TCU, UT Arlington, SMU and North Texas in 3 Days: A Dallas–Fort Worth Drive Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing TCU, UT Arlington, SMU and the University of North Texas from one hotel in Fort Worth: official tour sign-ups, visitor parking at every campus, meals between tours, things for siblings and weather by season.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Check before you go. Tour times, sign-up rules, parking and seasonal closures change often, sometimes weekly. Every campus section below links to that school's official visit page and shows when we last checked it. Confirm there before you book or drive. College Visit Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university. Names are used only to identify them.
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Texas Christian University, Fort Worth · University of Texas at Arlington · Southern Methodist University, Dallas · University of North Texas, Denton
Days
3: TCU on foot and UT Arlington in the afternoon, then SMU in Dallas, then North Texas on the way to the airport. Arrive the day before.
Fly into
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), about 40 minutes and 29 miles from the hotel by car. Dallas Love Field (DAL) is closest to SMU.
Best base
Hyatt Place Fort Worth/TCU, on the TCU campus, about a 15-minute walk from TCU's admissions center.
Car or transit
Plan on a car: UT Arlington is about 30 minutes away, SMU about 55 and North Texas about 50, with no traffic.
Registration
All four schools take visit registration online. SMU requires registration for every visitor, including guests.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see four Division I universities around Dallas–Fort Worth in one trip: TCU in Fort Worth, UT Arlington, SMU in Dallas and the University of North Texas in Denton.
Instead of changing hotels, you sleep at the Hyatt Place on the TCU campus every night, so day 1 starts with a walk.
Why this order
Day 1: TCU's visit is a 30-minute information session and a 90-minute student-led tour, about a 15-minute walk from the hotel. UT Arlington is about 29 minutes east for an afternoon tour.
Day 2: SMU's daily visit is an information session and a 75-minute student-led tour. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science is about 9 minutes from campus.
Day 3: North Texas's walking tour runs 75–90 minutes in Denton, and DFW airport is about 37 minutes from campus.
Each campus checks you in somewhere different
TCU: the Office of Admission, 3301 Bellaire Dr. N., Fort Worth. Visitors park in the lot at W. Berry St. and Wabash Ave., in any spot with white stripes.
UT Arlington: the Dan Dipert University Welcome Center, 580 S. Center St. The Park South Garage next door serves the Welcome Center: $3.75 an hour or $13 a day, or two hours free with validation.
SMU: the Laura Lee Blanton Building, 6185 Airline Road, 2nd floor. Your Daily Visit confirmation email includes an SMU parking permit.
North Texas: the UNT Welcome Center, 1417 Maple St., Denton. Park free in the Highland Street Parking Garage, 620 Central Ave., and keep your license plate number handy for validation.
Tour availability varies by season.
TCU's summer visits run Monday–Friday at 8:30 and 9:30 a.m.; during the academic year they run at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., plus select Saturdays.
North Texas's next Future Eagle Preview, a conference-style open house for future freshmen and transfers, is Saturday, March 27, 2027.
Texas summers are hot: DFW averages about 96°F highs in July and August. North Texas tours go on in the heat, so wear your coolest clothes and sunglasses.
The Perot Museum is closed Tuesdays through April 7, 2027, and the Fort Worth Zoo switches to 10 a.m.–4 p.m. fall hours starting Monday, Nov. 2.
2. The suggested 3-day plan
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Weekday rush hours on the Dallas–Fort Worth freeways can make the drives to SMU and Denton much longer.
Rent a car at the airport. TCU notes that TEX Rail links DFW's Terminal B to downtown Fort Worth, but the other three campuses are a drive.
Arrival day: fly into DFW and check in on the TCU campus
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) → Hyatt Place Fort Worth/TCU (3029 Sandage Ave.)
Driving (no traffic)
~40 min, 29.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Hotel → Fort Worth Zoo (1989 Colonial Pkwy.)
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 1.3 mi
Walking & driving
Drive
If you land early, the Fort Worth Zoo is about 4 minutes from the hotel and open daily, 365 days a year.
The hotel has a rooftop bar, Lot 12, and serves a free breakfast, which helps on early tour mornings.
