Really fun trip cruising 19miles down the Santa Elena canyon. Our trip was only confirmed a day prior because this particular trip has water dependency, since the water had been low so they couldn't tell if we were able to do it. But there was a heavy rain two days before our trip so we were very lucky to be able to do this. The booking is very easy, receptionist always returns your call. And our tour guy is so funny and kept us entertained all day. We didn't have to do anything just sit back and enjoy the view, he does all the work for us. There are small rapids but nothing would rock the boat. Highly recommend this route since you are cruising through international river and one side is Mexico one side of the canyon is America. It's just amazing to see the canyon from the water and with changing scenery throughout the whole trip. read more

See all

Just finished our canoe trip down the Rio Grande with our guide Therese - she was very professional, knowledgeable and a joy to have as our guide. Great afternoon float, river was low but very enjoyable. read more

See all

I was in Big Bend a couple months ago, and used this company for kayak rentals - or so we thought. I understand river conditions have to be monitored, but I booked two kayaks weeks in advance and when arriving to their facility, only then was I told that kayaks weren't available. I was told on the spot, my only option for that day was to be on a group paddle boat tour with 6-8 other people. I booked this weeks before, so they had ample time to call or inform me that day that what I rented wasn't available. Please keep in mind the rental facility is not near the river, it's not a long drive but there is a drive involved. They will shuttle you from their facility down to the river in large vans. After the 30 to 40 minute drive where the driver and guide spent almost the entire drive complaining about other people, vacation rentals, and when asking where the fellow renters in my van were from, the guides response was "I'm sorry." It was just odd and very rude! When we arrived to the river, it was pretty straightforward getting everyone in the water. The views were cool, but I definitely wouldn't use this company. If you're going to be in the area, I would suggest finding another rental company. I didn't find their staff at all professional or kind, and I'd never rent from here again. read more

Recent flooding scrubbed my boomerang kayak tour, for which I had dragged a kayak some 6000 miles. I saw these guys driving through Big Bend and gave them a call. Even being an hour after their office closed, on a Saturday, they did get back to me and were able to accomadate me for a day trip. Ernesto was a fantastic guide and their whole crew put in a grade A effort, making for a wonderful trip. They showed us some spectacular places I would not have ever seen on my own. And to add to it, their prices were fantastic. I would highly recommend using them for their river guiding services if you're looking to take a trip down the Rio Grande. A one-to-two day trip is a must if you are coming down to Big Bend. read more

This post is extremely late but I just found these pictures! We went down to Big Bend for my birthday back in September 2020. Big Bend River Tours was by far our favorite part- we even bought t shirts afterwards! It is such an incredible feeling to say you're kayaking between Texas and Mexico!!! Especially during covid when you can't cross the border We ended up doing a tandem kayak because I was a little scared lol. It was SO much fun. We had one stop where we took pictures and can BYOB! The rapids were exhilarating and we survived 3/4 rapids together. I feel terrible forgetting our guide's name (I'm sure my fiancé remembers) but he was AMAZING! (I took a picture of them together below and it should totally be their marketing picture!) I felt safe and knew to lift my feet if and when we flipped on the rapids. He knew so many interesting facts and details. He was also hilarious! I have to mention, I loved that it was an intimate group. There were only two others with us, that actually took a different tour the day prior with too many people. They loved this one so much more! 10/10 will be back!!! read more

See all

Big Bend River Tours was awesome! We met up at their headquarters in Study Butte before taking a bus for about 1.5 hours to the canoe launch point. Our guides Tanner and Thomas were knowledgeable, laid back, and interesting--they did a great job of leading us through the Rio Grande. After about 3 miles of calm paddling, we stopped for lunch, a soak in the hot spring, and swimming in the Rio Grande that made for a really fun break. The second half of the tour had some small rapids and amazing canyon views. While we were on the river the bugs weren't a problem at all but on the riverbank they were REALLY bad so be prepared for that. If you're visiting Big Bend a canoe tour of the Rio Grande is a must, and I highly recommend Big Bend River Tours to do it. read more

