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    Go Rio Cruises

    4.3 (536 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    Timmy S.

    Taking a boat ride along the river and canals of downtown San Antonio is fun, relaxing, and a great way to see the areas of Riverwalk without actually walking it. From what I could tell, there are three places you can board a boat; one at the Shops at RiverCenter next to Alamo Biscuit and two other spots along the restaurant area of Riverwalk. You purchase tickets at those locations and can also purchase drinks (beverages are allowed on the boats but not food). The ride lasts about half an hour and boats seem to leave every 15 minutes or so...it didn't seem like there's a set schedule. Everyone recommended the best time to float down the river was at night. I agree as the lights at night are cool and activity along the Riverwalk seems to be more vibrant. We actually did both - once during the day and once at night. The day one we did mostly because we'd been walking around and just needed a rest. Both are great experiences. But I think a lot of the enjoyment comes from whoever is driving the boat. For our day ride the fellow was a non-stop, rapid-fire talker, telling a lot of lame jokes with a bit of history thrown in now and then. It felt like he was doing a bad open-mic stand-up routine which at times got annoying. For our night ride, our female guide focused on history and sights with a joke thrown in every now and then. She was more laid back with her presentation which made the trip much more enjoyable. Whatever the time of day and whoever you randomly get steering your boat, it's worth it to take a boat cruise.

    Mike P.

    This was really our first time to thoroughly check out the San Antonio River Walk, so what better way to experience it than to take a river cruise. My wife found Go Rio Cruises online and it seemed to have good reviews. Well, she did well, because Go Rio Cruises was an absolutely fantastic experience. We were able to sit, relax and enjoy a beverage while getting a river view of the River Walk experience. Our guide was fabulous, full of information and LOTS of humor. He really made it worthwhile. I highly recommend trying Go Rio Cruises for a different view of the San Antonio River Walk that will get you going in the right direction with a lot of fun.

    Bindi S.

    We took the night cruise (7pm ish) since that was recommended by most. Unfortunately, we did not get seats in the front of the boat for clear pictures but were close enough. Its a short ride. About 20 minutes once we start but very pleasant. The weather was perfect for a cruise. It went down the river a bit (about 2 miles) and the guide called out a few buildings and stories. It was nice to get all the info sitting comfortably in a barge. I would definitely recommend them as something to do when visiting the Riverwalk. Got to see the trees lit up and looked beautiful.

    Vincent - Marisa A.

    Amazing cruise! Anthony was an amazing tour guide! A job well done! Such a great tour and highly recommend. All of the staff were so friendly and welcoming! This tour is definitely child and family friendly! Great job, Anthony! You deserve a promotion sir!

    Thea R.

    We did the Go Rio boat ride during the week before Christmas, and although it was very crowded, the experience was still well worth it. Once we boarded, the boat captain was very friendly and informative. Because of all the music and activity along the River Walk that night, it was sometimes hard to hear the full commentary, but the atmosphere made up for it. The Christmas lights along the San Antonio River Walk were absolutely beautiful and truly bucket-list worthy. Overall, it was a festive and memorable experience that we'd recommend, especially during the holidays.

    Jane S.

    Michael was our tour guide and he was great and informative about the history and provided great customer service. The boat tour is about 20 mins. If it is a hot day I recommend bringing a hat and sunscreen. I purchased my boat tour through the city pass and saved money by doing so. If you purchase it on the website, they provided a discount for which if you are military, student, senior or if you are a local resident. For general admission is $15 usd. You can also purchase your tickets in person. For the boat tour, you don't need to make reservations. Overall the experience was great.

    View of bridge and sculpture
    Dave C.

    This was a 35-40 minute boat trip along the San Antonio river in the most scenic part of town. There were about 2 dozen people on the boat, and we had a tour guide that explained the historical stuff, added humor, and even asked people questions. Going in March had a steady stream of boats going. Great way to get an overview of San Antonio.

