Perfect 3-Day Itinerary For Your Waco Bachelorette Party

IT’S BACHELORETTE TRIP TIME, BABY! And if you picked Waco for your bachelorette weekend, you’re in for a fun time! Unlike nearby cities Dallas and Austin, Waco is a little bit smaller and quainter… which means you’re not going to be paying those big city prices - score! But it’s still packed with so many fun things to do/places to stay, like Airbnbs with pools, INSANE brunch spots, nightlife activities, and all the fun things you need for a bachelorette trip to make the bride feel special. 

Kelsey Kennedy headshot-4

About me: I’m Kelsey, a bestselling travel book author and the creator of 3 Texas travel websites. As a native Texan, I spend my own time and money exploring this state to help millions of readers find the best food, things to do, places to stay in Austin and beyond. Check out my other sites: TheSanAntonioThings.com and TheAustinThings.com! 

I’ll start by sharing specific details for planning your bachelorette trip, and then at the bottom of this post I’ll put a perfectly curated 3-day Bachelorette itinerary in Waco. Feel free to just copy the whole thing and you’ll have your weekend all planned!

Waco Bachelorette Party

A Few Quick Things To Know About Waco For Your Bachelorette Trip

City size: Waco, TX is about 150,000 people, so it’s a relatively small Texas city

It’s known for: Baylor University (sic ‘em bears!), where Dr Pepper was invented in the 1800s, the only prehistoric Mammoth graveyard in North America, and home to Chip and Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s Fixer Upper

Getting to Waco: Waco is about a 90 minute drive from both Austin and Dallas, so fly into one of those cities and then rent a car and drive to Waco. Yes, there is a little regional airport in Waco so you can technically fly from Dallas to Waco. It’s about a 1-hour flight and costs a lot of money, which is why I definitely recommend renting a car. 

Do I need a car in Waco? Yes! The downtown area is pretty small and you can walk from your Airbnb to Magnolia Market and lots of restaurants, but you’ll want to rent a car to see some of the things outside of downtown Waco. And there’s not very good public transportation in Waco.

Waco Texas

Ok, let’s get on to the fun stuff! When I’m planning a 3-day girls trip weekend, whether it’s for a bachelorette trip or not, I always start with booking the Airbnb. Once I have the dates locked down for that, I can plan everything else around it!

Where To Stay In Waco For Your Bachelorette Trip

Plan to book a vacation rental somewhere in downtown Waco near Magnolia Market. Even if you’re not a huge Fixer Upper fan, it’s just a good central area that’s walking distance to lots of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and more. Here’s a map of a bunch of VRBOs near Magnolia Market:

Keep in mind that Waco is in central Texas and it’s hot from May - Oct, so you might want to try to book a vacation rental with a pool! Plus, pool pics during a bachelorette party are so fun.

On a tight budget? Book a vacation rental on the outskirts of Waco. There are SO many cute Airbnb's in Waco that are a bit outside of downtown. If you want to save some $$, book one of those! Just keep in mind that you probably won’t be able to walk to restaurants/bars/etc. 

Vacation rental VS hotel is a personal preference, but I always vote for a big house that everyone shares on a bachelorette trip. It’s fun to have a place to get ready together, gather in the morning for coffee and breakfast, and a big living room where the bride can open gifts. 

Vacation rentals in Waco

What To Do During A Bachelorette Trip In Waco

You’ll obviously have the regular “bachelorette-y” stuff, like having a pool day at your vacation rental pool, going out to dinner and/or brunch, and maybe doing a lingerie shower for the bride and letting her open all the gifts. But for Waco-specific activities, here are a few great ones for a girls trip: 

Magnolia Market

Go To Magnolia Market. This one is a given, which is why I’m listing it first! Magnolia Market is why most people travel to Waco! It’s a big outdoor market that was created by Chip and Joanna Gaines. You could spend several hours here just wandering around, shopping, getting cupcakes at Silos Baking Co, stopping by Magnolia Press coffee shop, and eating at the food trucks. Check out this guide to Magnolia Market if you want to see more pictures of this adorable place. And you can see it decorated for Christmas right here. It’s so magical.

