What is the Austin self-guided walking tour?
The Austin self-guided walking tour is an audio walk you take on your own with the World City Trail app: the app leads you through the streets and, at every stop, tells you what happened there and who left their mark on it. Reckon on about 2 hours in total for 2.7 km and 10 stops, of which only 37 minutes are actual walking. The route joins the University of Texas campus to the Capitol grounds, where one monument after another tells part of the state's story.
Under the UT Tower you hear about its 56-bell carillon and why the tower is lit orange for university events. On the South Mall the narration turns to Pompeo Coppini, the Italian-born sculptor behind both the George Washington Statue and Littlefield Fountain, which honours students who died in the First World War. At the Texas State Capitol you find out why the red granite building stands taller than the Capitol in Washington, and the memorials around it trace Texas history from the 1500s to Juneteenth and the contribution of the Tejanos.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 37 min · 2.7 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, Spanish
From stop to stop
Stories, not a lecture
History, local legends and fun facts come in short audio chapters at each stop, with the full text on screen for anyone who prefers reading.
No getting lost
Google Maps shows the way between stops, about 37 minutes of walking spread over 2.7 km.
Pause and pick up again
There is no group waiting and no meeting point. Step into a café or a museum and continue in an hour or tomorrow.
Local tips included
The app points out cafés, restaurants and shops close to the route, and you decide where to start and in which order to go.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who this walk suits
First time in Austin
You see the main sights of the centre in one go, each with the story that explains why it matters.
Independent travellers
No flag to follow and no headcount: stay longer where something interests you and move on where it does not.
Tight schedules
Around 2 hours is all it takes, so the rest of the day stays free.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
From campus tower to cathedral: the route
10 stops · about 37 min walking · start: UT Tower · finish: Saint Mary Catholic Cathedral
You set off at the UT Tower, the landmark of the University of Texas completed in 1937, and walk along the South Mall past the George Washington Statue to Littlefield Fountain. The route then reaches the Bullock Texas State History Museum and moves onto the Capitol grounds for the Texas Peace Officers' Memorial, the Texas State Capitol, the Confederate Soldiers Monument, the Texas African American History Memorial and the Tejano Monument. Saint Mary Catholic Cathedral, whose towers were finished in 1907, is the last stop. The app lets you reorder the stops, and none of them asks for an entry ticket.
Open the route map ↗
1UT TowerStart
The UT Tower rises 307 feet above the Main Building of the University of Texas at Austin, completed in 1937 to designs by Paul Philippe Cret. Its carillon has 56 bells and is played daily, and the tower is lit orange to mark university events.
2George Washington Statue
This statue on the South Mall depicts Washington as he looked when named commander-in-chief in 1775. Pompeo Coppini, the Italian-born sculptor who also made the Littlefield Fountain, created it, and the Daughters of the American Revolution raised the money. It was dedicated on February 20, 1955.
3Littlefield Fountain
Littlefield Fountain was dedicated on April 29, 1933, and paid for by George Littlefield, a former university regent. Its central bronze by Pompeo Coppini shows Columbia, a soldier and a sailor. The fountain honours students and alumni of the university who died in the First World War.
4Bullock Texas State History Museum
The Bullock Texas State History Museum held its grand opening in 2001 and is named after Bob Bullock, a former lieutenant governor who championed Texas history. Its long-term Texas History Gallery covers more than 16,000 years, and the La Belle ship hull is one of its centerpieces.
5Texas Peace Officers' Memorial
The Texas Peace Officers' Memorial was erected in 1999 on the Capitol grounds to honor law enforcement officers who died in service. Two granite spires stand side by side like an obelisk, and the names of officers who died since 1823 are carved into granite walls.
6Texas State Capitol
The Texas State Capitol was built from 1882 to 1888 to designs by Elijah Myers, and its exterior is clad in red granite from near Marble Falls. A statue of the Goddess of Liberty tops the dome, and at about 92 meters the building is taller than the Capitol in Washington.
7Confederate Soldiers Monument
The Confederate Soldiers Monument stands on the Capitol grounds and was erected in 1903. Pompeo Coppini designed the sculpture and Frank Teich the base, and five bronze figures on it represent infantry, cavalry, artillery and navy, with Jefferson Davis at the top.
8Texas African American History Memorial
The Texas African American History Memorial was erected on the Capitol grounds in 2016 and designed by sculptor Ed Dwight. Its panels trace African American history in Texas from the 1500s to the present, including the figures Hendrick Arnold and Barbara Jordan and Juneteenth in 1865.
9Tejano Monument
The Tejano Monument was erected in 2012 by Tejano Monument Inc. and is the work of sculptor Armando Hinojosa. Nine life-size bronze figures stand on a base of Texas Sunset Red granite, and five plaques tell the story of the Tejanos' contribution to the state.
10Saint Mary Catholic CathedralFinish
Saint Mary Catholic Cathedral is a Gothic Revival church designed by the Irish-born architect Nicholas Clayton, whose cornerstone was laid in 1872. It became the cathedral of the Diocese of Austin in 1948, and its neo-Gothic towers were completed in 1907.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.