The Austin City Guides answer the questions visitors bring: which barbecue is worth the wait, where breakfast tacos are best, where to hear a band that is the whole point of the night and which towns to drive to on a free day. Each guide is a short list with a view: why a place is on it, what to get and one practical tip, so you spend less time searching and more time eating, listening and swimming. Your links open in the browser the minute you pay.
About the Austin City Guides
- 142 places
- 6 guides
- 9 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The six Austin guides
Food guide
25 places
The big five barbecue joints and how to dodge the longest lines, breakfast tacos and Tex-Mex, East Austin dinners and sweets, coffee and markets.
Things to do guide
23 places
Free museums and the Capitol, lakeside trails, spring-fed swimming, live-music rooms and the viewpoints Austinites actually climb.
Family guide
22 places
Parks, pools and gardens, museums for rainy or hot days and places to eat where kids are welcome, with tips on planning one area a day.
Nightlife guide
23 places
Speakeasy-style cocktail bars, honky-tonks with two-step lessons, blues and indie venues, dives and beer gardens and food once the music stops.
Day trips guide
24 places
Barbecue towns, Hill Country wineries and dance halls, springs, parks and caves, and cities full of history, all within two hours by car.
Budget guide
25 places
Free views and museums, tacos that cost little, live music with no cover and markets and shops to browse for free.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three picks from the guides
Micklethwait Barbecue
East Austin, 4602 Tanney St
A trailer that grew into a beer garden, loved by locals for its cheesy jalapeño sausage and dry-rubbed spare ribs. The wait here is counted in minutes, not hours. From the food guide.
Broken Spoke
South Lamar
A real dance hall since 1964, with country bands on stage, a wide wooden floor and chicken fried steak as the house plate. On Wednesdays a dance lesson comes before the band. From the nightlife guide.
Hamilton Pool Preserve
Near Dripping Springs, 50 minutes by car
A collapsed grotto where a 50-foot waterfall drops into a green pool. Entry is by reservation only, slots go weeks ahead and swimming is often closed, especially in winter. From the day trips guide.
Finish the game, keep exploring
World City Trail’s Austin scavenger hunt, escape game and audio tour take you through the historic centre. The guides carry on from there: breakfast tacos to start the day, a dip in Barton Springs Pool, a two-step at a honky-tonk or a drive out to the barbecue towns.
Your questions about the Austin guides
What do the Austin City Guides include?
142 places in six guides: food, things to do, family, nightlife, day trips and budget. For each one you get why it is worth it, the neighbourhood, timing notes and a practical tip.
How do I open the guides after paying?
The links show up on your order page straight after checkout and in the order email. Any browser on a phone or computer opens them, without an app or an account.
Do the guides work offline, for example on a Hill Country drive?
Yes. Open each guide once while connected and it keeps working without signal, ticks and notes included. Map links need mobile data.
Can I read the guides in another language?
Yes. They come in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek and Polish, and you can switch at any time.
Can I buy just one Austin guide?
Yes. One guide is $5.99, two are $10.99, four are $18.99 and all six are $23.99; with a World City Trail game, the food guide is $4.99 and all six $17.99.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.