Austin private tours

Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World, pulses with a charm unmistakably Texan. It's where creativity flourishes and individuality is celebrated, offering a mix of relaxed pace and lively buzz. Your local guide will navigate you beyond the renowned music venues to uncover the city's essence. Picture yourself strolling through South Congress, where vintage shops and food trucks create a tapestry of discoveries. A food and wine tour unveils Austin's gastronomic gems, from iconic barbecue to inventive farm-to-table spots. With private tours, you bypass the usual queues and delve into the city's rich culture, exploring murals an...

Austin, the Live Music Capital of the World, pulses with a charm unmistakably Texan. It's where creativity flourishes and individuality is celebrated, offering a mix of relaxed pace and lively buzz. Your local guide will navigate you beyond the renowned music venues to uncover the city's essence. Picture yourself strolling through South Congress, where vintage shops and food trucks create a tapestry of discoveries. A food and wine tour unveils Austin's gastronomic gems, from iconic barbecue to inventive farm-to-table spots. With private tours, you bypass the usual queues and delve into the city's rich culture, exploring murals and crafts that mirror its eclectic soul. Allow your guide to lead you to the finest live music spots, where each note captures Austin's indefatigable zeal for creativity. If you’re looking for more inspiration, take a look at our curated list of things to do in Austin.

Explore Austin your way

At ToursByLocals, we believe that how you explore is just as important as where you go. That’s why every Austin tour is private, flexible, and built around you: Move at your own pace, skip the crowds, make connections and follow your curiosity. Find local guides offering private tours in Austin for every interest, including:

Off The Beaten Path tours: Visit the Cathedral of Junk in South Austin, then follow your guide to lesser‑known Barton Creek Greenbelt trailheads for a quiet walk to Sculpture Falls. Wrap up with warehouse galleries and new murals in East Austin for a look at the city’s evolving arts scene.

Layover tours: From AUS, head to South Congress for coffee, boot browsing, and skyline photos from the Long Center lawn; at sunset, you can watch the Congress Avenue bats. With a bit more time, detour to Mount Bonnell for a quick viewpoint and grab brisket from a reliable food truck before returning to the airport.

Food and Drink tours: Start with breakfast tacos, move to smoky Central Texas brisket for lunch, and finish with Tex‑Mex enchiladas, plus a stop for kolaches at a Czech‑style bakery. Add a flight at a craft brewery in East Austin or a sip at a small urban winery to round out your food and drink tours.

Downtown and South Congress are walkable, and CapMetro buses and rail cover a few main routes, but distances are large. For a smooth day, ask your local guide about tours with private transportation or book a chauffeured ride.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all itinerary, you can tailor your private tour to match your interests, pace and personality with a local who knows Austin inside and out.

Walking tours & neighbourhoods

Day trip ideas from Austin

From Austin, you can stretch your legs with easy day trips to nearby cities and Hill Country towns, letting your tour match what you like to see, taste, and learn.

San Antonio: Walk the River Walk, step into centuries of history at the UNESCO-listed missions, and browse the market for Tex-Mex flavours. If you’re into history and culture, your tour can focus on the Alamo area and the Mission Trail, with time for tacos and local art.

Fredericksburg and the Texas Hill Country: Taste wine at relaxed tasting rooms, explore German heritage on Main Street, and catch peach stands in season along scenic backroads. Wine fans, casual shoppers, and photographers get a lot here, and your tour can balance tastings with small-town stops.

New Braunfels and Gruene: See historic limestone buildings, listen to live music at Gruene Hall, and enjoy riverside views along the Guadalupe and Comal. If music, architecture, and classic Texas halls are your thing, your tour can tie together dance hall history, antique stores, and a relaxed beer garden.

Waco: Check out Magnolia Market, the restored Suspension Bridge area, and the Waco Mammoth National Monument for a mix of design, history, and nature. Design fans and families get variety in one day, and your tour can link murals, downtown stops, and easy riverside walks.

Lockhart: Follow the smoke trail to legendary barbecue pits, then wander the courthouse square for photos and local shops. Food lovers who care about craft and tradition will like how your tour sequences tastings so you can sample brisket, sausage, and sides without the rush.

A private tour with a local guide is the best way to really get to know a place. Skip the crowds, follow your interests, and see a side of Austin most travellers miss.