Things to do in Dallas when you have just 3 days.
Your ultimate Dallas itinerary, covering the city’s must-see destinations and essential things to do.
Discover attractions you can’t miss out and spend three amazing days in the Big D.
Dallas 72-Hour Itinerary
Day 1: Downtown Dallas - Main District, Dallas Landmarks, Sixth Floor Museum and Reunion Tower
Day 2: Forth Worth Stockyards
Day 3: Uptown & Klyde Warren Park
Looking for the perfect itinerary to visit Dallas in three days? Look no further! This post will guide you through Dallas’ top attractions in intensive and fun-packed 3 days.
It covers all the following city’s must-dos and sees in a smart way, as well as must-try foods, so you can combine close by attractions and restaurants and make the most of your short stay:
Day 1
Downtown Dallas
- Giant Eyeball
- Neiman Marcus Flagship Store
- Pioneer Plaza
- Red Flying Horse
- JFK Memorial
- Southern Kitchen Cuisine
- Dealey Plaza
- 6th Floor Museum or Dallas Worldwide Aquarium
- Reunion Tower
Day 2
Stockyards
- Tex-Mex Cuisine
- Trinity River Train Excursion
- Stockyards Cattle Drive
- Texas Cowboys Hall of Fame
- Cowboy gear shopping & kids’ activities
- The Stockyards Championship Rodeo
- Billy Bob’s or White Elephant Saloon
Day 3
Uptown & Arts District
- The Rustic beer garden, brunch and live music
- Free vintage trolley ride
- Dallas Arts District
- Klyde Warren Park
- West Village District
- Landmark’s Magnolia Theater & Magnolia Bar
- Uptown Nightlife – bars and restaurants
Find bellow the detailed itineraries and enjoy!
This 3-days guide to Dallas can be explored all at once or broken into one-day visits.
It includes the best things to do in Dallas as well as restaurants along the way where you can taste some staples of the Dallas culinary scene: Southern comfort kitchen, tex-mex and brunch.
And if you have more time around, take a peek into the 15 Top Dallas Attractions post to add other top-rated places and activities in Dallas to your self-guided tour.
Day 1: Downtown Dallas
At Downtown Dallas you will find several of the Dallas must see attractions concentrated in a relatively small area that can be covered by foot if you wish to do so – otherwise just drive around, grab a motorized scooter or use Uber.
Discover bellow the best way to explore the area and for more details take a peek into our in depth post about Downtown Dallas, my top recommended destination if you need to see or show the city in a single day:
1. Main Street District
Have breakfast at CDB Provisions or at the Commissary. Check on Giant Eyeball Sculpture, Dallas quirkiest landmark. Visit the Neiman Marcus flagship store and historic building. Have a drink at The Zodiac at Neiman Marcus.
Already hungry? Craving Texas BBQ?
Skip the next tip and take a slight detour to Pecan Lodge, one of the best barbecue joints in Dallas, right on Main St. Go for the brisket, a local staple.
2. Dallas' Landmarks Walking Tour & Southern Cuisine
Take a self-guided walking tour through the Dallas’ most famous Landmarks: Pioneer Plaza, Red Flying Horse, JFK Memorial Plaza. Have lunch at Ellen’s Southern Kitchen to taste authentic Southern comfort food. Attractions mentioned are within 5 to 10 minutes walking from each other.
3. Sixth Floor Museum OR Dallas Worldwide Aquarium
Explore Dallas’ most iconic museum, the Sixth Floor Museum. A tribute to the life and death of JFK, murdered in Dallas in 1963. The museum was built on the site of the incident and preserves it as it was over 50 years ago.
Or head to the Dallas Worldwide Aquarium, a family-friendly attraction and world-class aquarium.
4. Reunion Tower
Go up the Reunion Tower to watch the sunset and the Dallas skyline transitioning from day to night. On weekends, watch it while you have a snack at the connected Cloud 9 Cafe, featuring a super cool rotating floor. Have a quick bite at the cafe or if you’re feeling fancy top off with dinner at the on-site Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck.
Day 2: Fort Worth Stockyards
Head to the cowboy capital of Texas and home to the world’s only year-round championship rodeo.
Explore Dallas old west roots at the Forth Worth Stockyards, 40 minutes away from Downtown Dallas. Plan to spend a whole day there and go on a Saturday if possible, to make the most of your visit – it is the only day of the week that offers both the train ride and the rodeo experiences.
Here is a brief of the suggested smart itinerary to explore the Stockyards and enjoy it to the fullest. For detailed information, check the post on how to spend 2 days in Dallas, including in depth information about the Forth Worth Stockyards:
1. Tex-Mex Cuisine
Have a brunch or lunch at Joe T. Garcia’s, one of the most traditional Tex-Mex restaurants in the DFW area.
