We had the best time with Captain Hon! We loved being on the water, got extremely lucky with the weather, learned a lot about the architecture of the city AND the bats made an appearance. Will definitely take friends and family from out of town again when they visit. read more

I had an awesome time on this boat tour! got to see the skyline at sunset and watch the bats come out. I appreciated the tour guide's local knowledge and about the city's buildings and bridges. He was funny and very accomodating! 10/10 recommend, great price too read more

Great evening boat ride with captain Aaron and his wife. The seats were comfortable, velocity was appropriate and the views breathtaking. He provided a nice overview of Austin, the new condos and hotels along the river, and interjected it with salient humor. Then we got to witness the bats. Thousands and thousands of bats coming out underneath the bridge all female and pregnant. It was an extraordinary experience, well worth the time and money. read more

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I would not hesitate to take out of town to guess out on the water, regardless of whether the bats cooperate or not. The view of the city is spectacular and the narration was great fun I do recommend following the instructions to arrive early for your reservation if you want your party to be seated together. read more

I felt so lucky that I found this place on yelp! This sunset/bat cruise is definitely one of the most pleasant experience I have had in Austin as a San Franciscan! The sunset view from the Colorado river is breathtaking and we were overwhelmed by the visual experience of catching 1.5million bats flying out for food! Even If you want to catch the bats without taking the cruise, you could just walk to the Congress Ave bridge where you would find a lot of people standing and awaiting the bats around 7-8pm ! Tips: bring a cold drink and some snacks with you!!! The cruise was about an hour ride and hopefully u do not get dehydrated from exposing to the sun :) I will surely bring my tourist friends here next time! read more

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We took the bat viewing cruise which my family really enjoyed. I recommend it for anyone who wants to get the full Austin bat experience. The boat tour takes you all over Lady Bird Lake with our guide telling us about the history of Austin, the buildings and various parks you can view along the way. The bats were amazing and I appreciated the bat facts that were shared. I loved it and my 9 year old did as well. We've seen the bats before in the viewing spot, however, I like the tour better. The tours run March to October and are BYOB with no glass containers. There are no bathrooms on the boat. You need to be at the location starting at 7:15. If you don't arrive prior to 7:45, the boat company will give away your spot to those from the waitlist. To find the meeting point, your best bet is to ask someone at the Hyatt where to go. There is no signage once you get down to the river. Finding parking is the biggest challenge. The Hyatt parking garage was closed. We didn't want to be late so we ended up paying for valet parking. There is an open air parking lot by the Hyatt with an attendant, but you need cash. They don't accept credit cards. read more

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Very smooth and laid back cruise. Friendly and knowledgeable staff provided a great tour of Austin. Definitely recommend for a date night/family friendly activity! read more

Great way to enjoy the ever-changing downtown Austin skyline plus the evening bat exodus. Crew friendly and knowledgeable. Particularly good when your feet won't go another mile. read more

Great sightseeing sunset tour of the Austin skyline on Lady Bird Lake. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining! An incredible value. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Bat watching crowd on Congress Street Bridge - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We had an excellent experience. Upon check we were able to choose whether to join the north boat or the south boat. It was basically where you would be positioned when seeing the bats. Honestly both boats got you up to where you could see the bats. The south boat would get a bit closer to the shore line if you want to see the bats take off in that area. Sharon was our tour boat captain and she did a great job. First taking us along the River and explaining the history of parts of Austin. The firefighter tower was interesting to learn about. As we got closer to the time, she made her way to Congress bridge where we were able to get the best view. We didn't see all 750k of the bats emerge but we saw a good portion. I will say seeing the bats is a must in Austin and you must experience from Lonestar Riverboat Austin. Also don't be a jerk, if the guide/captain tells you to wait for further instructions, that doesn't mean to stand up and leave the boat while he's still trying to hook the boat to the dock. (You know who you are fool!) Respect the employees. Thanks again! read more