Day 1: TCU on foot, then UT Arlington
Hotel → TCU Office of Admission (3301 Bellaire Dr. N.)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & driving
~15 min walk, 0.7 mi
Office of Admission → Brown-Lupton University Union (BLUU)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & driving
~6 min walk, 0.3 mi
TCU → UT Arlington, Dan Dipert University Welcome Center (580 S. Center St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~29 min, 19.2 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
UT Arlington → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~30 min, 20.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Book TCU's 9:30 a.m. visit: a 30-minute information session, then a 90-minute student-led tour.
Lunch at BLUU Dining in the student union. Visitors pay at the door: $12.50 breakfast, $14.50 lunch, $16.50 dinner.
Then drive to UT Arlington and pick an afternoon tour on its sign-up page. If no slot fits, UTA has a self-guided tour you can take on your own.
Day 2: SMU and the Perot Museum in Dallas
Hotel → SMU, Laura Lee Blanton Building (6185 Airline Rd., Dallas)
Driving (no traffic)
~55 min, 41.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
SMU → Perot Museum of Nature and Science (2201 N. Field St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~9 min, 4.8 mi
Walking & driving
Drive
Perot Museum → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~47 min, 35.6 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
SMU's daily visits run Monday–Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The morning slot means leaving Fort Worth early in rush hour; the afternoon slot lets you do the Perot Museum first.
Don't park on the residential streets around SMU: University Park limits them to residents and permit holders 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekdays.
Day 3: North Texas in Denton, then fly home
Hotel → UNT Highland Street Parking Garage (620 Central Ave., Denton)
Driving (no traffic)
~49 min, 40.3 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
Garage → UNT Welcome Center (1417 Maple St.)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking & driving
~2 min walk, 0.1 mi
UNT → Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
Driving (no traffic)
~37 min, 27.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
UNT → Dallas Love Field (DAL), if you're flying home from there
Driving (no traffic)
~47 min, 36.1 mi (no-traffic estimate)
Walking & driving
Drive
UNT's campus walking tour runs 75–90 minutes, covers almost two miles and goes rain or shine, led by student Eagle Ambassadors.
Eat before you leave Denton: Eagle Landing, UNT's newest and biggest dining hall, has seven concepts under one roof.
3. Campus by campus
Campus lawn, TCU, Fort Worth (Jun 2017). Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Each visit is a 30-minute information session with an admission counselor, then a 90-minute student-led campus tour.
During the academic year, visits run Monday–Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., plus select Saturday mornings. TCU also offers Spanish-language visits.
Visitor parking
Drive south on University Dr. through campus, turn right on W. Berry St., then right into the lot at Wabash Ave. Park in any spot with white stripes.
Getting there
About a 15-minute walk from the hotel to the Office of Admission, so you can leave the car parked. DFW airport is 25 miles from TCU.
What to know
BLUU Dining, in the Brown-Lupton University Union, is an all-you-care-to-eat hall with seven stations, about a 6-minute walk from the Office of Admission.
Contact
Office of Admission: 3301 Bellaire Dr. N., Fort Worth; 817-257-7490, frogmail@tcu.edu.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Daily visits run Monday–Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.: an information session led by an admission officer, then a 75-minute tour with a current student.
Registration is required for every visitor, including guests. If a date looks full, it has reached capacity.
For accessibility accommodations or physical assistance on the tour, call 214-768-0496.
Visitor parking
Your Daily Visit confirmation email includes an SMU parking permit. Visitors without one can buy a temporary permit online.
Visitor parking is in the Binkley Parking Center at Binkley Ave. and Airline Rd.: enter on Binkley and park on Level 2 or above. All-day parking is $10 by credit card. The Moody Parking Center at SMU Blvd. and Airline Rd. is also $10 all day.
Getting there
About 55 minutes from the hotel with no traffic. Love Field is SMU's closest airport, a straight shot up Mockingbird Lane, about 14 minutes by car.
What to know
SMU's student center has Panera, Chick-fil-A and Sushic, plus The Market and Revolve Kitchen, which rotates dishes from favorite Dallas restaurants.
Contact
Undergraduate Admission: Laura Lee Blanton Building, 6185 Airline Road, 2nd floor, Dallas; accommodations 214-768-0496.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
The campus walking tour runs 75–90 minutes and covers almost two miles of campus, rain or shine, led by student Eagle Ambassadors.
Each student can bring up to three guests on the tour.
