Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth most populous in the United States. Its name entered the history of spaceflight: mission control for crewed flights has been here since the Moon programme, and Space Center Houston is the public face of that history. The city's second weight is in its museums, with nineteen institutions gathered within a few blocks in the museum district south of the centre, many of them free on set days. Houston is also one of the most linguistically diverse cities in the country, and its kitchen carries Mexican, Vietnamese and southern traditions together.
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See flights to Houston →When to visit Houston
March to May and October to November are the best periods, with temperatures between 22C and 28C. June to September is both very hot and very humid, approaching 35C, and these months also fall inside the Atlantic hurricane season. December to February is mild, with daytime around 17C and no snow.
Things to do in Houston
Space Center Houston
The visitor centre of NASA's Johnson Space Center holds the historic control room that ran the Moon missions and a real Saturn V rocket. A tram tour enters the research facilities, and the astronaut training area and samples of Moon rock are also on display.
Houston Museum of Natural Science
Founded in 1909, the museum is one of the most visited natural history museums in the country, combining a hall of dinosaur skeletons, a gem and mineral collection and a three storey glasshouse where live butterflies fly. Its planetarium is in the same building.
Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Founded in 1900, the museum is one of the largest art museums in the United States and holds some 70,000 works spanning six thousand years. Its two main buildings are linked by an underground tunnel fitted with a light installation.
Rothko Chapel
Opened in 1971, the octagonal building holds fourteen dark paintings Mark Rothko made for the space and was conceived as a place of silence open to every faith. Barnett Newman's sculpture Broken Obelisk stands in the pool outside.
Buffalo Bayou Park
Following the bayou that runs through the city, the park covers about 65 hectares west of the centre with walking and cycling paths. A bat colony living under Waugh Bridge takes to the air together at dusk, one of the city's known natural spectacles.
Hermann Park
Established in 1914, the 180 hectare park lies beside the museum district and contains the Houston Zoo, a Japanese garden and an open air theatre. A miniature train runs through the park and boats are hired on its lake.
Flights from Turkey to Houston
A direct flight from Istanbul to Houston takes about 13 hours 15 minutes and the route is operated by Turkish Airlines. Flights land at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and the route is the only nonstop link between Türkiye and Texas.
Houston FAQ
How many days do you need in Houston?
The space centre takes a full day, and the museum district and the centre take two more, so three or four days are enough. Adding the Galveston coast or San Antonio brings it to six days.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
George Bush Intercontinental Airport is about 37 kilometres north of the centre. The taxi ride takes between 35 and 55 minutes depending on traffic.
What is getting around Houston like?
The city is built around the car and distances are long. The METRORail light rail links the centre with the museum district and Hermann Park, but beyond that line a hire car or an app based taxi is needed.
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