Phil Stewart guided my wife, brother, S-i-L, and me on a three hour tour of the Houston area, from downtown to the Galleria area. Phil's knowledge of the areas made the tour very interesting and informative. I've lived in suburban Houston for years and learned a lot about Houston on this tour. Phil Petersen read more

Phil gave us the ultimate VIP tour. My husband and I (from South Carolina) had only one day to spend in Houston on Friday before our event on Saturday. I researched tour companies in advance of our trip, and I chose "Discover Houston Tours." Phil planned an itinerary and kept in touch with me before our arrival at HOU-Hobby. He communicated with me by phone, text, and email which assured me that I had selected the best tour guide. Our main purpose was to use our "free day" to tour Johnson Space Center. Phil picked us up at the airport and took us on the greatest tour of the Space Center. He guided us to every exhibit, so that no time was wasted. If I had been "on my own," I would never have known how grand the Space Center was. After the Space Center tour, Phil suggested that he had time for a tour of Houston. Phil's knowledge of Houston is unsurpassed. He took us to all the amazing places in Houston, including famous parks, River Oaks, historic sites, landmarks, and an opportunity to admire the skyline and the architectural beauty of buildings and skyscrapers. I am grateful for Phil Stewart's wonderful tour of Houston. Our visit to Houston was perfect! read more

Way cool... okay, so I think I'm a bit sheltered to say something underground like the Houston tunnel walks are 'way cool'. BUT even through all my travels, the last thing I think to visit are tunnels. Shop, dine... you can do it down here like you can above ground. I wasn't even aware that there was a tour here but I think I got a good feel for everything even if it was on my own. The tunnels really come in handy when you don't feel like killing yourself to get a block or two down and across the street and what have you - especially in the heat or in the rain. This is another thing I wish we could have here in San Antonio. =) read more

Houstonians are always looking for a way to escape the weather here. Downtown workers during the week are no exception to this. But when you want to get away from the heat rising from the asphalt and reflecting off the skyscrapers, where do you go? You go underground. The Downtown Tunnels are a really fun, kind of hidden joy beneath the high rises and businesses in the heart of Houston. You can navigate the shopping centers and restaurants during the week in air conditioned comfort. There are even tours of the tunnels if you're just getting to know the area. If you're free from 6am to 6pm on a weekday, you can check out the tunnels that link up most of the major buildings in the downtown area. The seven miles of tunnel can connect you with businesses, government offices and even the Theatre District. Many downtown employees regularly use the tunnels to get their dry cleaning done, drop off their shoes for repair, do some light shopping on their lunch break or simply grab a bite to eat. Sometimes going underground is the only way to travel in Houston. If you're headed downtown, grab a map and check out the tunnel system - it's considered one of Houston's best secrets. read more

Discover Houston Tours - Historical Tours Near Me

I had to go to the downtown police department for some finger printing for a background check. While I was in downtown I thought it would be cool to check out the tunnel system. I must say it was cool. I had spent the majority of my life and didn't even know there was a tunnel system in Houston. It's a good way to get out of Houston's hot humid weather or stay dry when it rains if you need to get around. read more

Phil is an amazing tour guide. Very engaging and interesting. My parents were visiting from out of town and hadn't spent much time in Houston. Phil showed them all the great things, from Allen's Landing (and the interesting history behind Houston's founding) to River Oaks (and a few things there I didn't even know about and I live here) to the Astrodome (and Houston's unique fondness for it and all of its history). Even if you live in Houston, Phil's tour is worth every penny! And he's so flexible that he'll tailor a tour for whatever you're interested in! I'll definitely use Phil again--for a NASA tour, Galveston tour, or pub crawl. A great time! read more

I am from New Zealand and enjoyed a great day out with Phil around the city of Houston and on to the NASA space centre. Phil had a great knowledge of the city and centre and he went out of his way to show me all Houston had to offer.We also enjoyed a stop for lunch at a lovely restaurant. I can thoroughly recommend Phil to anyone visiting this city. read more

