Capital Cruises did an amazing job with our sunset kayak tour to see the bats! Our guide, Michael, did a great job at answering all of our stupid questions and getting us to the coolest spots on the lake. We definitely recommend them for a quick, but unique, excursion right in the heart of downtown ATX! read more

Alec was a wonderful guide! Though we were at the end of the bat season and weren't able to see many bats, the tour was informative and entertaining. We would do it again if we come back during the regular season. read more

Did the bat watching tour and it was amazing! Tour guide was informative and fun. We saw SO many bats!! The boat ride alone was worth it.

Highly recommend this tour. Great information communicated and they are knowledgeable about the area and bats.

We had a wonderful time. The skyline was gorgeous and so nice to see it from the water. Our guide was so knowledgeable and explained things that we have never heard before. We would do it again. Thank you for a wonderful evening. read more

Beautiful sunset and views. Very nice captain. And we did see the bats before their migration. Great experience.

This was such a nice way to view the bats coming out for their nightly mosquito hunt!

We took the 6 pm sightseeing tour on a Saturday. This was a sunset tour in good weather. When we waited, there was free Wi-Fi from the nearby Hyatt. Great trip! We sat at the front for the best view. Quiet electric barge, no spray. Could not hear commentary; boat may need Bluetooth speakers at the front. Good views of downtown buildings! We saw two groups of egrets settling in for the night. We saw some bats flying out of the Congress Ave bridge! Not many bats because this was in November. We missed a few bats because the boat returned to the dock to drop off some people who needed to use the bathroom :( The tour guide could have stated that the boat had no bathrooms. It is obvious to the guide but not to the first-time visitor. Tip: go to the bathroom before you board the boat. read more

See all

We enjoyed our sunset cruise! It was an overall good experience. The setup was a little off putting: there are plastic folding chairs set up on the deck of a pontoon boat. It was not what I expected. But, with that being said, it was still a great experience. Our tour guide was very engaging. I cannot remember his name, but I remember he is in college and he had great stories. He made the trip very interesting, with historical stories. He took great care to be sure we had the best view for the sunset. I would recommend this to anyone, just being sure they are prepared for the seating and be sure you arrive early, or the good seats will be picked over! read more

Great tour! Informative and entertaining guide! Very enjoyable experience! Highly recommended read more

See all

Outstanding experience! Our host was knowledgeable, friendly, humorous, and made this excursion worth every penny. This is way may than a bat watching moment, it's an Austin event that you don't want to miss. Just sayin! read more

See all

I went on a boat cruise during Sxsw. Some promotion party for Bose, they had really good DJs, with food and drinks included. My boat ride was free, and has been one of the best experiences I've had on the lake. We went at night, so it was dark and cold, but the good music kept us dancing, and having a great time. I'm definitely recommending this if you're out of town and it's cold but you still want to experience town lake in Austin. read more

See all

second time using Capital Cruises for the bat tour. has been an awesome experience both times. I highly recommend.

Our Captain was fun and engaging. It was a very good experience for a price that was affordable.

It was a great boat and it was a great tour. Because it was the end of the season we didn't see the normal amount of bats but it was still worth it and we had a great time. read more

It was a nice & calm boat ride along Lady Bird Lake. We came for the bats and ended up getting to view the beautiful buildings alongside the banks. We were surrounded by Kayakers and other cruise boats. After about 45 minutes of "sightseeing", we finally made it to Congress Avenue Bridge where millions of bats roost. We hang out until we started seeing some bats fly out of their home. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the millions of bats fly out but there were thousands that were hovering along the bridge and others that flew out. Our guide indicated that this has a lot to do with the weather. In spite of not seeing millions of bats fly out, we still got to check out one of the top 15 things to experience in Austin. read more

See all

Got to see the bats fly out! The boat captain was very knowledgeable and ensured we all had a good time. Would highly recommend!

