Houston & the International Quilt Festival
Join us in Houston for America’s biggest annual quilt festival!
We are pausing this tour for 2026, but plans are already underway for 2027, so register your interest to be the first to hear when dates are released!
Houston blends international appeal with Southern charm. It’s home to one of the largest annual quilt shows in the world, where more than a thousand quilts and textile works are displayed together like a vast, walk‑through quilt museum. You’ll find bustling aisles of fabrics and kits, workshops, lectures, and an atmosphere full of colour, noise and excitement.
Why not round off your Texan adventure with a few days in charming San Antonio? This historic city offers UNESCO-listed missions, the legendary Alamo and the tree-lined River Walk, plus beautiful gardens and tempting local quilt stores. We offer San Antonio as an optional extension - please enquire if you’d like to add it to your holiday.
What We Love
Experiences you will treasure
What people say
The International Quilt Festival in Houston is just fabulous! The fabrics and kits, tools and threads were wonderful and quite a lot of them seemed to come home with me. There was a relaxed, fun, easy-going atmosphere to the show
Mrs K Knox
How much is it?
What's included
Itinerary
Where you will stay
Based on 2026 departure:
4* Le Meridien Houston - 7x nights
Le Meridien Houston Downtown is a stylish, contemporary hotel set in the heart of the city, blending European-inspired design with Texan flair. Situated in a beautifully restored historic building, it offers chic, comfortable rooms, a rooftop bar with skyline views and a ten-minute walk to the Convention Center.
Flights
Based on 2026 departure:
OUTBOUND - Saturday
15:25 - depart London Heathrow Terminal 5 on British Airways flight BA0197
20:00 - arrive at George Bush Intercontinental Airport
INBOUND - Sunday
21:50 - depart George Bush Intercontinental Airport on British Airways flight BA0196
12:50 - arrive at London Heathrow Terminal 5
BA economy flight includes:
1x 23kg checked bag
1x 23kg additional cabin bag (up to 56cm x 45cm x 15cm)
1x 23kg handbag/laptop bag (up to 40cm x 30cm x 15cm)
To enquire about flight upgrades, please email us at info@ecttravel.com
ESTA Visa
Travelling to the USA on a non-American passport requires an ESTA visa, which is quick and easy to obtain. Please use this link to apply
A Deeper Dive
Houston's downtown Museum District is the city's cultural heart, with venues exploring subjects ranging from natural science to the African-American experience. Particular highlights include the Menil Collection and the Museum of Fine Arts.
Housed in buildings designed by architect Renzo Piano (and widely regarded as masterpieces of modern architecture), the Menil Collection contains 15,000 works dating from the Paleolithic era to the present day, including an impressive collection of 20th century surrealist art, a permanent installation of work by Cy Twombly and a chapel dedicated to the paintings of Mark Rothko.
With over 65,000 objects ranging from Antiquity to contemporary times, the Museum of Fine Arts is a place to return to time and again. However, must-see collections for a one-off visit include The Glassel Collection of African Gold; the 19th century paintings of the American wilderness; the displays of contemporary decorative arts and the textile and costume galleries which are home to some exquisite examples of English and French haute couture. Architecture aficionados should also make a point of visiting the Museum's Cullinan Hall and Brown Pavilion, both of which were designed by that master of modernism, Mies van der Rohe.
Houston is an international city and its culinary scene reflects its ethnic diversity - at the last count there were 10,000 restaurants offering cuisine from more than 70 different countries and regions of the US. And it isn't just the variety that's impressive; many people also consider Houston to be America's food capital so, whether your taste is for waffles and chicken wings, Creole gumbo and jambalaya or European fusion, this is the perfect place to indulge your appetite!
Houston has plenty to tempt shoppers too, from the Art Deco splendour of the Rover Oaks Shopping Center to the independent craft artists at the Houston Centre for Contemporary Craft.
Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, is the only place in the world where you can enter a replica space shuttle resting on top of the original shuttle carrier aircraft, NASA 905. This extraordinary recreation gives a real insight into the workings of the shuttle, allowing visitors to walk through seven dynamic areas within the aircraft, including the flight deck, mid-deck and payload bay. And, as if that wasn't excitement enough, a visit here also includes the chance to experience the sights and sounds of a real launch in the multi-screen Blast-Off theatre, an opportunity to take an interactive, virtual journey across the solar system and into the future of space exploration, and a 90 minute tram tour behind the scenes of NASA and Mission Control.
Before you book
- Please read our Booking Conditions
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This tour requires a minimum of 6 passengers to run. Please refer to point 7 in our booking conditions
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Mobility: This tour is generally suitable for most guests. If you have any concerns or specific mobility issues, please let us know ahead of booking
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For all non-USA passport or visa waiver holders, you will need to apply for an ESTA
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For all travellers booking from outside of the UK to join this tour departing from the UK, please check if you need a ETA
29.760427, -95.369804
30.0802, -94.1266
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We look forward to arranging your future holiday, and with over twenty years of experience we are here to help with any questions you may have.
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