Bucket list float trip This was an AMAZING experience! As an older couple who were inexperienced canoers we did have some trepidations. Our guide Tanner put us at ease with the reminder that his job was to keep us safe. That he did, by getting us through a few times when our novice caused embarrassing moments of being stuck. Regardless, Tanner was encouraging and professional. The result was allowing us to relish in the beauty of the Rio Grande as it can only be viewed from the water line. The majesty of the canyons and the peace of the river was awesome. This was a bucket list item now crossed off. We'd be remiss to not to thank Lea with BBRT for retrieving our water bottle as it floated down stream. Our highest of praises to Tanner and Lea. Regards JP & JP read more

My hubby and I did a three day paddle from Rio Grande Village to La Linda through Boquillas Canyon and we used these guys to shuttle us and our sea kayaks back to our start point in Big Bend. First off, our driver Doug was fantastic. He offered us snacks and drinks when we boarded, entertained us with river stories, helped load and unload the kayaks and showed up an hour early to our meeting point (which was awesome since we showed up 2 hours early). That said, the boat trailer he brought along left a bit to be desired. It was metal, rusty, without pads of any kind and the attached rubber bungee cords were worn and did not look secure. Doug joked that him and the other guides wouldn't put their own boats on there. Hahaha -- NOT! Doug was able to dig up some better straps from the van and I had brought some loading straps, too, so between the two of us we were able to avoid the questionable bungees. Padding was tougher. We ended up repurposing two bilge sponges and a camp pillow I had for my boat. My hubby's fiberglass boat ended up going bare on the metal and there was an audible and cringe-inducing crack when we cranked down on the loading straps. Knowledgeable, friendly, and punctual service but because the shuttle service was the very service we were paying for, the state of that trailer really marred our experience. If you plan on using these guys for shuttle services, I'd recommend bringing your own loading straps and pads. We never used their guide services but if Doug is an typical example of one of their guides, I bet their tours are fantastic. read more

Big Bend River Tours - Tours Near Me

We did the full day raft trip today. Our guide was Ernesto. The man is a treasure; full of information on geography, history, wildlife, plant life. We stopped for short hikes and for lunch. Jim was the guide in the other boat. Very personable and energetic. We'd definitely book with BBRT again. read more

Big Bend River Tours - Ernesto - Tours Near Me

See all

My husband and I did the half day canoe trip down Dark Canyon with the tour guide Rob. He was super knowledgeable about Terlingua as a whole as well as the geology and history of the surrounding areas. The canoeing itself was so much, we would definitely recommend. read more

Despite restrictions due to COVID and very low water levels, our guide, Darren, made sure we had a great time. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, and an interesting character. The Canyon was beautiful, lunch was tasty, and our expectations were exceeded. Highly recommend! read more

A wonderful way to see the river and surrounding landforms, vegetation and wildlife. We did the one-day ride down Colorado Canyon (in Big Bend State Park) with our cool guide, Cassidy. We encountered several small runs of rapids which our pilot navigated expertly. No-one fell in and we felt safe. Lunch was provided. All in our party behaved and it was a memorable part of our trip (good memories). Only minus - my sons (11 and 13) thought it was boring (iPads are more thrilling than this river) - so for this age set, a half-day tour would probably be better. Otherwise, I highly recommend BBRT to all nature lovers who want to get closer to the Rio Grande. read more

See all

We had a great time are we guide Jared was very helpful and knowledgeable of the land around us our lunch on the beach with very good read more

Big Bend River Tours - Tours Near Me

See all

We loved our canoe trip and stop at the hot springs. Guides Mike and Candace were great and it was easy day on the river. Equipment and food were good. Only downside were the customers who couldn't comprehend what one at time through the rapids meant. I'd repeat. Bonus - Mike's bad jokes. read more

BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SEE THE AREA (Warning: young adults from Central Florida in for vacation) We barely saw or heard anything man-made during our trip. Many times it just seemed like it was just our canoe surrounded by nature. We passed canyons high above our heads. Our guide pointed out areas of interest, history, and sections of nature along the way. ON TO THE CANOE TOUR Hubs and I (and tour guide Mike) were the only ones during our four-hour canoe excursion through the Dark Canyon of the Big Bend State Park. One of those hours was purely the car ride to and from. The journey included two very minor rapids (your guide will help you through them) but other than that, it was a path that all age groups could attempt. Our only difficulty was keeping up with Mike. Although there were two of us in our canoe, he singlehandedly surpassed us in speed. THANK YOU FOR NOT CODDLING US I'm so glad our river guide Mike didn't sound like some Disney operator. Okay- the whole break in the middle of our canoe session to set up a mini table of cheese and cookies was a bit of a coddle... but it was a bit charming in its surreal-ness. No, Mike was gruff but friendly. He gave us our space but also knew when to share stories. He wasn't afraid to reveal his frustrated side when a narrow path forced him to drive backwards with the canoe rig. read more

We were signed up for a Saddle Paddle with BBRT and the Lanitas Stable. The Saddle portion, operated by Lajitas Stables was AMAZING! Magnificent views, great horses, great food. We were picked up from the stables and taken to the river bank where we meet the rest of our group. We were given dry bags and taught basic canoe safety. This is where it went downhill (literally). First, it took forever to get everyone in the water. Then, there was a rapids right in the beginning and we tipped over. Definitely our fault but it didn't help. After going down the river for all of 5 minutes, we were pulled over for an awkward snack. I don't even really understand why this is part of the trip. Who gets hungry five minutes after canoeing? After taking a 30 min snack break, we continued down the river and eventually got out to be driven back to our cars. I guess my biggest issue is that we paid for 3 hours of canoeing and only got 1 (even if that). With the driving and the snack (completely unnecessary) it just felt like a waste of money. read more

See all

A friend and I went on a tour the other day. We went on the trip with another couple on vacation. It was a mild autumn day in November. The water level was high enough on this part of the Rio Grande that the rapids weren't that bad. Our tour guide La (sp?) was great. She was very knowledgeable of the animals and plant life to tell us about it as we passed by them. She was also able to maneuver around some of the rapids very smoothly. It was one of the best river trips I have been to. If I came back, I would definitely come back around September/October, when the water level is higher. And try to go for the 2-day tour. Definitely recommend La as a tour guide. She was really sweet and friendly. I felt like we could become friends! Lunch was not just merely sandwiches. It was a table with all the fixins so you could make your own sandwich the way you want it. There was 3 types of meat, 2 types of cheeses, 2 types of pickles, chips and salsa, peanut butter and jelly, oranges, apples, and mixes for the water. You won't be disappointed by the amount of food and you shouldn't go hungry unless you hate ice water. (You shouldn't hate ice water if you have been outside sweating all morning) Some extra notes for you to consider: - They will take 2 people on the trip, even if it's the only two on the trip. - They were very good about our postponing the trip for a day since an emergency came up and we had to be delayed. - You don't actually do the rafting, which was not what I expected. It was actually better I didn't have to row all that way down the river. It was quite a challenge even for our guide. Definitely recommend, and if you ever take the time to drive out there, it is worth it! I will be making sure La is my guide the next time I visit! (Even though I'm from California, you never know!) read more

Went on a half day float and found the experience very disappointing. The river itself was gorgeous as was the scenery, but BBRT just seemed in a huge hurry to get us through so they could move on to the next group. The experience was a little like going through security at an airport. Although I certainly appreciate the effort and care taken to send guides ahead to safely escort us through each dangerous section, I found canoeing with training wheels to be extremely off putting and just not necessary. It took the adventure out of the experience and again made us feel like we were being processed. Lunch was served not more than thirty minutes after being in the water at ten thirty or so. We weren't hungry yet, so it was kinda silly. A decent spread of fruit and cheese and cookies but just not what I was paying to do. I can eat cookies at home. I will say in fairness that the workers were nice and friendly, and the equipment was in fine shape. I just think the orchestration was but for us. Maybe if this was intended for extreme river newbies it might have been nice to be told that before we bought. read more