If there's lightning within 8 miles of campus, outdoor activities pause. All walking tours are wheelchair accessible; ask ambassador@unt.edu about an ASL interpreter.
Visitor parking
Park in the Highland Street Parking Garage, 620 Central Ave., across from the Welcome Center. Parking is complimentary; keep your license plate number handy for validation.
Getting there
About 49 minutes from the hotel by car with no traffic, and about 37 minutes from DFW airport.
What to know
Bruceteria serves classic UNT favorites like mac and cheese, pizza and Scrappy's Ice Cream.
Contact
Campus tours: ambassador@unt.edu or 940-565-4104. Welcome Center: 1417 Maple St., Denton.
Last checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Expedia hotel links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Price tiers (Budget, Mid-range, Upscale) follow each hotel's star class on Expedia. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Hotel · Our pickMid-range
Hyatt Place Fort Worth/TCU
3029 Sandage Ave., Fort Worth, Texas
Why here
It's on the TCU campus, and TCU's own visit page points families to it. TCU's admissions center is about a 15-minute walk, so day 1 starts without the car.
UT Arlington is about 30 minutes away, SMU about 55 and North Texas about 50, so every day starts from the same room.
Good to know
Expedia lists this hotel as a 3-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
Free breakfast and Wi-Fi, the Lot 12 rooftop bar on site, and the Fort Worth Zoo two miles away.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 4-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
By car with no traffic, it is about 11 minutes (4.8 miles) from Texas Christian University, the closest campus on this trip. Weekday traffic can add a lot.
Good to know
Amenities, parking fees and room types change, so confirm them on the Expedia listing before you book.
Expedia lists this hotel as a 2.5-star property, so we place it in the Budget tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
By car with no traffic, it is about 14 minutes (8.1 miles) from Texas Christian University, the closest campus on this trip. Weekday traffic can add a lot.
Good to know
Amenities, parking fees and room types change, so confirm them on the Expedia listing before you book.
One hotel for every night means no repacking. TCU is a walk from your room; SMU and Denton are each about an hour away, so leave early on days 2 and 3.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At the hotel
Eat
Hyatt Place Fort Worth/TCU breakfast and Lot 12 Rooftop Bar
3029 Sandage Ave., Fort Worth
Free breakfast for guests, and a rooftop bar on site.
TCU (Fort Worth)
Eat
BLUU Dining (Brown-Lupton University Union)
2901 Stadium Dr., Fort Worth
All-you-care-to-eat with seven stations. Visitors pay at the door: $12.50 breakfast, $14.50 lunch, $16.50 dinner.
UNT's all-you-care-to-eat dining halls: Eagle Landing has seven concepts under one roof, and Bruceteria serves mac and cheese, pizza and Scrappy's Ice Cream.
Plan 2–3 hours. Open Sunday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. and Monday plus Wednesday–Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays through April 7, 2027. Lot B parking is $15 per vehicle.
At TCU, walk from the hotel; if you drive, use the lot at W. Berry St. and Wabash Ave. and any white-striped spot.
At UT Arlington, use the Park South Garage and get your two free hours validated.
At SMU, use the permit from your confirmation email, or park in the Binkley or Moody garages for $10 a day.
At North Texas, park free in the Highland Street garage and have your plate number ready.
Tour day comfort
North Texas tours go rain or shine and continue in the heat; bring an umbrella or your coolest clothes and sunglasses.
UNT's tour covers almost two miles, so wear comfortable shoes.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport)
Spring: April averages about 76°F highs and 55°F lows, with about 3.2 inches of rain.
Summer: July and August both average about 96°F highs and 76°F lows.
Fall: October averages about 78°F highs and 57°F lows and is the wettest of these months, with about 4.4 inches of rain; November highs drop to about 67°F.
Winter: January averages about 57°F highs and 36°F lows, with snow rare (about 0.1 inch).
Parent checklist
Register for all four visits online: TCU, UT Arlington, SMU (every visitor, including guests) and North Texas.
Book the Hyatt Place on the TCU campus for every night and rent a car at DFW.
Print or save SMU's parking permit from your confirmation email.
Have your license plate number handy for parking validation at North Texas.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Texas Christian University, University of Texas at Arlington, Southern Methodist University and University of North Texas): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 27, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