Do A Wine Tasting. There are two wineries near Waco, and both of them are good spots to visit for a wine tasting! Waco Winery and Vineyards has tours and tastings every weekend, and Country Spring Vineyard is also open on the weekends and has a beautiful wine garden. 

Spice Village

Go shopping at boutique stores in Waco. There are lots of adorable shops in downtown Waco! For a lot of them in one spot, go to Spice Village, a big indoor shopping mall with little booths that are individually owned (read more here!), or there are a lot on the streets surrounding Magnolia Market. I could list them, but honestly you can just walk through downtown and you’ll find dozens of little shops with gifts, clothing, home goods, and more. 

Fixer Upper City Tour. This is for all of the Fixer Upper fans out there! You can hire a company to take you around Waco and show you all of the Fixer Upper houses that Chip & Jo designed and built. This tour is about 2.5-3 hours long and they treat you to ice cream at the end!

Do a nighttime glow kayak adventure. You can go on a sunset river kayaking adventure on a light-up boat! It’s so fun because it creates awesome photo opps and makes for a really unique kayaking experience. The company is called Sunshine Paddle Adventures.

Go to Waco’s craft breweries. The craft beer scene in Waco is quickly expanding! Here’s a map of all the craft breweries in Waco. You can just stop by and order a flight of beer to try what they have on tap!  

Book a river tour. If kayaking sounds a bit too strenuous for your group, you can book a river tour as a way to get out on the water. It’s a bit more than 2 hours long, and you’ll be cruised up and down the Brazos river in a luxurious boat by a captain who will entertain and tell stories about Waco.

Waco River

Best Bachelorette Restaurants And Bars In Waco

Here’s the fun part - the FOOD! If you’re in Waco for a weekend bachelorette party, you’ll probably want to book two dinners and a brunch (and maybe pick a couple lunch spots to have ready to recommend to the group.) Here are some of the all-time best restaurants in Waco.

Red Herring cocktail

Milo All Day // One of the cutest downtown Waco restaurants serving southern-inspired American fare. It’s a big, bright space with lots of windows, live plants, and an outdoor patio. Cocktails, brunch, burgers, salads…they have it all. Good for brunch

Red Herring

Red Herring // This is the fine dining restaurant inside the Hotel Herringbone, and I’m absolutely obsessed with it. It has this really cool art deco vibe, and everything from the cocktails to the raw bar to the Mediterranean-inspired cuisine are amazing. Even if you don’t book a dinner here, plan to stop by the bar for a cocktail. 

Magnolia Table // Chip and Joanna Gaines’s restaurant might be the most popular brunch spot in town, and for good reason! Those hearty homestyle dishes are so yummy, and the entire thing feels like a cozy farmhouse kitchen. 

Union Hall // This needs to be on your radar for a great lunch spot for a bachelorette group. It’s a food hall in downtown Waco with more than a dozen eateries inside it, so everyone can pick their own restaurant. 

135 Prime // If you want an white tablecloth steakhouse experience, One Thirty Five Prime is the best spot for that in Waco. It’s kind of old school, but they have really good steaks, seafood, and wine.

Pinewood Public House

Pinewood Public House // BEST coffee in Waco, hands down! Most people go to Magnolia Press coffee shop, which is really pretty, but if you want insanely good coffee (roasted right here in Waco!) and a super cool mid century shop, go to Pinewood. In the evening it turns into a public house with beer on tap, wine and cider, Tuesday Trivia, and a cool vibe. 

Sloane’s // Speakeasy-style retro bar with really good cocktails. 

Harvest on 25th // Locals love this breakfast/lunch spot, but tourists don’t know about it as much! They have amazing breakfast tacos, healthy bowls, homemade pizzas, and delicious pastries. It’s a counter service spot, so each member of your bachelorette party can just order what they want at the counter and then find a big table for everyone to share. 

Waco bachelorette party

Bertie’s On The Rooftop // This rooftop bar at Hotel 1928 (Chip and Jo’s hotel) has the best views in Waco. While I haven’t been as impressed with the food at this hotel as the food at Hotel Herringbone, you simply can’t beat the views! It’s a great spot for a round of appetizers and a glass of wine. 

