Once a year Austin’s hotels hit record prices for four days, and the US Grand Prix is this weekend, October 22 to 25. This year it lands on top of a sold-out Texas home game against Ole Miss. If money really is no object, here’s how we’d spend it: three rounds, three days at the track, a Saturday night at DKR and the best tables in town.
Stay at Barton Creek, because that’s the only way in. Austin’s best golf is private, and the one place a visitor can reliably play it is Omni Barton Creek, where the resort’s guests get the Fazio and Coore Crenshaw courses. Play Thursday and Friday mornings there, and Saturday at Lost Pines, east of town, on the same side as the track.
Never sit in race traffic. COTA sits out in southeast Travis County, and the roads in are the worst part of the weekend. BLADE, the track’s official helicopter partner, flies from a helipad at Steiner Steakhouse on the west side of town and drops you at a car to the Turn 1 VIP gate. At this budget, that’s the single best money you’ll spend.
Saturday is a choice. Qualifying ends at 5pm and kickoff is 6:30 on campus. You can make both with a car waiting at the gate, but if you don’t, the game is on ABC.
Book everything today. Visit Austin expects hotels to be 92 to 95% full. The Paddock Club is down to a waitlist, the Main Grandstand and general admission are gone, and Barley Swine has a race-weekend menu. Some of what’s here will sell out before Friday; where it already has, we’ve said so and given you the next best thing.
Also on the table if you have room: Hestia’s live-fire tasting menu ($215), Craft Omakase ($185, seats released in weekly drops on Tock), Fabrik on Friday night (its only race-weekend service), the SingleThread dinner series at 1 Hotel Austin October 22 to 24, the Mercedes fan hub at 400 Congress, the Smashing Pumpkins at Moody Center on Sunday at 8, and our barbecue field guide for the rest of Austin’s smoke.
Check in, play, walk the pit laneThe best round in Austin at dawn, a Michelin-starred barbecue lunch, the new Thursday at COTA, then a nine-course omakase downtown.
Golf, a helicopter and the paddockPractice starts at 12:30. Play early, take the helicopter from the west side and skip the traffic entirely. Maroon 5 plays after the track closes.
The longest dayAn early round east of town, qualifying at four, and the Longhorns under the lights at 6:30. You can do all three. It just won’t be relaxing.
Lights out at 3pmSlow morning, a late helicopter, the Grand Prix, and a steak to finish.
Two shirts, two pants, two hats and one tool · $35–$169From brands we’ve covered this month: Austin’s own Criquet, Saha and BUNX. Prices and stock checked October 21.
If the Paddock Club waitlist doesn’t moveThree top-end packages that were still available on October 21. The Main Grandstand and general admission are sold out; Turn 1 grandstand seats were still on sale from $1,206.50 for three days.
Turn 1 grandstand seats were still on sale from $1,206.50 for three days, Thursday tickets start at $20, every race ticket includes the concerts on the festival lawn, and COTA’s shuttle from Waterloo Park downtown starts at $49. For the golf, our Austin golf weekend does Lions, Kizer and Lost Pines for a fraction of this, and our steakhouse guide has dinner covered.
October 22 to 25, 2026, at Circuit of The Americas in Austin. Thursday is Grand PrixView day, with a pit lane walk from 2 to 4pm. Practice is Friday, qualifying is Saturday at 4pm, and the race starts Sunday at 3pm Central. There is no sprint race in Austin this year.
Yes. BLADE is COTA's official helicopter partner and flies October 23 to 25. On October 21, 2026, seats from the Creedmoor heliport were $1,495 one way and private charters from the Steiner Steakhouse helipad started at $5,140 one way.
Yes. Texas hosts Ole Miss at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 6:30pm Central on ABC, about 90 minutes after F1 qualifying ends.
Yes. Every race ticket includes festival-lawn access to Maroon 5 on Friday, Post Malone on Saturday and Alesso after the race on Sunday. Floor and reserved concert seats cost extra, and COTA's premium hospitality packages include all three.
Only as a registered guest of Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa or as a club member. Guests can book tee times up to 120 days ahead through the resort's Experience Planners.
The 2026 Michelin Guide Texas gave one star to Barley Swine, Craft Omakase, Fabrik, Hestia, InterStellar BBQ, Kappo Kappo and LeRoy and Lewis.
