College Visit Guides

Drive guide · 2 days, 3 campuses

Houston, Texas Southern and Houston Christian in 2 Days: A Houston College Trip

A parent-first plan for seeing three Houston universities in two days: a University of Houston walking tour and a Texas Southern University tour on day 1 (the two campuses sit side by side in the Third Ward), then Houston Christian University in southwest Houston on day 2 before flying home from Hobby or Bush Intercontinental. Official visit sign-ups, where to park, three hotels from budget to upscale, two free art museums for siblings, and Houston weather by season.

The pale limestone Ezekiel W. Cullen Building with a tall red UH banner over its entrance, framed by live oaks and a flower bed under a clear blue sky at the University of Houston
Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, University of Houston (Jan 2012). Photo: Another Believer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).

The short version

Trip at a glance

Schools
University of Houston · Texas Southern University · Houston Christian University (all in Houston, TX)
Days
2: UH and Texas Southern on day 1, Houston Christian on day 2. Arrive the evening before.
Fly into
William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), about 19 minutes from the UH campus with no traffic, or George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), about 37 minutes.
Best base
Hilton University of Houston, the full-service hotel on the UH campus, about a 4-minute walk from the Welcome Center area.
Car or transit
Rent a car at the airport. UH to Texas Southern's visitor lot is about 3 minutes by car, and UH to Houston Christian about 23 minutes with no traffic.
Registration
All three schools take tour sign-ups online. Texas Southern requires registration and runs tours on weekdays only.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to compare three Houston universities in one trip: the University of Houston, Texas Southern University right next door, and Houston Christian University in southwest Houston.

UH and Texas Southern are about 3 minutes apart by car, so both fit on day 1. Houston Christian is about 23 minutes southwest of UH with no traffic, and from there it's about 34 minutes to Hobby or 47 minutes to Bush Intercontinental.

Why this order

  • Day 1 morning: UH's on-campus experience is a 90-minute walking tour of key locations and your student's academic areas of interest. Book it on UH's Campus Experiences page.
  • Day 1 afternoon: Texas Southern's individual tours are shared, group-format guided walking tours, and you can ask for an admissions information session. Tours run Monday through Friday in the time slots on Texas Southern's calendar.
  • Day 2: Houston Christian's Husky Ambassadors lead walking tours of the entire campus, including the residence halls, and you can book an admissions counselor appointment when one is available.
Three campuses, three places to park
  • UH: visitor parking is paid, and UH says there's no free parking on campus. Use a garage such as Welcome Center North (4434 University Dr.) or Welcome Center South (4348 Martin Luther King Blvd.), or a text-to-pay space marked with orange striping.
  • Texas Southern: visitors park in the Eastside Garage (3690 Sampson St.) or the Visitor Lot (3307 Cleburne St.).
  • Houston Christian: arrive 10 minutes before your tour to leave time for parking and check-in.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • Houston is warm most of the year and wet in every season: July at Hobby Airport averages about 93°F highs, and October is the rainiest month of the four we list, with nearly 6 inches. Texas Southern recommends comfortable shoes, light clothing, sunscreen and a hat or umbrella for summer tours, and may adjust tours during weather advisories.
  • Check each school's sign-up calendar before you pick dates. Texas Southern has no weekend tours, and Houston Christian lists dates it can't schedule tours, including Nov. 25–27, 2026 and Dec. 22, 2026 – Jan. 4, 2027.

2. The suggested 2-day plan

  • Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Houston freeway traffic can easily double these times at rush hour, so leave a cushion before each tour.

Arrival evening: fly into Houston and check in on the UH campus

  1. William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) → Hilton University of Houston (4450 University Dr., Houston)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~19 min, 9.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rent a car at HOU

  2. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) → Hilton University of Houston

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~37 min, 24.8 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Rent a car at IAH
  • The Hilton University of Houston is the primary teaching hotel for UH's Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, and Eric's Restaurant is just off the lobby, so dinner can be on site.