FANTASTIC! My son and I decided to do the tunnel and rail tour as a fun little home-school field trip to learn about some of the history of downtown Houston, and we had The Best Time with Mrs. Sandra! She really went Way above and beyond for us on this tour and we will definitely be booking more with her in the future. She took us to see incredible little hidden jewels tucked all around the downtown area and made a point of showing us all kinds fun and interesting things that would appeal to my 12 year old's curiosity and love of architecture. This woman is a walking history book and a joy to hang out with. You will Not be disappointed! read more

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We just took the Paranormal Pub Tour...or I guess Hidden Houston Pub Tour...or whatever its called now. They changed the name, theme and bars after we bought the nonrefundable Groupon for it. And plainly put, it was awful. We were told to arrive at Houston Watch Company 5-10 minutes before the start of the tour at 7:00pm. The guide arrived at 7pm, checked us in, and we were forced to hang around until about 7:45 when we finally got started. Then we walked outside and stood on the sidewalk with cars screeching by as he tried to tell us some lame 5 minute story about a couple of guys that were hanged and beheaded or something. Honestly, his story was so scattered that I couldn't even follow it. Then we made our way to Char Bar, which involved another 2 minute story about the history of the bar, that I later found on Chron.com after a quick "Char Bar" google search. Again, we got a drink, sat around for 30 min with the guide just hanging around by himself until we finally moved on. We then went across the street from La Carafe and heard a "ghost story" about the place. I've looked up the history of the bar and haven't heard this story before...not to say it wasn't true, but the ghost stories I found on Google were 10X more interesting and creepy. The tour guide also said that they don't go there anymore (see the change of itinerary mentioned earlier) because its "too small and the upstairs is only open for private parties"- not true... I've been there multiple times in the past month and they open the upstairs bar around 9pm (it's obvious he knew nothing about the actual bar and had never even been there himself). I agree that the bar is too small for the size of the tour (which online says is a max of 14 people, but we had 18), but at least get the facts straight on the upstairs bar. Next we went down along the bayou walkway (which was the creepiest part with all the homeless people) and made our way to Spaghetti Warehouse. It was obvious that the Spaghetti Warehouse staff were not welcoming us, and forced the "ghost story" to be told in the lobby area, as people constantly came in and out, disrupting the group. And then later we talked to a former employee who told us that the owner made up the whole Spaghetti Warehouse ghost story to make the tour more interesting. Oh and icing on the cake- the tour guide had to look at his notepad to remember the stories. All in all, save your money and avoid this disaster of a "tour". Google will give you better and more reliable ghost stories and history of Houston. read more

We had a large family gathering at the Spaghetti Warehouse (18 people) and pre scheduled a "ghost walk" with Sandra. BOOOOOOOO! After a large meal at The Spaghetti Warehouse when we get outside for the tour I light my cigar and Sandra proceeds to advise me that this is a "no smoking tour"! I could not find this anywhere on the two brochures that she passed out to us. Therefore I decided that since I was outside that I can smoke if I want and she will just have to deal with it. The rest of the evening I had to deal with her comments. the tour was pretty crappy and had nothing to do with ghost's..... Methinks that I will not make the mistake of booking this old hag again and will get the word out about how bad she really is! read more

Phil was a great guide..very interesting. He took us all over the city. He was very patient with our questions WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

Took the underground Houston tour & was intrigued with our tour guide's, Sandra's, knowledge of Houston architecture & history.

Paranormal pub tour? The host was a ghost. Arrived at 630 and waited. and waited and waited until 7:25 for the 7pm tour. Sadly we had to go find the ghosts of Houston on our own. PS and no answer when we called, and, as of yet no returned call either. #Grouponscam Update: nothing was cancelled This lady is batshit crazy- it was 85 and sunny Saturday evening! We were given no notice that anything was cancelled. And still no returned phone call 4 days later. read more

We've done the Paranormal Pub Tour, the Ghost Walk, and now the Rail and Tunnel tour so I feel like it's time I write a review! All three tours were exceptional- Sandra was our guide for the Paranormal Pub Tour and Rail and Tunnel Tour and Phil was our guide for the Ghost Walk. Sandra is an incredible tour guide, she knows everything about Houston and more! The stories on the Paranormal Pub tour were extremely entertaining and fun and the Rail and Tunnel tour gave us a ton of history on the city, buildings, and tunnels. Phil was a great story teller and even stopped to mention a few "not haunted" buildings on the walk to point out their architecture and history. I guarantee I'll take these tours every time I have someone new visiting Houston, they're such a great way to see the city!! read more