    Rose E.

    This is a MUST if you ever visit San Antonio...and practically a staple at Riverwalk, with seemingly half a dozen (or more) boats operating all day, and well into the night. This was our second time visiting San Antonio Riverwalk, and our second boat tour. This time, we decided to go first thing in the morning (10 am start time)...and it was a good decision. Unlike the previous boat tour that we took after dinner, it was much cooler, and luckily, a smaller crowd! In fact, we lucked into a boat with only about 3 other couples? We're thinking that maybe next time, we'll try a night tour. While the entire strip of Riverwalk is a magical scene, the scenery while on the boat is even better. I could be wrong, but I think we made the "U" loop around the riverwalk...with the end point at the Mall. Anyway, just as last time, the tour guide was very educational throughout the tour, which lasted about 30 minutes. Well worth the $15.50 fee per person.

    Thomas S.

    Our party of six really enjoyed out river tour with Go Rio because of the captain / tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about the history of San Antonio, the river walk, and the historical buildings lining the river. Best of all, he narrated in such a humourous fashion that he kept the audience captivated. Also the boat cruised to the less visited part of the river walk. It was a enjoyable experience.

    Samantha D.

    What a fun tour all thanks to our guide, Dora! I highly recommend these tours because they are about 30 minutes long, which is perfect, you learn so much about San Antonio, the guides are very entertaining, and it is not too expensive. The lines can get pretty long but trust me it is worth the wait! I would definitely do it again. Thanks Dora for making the experience so engaging and funny!

    Gracie C.

    This is really late but I have to write the review mainly because of the fantastic customer service! I actually used them twice in the same week and they were incredible! The first, which was a HUGE one, was for Dia de los Muertos River Walk parade on the riverwalk. We wanted to have dinner together and learned that you can eat on a buoy and watch the parade. We had a large group, but they worked with us. We were literally on the water. That was unexpected. The food and drinks were great! They had extra activities in the area for the VIPs (which we were since we reserved a buoy). The food was unlimited. We all had our fill. The parade was right next to us and was incredible. This was definitely the way to watch it. What I didn't expect was that after, we had a free cruise around the riverwalk. We had drinks in hand and got to save at all the people still sitting around the river. BTW, the tickets are not cheap, but you get all you can eat, drinks, special area, mariachis, face painting, plus your own tables on the water. Worth it! I may as well call it unlimited drinks because my friends kept giving me their drink tickets. ;) I had also made a reservation for a daytime cruise. I didn't know one would be included with the dinner, but it's okay, We got to see different parts that we didn't even notice at night. They were great and let us rent an entire buoy to ourselves. Again, they were so wonderful and really made our visit to San Antonio so great! I will always use Go Rio when I am in town. x .. ......... .. ...

    Serge A.

    The tour was great. Very informative the history of San Antonio is amazing! Glad this tour exists. It was $15.50 per person

    Kim L.

    We did a night cruise in December. The lights along the river are spectacular. The cruise itself is simple with the driver narrating and pointing out the highlights of the river history. It's a pleasant 30 minute trip up and down the riverwalk checking out all the sites. It was cheap - $12 for a senior ticket, so well worth it. It's a fun diversion and if you don't want to walk the whole riverfront this is a great way to see it.

    lights were beautiful on the river.  By boat was the best.

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    Page 1 of 14

    Ask the Community - Go Rio Cruises

    Am i able to purchase tickets in person at one of their booths the day of? Or is it only online?

    Yes. That is what I did.

    I'm not seeing ride times online. Do you pay and show up for that day?

    Yes they have a ticket booth.

    How long does the tour last and can you bring drinks on the tour?

    Yes on drinks. For the main cruise plan on 30 minutes.

    How much is a boat tour?

    They raised they're pricing to $14.50 per person.

    Do they have tours WITHOUT a person talking the whole way? Or smaller more intimate boats? Does San Antonio allow kayakers on the river?

