How To Plan The Best Trip To Marfa, Texas

January 8, 2026 |

By Dani Dudek

Looking to travel to Marfa? This is one place that is definitely worth a visit! Here are our favorite things to do, see, and experience in the West Texas oasis.

Where to stay:

The Lincoln Marfa is a mix of long-term and short-term rentals, right in the heart of town. The space originally functioned as a stable yard for the Presidio County Courthouse in the 1890s. Each space in the 16-unit community was lovingly restored with respect to its history and Marfa-inspired custom details. Because of this, every space on the property is different.

We recommend staying in the new Mary Todd house, which has three bedrooms, each with their own private bath, and a shared kitchen. It’s perfect for a small group or you can rent just one room. For solo travelers and couples, there are multiple option, including an authentic bomb shelter!

We absolutely adored the Lincoln and we promise you’ll make many new friends there – a few may even be turtley awesome.

Learn more about The Lincoln here.

What to see/ do:

Whether you stay at the Lincoln or not, be sure to swing by and pick up their payphone. If you’re struggling with any bad vibes, you will quickly shake them off after you hear what comes through the receiver.

No trip to Marfa is complete without a visit to the Prada! Other instagrammable highlights include the HUGE cut outs of the stars on the film Giant (which was filmed nearby), the old Stardust sign on the edge of town, the mystery lights mural, and so many more. Everywhere you turn in town there’s something worth snapping a picture of.

You can’t miss the Marfa lights! Everyone has a different experience but no matter the experience you will definitely come away with something to talk about.

We also recommend checking out the Marfa Ballroom and the Chinati Foundation Contemporary Art Museum.

Where to shop:

As we already mentioned, the film Giant was shot in the area and while shooting, the cast stayed at Hotel Paisano. There’s a tiny museum inside the hotel but there’s also a pretty massive gift shop. It’s more like a boutique actually.

Other shops where we found a few treasures include 6Whiskey, Wrong, the Marfa Wine Co., and our personal fave The Marfa Store, now located inside the Inde/Jacobs Gallery.

Where to eat and drink:

Start your day with coffee and breakfast at The Sentinel Marfa where you can do some shopping, eating, and drinking. For dinner we suggest Margaret’s and The Water Stop.

Want after dinner drinks in an open air courtyard? Hit up the Lost Horse Saloon where you can burn off a few calories on their porch swing.