This has got to be one of Houston's best kept secrets. Life underground should be developed everywhere, especially in San Francisco where space is hardly available above ground! You name it, the Tunnel's got it. Way to avoid walking amid intensely humid weather. read more

These make me feel like I'm a rat. But I am. Well, that's my Chinese sign at least. Fun times. Good food. The party life. = Houston Tunnels. read more

I love walking in the Tunnel. I have a regular route I walk most mornings (before it gets too crowded) that is over 2.5 miles with only about 25% duplication of the route (I can't help the 25% since I work near the end of the Louisiana Section. I go in the tunnel almost every day I work at my office. I always enjoy seeing if a new store opens, closes or changes. Now that I am yelping, I will be reviewing many of them. I have visited so many businesses in the tunnel (before Yelping) that I will have to go back, check in and write a review. Lunch will never be boring again. read more

This was the best tour ever. Our tour lasted 5 1/2 hrs because we were able to take our time shopping and ask as many questions as we wanted Our tour guide Ms Linda was very very knowledgeable about Houston and she also informed us that my son and I were her first Art tour. This tour is for all ages BC we visited so many shops and museums. I haven't told you about the food yet. We took Ms Linda suggestion and ate at a pizza restaurant downtown and it was to die for. You cannot go to Houston without choosing this tour or you will greatly miss out. I suggest when you first arrive to Houston please go on this tour first it is definitely worth it. read more

Discover Houston Tours - Historical Tours Near Me

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Paranormal Pub Tour was a lot of fun! i really enjoyed an afternoon of ghost stories, Houston history and drinking! We had an amazing group with us that night (8.8.15) and Sandra our tour guide was a wealth of knowledge! it was a great date night with my hubby. Strongly recommend to those who like a little walking, learning history, getting a little scared and drinking a whole lot! read more

Thank goodness I was with friends that made this fun aNd it stopped at bars. But not super informative nor too entertaining. If having a few cocktails and hearing a handful mediocre ghost stories is your idea of a fun night then this is your thing. I expected a few more chills and thrills. read more

Oh man I couldn't remember for the life of me the building that I visited last year and needed to reach them this year. I called Discover Houston Tours and the self proclaimed Tunnel Lady found the building with minimal info I remembered and the contact person! read more

Our tour guide was very educated on her surroundings. She is also very helpful when planning the rest of your stay, like giving advice on attractions, where to park, ect. I think for me personally, we moved a little slow. Also, the children were absolutely board on the tour (Ages 6 & 8). My favorite part was learning about the tunnel system. The rail tour was useless because we were flying past everything so quickly, if you weren't sitting on the side of the train to see, you'd miss it. If you were sitting on the side she was talking about, you would still miss it. After while I just listened to what she had to say and didn't bother try looking out the window any more. read more

Outstanding tour. You will learn the amazing history of the Houston Tunnel System and more. I have lived in Houston for 33 years and had no idea of this history before I took the Tunnel and Rail tour. It was a great way to spend a leisurely afternoon. I highly recommend this tour. read more

The tour was great and Sandra was very knowledgeable about the History of Houston and most importantly we were able to stop by and get a few drinks along the way. Definitely recommended! read more

I was skeptical if I would think the tour was interesting but we had a blast and Sandra does a great job of inserting herself and her group into the middle of her stories. It was very fun and a great way to experience Houston and learn about the people who used to be here! read more

My wife and I enjoyed our historical tour of Hidden Houston Pub Tour. Sandra was our guide and was extremely knowledgeable about Houston's history and early living conditions as well as individual stories concerning the buildings where the various pubs were located. read more

