7 hour private tour including lunch with an astronaut, guided by your friendly space expert
Your 7 hour private tour will give you an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the history, current programs and future plans for space exploration. Your guide, "Rocket Man" Bill, is a real space expert who will explain everything you see and answer all of your questions in a way you will easily understand.
You will visit the NASA Space Center which is the most popular tourist destination in Houston. You will see the actual hardware used to go to the moon, touch a moon rock, go inside a space station, explore the Space Shuttle, visit Mission Control, and visit the Rocket Park. The highlight of this tour is lunch with a real astronaut which is ONLY AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS. Please book far in advance to avoid disappointment.
Your guide will pick you up at the Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) or a nearby hotel and drop you off in Galveston at a hotel near the Cruise Terminal. You may customize this tour for pick up at an alternate location such as the Houston International Airport (IAH).
Itinerary
1. Pick up by private van at the Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) or a nearby hotel. NO LATER THAN 9:30 AM.
2. Drive to the Space Center Houston.
3. View an excellent movie introducing NASA's vision for human space flight.
4. Visit the Starship Gallery, touch a real moon rock and walk through an actual space station.
5. Go inside the Space Shuttle at Independence Plaza. Your guide worked on this engineering marvel for 17 years.
6. LUNCH WITH A REAL ASTRONAUT !!!
7. Take a tram ride through the Johnson Space Center.
8. Visit Mission Control and see the live, real time operations of the International Space Station.
9. Visit the Rocket Park, including a guided walk around an actual Saturn V rocket that launched the Apollo astronauts to the moon. It's the length of a football field…very impressive!!
10. Personal time for souvenir shopping and wandering around spacesuits and spacecraft.
11. Gather at the main entrance and board the van.
12. Drive to Galveston.
13. Drop off at your hotel near the cruise terminal.
Meeting Location + Tour Duration
Meeting location: Pick up at the Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) or a nearby hotel within 10 miles / 16 km of the Space Center. Gather your luggage and meet your guide outside the baggage claim area. The best place for pick up at HOU is across the first drive though lane. Look for a silver Town and Country van. Your guide will be wearing a red NASA baseball cap.
PICK UP AT HOU AIRPORT NO LATER THAN 9:30 AM.
You may make advanced arrangements with your guide for an alternate pickup location such as the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) or a center city hotel. Additional charges will apply for alternate drop off locations, depending on the extra time and distance involved. Pick up timing for this tour is critical.
End location: Drop off at the Galveston Cruise Terminal or a a nearby hotel.
Duration: 7 hours
Times may vary due to traffic and weather conditions.
9:30 am Pick up at the Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) or your local area hotel.
10:00 am Start your guided tour at Space Center Houston.
12:00 pm Lunch with an astronaut.
2:30 pm Depart Space Center Houston for the drive to Galveston
3:30 pm Drop off at the Galveston Cruise Terminal or a nearby hotel.
Transportation
2012 Chrysler Town & Country 7 passenger van
The van is large enough to comfortably carry 5 guests plus 2 pieces of checked luggage per person. Extra luggage or oversized luggage may require some bags to be stored in the passenger seating area.
What’s Included
Your private tour price includes the friendly, helpful services of a real space expert as your guide plus transportation in a safe, comfortable van. The tour starts at the Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) or a nearby hotel, goes to the Space Center Houston, and ends at at your hotel in Galveston near the cruise terminal. Your guided tour of the Space Center Houston includes your general admission tickets and LUNCH WITH AN ASTRONAUT plus a tram tour through NASA's John Space Center with narrated visits to NASA's Mission Control Room, the Rocket Park, Starship Gallery, Shuttle Independence Plaza and much more. There will be ample free time for souvenir shopping at the Space Center Houston.
Estimated Local Cash Needed
5 $USD - Per person for snacks and drinks, not including souvenirs. Space Center Houston has 2 souvenir shops and a large food court. You will be able to pay with any major credit card or cash.
What’s Extra
For an additional charge, you can be picked up at an alternate location such as the Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) or a hotel near the Galleria shopping district, or the center city theater district, or the Amtrak train station, or the Houston bus terminal. Please coordinate your alternate pick up locations with your guide who will set up a custom tour to meet your specific needs. You will be able to pay these extra charges in advance using the on line system.
Please be aware that the pick up time is critical. Your guide will assist you to make sure you arrive at the Space Center Houston in plenty of time for the Lunch With An Astronaut event.
If desired, your guide will be happy to suggest hotels, restaurants, shopping venues, ground transport and airline flights that fit your needs and your budget, and will gladly adjust the details of your tour itinerary accordingly
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