Day 1: University of Houston, then Texas Southern next door

  1. Hilton University of Houston → UH Welcome Center area (Welcome Center North Garage, 4434 University Dr.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~3 min, 0.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~4 min walk, 0.2 mi

  2. UH Welcome Center → Blaffer Art Museum (4173 Elgin St., on the UH campus)

    Driving (no traffic)
    Walk
    Driving
    ~16 min walk, 0.8 mi

  3. UH Welcome Center → Texas Southern Visitor Lot (3307 Cleburne St.)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~3 min, 1.5 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    ~29 min walk, 1.4 mi
  • Book your UH tour on the Campus Experiences page and follow your confirmation for where to meet. If you can't get a slot, UH has a self-guided tour map of its colleges, activity areas, restaurants and student resources.
  • Book Texas Southern for the afternoon on its campus tour page. Registration is required, each registration covers up to three guests, and housing isn't part of the walking tour (Texas Southern offers a virtual housing tour instead).

Day 2: Houston Christian University, then fly home

  1. Hilton University of Houston → Houston Christian University (7502 Fondren Rd., Houston)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~23 min, 13.0 mi (no-traffic estimate)
    Driving
    Car required

  2. Houston Christian → Hobby (HOU) or Bush Intercontinental (IAH)

    Driving (no traffic)
    HOU ~34 min, 21.1 mi; IAH ~47 min, 32.4 mi (no-traffic estimates)
    Driving
    Car required
  • Book a walking tour, and a counselor appointment if one is open, on Houston Christian's sign-up page. On busy visit days an admissions counselor hosts an information session instead of individual appointments.
  • If tours are full on your day, Houston Christian points visitors to its virtual tour options. Contact the office before you arrive if you need accommodations during the walking tour.

3. Campus by campus

The pale limestone Ezekiel W. Cullen Building with a tall red UH banner over its entrance, framed by live oaks and a flower bed under a clear blue sky at the University of Houston
Ezekiel W. Cullen Building, University of Houston (Jan 2012). Photo: Another Believer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

University of Houston (Houston, TX)

Where visits start
  • UH's on-campus experience features a 90-minute walking tour of key locations and your academic areas of interest. Pick a date on the Campus Visit Calendar; Cougar Preview days add an admissions introduction, a session from your college of interest and a scholarships and financial aid overview.
  • Groups of up to 100 people, including chaperones, can request an in-person group tour through UH's contact form.
Visitor parking
  • Visitor parking is paid, with no free parking on campus: take a ticket at a garage, such as the Welcome Center North Garage (4434 University Dr.) or Welcome Center South Garage (4348 Martin Luther King Blvd.), or use a text-to-pay space marked with orange striping. Check UH's visitor parking page for current rates.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive: UH is about 19 minutes from Hobby Airport and 37 minutes from Bush Intercontinental with no traffic. If you stay at the Hilton University of Houston, you can walk to the Welcome Center area in about 4 minutes.
What to know
  • The Blaffer Art Museum is on campus and always free, and UH's self-guided tour map covers its academic colleges, activity areas and restaurants.
Contact
UH Office of Undergraduate Admissions: use the contact form on UH's Contact Us page (UH retired the admissions@uh.edu email address on Feb. 1, 2026).

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UH: Explore Campus · UH: Visitor Parking · UH: Self-guided tour map (PDF)

A black iron arch reading Texas Southern University between brick and stone pillars, with a brick walkway leading into a green, tree-lined campus
Texas Southern University entrance off Cleburne St., Houston (Mar 2023). Photo: 2C2K Photography · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Texas Southern University (Houston, TX)

