Fly from the UK to Houston and collect your rental car on arrival. Explore Hermann Park, riding the miniature train, take a pedal boat on McGovern Lake or stroll through the McGovern Centennial Gardens. Enjoy a free performance at the Miller Outdoor Theatre or visit the Discovery Green with its fountains, model boat pond and nearby restaurants. Visit the Houston Zoo with over 4,500 animals and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, including the IMAX Theatre, Burke Baker Planetarium and Cockrell Butterfly Center. At dusk, watch over 250,000 bats take flight from Waugh Drive Bridge or on a pontoon boat tour along Buffalo Bayou. Visit the San Jacinto Monument and Museum of History, or the Downtown Aquarium with marine life exhibits and underwater dining.

Stay three nights in Houston. 

On the way to Galveston Island, stop at Space Center Houston, the official visitor centre for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where you can explore real spacecraft, interactive exhibits and, for those aged 14 and over, take the exclusive Level 9 Tram Tour. Continue to Kemah Boardwalk, a lively waterfront area filled with rides, restaurants and shops. In Galveston, visit Moody Gardens, an eco-themed attraction featuring three pyramids with an aquarium, rainforest and discovery exhibits. Relax at East Beach or explore the Historic Strand District, a National Historic Landmark with century-old architecture, shops, galleries, museums and attractions such as the Ocean Star Offshore Energy Center and the tall ship Elissa.

Stay three nights on Galveston Island. 

Drive to Houston, return your car at Houston Airport and board your flight back to the UK, or extend your stay to explore more of Houston and the Gulf Coast.