2. Vintage Train Ride
Take the one hour Trinity River Train Excursion, through the historic Cotton Bell Route (departing from the Stockyards Station on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:45 pm).
3. Stockyards Cattle Drive
Watch the 4:00 pm Forth Worth Herd. See real Texas’ cowboys herding huge Longhorns bulls through the Stockyards main street.
4. Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, cowboy gear shops and kids' activities
Visit the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. Browse authentic cowboy gear at the Stockyards shops.
If you have kids in tow, head the Stockyards Petting Zoo (usually opened till 5:00 pm). Or get lost in the Cowtown Cattle Pen Maze.
5. Stockyards Championship Rodeo
Every Friday and Saturday nights, watch a real rodeo at the Cowtown Coliseum, the Stockyards Championship Rodeo.
6. Billy Bob's and White Elephant Saloon
Experience an authentic honky tonk and listen to high-quality live country music. Choose between two iconic Stockyards country music bars and dance halls – White Elephant Saloon and Billy Bob’s – and hit the floor!
Day 3: Uptown and Arts District
Get a glimpse of the more authentic and less touristy side of Dallas. This one-day itinerary will take you through amazing places and make you experience the city like a local.
Enjoy one of the best beer gardens and live music venues in Dallas. Ride a vintage trolley for free. Check on world-class art collections. Lounge at one of the city’s main green areas. Shop, have dinner and a drink or two at one of Dallas’ liveliest areas.
Check on the detailed itinerary bellow and have fun!
1. The Rustic
Start off your day with brunch and high-quality live music at The Rustic Dallas. An upscale Uptown restaurant with cool decor and a vibrant and laid-back outdoor patio, among the best in Dallas.
Every Saturdays and Sundays, you can enjoy live music while you taste their sample-style brunch – or a burger made from scratch – and drink local craft beer or a mimosa (orange juice with sparkling wine, for the uninitiated).
The Rustic offers free live music every day, check their schedule here.
2. M- Line Trolley
Head next door to explore Uptown using a vintage trolley. Rides are free and trolleys depart every 20-30 min from the McKinney Avenue Trolley Uptown Station.
It takes you to both the Dallas Arts District and Klyde Warren Park and has several stops along the way. Hop on and off as many times as you wish to explore the surroundings. You can track the trolley here.
3. Dallas Arts District
Hop off at the Dallas Arts District, the largest contiguous urban Arts District in the US.
Visit the Dallas Museum of Art or the Crow Museum of Asian Art. Both offer free admission to their permanent collections. The Nasher Sculpture Center is another popular attraction in the area.
If you have kids in tow, head to the Perot Museum, a nature and science amazing museum with interactive exhibitions.
4. Klyde Warren Park
Enjoy the outdoors at Klyde Warren Park, just across the street from the Dallas Museum of Art.
Grab a bite at one of the food-trucks parked around daily. Borrow a magazine or game for free at their Reading & Games Room and lounge by the lawn. Take the little ones to enjoy the Children’s Park or cool off at the splash pads.
Check their calendar for public events that take place year-round at Klyde Warren Park and enjoy your visit.
5. West Village
Take the trolley back and get off at the West Village – McKinney & Lemmon East stop.
Stroll around this lively area full of shops and restaurants. Indulge in a delicious Italian ice cream or coffee at Paciugo Gelato Caffe.
Wrap up with an independent or Hollywood movie at landmark’s Magnolia Theater, just next door – or have a drink at their stylish Magnolia Bar.
Or, if you prefer, head to one of the local bars and restaurants. For drinks check on CRU Food & Wine Bar and Cork. For dinner, Baboush and Grimaldi’s.
Wrapping Up
Dallas offers tons of things to do, but if you have a short time to explore the city you might want to focus on the best of the best.
Combining Downtown Dallas, the Forth Worth Stockyards, Uptown and the Arts District is the perfect bet for first-time visitors. It will allow you to experience most of the Dallas’ top-rated things to do and experience all facets of the city.
This 3-days Dallas guide will help you to navigate wisely through the attractions, combining them by geographic proximity. Make use of it to spend less time moving from one place to another and more time enjoying.
I hope it helps you or your guest to love Dallas and make the best of it!
And when you’re done exploring the things to do mentioned in this post, go ahead and check out the top 15 things to do in Dallas. There you will find more ideas on must-sees and authentic activities that make Dallas so unique.
Your feedback is precious, so leave your comment bellow letting me know your thoughts about this itinerary. Have you tried it? How did it go? Do you know of any other place that someone visiting Dallas shouldn’t miss?