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The tour lasted about an hour and a half and for $12 each, it was a good deal for a couple of tourists! The host knew a lot of information about businesses and new residences going up downtown. We also learned a bit of Austin's history. The most interesting tidbit for us was the bat history and we're going back to see them take off at sunset. During our tour, the microphone wasn't working which made it hard for us to hear the tour guide. He stood in one spot the whole time with no microphone so if you were sitting near him you got to hear that entire speech. I would suggest coming early - especially if you have a big group. The boat opens 45 minutes early for docking and 15 minutes later it was hard for families to sit together. I would also suggest sitting up front on the top deck if you want to be close to the tour guide. The views were great and loading and unloading were handled well. Al in all, this was a cool experience and I would do it again on a day with breezy weather. read more

Absolutely wonderful experience . Start to finish it was easy and comfortable. Staff were great even through technical difficulties. I will definitely be back and I recommend this to anyone visiting Austin. read more

It was such a pleasant boat ride! We learned about downtown Austin and some History behind the architecture, and the bats! I'd definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the city, or even if you live in the city. It's definitely nice to get out onto the water. read more

Captain Chris was fabulous! He had a great sense of humor and made sure everyone had a view of the bats. read more

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Guide was funny and informative. So much fun, our friends had watched from shore in the past and said this was so much beyter. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Bats taking off - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

The boats are kind of hidden from street view but man it was a GREAT time!!! My husband and I went on that bat tour with DJ and it was one of our favorite date nights ever. The view of the city was gorgeous at night, DJ was a fantastic tour guide and the weather was perfect. We will definitely do it again with our sons one day. Please go support this company and thank me later! read more

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An excellent time was had by all aboard this lovely river boat Halloween night where our monkey-suit-wearing tour guide threw dozens of great facts about the city & about the millions of female Mexican bats which also gave us a show we will never forget. It's a great spectacle not to be missed. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Our tour guide - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

We enjoyed the the boat tour. It was very organized and the boat was very clean. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about and super funny. I would recommend booking. read more

great way to see some amazing bats and learn about Austin, TX. Captain Fred was the best!

Super funny tour boat captain and great experience. The sunset was beautiful and it was lovely seeing the Austin skyline from the water. Great turn out for bats even though it's later in the season. read more

Everyone book your cruises through Lone Star Riverboat cruises!! Although I can't tell you much about the experience they provide I want to shout out this company! When I booked tickets for a group to go on a cruise for a bachelorette party we were so excited but we were saddened when hurricane Ida hit our homes and we were no longer able to go. The kindness of Lone Star Riverboat company understood our situation and wish us safety. We will be going on a cruise soon because the generosity of this company really shone through. Every company should have their compassion. read more

Loved this cruise! Very well worth the money. It was so nice to be out on the water and to see such great views of the bridges, surrounding landscape and the city. We loved the guide giving the tour - such detailed (and entertaining) history and descriptions of the Austin skyline. Would totally do it again. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see some of the beautiful sights that downtown Austin has to offer! read more

Lone Star Riverboat - View from the dock at Lone Star Riverboats - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went on the New Years Eve evening cruise, which was nice and relaxing. The buffet was great but the placement in the boat was weird and not many people could get thru it very fast. The cruise itself was interesting and the service was nice. read more

It was a lot of fun. Good history tour from the boat from a good tour guide. Lots of bats even in early March.

