College Visit Guides

Fly-in guide · 1 day, 1 campus

UTRGV in 1 Day: A Fly-In Visit to Edinburg and McAllen

A parent-first plan for flying in to see The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Edinburg campus: how to request a campus tour, free visitor parking with a virtual permit, three hotels from budget to upscale, drive times from McAllen and Harlingen airports, Quinta Mazatlan for siblings and Rio Grande Valley weather by season, every fact sourced and checked Oct 29, 2026.

The tan-brick University Library at UTRGV in Edinburg, with a round tower and palm trees, behind a wide green lawn and live oaks under a cloudy sky
The University Library on UTRGV's Edinburg campus (May 2016). Photo: MrAlexGarrido · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Last checked Oct 29, 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

School
UTRGV, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Edinburg campus, Edinburg, TX)
Days
1 on campus, plus travel. Arrive the day before a morning tour.
Fly into
McAllen International Airport (MFE), about 16 minutes from the Holiday Inn Express in Edinburg by car with no traffic. Valley International in Harlingen (HRL) is about 1 hour away.
Best base
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edinburg-McAllen Area, about a 7-minute drive to the Student Services Building, home of the Visitors Center.
Car or no car
A rental car is the simplest way in from either airport. Visitor parking is free in designated areas once you register a daily virtual permit.
Registration
UTRGV's online tour reservation system is being upgraded, so request a tour by email at campustours@utrgv.edu or by phone at 956-665-7338.

1. Who this guide is for

This plan is for parents flying in with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, to see UTRGV's Edinburg campus, with time left for the H-E-B Planetarium on campus or Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen.

The Visitors Center is on the first floor of the Student Services Building at 1201 W. University Dr. in Edinburg, which is also where Undergraduate Admissions sits.

Why this order

  • Arrive the day before and stay in south Edinburg, about 7 minutes from campus by car, or in McAllen near the airport if you want more choices.
  • Tour day: request a campus tour ahead by email or phone. UTRGV says its tour reservation system is being upgraded and that tour requests go to its campus tours team in the meantime.
  • Afterward, the H-E-B Planetarium is about a 5-minute walk from the Student Services Building, or drive about 21 minutes to Quinta Mazatlan, a nature center in McAllen.
Pick the right visit
  • Individual tours: email campustours@utrgv.edu or call 956-665-7338, since the online reservation system is being upgraded.
  • Discover UTRGV is an open-house day for prospective students and families with sessions on admissions, financial aid and scholarships, time with academic departments and current students, and a campus tour. Check the Discover UTRGV page for upcoming Edinburg dates.
  • School groups of 15 to 100 can request a group tour through UTRGV's Campus Visit Program; groups over 100 get a self-guided experience and check in at the Visitor Center.
Tour availability varies by season.
  • UTRGV says tours may be cancelled on short notice for inclement weather, so keep your phone and email handy on tour day.
  • Group tours run during the academic year, and UTRGV asks groups to request dates at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead.
  • Summer is hot in the Rio Grande Valley: July averages about 99°F highs at McAllen's airport, so plan a morning tour and bring water.

2. The suggested 1-day plan

  • Drive times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, and walking times use OpenStreetMap foot routing, with addresses geocoded by OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Times to campus are to the Student Services Building, home of the Visitors Center.

Arrival day: fly in and check in near campus

  1. McAllen International Airport (MFE) → Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edinburg-McAllen Area

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~16 min, 9.5 mi
    Driving and walking
    Rental car or rideshare

  2. Valley International Airport, Harlingen (HRL) → Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edinburg-McAllen Area (alternate airport)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~1 hr 1 min, 42.4 mi
    Driving and walking
    Rental car

  3. McAllen International Airport (MFE) → Embassy Suites by Hilton McAllen Convention Center

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~7 min, 3.1 mi
    Driving and walking
    Rental car or the hotel's airport shuttle (per Expedia)
  • Embassy Suites and DoubleTree Suites in McAllen both list a free airport shuttle on Expedia, but you'll still want a car to reach the Edinburg campus.

