Visiting Austin on a budget? Try these five fun and free sightseeing activities while you're visiting Austin.

We outline a few ways to view the Austin bats that are well worth their bang for the buck. But many people still choose to view them while standing on the bridge looking down towards the water or by standing in a viewing area located on the southwest corner of Congress and Lady Bird Lake. Clearly the most popular tourist attraction in Austin, both of these free ways to view the bats can get crowded and aren't quite as fun as the boat and kayak tours. But if you’re travelling on a budget, working in some free bat watching is well worth it as this is Austin's most popular attraction.  Use this link to learn Best Ways to View the Austin Bats.

Explore Lady Bird Lake

Austin’s most popular hike and bike trail goes around Lady Bird Lake in the center of town. The full trail is 10.1 miles and goes from Mopac to the Longhorn dam at Pleasant Valley. That can be a few more steps than the average fit bit user is targeting and a lot of people choose shorter loops. Many people park beneath Mopac on the Northwest edge of Zilker Park and do a 4.1 mile loop to Congress Avenue and back. Another stretch gaining in popularity is from I-35 to the Lamar Walking Bridge. This will take you over a very scenic view of Austin on the walking bridge and along the new floating boardwalk on the south side of the river between Congress and I-35 shown above. You can read more about the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail here.

Visit the Waterholes on Barton Creek Greenbelt

Austin's second most popular hike and bike trail is home to a few popular waterfalls that are packed full of Austin’s younger crowd when the water is flowing. The easiest waterfall area to get to is known as the Flats and the trailhead is located where Barton Skyway dead ends into Spyglass drive just West of Mopac Blvd and is featured in the image above. At the Flats a large platform of rock lifts a few feet above Baron Creek where some falls pour into Campbell’s Hole. The next set of popular spots are Sculpture and Twin Falls further upstream. Learn more about exploring Barton Creek Greenbelt here.

Hike Mount Bonnell

On the West side of Austin lies a hidden viewpoint known as Mount Bonnell. Considered the highest point in Austin, it’s actually a little lower than the next mount over, which is technically located in Westlake. There’s a lengthy stair climb to get to the summit that is enough to leave the fit a bit winded and the unfit more likely frustrated. But getting to the top is worth it as you get fantastic views of Lake Austin and downtown at the same time. You can learn more about Mount Bonnell here.