The Best of Houston Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

35 Reviews3.34 out of 5 stars Based on 35 adventurer reviews collected by Top10Adventures© and TripAdvisor | Houston, USA

Loading Options

2 to 3 hours (Approx.)
Mobile Ticket
Instant Confirmation

Overview

Find out what makes Houston the most vibrant city in Texas with this self-guided Houston driving tour! As you explore, you’ll see everything that makes Houston unique, from historic districts to stunning parks and the famous Space Center! Revisit historic battles on the Bayou. Stop by Emancipation Park, a centerpiece of Black history in the city. Admire Houston's tallest skyscrapers and uncover the heart of this truly Texan city!

Purchase one tour per car, not per person. Everyone listens together!

After booking, check your email to download the separate Audio Tour Guide App by Action, enter your unique password, and access your tour. These steps require good internet/Wi-Fi access. From there, follow the audio instructions and the route.

New, extra validity — now yours for an entire year! Use multiple times over multiple trips!

This isn't an entrance ticket. Check opening hours before your visit.

What's Included

  • Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
  • Great value: purchase per car, not per person. More affordable than bus or guided tours!
  • Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
  • Gratuity
  • Hotel pickup not offered
  • Attraction passes, entry tickets, or reservations
See 5 more

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Lamar St @ La Branch St, Houston, TX 77010, USA

Open in Google Maps

After booking the tour, search your email for the phrase "Set up your self-guided tour now." Follow these instructions NOW to finish setting up the tour while you have Wi-Fi/data. Do NOT wait until you are onsite.

End point

NASA Johnson Space Center, 2101 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX 77058, USA

What To Expect

Buffalo Bayou Park

Next, we'll arrive at the Buffalo Bayou Park, where we'll get a chance to see the enormous cisterns the once quenched the thirst of the entire city! We'll also learn how the city transformed and found new uses for these cisterns once they weren't needed for drinking water any longer.NOTE: This 39+ mile-long tour covers the essentials of Houston in 2-3 hours.
Read more

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Sam Houston Park

Our drive takes us past Sam Houston Park next, where a row of preserved historic homes display how Houstonians from all walks of life lived, from freed slaves building new lives for themselves to affluent merchants.
Read more

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Houston City Hall

We'll park at City Hall and hear about the challenges of building it during the Great Depression. We'll also get a good look at the statues of Houston's founders which stand before the hall, and learn about how those statues had to wait over 80 years to be built!
Read more

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pennzoil Place (Pass By)

We'll keep driving until we see Pennzoil Place, a pair of huge black towers looming over Houston. Here, we'll pick up some facts about the imposing buildings and the innovative architect behind them.
Read more

Market Square Park

Our route takes us next through Houston's Historic District, chock full of gorgeous old buildings. We'll also hear about the multiple fires which swept across the old City Hall, and the celebrities like Johnny Carson who have partied in this very district!
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

JPMorgan Chase Tower

The next sight we'll see is the Chase Tower, the tallest building in all of Texas. Here, we'll uncover some secrets of its construction, like how the original design was hazardous to air traffic and it sports a helipad that's never been used!
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Christ Church Cathedral

Next, we'll park at the Christ Church Cathedral, Houston’s very first religious congregation which dates back to 1859. We'll also hear about the generous stranger who's responsible for a steer's head being part of the church seal.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Minute Maid Park

Our route then passes Minute Maid Park, the famous baseball stadium designed to imitate the Golden Age of baseball.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Emancipation Park

Next, we'll see Emancipation Park, a lovely recreational space with a rich history. We'll hear about emancipation, Juneteenth in Texas, and how this park became an epicenter for the Black community in Houston. Then, we'll get the real facts on some of Houston's most notorious urban legends.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Houston Museum District

As we drive, we'll enter Houston's Museum District, home to fascinating museums covering everything from Black history to natural science to fine arts and beyond. If you want a really deep dive into the city of Houston, this is the place to be.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hermann Park

Next, we'll pass Hermann Park, home to plenty of attractions for the little ones, including an entire zoo featuring cheetahs, chimps, and more!
Read more

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Rice University Campus

Our route brings us through the Rice University campus next, where we'll get some insight into the founder and hear about a baffling--and very ambitious--senior prank conducted by an alum known only as "The Mastermind."
Read more

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

William Marsh Rice Statue

Next, we'll see the subject of the prank itself: the William Marsh Rice Statue, and learn about how the pranksters banded together to protect one of their own from repercussions.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyscape

As we continue through the Rice campus, we'll see the strange, pyramid-shaped building known as Skyspace. Here, we'll get a quick rundown of what this odd building is for, and how you can experience its beautiful sky viewings for yourself.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

MacGregor Park

We'll keep driving past MacGregor Park and listen to the story of how he revolutionized Houston's transit system by replacing the donkeys it relied on for far too long.
Read more

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

MacGregor Park MLK

At the end of the boulevard, look to the right. You should be able to spot the bronze statue of Dr. King. For a full picture of his life and achievements, check out the African American Culture Museum in Midtown.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Old Spanish Trail

As we drive, we'll end up on the Old Spanish Trail. Once upon a time, it spanned the entirety of the country! This trail stretched over 2,750 miles from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. Next, we'll look down get the inside scoop on the importance of oil and gas in Texas's development, and look up at the stars to hear about NASA, the infamous Apollo 13 mission, and world-famous astronomer Carl Sagan.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