Where visits start
  • Individual tours are shared, group-format guided walking tours, and an admissions information session is available on request. Tours run Monday through Friday in the time slots on the calendar; there are no weekend tours.
  • Registration is required, with up to three guests per registration. Residence halls aren't on the walking tour; use Texas Southern's virtual housing tour to see them.
Visitor parking
  • Visitors park in the Eastside Garage (3690 Sampson St.) or the Visitor Lot (3307 Cleburne St.). Check Texas Southern's parking page for current visitor parking details.
Getting there
  • Texas Southern is just southeast of downtown Houston. From I-45, take the Scott St. exit and follow it to Cleburne. From the UH Welcome Center, the Visitor Lot is about 3 minutes by car with no traffic.
What to know
  • Dress for the weather: for summer tours, Texas Southern suggests comfortable shoes, light clothing, sunscreen and a hat or umbrella, and it may adjust tours during weather advisories.
Contact
Texas Southern campus tours, 3100 Cleburne St., Houston, TX 77004; 713-313-7011, tigertours@tsu.edu.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: Texas Southern: Campus Tours · Texas Southern: Campus Parking · Texas Southern: Directions to Campus

A long red-brick wall with brass lettering reading Houston Christian University, beneath the spreading branches of large live oaks
Houston Christian University, Hinton Dr. entrance (Nov 2023). Photo: Iketsi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

Houston Christian University (Houston, TX)

Where visits start
  • Husky Ambassadors host walking tours of the entire campus and the residence halls. Admissions counselor appointments are offered when a counselor is available; on busy visit days there's an information session instead.
  • Houston Christian lists dates it can't schedule tours, including Nov. 25–27, 2026 (Thanksgiving), Dec. 22, 2026 – Jan. 4, 2027 (Christmas break) and its Husky Preview Saturdays, so check the calendar first.
Visitor parking
  • Arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled tour to leave time for parking and check-in.
Getting there
  • Plan to drive: Houston Christian is about 23 minutes from the UH campus, 34 minutes from Hobby and 47 minutes from Bush Intercontinental with no traffic.
What to know
  • If tour registration is full on the day you want, Houston Christian invites you to use its virtual tour options instead.
Contact
Houston Christian University campus visits: (281) 649-3003, campusvisits@hc.edu.

Last checked Oct 28, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

4. Where to stay: the hotel on the University of Houston campus, a block from the Welcome Center garages

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

Hilton University of Houston

4450 University Dr., Houston, TX

Why here

  • It's on the UH campus: the primary teaching hotel of UH's Conrad N. Hilton College, about a 4-minute walk from the Welcome Center area and 3 minutes by car from Texas Southern.
  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 3.5-star property, so we place it in the Mid-range tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District

5701 Main St., Houston, TX

Why here

  • Expedia lists this hotel as a 4.5-star property, so we place it in the Upscale tier. Rates vary by date, so check your dates on Expedia.
  • It's in the Museum District, about 9 minutes by car from the UH Welcome Center and 16 minutes from Houston Christian with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateBudget

Hampton Inn by Hilton Houston Near The Galleria

4500 Post Oak Pkwy, Houston, TX

Why here

  • 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.
  • It's the closest of our three to Houston Christian, about 12 minutes by car, and about 17 minutes from the UH Welcome Center with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Confirm parking and amenities on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

One hotel works for both nights: the UH campus puts day 1 on foot and Texas Southern 3 minutes away, and Houston Christian is about 23 minutes from UH on day 2. If you'd rather be close to Houston Christian on your last night, the Galleria area is about 12 minutes away.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

At the hotel

Eric's Restaurant, just off the Hilton University of Houston lobby, serves business-casual meals, so the arrival-night dinner can be on site.

Around UH

UH's self-guided tour map marks restaurants across campus, handy for lunch between the UH and Texas Southern tours.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

Blaffer Art Museum

4173 Elgin St., Houston, TX

UH's art museum is always free and open Tuesday through Saturday afternoons; it follows UH's holiday schedule and sometimes closes between exhibitions. It's about a 16-minute walk from the UH Welcome Center, and six free visitor spots in Lot 16B fill first.