I recently took a full day tour with three friends. We were given the option of either canoeing Santa Elena Canyon or to the hot springs. We chose the canyon which was a 7 mile float (3 miles up river and about 4 miles back down river) and well worth it. It was a fairly relaxed affair and wasn't rushed. Had we paddled hard we certainly could have done more mileage. Our guide Andy was fantastic. He was enthusiastic and talkative, which can make or break these types of trips. He put up with our shenanigans and was knowledgeable about the area (hikes, animals, plants, etc.). He was also super pumped to make us lunch. If you're expecting a gourmet meal for a day trip, look elsewhere, but it hit the spot and was delicious. Lunch meat, bread, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, condiments, etc. for sandwiches, cookies (fig newtons and chips ahoy), chips and salsa, fruit, cheese and crackers, etc. Andy took us on a short side hike just before lunch which took about 20 or 30 minutes. I'm also super appreciative of him jumping into the ~40 degree water to drag us through the super shallow parts of the river. We had a great time and I'd highly recommend them. read more

Had such an amazing time! Above and beyond all expectations. The meals cooked were incredible and the guides took every measure to ensure that we were very comfortable the whole time. The "day hike" down a side canyon alone on the second day in the Santa Elena would have been worth the total trip cost. Can't say enough good things. read more

Big Bend River Tours - Tours Near Me

We took a trip this weekend and canoed through Hot Springs Canyon near Boquillas. Tim, our guide, was very knowledgeable, helpful and patient with questions. The group size was very small and intimate because of COVID (8 people). Erica (the owner?) was also very helpful on the phone booking our reservation. The outfitters were very helpful in allowing us to follow their van into the park as to avoid driving back and forth from Terilingua. Our trip was so fun and memorable, we will definitely be returning if we come back to big bend. read more

Shan, Isaac, Ally, and Dave were great! We took a half day canoe trip on the Rio Grande and couldn't have been happier. It's a bit physical but nothing too difficult and the views were great! Do it! read more

On the morning of our trip my wife was very sick and we were unable to attend. Where we were staying we had no phone reception and were unable to contact them to let them know we would be unable to attend. We were charged for our deposit AND the full balance even though they provided no service to us. Management was very rude when I tried to explain what happened and offered no solutions. Would never consider again, and would advise against booking a tour with this company if there is even a remote chance your plans could change or, god forbid, you became ill. read more

We LOVED our tour with Niq! Amazing views of the state park and loved learning about the area. Highly recommend.

Wonderful river float! A few exciting rapids but mostly peaceful. Our guide Doug- fixed a wonderful snack spread for us on an island and he was great with the kids! He even let them try out rowing! The Rio Grande is murky and not appealing for swimming but the water felt great!! read more

We had so much fun on our Rio Grande rafting trip. Such beautiful surroundings and our guide Doug was great. Friendly, knowledgeable and local! read more

Full day tour of canyon with James was fantastic. Knowledgeable about river, rock formation and general information on the area. Lunch great- surprised to see the care for food safety right down to mandatory use of hand sanitizer for all! Highly recommend this group! read more

We took a half day trip with Big Bend River Tours and I wish that we were in town longer because we would've done a longer trip. The guides were knowledgeable, fun and most importantly helpful. I will definitely use them again when I go back. read more

We did the half day canoe in the State Park. The trip was good and about right for the age (65+) of some in our group. None of us were impressed with our guide Ally but her shortcomings were off-set by the other guide (I wish I could remember his name - he was fantastic). Ally said she would be hangin out in the rear helping people. Not so. She never helped the 2 bozos that were constantly crossways in front of me and others then would criticize us for hanging back to avoid another collision. I'll use BBRT again but will request another guide. read more

Last week our group of 4 took a 1/2 day tour of one of the canyons along the Rio Grande with Doug the "Lizard Man". Doug is very personable, funny and has a thorough knowledge of the river and canoeing skills. We felt safe with Doug leading us and had a great time. This is definitely something we would do again. read more