We went on Phil's Pub Crawl/Ghost Tour and it was great. Went to four bars near Market Square. Each was unique and Phil entertained with tales of old Houston along the way. All the bartenders and waitstaff were so nice, and obviously had respect for Phil. Our hotel was "sort of" on Phil's way home, and he was kind enough to drop us off, right at the door! For two women venturing out alone at night, this was a real help! The next day, Phil picked up right at our hotel again, and provided us with an great overview tour of Houston, sharing his great knowledge and love of his city. He went way over the two hours we paid for, but didn't bother to charge us more, saying that he loved his city so much, he would do the tours for free! I wanted to go to Cavender's to shop, so Phil found the closest location and dropped us off there after our tour. I highly recommend Phil for personalized, and informative tours, and he is really good company! Thank you so much, Phil. read more

We took this tunnel/metro tour with my children (all twelve year olds) and their friends. Sandra gave us a tour which she did know her stuff about Houston. DO NOT TAKE YOUR KIDS!!!! She rambled on for an hour in front of a painting about the history of Sam Houston which the kids already knew. She's monotone without any animation. It was so long and drawn out, I wanted to lose my mind and I'm in my forties. She said her tour was four hours. After the hour, I interrupted her and asked if the rest of the 3 hours was like this? She said no and started rambling again. I had to tell her we were done and the kids were ready to leave. She forced us into being with her for another hour. We ride the metro to midtown and she takes us to this scary neighborhood with bars on the window and empty buildings. Anyway, the best part was going to the top of the chase building where she talked less. We traveled all over the world and been with many tour guides. She was not the best. read more

Good tunnel tour. Informative historically and fun random stories. Enjoyed the train stop information. It's a different perspective on Houston. Ate in the tunnel which was fun since there are so many choices read more

Took the tunnel tour during the week after Christmas. What we saw and heard was very interesting and knowledgable. The only complaint I had was I booked and paid for the tour two months in advance and evidently the tour changed just a day or two before and I was never notified. Was not met where I was told to meet and when we did finally get caught up with the group, we literally missed the entire tunnel system. We went through one tunnel under one street with no information given to us about the system at all. The information must have been told before we were met up with and although promised to pay our out of pocket expenses and give us a brochure on the tunnel history, we never got either. The balance of the tour was fantastic. It was supposed to be over at 2 and Sandra kept going until about 4. Very informative and interesting. read more

One of the most unique and exciting tours to go on! As a Houston native, I was unaware of many of the stories, as well as buildings that were shown. Tour was very informative. Sandra was an excellent tour guide, and I highly recommend this to others looking for something fun to do! This was an excellent date adventure! read more

A colleague of mine and I took the tour for business purposes. It was a very informative tour and was time well spent. Our tour guide Sandra was extremely knowledgeable on both the history of Houston's Tunnel System as well as current state and its future. Highly recommended especially for those that have never ventured down under Houston's cityscape. read more

A few days after the record rains of April 15, I joined the downtown tour. Lots of info and 'secrets' and special views. History I would have never have gotten without a lot of my own research (and I am a City Planner by trade). The tour was reconfigured to meet the interests of all who were there. We saw so much and talked so much that we ran well over time when I had to leave. I highly recommend it. It is hard to get more bang for you buck than with this tour. read more

We made the mistake of not going on the tour the first day we arrived in town. We walked in the heat and were taking cabs from place to place and spent a lot of time trying to find good but reasonably priced restaurants. We took a taxi to a store and deli and didn't even know there was an underground tunnel system throughout downtown that has all kinds of little shops, deli's ect. Some were right under the hotel we were staying at. The tour guide was very knowledgeable of Houston and showed us how to use the free bus service, showed and explained the train service, showed the tunnel system and realized everywhere we walked in the sun we could have walked in the air conditioned tunnel system. We were brought by train from the inner city high rises to real life outside the city limits. We had lunch at a small place that has been in business for years and the food was great. The rest of our trip we used the tunnels and free bus service. When it was time to go to the airport we learned the hotels in downtown don't offer free shuttle service because it is a good 45 min away. There is a shuttle service but cost $25 per person which would have been $50 for us. Taxi service would be about the same price. The guide told us about a city bus that goes to the airport. We took the free bus to where we could catch the airport bus and went to the airport, this only cost us $1.25 each. We ended up saving a lot more money than the cost of the tour. If you want to save money and learn a lot of history of Houston I strongly recommend the tour. read more