We went in early October and at the 7pm boat. NOTE: GET THERE EARLY! Like 1 hour earlier to ensure a great spot on top of the boat and a table. I made reservation online with the reservation genie. Don't expect some grandious greeting but people are nice. It was absolutely wonderful weather and it's awesome to be able to bring your own beer or wine. The trip lasts long so bring a good bucket full. When we went, there was a band playing. The mic was loud and many times the microphone screeched but once they got everything fixed it was a real treat! The people were wonderful and it was a great atmosphere. They stopped for long time, about 20 minutes near the bridge but the bats never came. We could hear them while going underneath the bridge. I guess it was too cold for them? Even though we didn't see them it was still cool and the boat trip was in itself the best experience! This was a wonderful experience for either a couple or for a family (kids older than about 8 should be fine. Any younger they may get bored....just don't bring super young kids or babies to this! You'll ruin everyone else's buzz) A MUST GO for when being in Austin! read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Kinda similar to the one we were on - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The Lone Star Riverboat provides a pretty nice tour of Austin on the water, introducing the various skyscrapers in the downtown area, showing the array of outdoors bars and restaurants that people frequent on the hot summer days, as well as parks and statues dating back to historic figures. Compared to other boat tours, this didn't seem as informational and was a bit disorganized, but it was still pleasant. Unfortunately the weather was so hot that we couldn't tolerate sitting up at the top, and perhaps we would have changed our minds if there were misters to keep us cool. The downstairs covered portion was okay; a bit dingy and outdated with a cash only bar serving simple drinks. The room was pretty small and intimate with only a few tables of people able to fit inside. The views were mediocre thanks to the semi-clean windows. I would recommend coming back during a time when the weather is tolerable and you can actually sit at the top. I've also got to say, it was a beautiful sight seeing all the kayaks and peddle boats out on the water, especially the swan-shaped ones for couples to sit in. Definitely something I'd want to try next time. This tour gave a nice idea of how it is in Austin during the summer--fun, carefree, full of laughs and good food and drinks. I can't wait to visit again. read more

We had such a great experience. The tour was informative and our captain was hilarious. 10/10 recommend!

We went on the bat tour and it was amazing! Way more than we bargained for for $12...They gave us a short but interesting tour on the river of the beautiful nighttime city skyline while we waited for the bats to come out. Captain DJ did a great job! Loved it read more

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Happened upon the sunset/bat watching tour on google, so I made a reservation. We had so much fun and our tour guide was knowledgeable about the city and hilarious! We had no idea what to expect, but we're pleasantly surprised by the bats and the views!! You definitely have to check this out! And bring a bottle of wine when you do!! read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Waiting for the bats to come out - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

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The best place to watch the bats emerge is from underneath them looking up against the sky, and not on top of the bridge. So you can jam into the side views on the lower walks or you can sit and enjoy a ride on the river. Lone Star is not expensive, covers just about the right amount of time and has a very engaging and informative captain. Austin is growing by leaps and bounds. The river is a great view at the lengthening skyline. The captain has all the skinny on that, too. No bathroom. BYOB, inc Alcohol. read more

Great tour and tour guides! BYOB so we brought some wine. About an hour long, half of it was led by the guide and the other half we just relaxed looking at the water. Definitely recommend! read more

We decided to book this tour after hearing great things about it. It was really nice and enjoyable, easy to find and comfortable. Seeing the bats on the water is very cool. We had a wonderful time even though a freak lightening storm came in and it poured on us. Our tour was cut short. Our driver was calm, and brought us back safely. We highly recommend this to others and maybe we will do it again someday to get the full experience. read more

Bought 3 tickets for myself and my parents whom were in town from Chicago this past weekend. Their flight was running a bit behind in letting people out, so they got to my apartment right at 2:30pm. We immediately set down their luggage and started a fast-paced walk from my building (nearby) to Lone Star River Tours. My mom has a chronic and it is a struggle to walk quickly for her. We arrived at 2:58 pm and my dad ran up to the boat dock where they had just pushed off. My dad told the man we had tickets for the 3:00 pm tour, and the guy rudely shouted back "we're leaving!" despite pleas from my dad to allow us to board (keep in mind it was not 3pm yet). The icing on the cake was receiving an email through reservation genie saying I was going to "lose 130 points" for not showing up for my reservation (which we did). I will never suggest anyone else from out-of-town to use such a rude company. They don't allow refunds for tickets, so my money is eaten. I'd suggest another company- clearly Lone Star lacks customer service skills. read more

We had a great time learning about some of the downtown area and watching the bats take flight. Gorgeous sunset views. Use the restroom at Hyatt before boarding. Highly recommend!! read more

Great tour of the bats on Lady Bird Lake. The guide was funny and very informative! Would definitely recommend doing it while in Austin!