    I would venture to say No. I've only been 2x and only saw the Go Rio boats. Our first guide was awkward and weird. Our second was better. There are also dinner cruise tours available.

    Do they have commentary while you're on the water to explain what we are looking at?

    Yes! There's a great presentation as you float along with lots of detail. And, you can ask questions.

    Do you have to have a reservation or can you purchase tickets to ride the day of?

    You can purchase day of

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Go Rio Cruises

    While the entire strip of Riverwalk is a magical scene, the scenery while on the boat is even better.

    Mentioned in 121 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Lone Star Riverboat - Congress bridge

    Lone Star Riverboat

    4.5(477 reviews)
    73.0 miTown Lake

    Great experience. Our guide informative and fun. This was an enjoyable way to see the bats.read more

    This was one of my favorite experiences in Austin…read more Buying the tickets online for the sunset cruise was easy (the people who sat at our table were able to walk on and buy tickets, too). The sights from the river of the bridges, buildings, birds, & reflections off the water were wonderful. The worker who narrated the tour was personable and informative. And yes, it was BYOB, which was another enjoyable bonus. We got very lucky that night. It was a particularly warm December evening, and I'm from Seattle so I was sweating and not knowing if this was normal weather out in Austin, but I guess this may have had something to do with the luck we had that night. This was a normal sunset tour, NOT a bat tour. I've heard of the bats under Congress bridge being a thing to see in Austin in warmer parts of the year. We were not expecting to see them this time, and this is what the worker told us from the very beginning. However, after much of the tour is over and the boat is making its last approach towards Congress bridge... I hear another patron shout "Captain, look!" We all look towards the sky. A thick twisting wave of little bats is passing above us. Then another, and another. They keep, on, coming!!! It was amazing. The narrator said, "Well, I guess this just became a bat tour!" and he shares more information on the bats, points out observations as they fly, and just made the whole journey even more memorable. Even without the bats, the tour was awesome, but I love how easily they transitioned into bat tour mode. Thank you Lone Star Riverboat for an unforgettable time!

    Photos
    Lone Star Riverboat - Downtown Austin

    Downtown Austin

    Lone Star Riverboat - Lone star river boat bat tour

    Lone star river boat bat tour

    Lone Star Riverboat - The bats can't see the red like similar to infrared lights not seen by human eyes

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    The bats can't see the red like similar to infrared lights not seen by human eyes

    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals

    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals

    5.0(329 reviews)
    76.2 mi

    We had an awesome time celebrating a bachelor party. Ramon is the best! Would definitely go backread more

    We had such an amazing time on Lake Travis thanks to Willo and Float On. Everything about the…read moreexperience was extremely streamlined from booking to filling out waivers to navigating to the marina. Willo gave superb instructions on operating and piloting the boat including an overview of relevant customs and laws while out on the water. Our group had six adults and one 2-year old and they had plenty of water safety devices for all ages. On a side note, it was wonderful to see how genuinely excited Willo was about Lake Travis once again having a healthy water level after several dry years. In terms of our experience on the lake, we got excellent advice on where to travel based on our team's interests and after following his directions it felt like we had arrived on our own private lake. We probably only saw a handful of other boats during our 3-hour excursion and that was only in passing. The boat came with a Garmin GPS that made it really easy to retrace our steps. For those wondering, there was excellent cell phone service out on the lake and we were able to use our phone GPS, make calls, and stream music. The boat had some nice integrated speakers with Bluetooth connectivity and we were able to jam out to our own tunes. There was also a cool flotation device attached to the back of the boat called the Aqua Lily Pad which we unrolled after anchoring, we had multiple adults laying on it without sinking into the lake. Overall, we could not have asked for a better experience and we would highly recommend booking with Float On.

    Photos
    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals
    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals
    Float On - Lake Austin Boat Rentals & Lake Travis Boat Rentals - Birthday celebration!!

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    Birthday celebration!!