I have rented from Capital Cruises several times. Twice was for bat cruises and once for paddle boards. All of which were a great experience! They are open right now and a friend of mine and I rented stand up paddlebords recently for an hour on the lake. We went mid morning (they opened at 10am on a Tuesday) and it was glorious. Hardly anyone was on the lake. The staff is super friendly. They have a tent outside and a touch less payment system. Prices are reasonable and their equipment is good too. They have some outside cubbies for your stuff should you choose to leave anything at the dock. The pics are from the bat cruise in October 2019. Highly recommend! read more

See all

We were lucky and seen bats, even though it was early on in the season (march). Our tour guide was knowledgeable and funny. Would totally recommend this activity read more

Second time here. Fun, fun, fun. Place is well run, professional, on-time, considerate and convenient to Congress bridge. Paid parking at the Hyatt. Boats are clean and well maintained. Bats are always hit or miss. Captain can't influence that, but his knowledge of the river and putting us in a great spot made for an excellent experience. Highly recommend. read more

It was a great tour, our guide was informative, and told us a lot about downtown Austin.

Bat tour last night on 4/19 was awesome. It was incredible to see the bats fly out from the water. It was a great experience. I do wish I could of heard more of what the tour guide was saying I feel like his mike sound was a bit muffled. Gnats drove my friends crazy but then again we are not from a place of many bugs. read more

We took the Sunset/Bat viewing cruise and it was such a pleasant evening! Captain Alec was quite knowledgeable about the area AND we saw bats - lots and lots of bats even though it is unusual this time of year! read more

See all

Have lived in the Austin area for 14 years and FINALLY took a tour on Lady Bird Lake. Well worth it for the money! Cleared up a Couple of misconceptions I had. Will try a outlet of their other tours. read more

See all

Last day of March and we saw thousands of bats. Mike did a great job and played good music.

had a great time didn't see many bats but the guide "captain" was a commentator. Gave great information about our highrise buildings downtown Austin as well as wildlife. PLEASE START SELLING MEMORABILIA!!! Tee shirts something read more

Other than visiting the Texas State Capitol, another must-see activity in Austin is doing the bat watching tour. About 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats live under the Congress Avenue Bridge and the best way to see these bats in action is booking one of bat watching boat tours. I booked tour tickets on the website one month ahead of time ($12 per adult) and departure times will depend on the bat emergence and sunset times (our boat left at 8 PM in June.) Check in and boarding start 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time and you will forfeit your seat if you fail to show up 15 minute prior to the scheduled departure time. There are two bat watching tour companies (Lone Star Riverboat & Capital Cruises) operating on this riverside and Capital Cruises' dock is practically located behind the Hyatt. Parking: Don't take the 1st $10 parking bait at Hyatt because you can park at 676 W Riverside Dr Parking Lot for free up to the first two hours. Our tour started at 8 PM and lasted approximately 90 minutes (10 minutes longer than the original anticipated time.) Our guide Captain Bruce was really knowledgeable and he continuously talked about interesting architecture info and bat knowledge. Here are some of random facts and things happened during our tour: * Lady Bird Lake (some residents still referred as Town Lake) is a man-made lake. During the tour we saw few dogs jumping off the dock and into Ladybird Lake, but it is still illegal for people to swim In the lake. * We also saw the Austin Graffiti Train Bridge with "Never Give Up Pac-man". No one can figure out how graffiti artist(s) was able to climb up and painted the bridge. * Austin got many cooling and modern buildings like Frost Bank Tower aka the 'owl' building and the Independent aka the 'Jenga' building. We also saw the historic building like Buford Tower (formerly the Austin Fire Drill Tower.) * Bats only turn right-side up when it gets pregnant. About 95% to 99% of bats are female bats and the only purpose for male bats is reproduction. The sleeping temperature for bats is 105 deg F and female bats can typically reproduce 20 baby bats in 25 years of life span! These bats travel a great distance in search of food! * It was really hard to take any pictures with phone because they flew out around 9 PM. Our eyes can pick up these bats better than what camera can capture. * I felt a liquid droplet hit on my arm right before our boat left and apparently it was some organic bat guano (or bat poop)! Since bats eat corns, bat poop is actually not that bad. It was a very relaxing boat tour (boat moved very slowly so no one on the boat had sea sick) and definitely one of the most unique activity to do in Austin! You get a better bat view if you do boat tours vs simply standing on the Congress Avenue Bridge. read more

