The Best of Houston Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. 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: The tour is over 40 miles long, with more than 40+ audio stories, and takes about 2-3 hours to complete. New, Lifetime access, no expiry. Use it anytime, on any trip, as many times as you want.

   5 minutes here

2. 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.

   5 minutes here

3. 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!

   5 minutes here · Admission not included

4. 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.

   5 minutes here

5. 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!

   5 minutes here · Admission not included

6. 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!

   5 minutes here

7. 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.

   5 minutes here · Admission not included

8. Daikin Park

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

   5 minutes here · Admission not included

9. 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.

   5 minutes here

10. 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.

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

11. 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!

    10 minutes here

12. Rice University

    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."

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

13. 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.

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

14. 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.

    10 minutes here

15. 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.

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

16. 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.

    5 minutes here

17. 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.

    5 minutes here

18. 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.

    5 minutes here

19. 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.

    5 minutes here

20. Houston Graffiti Building

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

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

21. 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.

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

22. 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.

    5 minutes here · Admission not included

23. 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.

    Pass by without stopping

24. Children's Museum Houston

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

    Pass by without stopping

25. 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.

    Pass by without stopping

Where it starts and ends

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Languages

en

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 15 travelers per booking

Operated by

Drive with Action

Know before you go

• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Easy to use: GPS-triggered audio plays automatically along the route for a hands-free experience.
• Private tour: Explore in your own vehicle without crowded buses or large tour groups.
• At your own pace: Start anytime and pause for hikes, picnics, photos, or scenic stops.
• Works offline: Once downloaded, the tour works using GPS without Wi-Fi or cellular service.
• Good value: One purchase covers everyone in your vehicle, not each person separately.
• More ways to save: Choose a single tour, a nearby bundle, or access to 200+ tours.
• Download in advance: Download the Tour Guide app by Action and tour while connected to Wi-Fi or a strong cellular signal.
• Follow the route: Begin at the suggested starting point or join anywhere along the route shown in the app.
• Lifetime access: Preview the tour before your trip and revisit the stories, photos, and details afterward.
• Supported devices: iPhone with iOS 15+, Android with version 9+, or a GPS-enabled iPad/tablet with cellular capability.

Photos

Traveler reviews

48 verified traveler reviews for The Best of Houston Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.