Texas, United States

Austin

Austin is the 'Live Music Capital of the World', with a walkable downtown of music venues, the Texas Capitol and a lakeside trail.

Austin: Haunted Austin Walking History Tour
Featured walk: Haunted Austin Walking History Tour · Photo supplied by Viator

The city on foot

Texas's capital is known for live music, barbecue and a relaxed, creative spirit.

Downtown runs from the Capitol to Lady Bird Lake, with Sixth Street's bars and South Congress across the river.

What makes Austin distinctive

  • Live music
  • Barbecue and Tex-Mex
  • The Texas Capitol
  • Congress Avenue Bridge bats

Walking tours in Austin

Hand-picked guided walks in Austin, each rated highly by travellers. Ratings and photos are from Viator; select a tour to see dates, prices and full details, and to book.

Advertising disclosure: tour links go to Viator. If you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not affect the price you pay or which tours we choose.

Prices are Viator's lowest "from" price per person, converted to pounds and checked on 28 October 2026. The booking page shows the current price in your currency.

By theme: Food tours in Austin · History walks in Austin · Night and ghost tours in Austin

Compare with other cities: Food tours · History walks · Night and ghost tours

More walking tours on GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide sells many of the same walks and some that Viator doesn't. Their list for Austin is chosen and ranked by GetYourGuide, not by us.

Search Austin on GetYourGuide

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Main sights

Ticket links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Neighbourhoods worth wandering

  • Downtown

    The Capitol and Sixth Street.

  • South Congress

    Boutiques.

  • East Austin

    Bars and food trucks.

Free self-guided walk

Capitol to Lady Bird Lake

A free self-guided walk in Austin, from the Texas State Capitol down Congress Avenue to Lady Bird Lake.

3.3 km · 4 stops · map and directions

See the walk

Best areas to explore on foot

  1. Ann and Roy Butler Trail

    Around Lady Bird Lake.

  2. Congress Avenue

    Capitol to the river.

  3. South Congress

    Murals.

Practical walking notes

  • Terrain

    Flat.

  • Heat

    Very hot summers.

  • Distances

    Downtown is compact.

When to visit

  • Spring

    SXSW in March.

  • Autumn

    Austin City Limits festival.

  • Summer

    Very hot; bats.

Getting there and getting around

Arriving

  • By air

    Austin Airport is about 20 minutes away.

Local transport

  • Buses and rail

    Cover the city.

Questions travellers ask about Austin

When do the bats fly?

At dusk, roughly March to October.

How many days do I need?

Two or three days.

What should I eat?

Barbecue and breakfast tacos.

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Sources and review date

This guide was last updated on 2026-10-28. Opening hours, fares and services change; please confirm details with official sources before travelling.