After going on the evening bat tour with both Capital Cruises and Lone Star Riverboats, Capital Cruises was a way better experience. Lone Star was disorganized, the quality of their tour guides was much lower, and they applied their own policies apparently randomly or according to who seemed most likely to throw a fit. The difference in tour quality was laughable. This could partly be blamed on this trip being the first for one of the 2 tour guides on my trip. However, how they dealt with that inexperience and the degree of inexperience of the tour guide was unacceptable. I have worked as a tour guide and am generally very understanding, but this was ridiculous. We could barely hear the tour guide at all for the first half of the tour. The little I did hear was littered with uncertainty, straight up silence (rather than vague mumbling thanks to the low volume), and maybe 4 bare facts about the Austin sky line were covered at all. The Capital Cruises tour on the other hand included descriptions of recent development, local famous musicians, clips of their music, and many more descriptions of the buildings visible by the water. Again, I understand being nervous for your first tour (I've been there!), but easy access to a script or the more senior tour guide stepping in to add notes, reminders, the occasional joke, or just handing over their mike which was much louder would have made a huge difference. To be clear, it was obvious half the boat couldn't hear the new tour guide very well at all, as the more senior guide made a small joke about it at the very begging but then did absolutely nothing to address the issue. The tour did improve significantly in quality once the senior guide took over in the second half, but a few of the facts were wrong, and the amount of information covered was less than on Capital Cruises. Other issues with Lone Star largely arises from organization problems. Upon arrival, Lone Star asks guests to choose one of the boats with empty seats and sign a form before boarding. This is tricky considering you can't actually see if seats are available on one of the three boats. Capital Cruises at least directed you to the boat by capacity and your group size and you didn't have to worry about signing and crossing your name off waivers if the boat you board is full. This made finding a seat much more stressful than it had to be and made their single-level boats drastically unbalanced in the water. This wasn't obvious while on the boat, but it was alarming to see on the company's other boats. Relatedly, their policies seem to only apply randomly. When I purchased tickets, they come with a copy of their policy that states seats are first come first serve, unoccupied seats will be sold to those on the waitlist 15 minutes before departure, and that masks are required for boarding. The mask policy is displayed on a large sign at the entrance gate, and while we were waiting to board, one of the crew members told the person ahead of us that they had to wait for their whole party to arrive if they wanted seats together as seats could not be saved. Half of the tourists did not wear masks for boarding. Similarly, when my party tried to find seats we ran into a group that was saving two rows of seats for guests who hadn't arrived (the last open rows less than 15 min before departure). When I tried to clarify the situation, the woman immediately became defensive. Instead of explaining their policy, the guide ushered my party to a set of seats he had randomly bunched in the middle of the walkway and disappeared before we could ask any questions. This became an issue as multiple parties tried to take the empty seats, had to adjust waivers, and my party was constantly moving our seats to let people pass. Unsurprisingly, the woman's party never showed and the seats were only partially filled minutes before departure. Overall, a mess. read more

I bought the boat tour on a whim when i spontaneously decided I wanted to drive to Austin from Dallas. I had heard about the bats, but wasn't sure how to get there myself so I thought the tour would be my best opportunity to see them. The ride was about 2 hours at sunset, and we cruised around and the guide gave us some interesting facts about the city and architecture. Then we made our way to the bridge to see the bats and our guide was pretty good at pointing different things out such as the direction they were flying and where to look. Since I was solo, it was definitely a great tour to take, especially since I wanted to look at the bats. There was so many, and our guide was telling us that the view is better from under the bridge instead of standing on it like everyone else. P.S. Make sure you get there on time! They will give your spot away if you don't. They're pretty strict about it! read more

Happened upon this attraction as we were walking down the the Anne and Roy Butler Park trail along the Colorado River banks. Every Friday evening @9:45pm you can bring your own beverage (alcoholic kinds too!) and sit up on the upper deck (or lower deck!) for their Moonlight River Cruise. The coolest part was this usually is booked to capacity (you buy tickets on their website) though if you wait til 10:15pm - the captain will sell additional tickets (cash only) for seats not filled. For $10/person, great 1 hour trip, relaxing and quite romantic. read more

We really enjoyed our riverboat cruise. Took a family trip down to austin for the day from round rock. With my 2.5 year old and 4.5 year old. We all enjoyed it so much. Parking was very easy. The parking lot had a very attentive attendant so that made me feel more safe leaving my car and going and coming back from the boat ride. boat was extremely safe for children. We alsoenjoyed having our own little table. Bring drinks , snack, sunscreen and go enjoy the scenery and tour guide . We loves line star river boat roars. and we will most definitely be back for an evening at cruise read more

Didn't see a lot of bats fly out this time but staff was very friendly and accommodating. I had to change dates and they did so with no problem. Hats off to Captain Stephanie on her first voyage. Great job! read more

Super friendly, welcoming, entertaining, and informative! Must do in Austin, ESPECIALLY considering the price.