I was trying to board the bat cruise at 5:45 on Oct 28th and was denied access because I use the aid of a service dog. A worker kept insisting on me showing paperwork. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, legal paperwork does not exist and I have the right to owner train. He asked me what my service dog did which he was legally allowed to do and I told him he is for momentum, balance and navigating uneven terrain. He flat out said he did not believe me and kicked my mother and i from the boat. He told me "not to look so surprised, as I'm sure you've heard this before" - I have, but never before has anyone so rudely stuck to their guns and blatantly ignored Federal Law, especially after being informed and offering to show him the law. While writing this, I have been told his name was Captain Mike. The nicest thing he did say to me was that I could be issued a refund so I will call tomorrow. read more

Really nice tour! Seeing the bats was an awesome experience that I would definitely recommend.

Have been on this boat twice now and have always had a good experience. For $10 a ticket you get a 1/1.5 hour tour of downtown Austin on the water and the guides are hilarious. The tour is very informative about the history of Austin and is an amazing view of the bats from under the bridge. Definitely get there early if you have a large party and want to sit together cause spaces fill up fast. And bring some cash to tip the tour guides. Definitely recommend for out of town guests and a fun, inexpensive evening activity. read more

Captain Shelby was amazing!! She reallly made the experience awesome because she is so knowledgeable not just about the bats but as about Austin as well!! We were able to see tons of bats!! I highly recommend Lone Star!! read more

I had such a great time on this river boat cruise and Captain DJ is top notch! He was very knowledgeable, kind and funny. We were even lucky enough to see some bats in the off season (February). I highly recommend this tour and would do it over and over again. Do not hesitate - book today! read more

Awesome trip, completely family friendly. You go own a small austin history tour while the sun is setting and get to see downtown from a different view then once the sun sets you get too see the most amazing view of mother nature at work and see millions of bats flying out for the night. The boat was nice and comfy and I could easily hear and understand our Captain! 10/10 recommend Michael he was super knowledgeable and very entertaining! read more

Really enjoyed Lone Star Riverboat's bat tour. The guide gave so much great information about downtown Austin's history and development. He was also very funny. We had a spectacular view of the bats flying out from the bridge. Seating was adequately spaced out, there was hand sanitizer handy, and everything felt clean and in accordance with Covid rules. My mother, husband and two children all enjoyed this experience immensely. Absolutely recommend to anyone, whether you're an Austin resident or a visitor. read more

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Great experience, highly recommend! Captain Han Soli made it awesome. Great price for a great time. Informative, educational, all around good time read more

I took a friend from out of town and he really enjoyed it! The Captain was very entertaining and informative. With regards to Covid-19 precautions were taken. Bat Boat was a Blast! read more

Recommend to do while in Austin. Easy to book tickets ahead of time online and friendly (plus funny) staff. We were lucky to see the bats plus a beautiful sunset. Get there early to pick a good seat on one of their 3 boats! Parking is tricky but we found a spot on the Auditorium Shores parking lot & walked on over. read more

Friday getaway in Austin. This was a pleasant surprise as I didn't know Austin had a lake running through the city. Easy walk to the boat. Short wait and the boat was spacious. Old school motown music is a thumbs up. Tour was right at an hour. Only wish the tour had gone a little further out but all in all a great experience. Would definitely recommend read more

I wish I could do a 3.5 star honestly. So to begin, our tour guide was great. She gave us tons of history of the buildings surrounding the river. Couple issues though. 1, she didn't have a microphone like ALL the other guides in other boats had. So it was hard to hear her at times. 2, at the time bats were supposed to be flying out, she said she didn't have a red flashlight. She had no extra batteries nor an extra light. You'd think there would be extra on the boat, right? That's what I'd think. We didn't see many bats, one because she had no light (we were able to see other boat guides lights though) and they aren't coming out much this year like they have in the past. There's been so much rain, they aren't fighting for their food. But that's NOT the river boat tours fault, that's just nature for ya. My reasoning for 3-3.5 stars is because no mic & no light. But overall, she was great with the history & jokes. The tour probably won't end at 9pm like their site says. We didn't get out of there until 9:20 when everyone on the boat was BEGGING to leave because of bats not wanting to fly out for food. PS. GET THERE BEFORE 7!!!!! There was a long line & we got there at 6:50! Of course you have reservations, but if you want a good seat, show up 1.5 hrs before they leave. It was not pleasant standing in the sun waiting to get into the boats, lemme tell ya! But it was better than the people who showed up too late & had to be separated from others in order to find seats. read more

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I originally planned for the 4 of us to sit on the grass to watch the bats, then I happened upon this tour on TripAdvisor. So, I booked it. I am SO glad that I did. The price is very reasonable at only $10 per person. I recommend booking online and arriving 45 minutes before departure, as they will sell all seats to walk-ups. When the bats first departed, I thought, what a bummer...then MORE came out and it was simply amazing! Pictures do NOT do it justice. This is a must - do in Austin. read more