Official page →

With siblings

The Menil Collection

1533 Sul Ross St., Houston, TX

A public art museum set within a residential neighborhood, always free and open Wednesday through Sunday, about 11 minutes by car from the UH campus. Photography isn't allowed inside the galleries, and food and drinks stay outside.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • UH: paid visitor parking only, in garages such as Welcome Center North or South or in orange-striped text-to-pay spaces. Texas Southern: the Eastside Garage or the Visitor Lot on Cleburne St. Houston Christian: arrive 10 minutes early to park and check in.
  • UH to Texas Southern is about 3 minutes by car, so drive between tours rather than walk the roughly 29 minutes in Houston heat.

Flying in and out

  • Hobby (HOU) is the closer airport: about 19 minutes from UH and 34 minutes from Houston Christian with no traffic. Bush Intercontinental (IAH) is about 37 minutes from UH and 47 minutes from Houston Christian.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Houston Hobby Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 79°F highs and 62°F lows, with about 4.1 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 93°F highs and 77°F lows, with about 4.6 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 82°F highs and 64°F lows, with about 5.8 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 64°F highs and 46°F lows, with about 4.1 inches of rain.

Parent checklist

  • Register for all three tours online: a UH campus experience and a Texas Southern tour for day 1 (Texas Southern runs weekdays only), and a Houston Christian walking tour for day 2.
  • Book the Hilton University of Houston for both nights, plus a rental car at Hobby or Bush Intercontinental.
  • Budget for paid visitor parking at UH, and check each school's parking page before you go.
  • Pack comfortable walking shoes, light clothing, sunscreen and an umbrella.
  • 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.

3 Division I

NCAA basics for parents

  • 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 (University of Houston, Texas Southern University and Houston Christian University): 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.

Student-athlete sources

All checked Oct 26, 2026.

  1. NCAA, 2026-27 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (pp. 3, 21–25)
  2. NCAA.org: NCAA Recruiting
  3. NCAA: Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides
  4. NCAA Directory: University of Houston
  5. University of Houston Athletics (official site)
  6. University of Houston Athletics: Houston Athletics Compliance
  7. University of Houston Athletics: Staff Directory
  8. University of Houston Athletics: schedule of events
  9. NCAA Directory: Texas Southern University
  10. Texas Southern University Athletics (official site)
  11. Texas Southern University Athletics: Athletics Compliance
  12. Texas Southern University Athletics: Staff Directory
  13. Texas Southern University Athletics: schedule of events
  14. NCAA Directory: Houston Christian University
  15. Houston Christian University Athletics (official site)
  16. Houston Christian University Athletics: Compliance Forms
  17. Houston Christian University Athletics: Staff Directory
  18. Houston Christian University Athletics: schedule of events

Trip planner

Plan this trip

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.

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Sources

All checked Oct 28, 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.

  1. University of Houston Undergraduate Admissions: Explore Campus
  2. University of Houston: Campus Experiences (official sign-up)
  3. University of Houston Parking and Transportation: Visitor Parking
  4. University of Houston Parking and Transportation: Garage Parking
  5. University of Houston Undergraduate Admissions: Contact Us
  6. University of Houston Hilton College: Hilton University of Houston On Campus Hotel
  7. Texas Southern University: Campus Tours
  8. Texas Southern University Admissions: Campus Tour (official sign-up)
  9. Texas Southern University Public Safety: Campus Parking
  10. Texas Southern University: Directions to Campus
  11. Houston Christian University Admissions: Campus Tours and Appointments (official sign-up)
  12. Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston: Visit
  13. The Menil Collection: Plan Your Visit
  14. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  15. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  16. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  17. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, Houston Hobby Airport, TX (USW00012918)
  18. Expedia listing: Hilton University of Houston (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Houston-Hotels-Hilton-University-Of-Houston.h40758.Hotel-Information)
  19. Expedia listing: Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Houston-Hotels-Hotel-Zaza-Houston-Museum-District.h3306.Hotel-Information)
  20. Expedia listing: Hampton Inn by Hilton Houston Near The Galleria (star class, checked 2026-10-28) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/Houston-Hotels-Hampton-Inn-By-Hilton-Houston-Near-The-Galleria.h28077.Hotel-Information)