diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/26329-AL.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/26329-AL.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ca06e94639dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/26329-AL.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+``axisartist.axes_grid`` and ``axisartist.axes_rgb``
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+These modules, which provide wrappers combining the functionality of
+`.axes_grid1` and `.axisartist`, are deprecated; directly use e.g.
+``AxesGrid(..., axes_class=axislines.Axes)`` instead.
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_grid.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_grid.py
index 27877a238b7d..ecb3e9d92c18 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_grid.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_grid.py
@@ -1,11 +1,21 @@
+from matplotlib import _api
+
 import mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1.axes_grid as axes_grid_orig
 from .axislines import Axes
 
 
+_api.warn_deprecated(
+    "3.8", name=__name__, obj_type="module", alternative="axes_grid1.axes_grid")
+
+
+@_api.deprecated("3.8", alternative=(
+    "axes_grid1.axes_grid.Grid(..., axes_class=axislines.Axes"))
 class Grid(axes_grid_orig.Grid):
     _defaultAxesClass = Axes
 
 
+@_api.deprecated("3.8", alternative=(
+    "axes_grid1.axes_grid.ImageGrid(..., axes_class=axislines.Axes"))
 class ImageGrid(axes_grid_orig.ImageGrid):
     _defaultAxesClass = Axes
 
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_rgb.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_rgb.py
index 20c1f7fd233b..2195747469a1 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_rgb.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axisartist/axes_rgb.py
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
+from matplotlib import _api
 from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1.axes_rgb import (  # noqa
     make_rgb_axes, RGBAxes as _RGBAxes)
 from .axislines import Axes
 
 
+_api.warn_deprecated(
+    "3.8", name=__name__, obj_type="module", alternative="axes_grid1.axes_rgb")
+
+
+@_api.deprecated("3.8", alternative=(
+    "axes_grid1.axes_rgb.RGBAxes(..., axes_class=axislines.Axes"))
 class RGBAxes(_RGBAxes):
     """
     Subclass of `~.axes_grid1.axes_rgb.RGBAxes` with