Organized Tours

Self-Guided Tours

In addition to the guided walking tours offered by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau , the ACVB sells MP3 audio tours for $15. These come with a map to guide you and include mellow background music as you navigate from one stop to the next. One tour covers the main attractions of Austin's downtown. The other tour takes you around the most popular live-performance venues in the downtown area.

The visitor center also offers seven self-guided tour booklets, which are free. Five tours (Bremond Block, Hyde Park, Congress Ave. and E. Sixth St., Texas State Cemetery, and Oakwood Cemetery) require foot power alone. The other two (West Austin and O. Henry Trail) combine walking and driving. They make for interesting reading even if you don't have time to follow the routes.

Guided Walks

Enjoyable guided walking tours are offered free of charge by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB; tel. 866/GO-AUSTIN [462-8784] or 512/478-0098; www.austintexas.org). There are two tours to choose from. Both are downtown; both last approximately 90 minutes; and both depart punctually from the south entrance of the capitol, weather permitting. The tour of the historic Bremond Block takes place on Saturday and Sunday at 11am. The tour of Congress Avenue and East Sixth Street takes place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 9am, and on Sunday at 2pm. Make reservations for the tours at least 24 hours in advance. You can do so by calling the visitor center or by going to the website.