If you have at least 3 days in Austin and would like to explore this Texan city, look no further than the ATX pass.
At $95 per person, this pass came with a host of activities suitable for all ages. Although there are many activities included, chances are you will not be able to do everything hence it is good to sit down and plan your itineraries (depending on the time and location of the activity).
The ATX pass is valid for 3 days hence it will be worthwhile if you have at least 4 days to spend in Austin.
One purchased, you will receive a confirmation from Once There and you can book your activities seamlessly. Do plan carefully as changing of timing or date is not as easy as booking it. However, the staff at Once There are extremely responsive and helpful and they will gladly help you to rearrange your activities.
During my stay in Austin, I did the following tours
- Downtown and Capitol Segway tour
- Peace, Love and Zilker Bike tour
- Austin Duck Adventure
- Austin + Hill tour
I was also booked on the Austin Aquarium and Single Loop tour but being tired (still recovering from jetlag), we decided to give it a miss.
The Segway tour was indeed fun, and it was our first time on a Segway. Before setting out, we had 5 minutes to familiarize ourselves with the Segway (how to control it, doing a trial run and knowing the do’s and don’ts). Once done, we were on our way to explore the Capitol and Downtown Austin. There were only 2 of us so it was like a private tour. It was very easy and safe navigating downtown Austin especially with a guide. You get to see the popular 6th street, Governor Mansion, Congress bridge and many more sights.
There are a few biking options (including day rental of bike for self-exploration) and we took the Zilker Park bike tour which also included going on the cycling path of Lady Bird Park. Sights along the way include the Barton Springs pool and Stevie Ray Vaughn statue.
During summer, these 2 tours can be very hot so do dress appropriately and make sure you have lots of sunblock on yourselves and adequate hydration is necessary.
Lady Bird Park
Austin Duck adventure brings you around downtown area and subsequently to Lake Austin (where you get to see many nice and huge mansions). The boating segment of the tour is about 30 minutes where you will get to go around part of Lake Austin.
Austin + Hill tour is best done in noon when outdoor activities can be rather prohibitive in the summer sun. You will be comfortably seated in a van for 90 minutes and you will again go to Hill Country (where Lake Austin is at) and see where the rich and affluent stays.
We had only 1 night in Houston hence I decided to have a view of Downtown Houston using the least amount of energy – the Segway.
As it is summer, the evening City Lights tour allows you to avoid the scorching Texan summer heat as it goes from 6pm to 8pm. Despite that, it was still very hot!
Sights in Downtown Houston – including the Heritage Plaza and Minute Maid Stadium
The tour office (at Franklin Street) can be accessed using the free downtown shuttle from Hilton Americas at Lamar Street. The tour starts with familiarization of the Segway. After about 5 minutes of trying, we were off. We were brought along many sights in Downtown Houston (such as Toyota Arena, Minute Maid Stadium, Heritage Plaza). We had a brief view of Sam Houston Park (and all its restored colonial houses), Buffalo Bayou (with damages inflicted by Hurricane Harvey still visible along the path) before heading back to Houston.
Sam Houston Park with its restored Colonial houses
Evening view from the University of Houston
For those interested in getting the ATX pass, here is the link for ATX Pass:
you can also get it via Viator (and if you get it via the Krisflyer link, you can earn Krisflyer miles with it too!).
Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Viator link
As for the Segway Tour from Nation Tours in Houston, this is the link:
Nation Tours Houston Segway Tours
Disclosure – this review is not sponsored by Once There or Nations Tours and the tickets were purchased on my own expenses.
That Time Of The Year! 