    MarineMax Sail & Ski - San Antonio

    MarineMax Sail & Ski - San Antonio

    3.5(11 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    I brought a 100k boat from them that they said they inspected and checked out 100% and was in…read moreperfect condition- I didnt even put more then 30 hours on the boat, and the inboard engines coolant hose blows off and starts flooding my boat with my family on it with boiling hot water- This caused my engine to blow- They sold me a 5k warranty FOR THE ENGINE if anything happens (extremly misleading since after reading the fine print theres a long list that disqualifys you from getting a claim) what a joke these people are- the mechanic ZAK even said i might need a whole new cover (binimi) cause it was missing a couple allen key screws and said it would of cost like 7k for a whole new cover- All these guys care about is the money- they do not care for the people and are no help after you buy from them- very disappointed- i will never use them again and i will be spreading the word to everyone-

    On our way to the lake driving down the road a large deer tried to jump over our boat. The damages…read morewere extensive; broken rail , seats tore and the hood of the motor ripped off. We were devastated not only because of the boat but because of the deer. We took it to sail & ski and we can't not say enough positive praise for their attention to detail and outstanding customer service. They had contact with the insurance to make sure everything was covered. They kept us updated on all parts , advise on work and time frame of work to be completed. They even fixed minor defects from the manufacturer. The work is immaculate and perfection. Our boat looks so nice. Thank you so much Sail & ski. We are so happy with your work, attention to detail and customer service.

    Photos
    MarineMax Sail & Ski - San Antonio - Broken rail , torn seats and motor cover torn off after deer tried to jump over boat as it was moving down the road.

    Broken rail , torn seats and motor cover torn off after deer tried to jump over boat as it was moving down the road.

    MarineMax Sail & Ski - San Antonio
    MarineMax Sail & Ski - San Antonio

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    Austin Rental Boats - Captain Zach!

    Austin Rental Boats

    4.6(146 reviews)
    76.2 mi

    Captain Zach was an amazing driver/ host and made our trip memorable for me and the birthday crew.read more

    We booked this boat ride for a birthday, so it was meant to be a special experience. Overall, the…read morescenery was beautiful and the ride itself was enjoyable, but there were several issues that took away from what should have been a smooth private charter experience. The communication beforehand was not great. The driver texted me the night before around 7:45 PM, and when I replied immediately with concerns about the weather and rain, I didn't receive a response until after 10 PM. The email also stated that the driver would contact us 15-30 minutes before the reservation time, but that never happened. Our reservation was from 9:00-11:00 AM. When we arrived at 9:00, no one was there, so I had to text the driver myself. He responded saying he was getting the boat ready and putting gas in it. In my opinion, those things should have been done ahead of time so guests are properly greeted and the ride can begin on time. When we boarded, the seats and boat were still wet from the rain. Since it was chilly outside, sitting in wet seats for a two-hour ride left our clothes damp and uncomfortable. To give credit where it's due, the driver was friendly and enjoyable to talk to during parts of the ride. However, he also took phone calls during the charter, which felt distracting during what was supposed to be a private birthday outing. The biggest disappointment came on the ride back. The driver stopped to assist another boat that had already said help was on the way. He tied their boat to ours and pulled them in, which significantly took away from the private experience we had paid for. While helping others is kind, it felt inappropriate during a paid private charter, especially one booked for a birthday celebration. Additionally, the trip ran later than scheduled, and there was never any communication about the delay. Our reservation was clearly scheduled for 9-11 AM, and it shouldn't be assumed guests are okay with going over time simply because the ride started late. People may have plans afterward, and communication would have gone a long way. Overall, the lake itself was beautiful and parts of the experience were enjoyable, but the lack of communication, late start, wet boat, interruptions, and detour during our private charter made the experience fall short of expectations.

    Photos
    Austin Rental Boats
    Austin Rental Boats
    Austin Rental Boats

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    Go Rio Cruises - boattours - Updated June 2026

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