San Jacinto Street

The San Jacinto Monument is a 567.31-foot-high column located on the Houston Ship Channel in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, near the city of Houston. The monument is topped with a 220-ton star that commemorates the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Discovery Green

Discovery Green is an 11.78-acre public urban park in Downtown Houston, Texas, bounded by La Branch Street to the west, McKinney Street to the north, Avenida de las Americas to the east, and Lamar Street to the south.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Houston Graffiti Building

Grouping of industrial structures featuring rotating displays of colorful street art & murals.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Holocaust Museum Houston

The Holocaust Museum Houston is located in Houston's Museum District, in the U.S. state of Texas. The Holocaust memorial museum is the fourth largest in the U.S., and opened in 1996. A major commitment of the Holocaust Museum Houston is education.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Houston Museum of Natural Science is a natural history museum located on the northern border of Hermann Park.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, located in the Houston Museum District, Houston, is one of the largest museums in the United States. The permanent collection of the museum spans more than 6,000 years of history with approximately 70,000 works from six continents.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Children's Museum Houston

Bustling family museum with a wealth of hands-on activities such as a Bubble Lab & a Tot Spot.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany Skyscape

Built in 2012, the pyramidal structure accommodates 120 people between two levels. Twilight Epiphany is acoustically engineered to host musical performances and to act as a laboratory for Shepherd School of Music students. Constructed of grass, concrete, stone and composite steel, the structure is equipped with an LED light sequence that projects onto the ceiling and through an aperture in the 72-foot square knife-edge roof during sunrise and at sunset. Turrell's composition of light complements the natural light present at twilight, and transforms the Skyspace into a locale for experiencing beauty and reflecting on the surrounding campus and the natural world.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Health Museum

The John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science, or The Health Museum in short, is a museum in the Museum District of Houston, Texas. The museum is a member institution of the Texas Medical Center.
Read more

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Show 24 more stops

Additional Info

  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • How to access: Once you book a tour, you’ll get a confirmation email with instructions. Follow the instructions right away: • Download the separate app • Enter the password • Download the tour • MUST DO while in strong wifi/cellular.
  • How to start the tour: Open Action’s separate audio tour guide app once onsite. • If there is just one tour, launch it. • If multiple tour versions exist, launch the one with your planned starting point and direction. • Go to the starting point. (Note: no one will meet you at the start. This tour is self-guided). • The audio will begin automatically at the starting point. If you face audio issues, visit the FAQ. • Stick to the tour route & speed limit for the best experience.
  • Amazing Savings: why pay for an expensive, crowded, and limited bus tour — priced per person! — when you can have ONE amazing audio guide on your OWN phone for your WHOLE group?
  • Flexibility and Convenience: • Use the tour app anytime, on any day, and over multiple days. It's perfect for tailoring your exploration and revisiting your favorite spots on future trips. • Start and pause the tour whenever you like, taking breaks and exploring side excursions at your own pace, free from the constraints of a group.
  • Comprehensive Tour Experience: •The app provides a full itinerary, travel tips, narrated audio stories, scripts, images, videos, and recommendations for additional activities. • Enjoy a private experience without the crowds, ideal for personalized stops and photo opportunities.
  • Ease of Use and Accessibility: • The app is hands-free and activates stories via GPS, offering support through call, chat, or email. • There is no need for a continuous cell or Wi-Fi connection as the GPS map works offline.
  • Memorable Keepsakes: • Utilize the app’s images to create a photo book or share on social media, ensuring you have high-quality, crowd-free memories from your trip.
  • Preparation: • After booking, download the app and the tour using a strong Wi-Fi connection. • Review the tour at home before your trip for a better experience.
  • Starting the Tour: • Open the app upon arrival at your destination. • Select the appropriate tour based on your starting point. • Head to the starting location; the audio will begin automatically. • Follow the suggested route and adhere to the speed limit for an optimal experience. • By following these instructions and taking advantage of the app's features, users can enjoy a personalized, flexible, and in-depth exploration of their destination at their own pace and convenience.
  • Minimum Mobile OS Requirement: iOS 14 or later / Android 9 (Pie) or later. It is compatible with iPad models that have a GPS chip.
  • CarPlay and Android Auto are not yet supported. Connect your phone via Bluetooth, USB, or Aux for audio. Use phone speakers if needed.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Still have questions?

We’re here to help.
Live Chat, Text, Call, or Email our friendly customer support with your questions.

Activity code: C-259428P5

Reviews

3.34
35 reviews

Average 3.34 out of 5 stars based on 35 adventurer reviews collected by Top10Adventures© and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
11
4 stars
8
3 stars
5
2 stars
4
1 star
7

Similar Adventures & Tours

Private Houston Sightseeing Tour, 3hr Mural Tour

Private Houston Sightseeing Tour, 3hr Mural Tour

 3 hours  Hotel pickup offered  Free Cancellation  Instant Confirmation
from
$394

The Heights Food Tour in Houston

The Heights Food Tour in Houston

6
 3 hours 30 minutes  Free Cancellation
from
$79

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston All Access Admission Ticket

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston All Access Admission Ticket

New To The Site!
 1 to 4 hours  Free Cancellation  Instant Confirmation
from
$9

Adventurers Who Bought This Adventure Also Bought

Houston CityPASS — Save 45%

Houston CityPASS — Save 45%

 9 days  Instant Confirmation
from
$75

Houston's Official City Tour

Houston's Official City Tour

 1 hour 20 minutes  Free Cancellation  Instant Confirmation
from
$38.95

Space Center Houston Admission Ticket
Likely to Sell Out