See all

Great evening boat ride, I am from Austin but have never done one of these boat tours and it was excellent and affordable. Highly recommended! read more

See all

Great tour. Beautiful views, great service Really enjoyed it Our kids enjoyed it as well read more

Swan boats $40/ 2 hours for 4-person swan. Great service and overall awesome experience. We visited at almost 7pm and were able to enjoy the laid-back waters without too much of sun. Loved seeing the sunset. The breeze was warm and nice. read more

Capital Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Captain Carson was superb in guiding us along Lady Bird Lake to see the bats. I learned all the details of Austin. This sunset boat cruise seriously exceeded my expectations. I loved the blues music, anchored in Stevie Ray Vaughan. We booked this basically to see the bats but got so much more. In many ways, I felt it was underpriced for its value - I made up for that in gratuity. That almost never happens in 2023. read more

Capital Cruises - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Very enjoyable and affordable. The staff memebers (2) were helpful in setting up for food/bar/special requests. The 2 hours flew by and wished for another hour. Smooth boat ride. Flaps were on sides of boat to cover windows should there have been rain. Will do this again. read more

Capital Cruises - Back of boat- seats 50. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

My family took the bat cruise and it was perfect. The tour included city views with running commentary followed by the bats flying out from under the bridge for a very long time. Our questions were addressed and we saw many unusual birds and other sights. It was a real highlight for me. My only concern was that my GPS took me to the bus entrance and I was almost late trying to find my way to the parking garage and then through the hotel to the boat dock. The rest of my family got there in plenty of time but they were more familiar with the area. I got a great video of the bats so it was totally worth the hassle. read more

Capital Cruises - Bats along the tree line under a full moon with clouds. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

This was my second time going with Capital Cruises for BatBoat and it didn't disappoint. Our tour guide was amusing and kept everyone entertained and filled with knowledge. I absolutely recommend Capital Cruises. read more

My daughter was visiting and wanted to rent the swans parked at the Hyatt and easily found our way out to the dock was informed about rules and how to move the swan ride around the lake What a fun time my daughter and I had. Was a bit hot in the sun but brought water sunblock and snacks such a good time can't wait to do this again ! Thank you agaIn ! read more

See all

Easy and friendly customer service! The process for reserving a Duffy boat was easy from start to finish.

We were first time visitors to Austin so we heard we need to see the bats! Ashleigh with a "g" was our tour guide and she was very engaging and informative. Ashleigh took us for a cruise on Lady Bird Lake to see the Austin skyline and gave a brief history on the buildings and areas surrounding the lake. When it came time for us to look for the bats, there were a lot of other boats, people on kayaks and sup's and Ashleigh did a great job maneuvering the boat. Unfortunately since we were at the end of the "bat season", we only saw a few bats but we could still hear them as we passed under the bridge. Would recommend this bat cruise to every first time visitor to Austin! read more

See all

The Bat Boat Tour is highly recommended! I took the tour on June 17th, and it was a fantastic experience. You get to see the city from a different perspective and relax as the boat cruises along the river. I also learned a lot about the area because the boat's captain shared interesting information and made hilarious jokes too. Alec, the captain, was not only a skilled boat captain but also an excellent tour guide. The highlight of the tour was watching the bats flying around the pillars underneath the bridge which we are able to catch. The tour lasted about an hour and a half, which was well worth the price. I would definitely do it again if I find myself in Austin. read more

See all

WARNING!!! I came back from the bat boat ride to my car booted, parked in the Hyatt Regency parking lot. I got into the parking lot at 7:45pm and boot was placed on my car at 7:47pm, how is that enough time to scan the QR code and enter in my card info. my parking time started at 7:50pm. it was $130 to get the boot removed and then I still paid for parking on top of that. BE CAREFUL about parking in that lot. Austin Parking Company (the ones who put the boot) are scammers, they must've been waiting for people to leave their cars. At least 3-4 other people got their car booted as well after coming back from the boat tour read more

We had a lovely sunset cruise with Captain Beck and learned all about the changes in the Austin skyline over the last decade. Our guide also pointed out birds and we even got to see the bats fly out from under the bridge. The ride on the river was a nice was to beat the heat and humidity. read more