Double-Decker Bus Tour Austin: Live Guide, Best Photo Views

See Austin from the top deck while a guide tells you what matters

A double-decker bus tour of Austin with a live guide and driver, staying on board for a single loop that passes the Texas Capitol, Congress Avenue Bridge, LBJ Presidential Library, Texas Governor's Mansion, South Congress Avenue and the historic 6th Street Entertainment District. The unobstructed upper deck gives you the clearest sightlines in the city for photographs, while the lower deck stays climate-controlled for comfort. The tour runs 75 to 90 minutes depending on traffic and ends back at the Austin Visitor Center where it starts.

Step-by-step itinerary

Austin city sightseeing loop tour

• Board double-decker bus
• View Austin from upper deck
• Pass Historic 6th Street
• Pass Austin Convention Center
• Pass Austin Fire Museum
• Pass Joseph and Susanna Hannig Home
• Pass William Sydney Porter's house
• Pass Driskill Hotel
• Pass Texas Capitol
• Pass Texas Governor's Mansion
• Pass LBJ Presidential Library
• Pass Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
• Pass UT Austin Tower
• Pass Bullock Texas State History Museum
• Pass Blanton Museum of Art
• Pass Ransom Center
• Pass Congress Avenue Bridge
• Pass South Congress Avenue
• Pass Long Center
• Return to Austin Visitor Center

The Experience

What makes this tour different from walking or driving yourself? You get a live guide—not a recording—whose job is to make the experience interesting, and you stay seated on the upper deck where the views don't get blocked. The bus passes more downtown attractions than any other Austin tour: the Texas Capitol, the Driskill Hotel (built in 1886 and still operating), the Texas Governor's Mansion, the LBJ Presidential Library, the Bullock Texas State History Museum, and the Congress Avenue Bridge, which shelters the largest urban bat colony in North America. South Congress Avenue and the 6th Street Entertainment District round out the route, so you see both the historic core and the neighborhoods locals actually spend time in.

The upper deck is where photographers sit—unobstructed views and people on the street wave back at you. The lower deck is climate-controlled if the heat gets to you, and both levels have cold water and sunscreen included. The tour is a single loop, so you stay on the bus for the full 75 to 90 minutes and return to Stop #1 at the Austin Visitor Center. A live guide and driver are on board the entire time, answering questions and pointing out details as you move through the city. There's no audio track playing over them, so you actually hear what they're saying.

What’s included

• Cold water and sunscreen.
• a live guide and driver with no audio recordings.
• views of the Texas Capitol, Congress Avenue Bridge, LBJ Presidential Library, Texas Governor's Mansion, South Congress Avenue, 6th Street Entertainment District, the Bullock Texas State History Museum, and the Driskill Hotel.
• climate-controlled lower deck seating.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Double Decker Austin Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the upper deck for unobstructed sightlines and photo angles; pick the lower deck if you prefer air conditioning while still seeing downtown attractions from the windows.

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Top questions

What's the Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony like from the bus?

The Congress Avenue Bridge shelters between 750,000 and 1.5 million bats, and they fly out near dusk. The best viewing dates run April through October, so timing matters if you want to see them in flight.

Can I get off the bus at any of the stops?

This is a single loop tour, so you stay on the bus for the duration and return to the Austin Visitor Center at the end. It's not a hop-on, hop-off format.

Is the upper deck shaded or exposed to the sun?

The upper deck is open to the elements, which is why it gives the best views and photo angles. Sunscreen is included, and the lower deck is climate-controlled if you need a break from the heat.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour lasts 75 to 90 minutes depending on traffic. You start and finish at the Austin Visitor Center.

Will the guide answer questions about the places we pass?

Yes. A live guide and driver are on board the entire time with no audio recordings, so their focus is on making your experience interesting and answering what you want to know.