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The boat felt a overcrowded due to so many seats being filled on the boat. We were disappointed because we were expecting to see bats fly out of the tunnels. We only saw a few flutter around the tunnels. The tour guide should give a caveat about the fact we may not see the all of the bats fly out due to these are not trained animals and they follow the natural habits. Also, we were close to another boat from the same company and both tour guides gave different information regarding the size of the baby bats, one said they were 1/4 of the mother's size the other said a 1/3. My son questioned what's the actual size. The trip abruptly ended due to time. The tour guide said "If we were unhappy with the tour, write a comment on a $20 and leave it in the trip jar". We were not impressed with this tour on any level. read more

Great tour guide, very knowledgable. The entertainment was top notch. Food OK. Mist enjoyable

Super friendly staff! Easy to book, loved that you could bring snacks and adult beverages, great info about the buildings and of course, the bats. 10/10. read more

Love the experience the captains were super funny! Glad we booked online because the line was bonkers and would have been impossible to get a ride without online reservations. read more

Friendly and professional crew. I really enjoyed my experience. I will recommend to anyone who is interested in exploring Austin.

Was a bit skeptical about a bat tour but it was fantastic! Definitely come check this out if you are in town. Be warned there is some bat poop droppings that come as the bats come out. Can't truly say it's a one of a kind excursion. The captain's are very knowledgeable. We had Shelby and she was informative and funny. read more

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Great activity for guests from out of town! BYOB. I Reserved the bat sunset cruise on the website, received a confirmation email with clear direction along with a follow-up email with a 10% discount on my next booking. This was the perfect organized outing for all of my family and friends that came to town for my son's graduation. It is important to reserve in advance. If you have a straggler the day of the tour, they will put their name on a waiting list. Please note, you want to get their 45 minutes before your tour departs, put the stragglers name on the waitlist as soon as you get there (first come first serve). 15 minutes before departure, they will start allowing waitlist people on board if seats are available. No reservation, no guarantee. Good news for us, my daughter (said straggler) was able to cruise with us :). We parked for free in the public parking area at Auditorium shores. Easy breezy access to walk under the bridge to Lone Star.Our Captain was hilarious, knowledgeable, and very engaging! She shared info about the history of the lake, the buildings, the park and the bats! This was the best idea ever! I definitely recommend booking a sunset bat cruise. I will be looking into the other types of cruises as well! read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Back of boat - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

Scammers. Refused to permit a party of three on the boat for their reservation time. Lone star riverboat does not honor tickets nor reservations. Lone star riverboat is unresponsive for reimbursement of tickets that they refused service for. Do not recommend. read more

Local to austin for 3+ years and never seen the bats. By far the best way to experience the view with with red lights and the guided water tour it was by far worth the money. Don't forget to tip your guides as well as the do an extraordinary job to give you onsite on a city we call home! read more

We boarded our cruise ship and went to go watch the bats at congress bridge. The two captains were super nice and had lots of knowledge about Austin,Texas. The we got bat poop on us but its all part of the tour and I learned that mascara has poop in it. Lol the ride was about 2 hours long and its BYOB!!!! read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Bats waking up under Congress bridge. 1.5 million bats! - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

Enjoyed the trip. It was an affordable way to spend time with family and learn about Austin. I was able to take food and drinks, sit at a table inside in the cool air conditioning, then walk outside and enjoy the lake scenery with my margarita. I would do it again. read more

The staff is so nice ! The minute you walk in they all greet you with a huge smile! They offer drinks w ice as it tends to get hot on the top deck ....views are phenomenal in a tranquil nice 1hr ride ....really recommend it if you're visiting Austin and want to be in the water catching a glimpse of the skyline right in front of you read more

My husband and I booked a moonlight cruise one Friday night. The captains were nice and comical, and we enjoyed our time on the water. There was a diverse selection of music playing and the boat was well lit for photos! read more

Awesome cruise! We had a great time showing around some friends who were visiting from out of town. We went on a really clear day so we got to see lots of bats. Captain Shelby and her coworker (I think Mike) the bat expert were really great and entertaining as well! Would totally recommend. And bring cash so you can leave a tip! read more

Fantastic experience! Our whole family enjoyed the bat tour. We had seen it from the bridge many years ago, and it does not compare to being on the riverboat. Our Lone Star Riverboat tour guide was very funny and engaging. We'll definitely be back again (with a rain jacket) and highly recommend this experience! read more

My friend bought the Living Social deal and I really wasn't very interested in cruising around with a bunch of tourists but the experience was surprisingly entertaining. The tour guides were funny, laid-back, and actually offered up interesting info about the lake, downtown, wildlife, everything! And yes, it will likely be 100 degrees outside but it gets breezy once you start moving, don't forget to BYOB! However, I was pretty annoyed that their "suggested parking" was the hourly lot at the Hyatt when there was a free lot even closer to the dock. Even further annoyed when we had to pay SEVEN DOLLARS just to print the coupon at the Hyatt since they didn't take mobile app, get with the times!! read more