Slow Rise Slice House // Because sometimes you just need a good slice of pizza! Slow Rise has a location that overlooks the Brazos River. If it’s a nice day, it’s a fun spot to enjoy a slice of pizza and a drink. 

BBQ // There are three really great BBQ restaurants in Waco that I’ll recommend. Guess Family Barbecue is a newish spot that was on Texas Monthly’s 50 Best list, and it’s a 5 minute drive from Magnolia Market. Terry Black’s BBQ is insanely popular in Austin where it started, so they opened a downtown Waco location that’s walking distance from the Silos. And if you want to drive about 20 minutes outside of Waco, Helberg BBQ is probably my very favorite BBQ spot in the Waco area. It’s also on Texas Monthly’s 50 best list, and I love everything about this place

The Perfect 3-Day Itinerary For Your Bachelorette Party In Waco

Day One

Friday afternoon: check in. Everyone is probably arriving on Friday afternoon or evening, so plan on checking in to the vacation rental and settling in.  

Friday evening: an early dinner. Everyone will be hungry, so either do a happy hour spread at home, or head out for an early dinner. I love going to a casual dinner spot on the first night! If you’re in downtown Waco, walk to Terry Black’s BBQ and kick off your Texas weekend with an epic barbecue feast! Be sure to try those famous beef “dinosaur” ribs. One rib will feed a few people! 

Terry Black's BBQ

Friday night: sunset kayak cruise on light-up boats. This company has both 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm tours available on Friday nights. This is a really fun, interactive way to kick off the weekend! If the weather is bad or you want a more casual activity, see if there are any good shows at the Hippodrome Theater or the Foster Pavilion. 

Friday late night: go to a craft brewery. I love Pivovar (a really cool authentic Czech brewery in downtown Waco) and Southern Roots Brewery (a local spot that also has excellent pizza.)

Day Two

Saturday morning: coffee! Here’s a map of the best coffee shops in Waco so you can find one that’s near your VRBO. If you have a car, check out Pinewood Coffee - it’s seriously my very favorite coffee shop in Waco! I think it’s fun to have a morning at home

Saturday late morning: breakfast at the farmers market. There’s an outdoor farmers market in downtown Waco every Saturday morning from 9 am - 1 pm. Get breakfast tacos at Machos Tacos and then enjoy wandering through the market.

Magnolia Market

Saturday afternoon option 1: Magnolia Market. You can spend a lot of time at Magnolia Market! In addition to the big market, there are 6 little themed shops, a bakery, a coffee shop, food trucks, a whiffle ball field, and a big turf-covered field with cornhole and Adirondack chairs where you can just chill. 

Saturday afternoon option 2: visit a winery. If you’re not into Fixer Upper/Magnolia Market, plan on heading to a winery for the afternoon! You can book a private luxury Mercedes van through this company and they’ll drive you around for a few hours. You don’t have to worry about a DD, and you might be able to visit two wineries in one afternoon! Check out Waco Winery and Vineyards or Country Spring Vineyard. 

Saturday evening: nice dinner out. Here’s your chance to get all dressed up! Book a dinner at Red Herring or 135 Prime for the best meal in Waco! 

Saturday night: Sloane’s Bar. Sloane’s is the cutest little pink retro bar in Waco. Cheers to the bride!

Day Three

Sunday morning: brunch. If you want a classic brunch with benedicts, eggs, pancakes, and cocktails, go to Milo All Day. If you want an epic boozy brunch, go to J.S. Barnett’s Whisky House for bacon flights, bourbon bread pudding, and blackened shrimp & grits. (And if you have your heart set on Magnolia Table for brunch, keep in mind that they’re closed on Sundays so you’ll have to book brunch on Saturday.)

Harvest on 25th

Sunday afternoon: Dr Pepper Museum. You’ve most likely had to check out of your vacation rental by this point, and some bachelorette guests might need to head home. But if you have a bit of extra time, head to the Dr Pepper Museum. It’s literally where Dr Pepper was created in the 1800s, right here in Waco! Tickets are inexpensive and you can just walk up and purchase them there. 

Dr Pepper Museum

I hope that was helpful for you, and good luck planning your bachelorette party in Waco! For more ideas of fun things to do in Waco, check out some of these guides: 

Waco Bachelorette Party

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