12 Things To Do in Las Colinas, Texas

We decided to spend a day in Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, for a staycation, and I’m glad we did! It was a nice change of scenery from where we live, and it was so fun to spend some time on the water with my family. We’ve been to Irving several times for conventions (for my daughter’s cheer competitions and a conference I attended), but never to Las Colinas. It was time to check it out!

If you didn’t know, Las Colinas is an upscale community within Irving, Texas. It is possibly one of the first master-planned communities in the U.S., with development starting in 1974. It’s an area with many corporate headquarters, residential buildings, restaurants, shops, recreation activities on Lake Carolyn, and the Irving Convention Center.

Las Colinas was once a cattle ranch, but it is now known as the “Headquarters of Headquarters” because so many Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies have made it their HQ… and I can see why. With walkways around Lake Carolyn and Mandalay Canal, it is a nice place to eat, relax, and stroll around during your lunch break. If you’re curious, you can read more about the companies in Las Colinas.

I previously earmarked Las Colinas for a future gondola ride (yes, you can ride a gondola here!). It’s a great way to celebrate a special occasion. We weren’t able to ride a gondola on this trip, but we’ll come back again to ride it another time.

This visit to Las Colinas was for some pool time at a hotel, and to enjoy views of the water — a nice way to take a break from our daily routine.

Whether you’re in Las Colinas for a convention at the Irving Convention Center and want a few things to do and see while you’re here, or you’re visiting DFW and/or driving through on a road trip, or just looking for a day to spend as a local in the area, here are some of the top things to do in Las Colinas!

Below is a map of all the things mentioned in this post to help you plan your trip:

1. Eat at one of the restaurants by the water

Eating by the water is a great experience to have in Las Colinas, especially when the weather is nice. There are a few great restaurants with outdoor seating located right by the water that you might want to try:

Pacific Table

Pacific Table is a popular spot because of its great food, prime location, and outdoor seating. Here, you can dine on seafood, including fish, oysters, and sushi, as well as chicken and beef dishes. You can also eat brunch here on weekends from 11 am – 3 pm.

Monaco

Monaco, located right next door to Pacific Table, brings European-inspired dishes to Las Colinas and is highly rated for its risotto and crème brûlée. They also serve oysters, salad, handmade pastas, pizza, sandwiches, steak, or signature dishes such as salmon or duck confit. On weekends, you can enjoy brunch between 11 am – 4 pm.

Sanjh Restaurant & Bar

Sanjh Restaurant & Bar is an upscale Indian restaurant with modern food presentation that looks like art. It’s a fancy restaurant, so expect to dress up for an evening here. They also offer Sunday brunch from 11 am – 3 pm and festive high tea every day from 3 pm – 5 pm, with your choice of savory bites, finger sandwiches, and sweets.

A little further away from the water, you can find other popular restaurants:

• Cork & Pig Tavern
  Cork & Pig Tavern is a gastropub that offers American cuisine, such as artisan sandwiches, salads, signature entrees, and wood-fired pizza.
  
• Go Fish Poke
  Go Fish Poke is a quick, order-at-the-counter restaurant that serves poke bowls, sushi, and ramen. Choose your own poke ingredients to get exactly what you like in your bowl.
  
• The Ginger Man
  The Ginger Man serves pub food and features over 100 specialty beers from around the world.
  
• Bruncheon Las Colinas
  Bruncheon Las Colinas serves breakfast and lunch only. You can choose from benedicts, crepes, burgers, sandwiches, paninis, smoothies, and more.

We ate at Go Fish Poke this time because my kids love sushi and ramen, and they had both! It’s also a casual spot where you can order food at the counter and eat in. When you’re short on time, this is a quick and easy option if you like raw fish and poke bowls.

2. Enjoy the views of Lake Carolyn

Take a stroll around the lake to see the beautiful view of Lake Carolyn. It’s a 2.9-mile loop around that takes about 30-60 minutes to complete, depending on how fast you walk. You may see people jogging, walking, and enjoying the view.

On the water, you can see gondolas, pedal boats, kayaks, and other boats if people have rented them out. The views during sunset are absolutely beautiful, especially at sunset.

3. Take a gondola ride

Instead of just watching gondolas on the lake, you can take a ride yourself with Gondola Adventures. This is a great way to spend a special occasion or just to create a special memory on your visit to Las Colinas.

There are different cruise types available, such as a brunch cruise, lunch cruise, dinner cruise, pizza cruise, and even a dessert cruise. Cruises are 1 hour or 1.5 hours and can accommodate families.

4. Go on a pedal boat ride

For a fun alternative to the gondola ride, you can go on a swan or duck pedal boat, or a sparkly standard pedal boat ride. These rides are 50 minutes long (trust me, you will need that time to go into Lake Carolyn, around, and back).

The boats can fit 4 people in the standard one and 5 in the swan or duck ones. You have to reserve the boat online so you can prebook or book when you get there if there are time slots available. The last boat reservation is at 6:30 pm, so be sure to book before then.

