filming of the series.
• Disadvantages of this option: rescheduled due to bad weather. Lunch and drinks are not included.

If you are a fan of American football, or of sports in general, you will no doubt be interested in visiting the AT&T Stadium, one of the most important stadiums in the National Football League, where the Dallas Cowboys play their home games. It is a stadium with a capacity for more than 80,000 people, where music concerts are also held.

The tour includes round-trip transportation from downtown Dallas, and can be done every day at different times. A guide will give you a tour of the stadium and tell you all about it. You'll be able to tour the entire stadium, from the playing field to the locker rooms and even the press room.

AT&T Stadium is located in Arlington, about 30 km from Dallas, and first opened in May 2009. Initially called Cowboys Stadium, it was renamed AT&T Stadium in 2013. It has one of the largest screens in the world, measuring 55 metres long and 22 metres wide, and has a retractable domed roof.

Details of interest

• Price: around €98 per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Means of transport: van.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know the stadium in detail thanks to a professional guide.
• Disadvantages of this option: does not include food and drink.

For those who enjoy gambling and want to test their luck, you'll be pleased to know that close to Dallas is the WinStar World Casino, one of the largest in the world. It is located in Tackerville, Oklahoma, about an hour's drive from Dallas.

The tour includes round-trip transportation from Dallas to the casino, and you'll have several hours to enjoy the games before returning. Some companies offer pick-up from a meeting point and others offer pick-up from your hotel, so please check beforehand. The tour is unguided and for small groups of people.

In the casino you will find more than 50 poker tables, about 100 blackjack and roulette tables, and more than 8,500 electronic machines. Inside the casino you will also see recreations of famous monuments such as the Roman Colosseum, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty.

Interesting details

• Price: around €74 per person.
• Duration: approximately 4-5 hours.
• Means of transport: minivan.
• Advantages of this option: you will arrive at the casino in a comfortable car and you will have time to enjoy the games.
• Disadvantages of this option: lunch and drinks are not included.

If you're interested in home décor, organic textiles and sampling local dishes, take a trip to Waco and the Magnolia Market, a shopping complex built in two silos that features the best home décor and interior design shops in the area. The complex occupies two city blocks in Waco, and is about an hour and a half's drive from Dallas.

The full-day tour includes round-trip car transportation from Dallas, and because it's private, you only go with the people in your group of friends or family. During the tour, your knowledgeable guide will tell you about the history of Dallas, Waco and other interesting facts about the market. You'll have plenty of time to tour the complex and even visit nearby sites such as the Waco Suspension Bridge.

The Magnolia Market features a beautiful botanical garden and food trucks with dining options for all tastes. It is a place where you can not only buy design objects or gardening products, but also spend a nice time with your family.

On the other hand, you can't miss it if you go to Dallas at Christmas time, as you will be able to see the incredible Christmas decorations of the Market, the beautiful Christmas decorations and attend events related to the festivity.

Interesting details

• Price: from €180 per person, depending on how many people take the tour with you. You can also do it alone, but it will cost you around €550.
• Duration: approximately 9 hours
• Means of transport: car
• Advantages of this option: You'll travel comfortably to Magnolia Market, and you'll have plenty of time to explore it and other nearby attractions in the city of Waco.
• Disadvantages of this option: Lunch is not included.

There are lots of fun things to do in Dallas, and this is one of them. You'll be suspended in the air by the force of the wind, which reaches 280 km per hour.

It's a safe and fun way to experience the feeling of jumping out of an aeroplane, and it's ideal for those who want to get a taste of skydiving. It can be done every day, from morning until sunset, and the whole experience lasts approximately 1.5 hours, although the actual flight lasts around one minute.

Before you jump into the tunnel, you will receive training, the right equipment and all the necessary instructions to make your experience completely safe. Up to two flights can be made per person, and up to 6 people can float in the tunnel at a time.

The Wind Tunnel is located in Frisco, 50 km from Dallas, and you can reach the site by car or public transport.

Interesting details

• Price: around 100€.
• Duration: approximately 1.5 hours on site.
• Means of transport: you must arrive on your own.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to experience jumping from a plane in a safe and fun way. At the end of the experience you will receive a flight certificate.
• Disadvantages of this option: it does not include transport.

If you're looking for adrenaline and like a challenge, you can sign up for an Escape Room in Grapevine, 36 km from Dallas. You can become an inmate trying to escape from prison, a detective with a difficult case, a student performing unusual tasks, or immerse yourself in the search for a hidden inheritance.

This experience can be done at any time of the day, even at night, and is designed to be shared with other people, unless your group is 8 people or more. You can choose from 4 game options of varying difficulty, such as Gold Rush, Prison Break, The Heist and Game Zone, and you have one hour to solve them.

It's one of the best things to do with kids in Dallas, although some challenges can be difficult for them, so they'll need your help. Grapevine can be reached by car in 25 minutes or about 2 hours by public transport from the city centre.

Interesting details

• Price: around €38.
• Duration: 1 hour in the game.
• Means of transport: you have to go on your own.
• Advantages of this option: it is a very fun experience to test your wits.
• Disadvantages of this option: Does not include transfers.

Before you book a tour from Dallas, make sure you've read carefully about what's included, how long it's expected to last and whether it can be cancelled or rescheduled. For example, some tours may not include a transfer, so you should first find out how to get there on your own, and what is the most convenient time to take the tour. The same goes for a tour in Dallas.

On the other hand, some companies do not include lunch, meals or drinks, so you should bring extra money to cover this. However, it is always a good idea to bring a bottle of water, snacks, fruit or whatever you prefer just in case. It's also important to bring sunscreen and a hat, especially if you're visiting Dallas in the summer.

It is also important to find out if the tours have an age restriction, especially if you are going to Dallas with children. On the other hand, many tours, while allowing children to participate, are not suitable for them, as they will not be much fun. In this case, the best thing to do is not to take too many hours, and to intersperse them with more entertaining activities.

There are many advantages to hiring a guided tour. One of them is that the guide will provide you with first-hand information from having lived in the region that would take you a long time to find out on your own. Especially if you just happened to arrive in Dallas and haven't had the time to research the city or its landmarks, even if you visit Dallas during the day. That's why there's nothing better than a local to introduce you to the city.

On the other hand, some places like Magnolia Market are quite far from Dallas and it will take you a long time to get there if you haven't rented a car. On the other hand, if you hire a tour, you'll be able to get there in comfort and convenience. Keep in mind that Dallas is a large city with a lot of traffic, something that tour companies have experience with and will be able to handle with ease.