Astroville Tours — Local services in Houston

PROS: Driver plus a guide (vs combined driver/guide). Both provided understandable and informative narratives. On-board videos that accompany narratives. Text communications before tour, confirming date/time/tour assembly location. Post-tour texted recommendations of restaurants and other places that guide mentioned during tour.

CONS: Houston just isn't that interesting, IMHO, compared to other cities. Tour at times felt like we were with a realtor showing properties.

BOTTOMLINE: Houston does not offer (again IMHO) the number and variety of interesting and historic sites that other large cities like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and even Dallas do. I can only recommend this tour if you've never been to Houston, and/or know absolutely nothing about it. In that case, it's worthwhile/good value for the $$ and time spent.

2023.04.16 UPDATE TO MY ORIGINAL REVIEW, IN RESPONSE TO OWNER'S RESPONSE (SINCE DELETED): Talk about being unnecessarily defensive!!! I was merely expressing my opinion for others to consider. Readers are free to take it or leave it, like any review. You apparently ignored my recommendation (albeit somewhat conditional) to take this tour. I stand by my position that Houston is just not that interesting or impressive compared to other cities. Readers can take that or leave it. Worst, however, I'm dismayed that your response publicly noted my incontinence episode (which I appreciated that you interrupted the tour for relief, which I expect you would have done for anyone), which was caused by medications. For the record, I did use the restroom just before tour departure. Given that you have seen fit to advertise an embarrassing personal medical condition of a guest, I have now revised my star rating to "1", and am revoking my recommendation to take this tour altogether. No guest should fear being "outed" publicly.

REVISED BOTTOMLINE: DO NOT TAKE THIS TOUR.

2023.04.16 UPDATE NO 2, IN RESPONSE TO OWNER'S SECOND RESPONSE (SINCE DELETED). Your 2nd reply does nothing except reinforce all my comments. Moreover, my original review was not negative, per se (i.e., 3 stars out of 5 is not negative; it's simply "OK"). If others want to rate you 5 stars, that's fine. It's their prerogative. I would also advise you to research the actual definition of narcissism/narcissist before you loosely throw those characterizations around. You're only digging your hole here deeper with all these attempts to besmirch me.

2023.04.22 UPDATE NO 3, IN RESPONSE TO OWNER'S LATEST REVISED REQUEST/COMMENT: Rest assured that I reserved, paid for, and took this tour. As proof, please see the photo. I don't know why your booking system apparently is devoid of any record of it, or why you want to confirm my identity. I also note that you have since removed all your earlier responses to my original review and subsequent responses to your comments, so that anyone reading this will not have the requisite context of my comments. Please also note that I have revised my star rating from one to three, since the guide and the driver, who did a decent job on the tour, should not be penalized for your...

I booked the NASA shuttle bus only, but ended up on a NASA with extra Houston tour, which had stops and extra time that I had not booked. On the one hand, you could say I was lucky as I got more than I had paid for. On the other, you could say I lost an hour of my time at the space center being taken on a tour I did not ask for. We were picked up at 9am and arrived at the space center around 11am, not 10am when it opened, due to this extra tour time. Vanessa and Luis were great (friendly, informative, accommodating), but I would urge anyone wanting to maximize time at the space center to contact Vanessa in advance to ensure you are not "upgraded". For me personally, it meant I didn't have time to do everything I wanted at the space center. That is why I have given the 3 stars.

Update: Indeed I did manage all three tram tours. I did not manage some of the presentations or all the exhibits. To be clear, I could not fault the experience if it had been the experience I had booked. My challenge is only that that it was not communicated between the time of booking and getting into the bus that it would be more than just a shuttle. I would thoroughly recommend your business if I had been looking for a tour. Indeed I may book your tunnels tour when I am next in Houston.

Second update: Again, the tour was fine. It was the lack of communication of change to booking that I am challenging. That's all. Please take the feedback in the manner it is meant. It's not an attack. Feedback is a gift and this is very...

I recently had the pleasure of booking a tour with Astroville Tours in Houston, Texas, and it was hands down one of the best decisions I've made! Our tour guide, Vanessa, was absolutely amazing. She wad incredibly fun and friendly, and her knowledge of the city was truly impressive.

Throughout the tour, she took us to all the cool spots in the city that we wouldn't have discovered on our own. We went to an amazing local restaurant that we would have missed out on otherwise. It was an awesome experience and a great group outing for my colleagues and me.

One of the things that really stood out to me was how Vanessa knew every historical detail about the city. She was like a walking encyclopedia! She shared so many interesting facts and stories with us, and it really added to the experience. I left feeling like I had a newfound appreciation for the city's history and culture.

Overall, I highly recommend Astroville Tours to anyone looking for a fun and informative way to explore Houston. Vanessa truly went above and beyond to make our day special and memorable. It's the perfect activity to do with friends or coworkers, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Thank you, Astroville Tours, for an...