We took a ride during sunset, and it was so beautiful. It was the highlight of our trip to Las Colinas. It’s also fun to do with kids, and even better when one of them is big enough to help you pedal so you can relax and enjoy the ride!

You can find the pedal boats under the bridge of E Las Colinas Blvd, which is where we started our pedal boat ride.

You can ride with Stand Up Paddle North Texas.

5. Go kayaking on the lake

You can also go kayaking on the lake with Stand Up Paddle North Texas, and choose from single kayaks or double kayaks. You can rent these for 1 or 2 hours. It’s a great way to enjoy the lake.

6. Ride on a stand-up paddleboard

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, you can try a stand-up paddleboard. You can also rent these for 1 or 2 hours at Stand Up Paddle North Texas.

7. Walk the Mandalay Canal Walk

The Mandalay Canal is a nice place to take a stroll to enjoy the unique architecture and walkway along the canal. To get to this area, you can walk under the bridge of E Las Colinas Blvd, where all the pedal boats are parked. We actually missed walking to this area because we took the pedal boat ride and forgot to walk the canal afterwards. 

We went back to see it the next day to take a little stroll and started our walk on Mandalay Canal, where the Love Lock Bridge is located (see #8 below).

There are bridges along the canal that allow you to cross from one side to the other. We went during the morning on a weekday during school break, and it was nice and peaceful.

Mandalay Canal is a popular spot for wedding photos and other special occasion photos, and for leisurely walks throughout the day and evening. It looked like residents were out and about, taking a walk or jog.

Don’t miss the waterfalls on your walk, which is located right next to the Homewood Suites by Hilton Las Colinas. You can see it under the Glatter Falls bridge.

There are office buildings around the canal, and if you visit during the week, like we did, you’ll see people walking around during breaks or lunch.

I really enjoyed walking through this area and will be back again!

8. Take a look at Love Lock Bridge

While you’re walking through Mandalay Canal Walk, you can walk over Love Lock Bridge, where you can see people who have attached their love locks to this bridge. If you’d like to do this too, come prepared with your own locks. We saw that so many came prepared with their names engraved on locks.

If you need a refreshment or a snack, you can pop into Waterway Cafe, located in Waterway Tower, located nearby, to grab something to go. They also have seating inside and outside for a quick rest stop. We enjoyed the beautiful view outdoors. The daughter couldn’t stop talking about the small cookie we bought at Waterway Cafe, saying that it was “soooo good” while we were walking to Mandalay Canal.

9. Toyota Music Factory

Toyota Music Factory has 15+ bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues for you to enjoy. This is another area to find some great food or listen to some live music. Check their upcoming events to see what’s happening during your visit or to plan your trip around an event.

10. Take a photo with the Flower Clock

You may drive past the Flower Clock on the corner of N O’Connor Rd and W John Carpenter Fwy. To take a picture with it, you’ll have to park and walk there from Starbucks, or the parking lot shared by some of the restaurants nearby.

We went in October, which is why you see the spider decorations with the clock. Depending on when you visit, you may see different flowers planted here. It looks like it is refreshed each season.

11. See the Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculpture

Cross the street of N O’Connor Rd to get to Williams Square. Inside Williams Square, you will find the famed Mustangs of Las Colinas sculpture, created by Robert Glen. These statues were a gift to the city of Irving and have become a tourist attraction and a signature landmark of the city. The 40th Anniversary of the Mustangs was celebrated in 2024.

You can also visit the Mustang Museum in the East Tower at 5221 N. O’Connor Blvd., Ste. 110E. It is open during the hours:

• Wed – Fri: 11 am – 4 pm
• Sat: 10 am – 1 pm.

12. Try liquid nitrogen ice cream at Creamistry

Creamistry is a unique place for its liquid nitrogen ice cream. It’s quite a sight to see if you’ve never seen it, and a fun way to end your night! Nitrogen makes ice cream thick and smooth by instantly freezing the ice cream base. My daughter is the one who tried it and said the ice cream was “thick.”

Where To Stay On the Water

If you want the ultimate experience on Lake Carolyn, there are a few hotels that you can find right on the water.

The Omni Las Colinas Hotel is located prominently on Lake Carolyn and has an outdoor pool you can swim in with a view of the lake from the pool. It also has its own restaurant, LRH Restaurant and Bar, that serves Texas-inspired dishes in a beautiful, modern space with amazing views of Lake Carolyn.

Hotel Indigo Irving Las Colinas is located right on Mandalay Canal with walking access to the canal. It has an outdoor pool with views of the canal. You can go on a gondola ride directly from the hotel.

Marriott Dallas Las Colinas is located behind the corporate buildings surrounding The Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculpture. It is located close to Toyota Music Factory.

That wraps up the top 12 things to do in Las Colinas. If you have other suggestions for things to do here, please leave them in the comments. Hope you have a fun trip to Las Colinas!

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If you’re traveling as a family and are looking for more things to do in the DFW area, see my other posts for family-friendly activities nearby:

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• What to Expect at KidZania in Frisco
• Crayola Experience Review: A Colorful Day in Plano

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