Our family of four recently took the three-day rafting trip through Santa Elena canyon with BBRT, and we have all agreed that it was one of the best family vacations we've ever taken. This stretch of the Rio Grande is much more scenic than white-water, so it's perfect for families or for trips in the colder months (because you are unlikely to get wet). BBRT did a marvelous job of logistics, and the meals were amazing to boot. This trip can be done in one or two days, but the three-day trip allowed much more time for exploring, a few fascinating side hikes, and an unhurried, leisurely pace (no rushing to get the tent up before dark or down and packed in the morning). I also appreciated the fact that the guides were super-knowledgeable about the local geology and wildlife, plus they were meticulous about "leaving no trace" so that every group could have the same pristine experience we did. I highly recommend BBRT. P.S. If you go on an overnight, take their advice and bring headlamps! read more

Recently returned from a 3 day canoe through Bocillas Canyon. Darren, Yvette and Sal were awesome guides and great with our kids. The campsites were amazing and so was the food. This is definitely going to be one of our favorite family vacation memories, and we've done a lot of cool things! THANKS BBRT! The Russells and the Hannas read more

Doug was a phenomenal tour guide who added much color with his rich knowledge of the area.

Overall the scenery was amazing, but giving it 3 stars because of the attitude with which one of the guides treated us. We were canoeing for the first time and instead of being patient, one of the guides was rude with us when we kept getting stuck in the bushes. read more

A group of four of us recently took an all excursion with Big Bend River Tours. We did the Santa Elena Canyon River Raft Tour. We were told upon booking that it might be a canoe tour and we weren't supper thrilled about it as we really wanted to raft. It turns out, that canoeing is WAY better experience and we were so happy to do it! So if you are told you might canoe instead instead of raft, hop on board! I am sure rafting in fantastic as well, we just didn't get to do that due to the water levels. Our tour guides, James and Shaun, were fantastic! They were funny, knowledgeable, and very helpful along the way. There is a hike involved in this tour and it quite amazing! Be sure to wear shoes you don't mind getting wet, but that can also handle a short hike on rocky terrain. They offer a lunch during the all day tours, I am a vegetarian so I was worried about what they'd have for me and packed my own sandwich. Turned out, I didn't need too. They had an amazing spread for everyone. Much more than expected! You will not regret this tour, so go and enjoy Big Bend!! read more

BBRT was a great outfitter for our 4 day trip down Boquillas Canyon! It was really easy to rent some gear from them, and they provided us with the best and friendliest shuttle driver ever--Jim! If you ever get a chance to work with Jim, he's awesome! We used our own car (4WD RAV4), and he helped us strap the canoe on top, drove us to the put-in at Rio Grande Village, and took care of the car for 4 days while we were on the river. He then promptly drove our car out and picked us up on day 4 at the La Linda take-out. All the while, Jim was cracking jokes and pointing out plants, mountain ranges, and local Big Bend sites--he was a true gem and made us two young ladies feel prepared and accomplished after our adventure on the river. He really went above and beyond by giving us some great local recommendations (Starlight Theatre and The Boathouse) for our last night in Terlinga! Truly a trip of a lifetime! read more

Big Bend River Tours - At the Boquillas Canyon put-in at Rio Grande Village for our 4-day solo trip! - Tours Near Me

When I made our reservation (family of 5), it was for a rafting trip down the Santa Elena. This was supposed to be the highlight of our vacation. When we showed up for our tour, it was a canoe trip down the Rio Grande. It was supposed to be a half day trip, but with the drive time, the long explanation on how to canoe, how to poop in a bag, and other unnecessary instructions, plus a long break for a snack (not necessary at all), actual river time was well under two hours. The Rio Grande is not very interesting and has just three minor rapids on this tour. Beginner level for canoeing. Also, the group is quite large so there is a lot of waiting for people and varying levels of expertise. read more

We did the one day river tour. We canoed up the Rio Grande, ate lunch, hiked to and swam in some natural springs, and then canoed back down. This was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen (Santa Elena Canyon). Our guide, Darron, was excellent and provided the group with park history and information during the trip. This is something I would recommend to anyone interested in seeing the most beautiful section of Big Bend National Park. read more

We did a saddle/paddle and it was wonderful! La was the best tour guide! She was so enthusiastic and you can tell that she truly loves the river and the city of Terlingua. The scenery is amazing!!! Must see. read more