Visit day: UTRGV campus tour, then the planetarium or Quinta Mazatlan

  1. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edinburg-McAllen Area → Student Services Building (Visitors Center)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~7 min, 3.6 mi
    Driving and walking
    Drive

  2. Embassy Suites by Hilton McAllen Convention Center → Student Services Building (Visitors Center)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~22 min, 15.2 mi
    Driving and walking
    Drive

  3. DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel McAllen → Student Services Building (Visitors Center)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~19 min, 12.4 mi
    Driving and walking
    Drive

  4. Student Services Building → H-E-B Planetarium

    Driving (no traffic)
    On campus
    Driving and walking
    ~5 min walk, 0.2 mi

  5. Student Services Building → Quinta Mazatlan (600 Sunset Dr., McAllen)

    Driving (no traffic)
    ~21 min, 11.9 mi
    Driving and walking
    Drive
  • Register a free daily visitor permit online before you arrive, then park in a designated Visitor Parking area or in Zones 1 to 3.
  • Heading home: campus is about 21 minutes from MFE and about 1 hr 5 min from HRL with no traffic.

3. Campus by campus

The tan-brick University Library at UTRGV in Edinburg, with a round tower and palm trees, behind a wide green lawn and live oaks under a cloudy sky
The University Library on UTRGV's Edinburg campus (May 2016). Photo: MrAlexGarrido · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped

Campus

UTRGV, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Edinburg, TX)

Where visits start
  • Start at the Visitors Center on the first floor of the Student Services Building, 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg.
  • Undergraduate Admissions is in the same building; questions go to recruitment@utrgv.edu or (956) 882-4026.
  • UTRGV's Campus Visit Program says group tours drop off at the Visitor Center on University Drive.
Visitor parking
  • Free visitor parking is in the designated Visitor Parking areas and Zones 1, 2 and 3, but you need a daily Visitor Parking Permit, requested online or in person at Parking Services.
  • The permit is virtual and tied to your license plate, so have your plate number ready when you register at utrgv.edu/myparking.
  • Prefer not to register? Lot E4 on the Edinburg campus has hourly pay-station parking that takes credit or debit cards only.
Getting there
  • VOLT, UTRGV's fleet of electric carts, runs free circuits connecting campus parking lots and buildings and is open to the public.
  • The Student Services Building is about a 7-minute drive from the Holiday Inn Express in Edinburg and about 19 to 22 minutes from the McAllen hotels with no traffic.
  • Parking questions: 956-665-2738 (Edinburg) or parking@utrgv.edu.
What to know
  • The photo in this guide shows the UTRGV Library on the Edinburg campus.
  • The H-E-B Planetarium on campus shows films at scheduled times and hosts telescope observations; check its page before you go.
  • The campus map also marks the Student Union, the University Recreation building and the Dining and Ballroom Complex.
Contact
Campus tours: campustours@utrgv.edu or 956-665-7338. Admissions: recruitment@utrgv.edu or (956) 882-4026. Campus: 1201 W. University Dr., Edinburg, TX 78539.

Last checked Oct 29, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.

Official pages: UTRGV: Discover UTRGV open-house events · UTRGV: Group tours · UTRGV: Campus maps · UTRGV: Parking Services

4. Where to stay: Edinburg or McAllen

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 pickBudget

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edinburg-McAllen Area by IHG

3801 S. Business Hwy 281 (S. Closner Blvd.), Edinburg, TX 78539

Why here

  • About a 7-minute drive to the Student Services Building and about 16 minutes by car from MFE, the closest of these three to campus.
  • 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.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 81 rooms, a free breakfast buffet, an outdoor pool, a 24-hour gym, free self-parking, no pets, no after-hours check-in and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateMid-range

Embassy Suites by Hilton McAllen Convention Center

800 Convention Center Blvd., McAllen, TX 78501

Why here

  • 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.
  • It's about 7 minutes from MFE, about 22 minutes from campus and about 7 minutes from Quinta Mazatlan by car with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 150 rooms, free continental breakfast, a free airport shuttle, an outdoor pool, free self-parking, the on-site Brickstones Grill and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Hotel · AlternateUpscale

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel McAllen

1800 S. 2nd St., McAllen, TX 78503

Why here

  • 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.
  • It's about 4 minutes from MFE, about 19 minutes from campus and about 3 minutes from Quinta Mazatlan by car with no traffic.

Good to know

  • Expedia lists 262 rooms, an indoor pool and children's pool, a sauna, a free airport shuttle, free self-parking, breakfast for a fee, no pets and a minimum check-in age of 21. Confirm details on the Expedia listing before you book.

Check rates on Expedia →

Expedia link is an affiliate link

Stay in south Edinburg for the shortest drive to campus on tour morning, or in McAllen near the airport and Quinta Mazatlan if you'd rather have an airport shuttle.

5. Meals between tours

Hours change, so check before you go.

