Austin Trip Overview
Perhaps the genesis of Austin began in the 1830s when Anglo-American settlers arrived in Central Texas. In 1837, settlers founded the village of Waterloo on the banks of the Colorado River. As it is the first permanent settlement in the area, it seems incredulous as one now looks on one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. Austin is indeed a city of international renown and boasts some marvelous landmarks. Guests to Austin will want to give themselves plenty of time to take in the sights and sounds
Additional Info
Duration: 5 hours
Starts: Austin, United States
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Austin Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Austin, Texas, United States
Perhaps the genesis of Austin began in the 1830s when Anglo-American settlers arrived in Central Texas. In 1837, settlers founded the village of Waterloo on the banks of the Colorado River. As it is the first permanent settlement in the area, it seems incredulous as one now looks on one of the most beautiful cities in the United States. Austin is indeed a city of international renown and boasts some marvelous landmarks. Guests to Austin will want to give themselves plenty of time to take in the sights and sounds
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Austin, Austin, Texas
History of Austin Texas. The state’s fourth largest city, Austin originated as the riverside village of Waterloo, in a buffalo-hunting region occupied by Tonkawa and Comanche peoples. In 1839 it was selected by scouts as the site for the permanent capital of the Republic of Texas and renamed to honour Stephen F. Austin, father of the republic.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt, 605 Davis St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt Hotel
The Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt is the newest of downtown Austin hotels. This boutique hotel embraces the local music and stands out amongst hotels in Austin …
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Rainey Street Historic District, Rainey Street, Austin, TX 78701
Renovated houses turned into bungalow bars reign supreme on Rainey, the increasingly popular tucked-away street. Day or night, you’ll find relaxed bar-goers strolling from bar to food trailer to bar again, often with their dogs in tow looking for a kicked back sip and a bite.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Texas State Cemetery, 909 Navasota St, Austin, TX 78702-3322
Texas State Cemetery (TSC) is a cemetery located on about 22 acres (8.9 ha) just east of downtown Austin, the capital of the U.S. state of Texas. Originally the burial place of Edward Burleson, Texas Revolutionary general and Vice-President of the Republic of Texas, it was expanded into a Confederate cemetery during the Civil War. Later it was expanded again to include the graves and cenotaphs of prominent Texans and their spouses. It is a popular tourist attraction and colloquially referred to as the “Arlington of Texas” because of the renown of those interred and proximity to the seat of government.[1] The cemetery is divided into two sections. The smaller one contains around 900 graves of prominent Texans, while the larger has over 2,000 marked graves of Confederate veterans and widows. There is room for 7,500 interments; the cemetery is about half full, after including plots chosen by people who are eligible for burial
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Austin, Austin, Texas
Franklin Barbecue is in one of the most famous barbecue in the US , founded in 2009 by Aaron Franklin. The restaurant has attracted a national following. Long lines form early for brisket, pulled pork & other smoked meats at this bustling spot.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: The Driskill, 604 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701-3212
The Driskill, a Romanesque-style building completed in 1886, is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas, United States, and one of the best-known hotels in Texas generally. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing “the finest hotel south of St. Louis”. Today, the Driskill remains one of the premier hotels in Austin, featuring lavish bridal suites, two restaurants, and a grand ballroom. It is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the United States, featuring a variety of alleged supernatural activity throughout the building, including the spirit of Colonel Driskill himself. The Driskill has been owned and operated by Hyatt Hotels Corporation since 2013. The hotel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1969.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Texas Capitol, 1100 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704-1728
The Texas State Capitol is the capitol and seat of government of the American state of Texas. Located in downtown Austin, Texas, the structure houses the offices and chambers of the Texas Legislature and of the Governor of Texas. Designed in 1881 by architect Elijah E. Myers, it was constructed from 1882 to 1888 under the direction of civil engineer Reuben Lindsay Walker. A $75 million underground extension was completed in 1993. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. The Texas State Capitol is 302.64 feet (92.24 m) tall, making it the sixth-tallest state capitol and one of several taller than the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The capitol was ranked 92nd in the 2007 “America’s Favorite Architecture” poll commissioned by the American Institute of Architects.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: University of Texas at Austin, Guadalupe and I-35 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and 26th St., Austin, TX 78705
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas, founded in 1883. The University of Texas was included in the Association of American Universities in 1929. The institution is composed of over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff. Duration: 5 minutes
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Willie Nelson Statue, 310 West Willie Nelson Boulevard, Austin, TX 78701-4609
The Willie Nelson statue is a bronze sculpture of singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, located in Downtown Austin, Texas. The statue was commissioned to artist Clete Shields by the nonprofit organization Capital Area Statues. Following his move to Nashville in 1960, Nelson enjoyed success as a songwriter, but his career as a singer did not progress. After shortly retiring from the music business, Nelson moved to Austin in 1972, where his career found new success as a performer. Knowing of the plans for the statue, Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell proposed to rename a portion of Second Street to Willie Nelson Boulevard. The unveiling of the statue took place on April 20, 2012 at 4:20 pm with Nelson in attendance.
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail, Lady Bird Lake First Street Bridge at Lady Bird Lake, Austin, TX 78701
Lady Bird Lake (formerly, and still colloquially referred to as Town Lake) is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin, Texas, United States. The City of Austin created the reservoir in 1960 as a cooling pond for a new city power plant. The lake, which has a surface area of 416 acres (168 ha), is now used primarily for recreation and flood control. The reservoir is named in honor of former First Lady of the United States Lady Bird Johnson
Duration: 5 minutes
Stop At: Austin, Austin, Texas
The Picnic – Food Truck Park Outdoor eating destination featuring a wide variety of food trucks, plus retail vendors.
25 minutes stop for lunch
Duration: 25 minutes
Stop At: Zilker Metropolitan Park, 2100 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78746
Zilker Metropolitan Park is a recreational area in south Austin, Texas at the juncture of Barton Creek and the Colorado River that comprises over 350 acres (142 ha) of publicly owned land. It is named after its benefactor, Andrew Jackson Zilker, who donated the land to the city in 1917. The land was developed into a park during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Today the park serves as a hub for many recreational activities and the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake, both of which run next to the park. The large size of the park makes it a capable venue for large-scale events such as the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Zilker Park Kite Festival. The park was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1997
Duration: 7 minutes
Stop At: Greetings from Austin Mural, 1720 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704-4250
A popular site for photographers, this colorful, wall-sized painting depicts a retro postcard.
Duration: 7 minutes
Stop At: Congress Avenue Bridge / Austin Bats, 100 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701-4072
The Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (formerly known simply as the Congress Avenue Bridge) crosses over Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. Before construction of the Longhorn Dam was completed in 1960, the bridge crossed the Colorado River from which Lady Bird Lake is impounded. The bridge was known as the Congress Avenue Bridge from the construction of the first span across the Colorado River at that location in the late 19th century until November 16, 2006, when the Austin City Council renamed the current bridge in honor of Ann W. Richards, the 45th Governor of Texas and a long-term resident of Austin. The bridge is currently home to the world’s largest urban bat colony. It is a maternity colony, meaning it is a place where pregnant females come to roost in the spring and raise their pups from mid summer to fall. Until the pups are born, male bats are not under the bridge.
Duration: 5 minutes