We did the bat tour on a Friday night in August and learned so much! I originally wanted to do a kayak self guided tour to see the bats but am glad I did this first as you learn more about the bats and their migration. Would highly recommend for young children as they would get a total kick out of seeing thousands of bats take flight. Like others mention,the view is way better then the bridge. Did I get guano on me-- yes. But no big deal. Cost is also very reasonable $12 and tour is a little over an hour. They are located behind the Hyatt and parking at Hyatt is $10. This is the second largest urban bat colony in the world! #1 being some cave in Dallas. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

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It was so much fun! We did the bat boat tour! There weren't many bats out but captain Robert tried to stay until we saw some. He made it so fun & his jokes were very funny. He was friendly & we can't wait to do the day time tour next time! read more

Han was perfect and the ride was delightful. Thank you for an enjoyable relaxing insightful final night with family elders I Austin. The rate is reasonable for a ride but I would pay more for the location where the little star took us. It was exactly the place to see the bats and sunset and landmarks. read more

Had a great experience. Lots of information about Austin as well as got to see that's fly From the bridge.Robert had tons of awesome,fun informative dialogue for all of the passengers. A must do while in Austin. Also a stunning sky Line that photographers beautifully!! read more

TIP: If you buy a Groupon (which I highly recommend you do), be sure to CALL the phone number to make a reservation for the number of attendees. We bought a Groupon for four at the 3:00 time slot. Instead of calling the phone number to reserve our seats, I opened up the website and proceeded to book the reservation. I completed the process up until the part about adding my credit card information. At this point, I had set the number of seats, added the Party Name, and input my e-mail and contact information. I figured that since I already paid for the reservation, I should not need to input any other information regarding payment. I waited for a confirmation e-mail. The next day was the day of the trip. That morning at 11am, four and 1/2 hours before our boat departure time, I called the company to confirm that they had received my reservation for 4 at 3:00 pm. The lady on the line, confirmed that she DID NOT see my reservation. I asked her if she had any seats available for either of the time slots 12:30 or 3:00. She said she was COMPLETELY BOOKED, and did not have ANY seats available. I also asked if there was chance that I could still attempt to get seats if people did not show up for their reservation. Her answer was, No." At this point, I chalked to up to my own fault for not calling to reserve the seats. I had already bought the Groupon, and was disappointed that my out-of-town guests would not be able to go on the boat tour. By random chance, in the midst of self-blaming, I opened up the Lonestar River Boating website again, and saw that there were, indeed, multiple seats available for the 12:30! Either the lady on the phone lied, or simply did not want to help. I debated on calling her back again letting her know of her blunder, but ultimately decided against it. I quickly booked the seats, paid a second fee, and took a detour heading to the boat dock. We made it on the boat with plenty of time to spare. I sincerely enjoyed the hour-long tour, as did my guests. The boat captain was comedic and quite knowledgeable. She made the trip fun and interesting. The booking experience and phone conversation with the lady left a sour note for me, but if asked to take guests on this trip again, I would surely recommend it. read more

Enjoyable trip. We didn't see many bats this time, but our guide, Riley, was informative and funny.

The bat boat tour of the city was pretty great. Our tour guide/captain was hilarious and very knowledgeable about the city. The bats aren't very visible from above the bridge so I'm really glad I took the tour to see the bats from below. Bring drinks! They had a corkscrew for wine. The seats aren't super comfortable but they have backs and are movable. They're nicer lawn chairs. Accessible for someone with mobility limitations. There is a single step up onto the ramp so not wheelchair accessible. read more

My family and I went this past weekend. I did reverse the spots a few days prior just in case. I'd recommend getting there ahead of time if you wanna have good seats. We had some trouble finding the parking, so we had to pay for parking and also took some time to find the place. We couldn't sit on top to enjoy the view but it was a great experience. Much try! read more

We were able to reserve seats online and bring an adult beverage! Loved seeing all the bats and learning fun facts about Austin!

Our Captain, Shelby, was fun - entertaining info and delivered in a comedy show manner. It's BYOB, but there are no bathrooms. If the bats come out, you get a great view from on the water - they fly East and stay along the bridge so I don't think you'd see them too well from on top of the bridge. You do get sprinkled with a little bat poop - it's so small you don't really notice (it didn't stain anything). The bats come out of the bridge for 45 minutes, but you only stay under the bridge watching for about 10 minutes (all the boat companies stay on the water for the same length of time). So if you want to see the whole show, go early and stand on the bank of the river - be prepared for about 500 people to join you on the shore though (standing room only). read more