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Cowboy boots, line dancing and country music meld with slick, oil-wealthy cities, cacti-pricked deserts and weathered mountain valleys: Texas feels like its own country. In fact, it enjoyed a brief period of independence during the 19th century and holds onto its distinct personality. Our specialists have explored the length and breadth of the Lone Star State, from city to country, coast to canyon, and they’ll use their first-hand experiences to plan your Texan trip.

For a taste of the Wild West, head to Fort Worth’s Stockyards. Here, you can walk along old wooden pavements lined with historic shopfronts, watch the city’s herd of Texas longhorn cattle being driven through the historic district, and spend evenings line dancing to live country music in the world’s largest honky-tonk.

The state’s two biggest cities, Dallas and Houston, have both become rich on oil, and sparkling skyscrapers are testament to this wealth. In Dallas, you can examine the circumstances of the assassination of JFK, while in Houston you can explore the cosmos at the Space Center.

Then, take your pick from Spanish-influenced San Antonio, where the Alamo (an 18th-century Spanish fortress) is a surviving reminder of the past conflicts between Texas and Mexico, laid-back Austin with its many live-music bars, and Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country for its German heritage and architecture and vineyards.