On campus

Discover UTRGV visitors can try the dining hall, and the campus map marks the Dining and Ballroom Complex.

Near your hotel

The Holiday Inn Express and Embassy Suites include breakfast, and Embassy Suites has the on-site Brickstones Grill, per Expedia.

6. Things for siblings along the route

With siblings

H-E-B Planetarium

UTRGV Edinburg campus, Edinburg, TX

About a 5-minute walk from the Student Services Building. The planetarium shows films at scheduled times and holds telescope observations for families; check the page for what's on.

Official page →

With siblings

Quinta Mazatlan

600 Sunset Dr., McAllen, TX 78503

About 21 minutes by car from campus. A McAllen nature center, open Tuesday to Saturday from 8 a.m. (until 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 5 p.m. other days) and closed Sunday and Monday.

Official page →

With siblings

A Vaqueros game

Edinburg, TX

Check the UTRGV athletics calendar for a home game on your dates.

Official page →

7. Practical tips

Driving and parking

  • Register your free daily visitor permit online before you arrive; it's tied to your license plate, so there's nothing to hang in the car.
  • UTRGV limits free visitor permits per person each semester, so if you visit often, check the Visitor Parking Policy.

Flying in and out

  • McAllen's airport (MFE) is about 21 minutes from campus. Harlingen's Valley International (HRL) is about 1 hr 5 min away with no traffic, so leave extra time.

Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: McAllen Miller International Airport)

  • Spring: April averages about 88°F highs and 68°F lows, with about 1.4 inches of rain.
  • Summer: July averages about 99°F/79°F, with about 2 inches of rain.
  • Fall: October averages about 89°F/69°F, with about 2.1 inches of rain.
  • Winter: January averages about 73°F/53°F and is the driest of these months, with about 0.8 inches of rain.

Parent checklist

  • Request a UTRGV campus tour by emailing campustours@utrgv.edu or calling 956-665-7338, or register for a Discover UTRGV day.
  • Register a free daily visitor parking permit at utrgv.edu/myparking with your license plate.
  • Book flights into MFE or HRL and a rental car.
  • Book a hotel in Edinburg or McAllen.
  • Pack comfortable walking shoes, a water bottle, sunscreen and a hat.
  • After the 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.

1 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 (UTRGV, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley): 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: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
  5. UTRGV, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics (official site)
  6. UTRGV, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Athletics: Staff Directory
  7. UTRGV, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley 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.

Which schools?
Driving or flying?

Emails aren't active yet. Your plan appears right here on the page, with a preview of the email we'd send. Nothing you type here is sent or saved. Only if you use the route planner in your plan is the starting point you type there sent to our map provider, Geoapify, to plan the drive; we never store it. Privacy

Sources

All checked Oct 29, 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. UTRGV Admissions: Visit Campus (campus tours and contacts)
  2. UTRGV Admissions: Discover UTRGV
  3. UTRGV Campus Visit Program: Group tours
  4. UTRGV Catalog 2025–2026: General application information (Visitors Center location)
  5. UTRGV: Campus maps
  6. UTRGV: Edinburg campus map (PDF)
  7. UTRGV Parking & Transportation Services: Visitor Parking Policy (PDF)
  8. UTRGV Parking Services: Guest virtual permit purchase guide (PDF)
  9. UTRGV Parking & Transportation Services: Transportation Services (VOLT and Vaquero Express)
  10. Expedia listing: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Edinburg-McAllen Area by IHG (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/McAllen-Hotels-Holiday-Inn-Express-Suites-Edinburg-McAllen-Area.h9127711.Hotel-Information)
  11. Expedia listing: Embassy Suites by Hilton McAllen Convention Center (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/McAllen-Hotels-Embassy-Suites-By-Hilton-McAllen-Convention-Center.h15051919.Hotel-Information)
  12. Expedia listing: DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel McAllen (star class and amenities, checked 2026-10-29) (not linked: https://www.expedia.com/McAllen-Hotels-DoubleTree-Suites-By-Hilton-Hotel-McAllen.h21887.Hotel-Information)
  13. UTRGV: H-E-B Planetarium
  14. Quinta Mazatlan
  15. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), driving profile
  16. OSRM routing (OpenStreetMap), foot profile
  17. OpenStreetMap Nominatim geocoder
  18. NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 Monthly Normals, McAllen Miller International Airport, TX (USW00012959)
  19. UTRGV Vaqueros Athletics: Calendar