Not even triple-digit heat will deter tourists from visiting Alamo City this summer: The San Antonio metro has climbed into the No. 18 spot on WalletHub's list of the "Best Summer Travel Destinations" in 2025.
The report annually ranks 100 U.S metros based on attractions, safety, activities, weather, local costs, and travel costs and hassles. Factors that determine each city's ranking include flight costs, the number of affordable restaurants with high ratings, crime rates, and more.
The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area in Florida is the No. 1 most sought after summer travel destination this year.
San Antonio-New Braunfels moved up one spot from its 2024 rank, but the region still has a ways to go to recapture the magic it had when ranked 11th in 2023.
Here's how WalletHub broke down San Antonio's ranking in each of the six main categories:
- No. 20 – Local costs rank and attractions rank
- No. 29 – Travel costs and hassles rank
- No. 38 – Weather rank
- No. 40 – Activities rank
- No. 91 – Safety rank
San Antonio ranked the highest in the local costs category, proving that the city's affordability is a major benefit for visitors as well as locals. There's surely no shortage of things to do in the city, from visiting a soon-to-be reopened local brewery, or enjoying fun summer activities at Hemisfair.
But there's so much more that goes into choosing the right place for a memorable summer trip, says WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. Creating and sticking to a vacation budget that considers all costs of a trip, such as meals and local transportation costs, is a good place to start.
"[C]hoosing a destination that’s not only entertaining but also affordable is important when travel, dining, and activity costs have surged so much in recent years," Lupo says. "It can also allow you to have a longer, more relaxing trip."
The study's scope isn't just limited to just San Antonio proper, which also means tourists may flock to popular suburbs like New Braunfels to explore its charming small-town feel and its family-friendly attractions.
Other top Texas summer travel destinations
Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown (No. 5) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (No. 10) were the only two Texas metros to earn spots in the top 10 summer travel destinations.
Surprisingly, El Paso (No. 31) ranked four spots ahead of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land (No. 35). The final two Texas metros that earned spots in the study are Corpus Christi (No. 80) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission (No. 97).
The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2025 are:
- No. 1 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
- No. 2 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
- No. 3 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
- No. 4 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
- No. 5 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
- No. 6 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
- No. 7 – Salt Lake City, Utah
- No. 8 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
- No. 9 – Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida
- No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
