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    Austin Rowing Club

    4.5 (276 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Austin Rowing Club Photos

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    Sara J.

    Quick and easy way to get out on the water! Everyone was super nice too. We did the kayaks, they provide the paddles and life jacket.

    Brian Q.

    Just moved to Austin for work and was looking for things to do and found Austin Rowing Club had guided tours. One of the things Austin is known for is Lady Bird Lake which is right in the heart of downtown. Famous for housing the largest urban bat population, you can watch the bats do their nightly fly out most of the year at sunset. I took 2 guided tours, one in the morning that took us all the way to Barton Springs as our guide (sorry forgot your name!) gave us history of Austin, pointed out some buildings, and gave recommendations of things to do. I also did a bat tour with Sam as our guide and he took us out to Congress St Bridge where the bats reside and gave us info on the bats as we waited for a beautiful sight as the bats flew out at sunset. The staff was very friendly and gave water as well as basic kayaking instructions. Also took pictures for those requesting them while out in the kayak. Great company and great people!

    Kelley H.

    Super nice staff, pretty speedy of a process: walk up to the check out counter, give your drivers license, pick your activity, and pay for the time period. They give you a color card, pick your paddle/life jacket and then head to the dock. We chose kayaking and it was so peaceful to kayaking and get a full view of the city- highly recommend! Parking wise- you have to park at the convention center parking garage and then walk 2 blocks down the dock--

    Prices (January 2022)
    Brian F.

    Parking is a little tough to find; there's no parking lot and there are only a few spots for street parking if you're lucky. To get to Austin Rowing Club go down the stairs and to the right you'll see many kayaks and a garage-like structure. The counter to rent is on the very left of the large building but it might be covered up with all the equipment. We actually missed it and went to another type of water activity to rent but luckily we eventually found the right place to go. To get started you fill out a waiver via a QR code. You can do either kayaking or stand up paddle-boarding. We decided to do the double kayak for $20/hour. After paying and leaving my driver's license we each got a life vest and a paddle. If you don't have a waterproof phone pouch I'd recommend buying one or keeping it in a place where there's no chance of it falling out. There's nothing worse than your phone accidentally falling out of your pocket in the water! There are some signs around the area that give estimates on how far each bridge would take so you know when to start turning around to get back before your time is up. For 1 hour we went west to the RR bridge with the railroads on it. We got there pretty quickly and felt like we could've gone further with time to spare but we didn't. During the entire time we saw beautiful skyline views of downtown Austin and stopped paddling to take many pictures and videos. I'd highly recommend coming here earlier in the day so you can avoid the sun beaming down on you while you're on the water since you won't have any shade. There were also fewer people on the water earlier which was nice and quiet too. When we went there wasn't much of a current so it was relatively calm and very peaceful. We came out unscathed and not wet at all. I also got a nice arm workout with nice views so all that considered I would say it was a success!

    Jasmine T.

    We group truly enjoyed our tour and being apart of Ethan's Gang! Ethan was very informative and knowledgeable about the area. I loved the history shared. It being my first time kayaking, I'd give it 5 stars.

    After kayaking in ladybird lake.

    I just went kayaking for the first time with friends, staff are really nice and friendly, affordable, they have good service and lots of equipments for you to enjoy. It's a great outdoor activity. I highly recommend this place if you are interested. I'd like to do it again for my next Austin trip.

    Michelle N.

    Came to Austin for Thanksgiving to meet with family and we decided to do a physical activity for one of our hangouts. The rental office is just off the water, tucked away in one of the storage sheds. Fairly easy to see the various options and prices. They offer to keep your belongings for a small fee if you don't want to risk losing it on the water. After you pay, they will tell you to grab a life vest and your paddles, then you head down to the pier where workers will assist you onto your respective boat/board. You're free to roam the river for however long you'd like, but just be sure to keep track of time in case you want to do only an hour (any minute extra, with allotted return/boarding time will add onto the rental fee) The boats were clean, vests were fairly new, and paddles were functional. Can't complain about a fun bonding activity that lets everyone have a chance to participate.

    View from the kayak
    Amy C.

    Good place to rent kayaks if you want to escape the burning heat. We got a Groupon for 2 doubles and it was $25 for 2 hours. Not bad! They have life vests if you're scared of drowning (like me), but you don't have to wear it. I recommend taking off shoes as you'll end up with a weird sandal tan like I did. Make sure you put sunscreen on! I got a tan and I put that lotion on heavily. The water is cool and refreshing, and you'll see some turtles swimming around. Lots of dogs in kayaks too, so cute!

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    28 days ago

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    8 months ago

    They could be friendlier. They could have nicer kayaks. But most of all they could clean their vests In between use

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    1 year ago

    Such a beautiful experience on the lake in downtown Austin! Our guide Sam was amazing! Highly recommend the guided bat kayak tour!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Really great location and if you travel towards the left you'll get a really nice view of the skyline!!

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    Ask the Community - Austin Rowing Club

    Hello, I dont have a driver license,I have only passport Can I kayak with passport?

    A passport is accepted ID here at Congress Avenue Kayaks, one ID per boat rented so you know ahead of time. Thanks!

    Beer allowed on the kayaks?

    Yes

    View All 4 Questions

    Review Highlights - Austin Rowing Club

    The Congress Avenue Kayak guys were super friendly and we got to row right around Congress street bridge.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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    Lone Star Riverboat - Congress bridge

    Lone Star Riverboat

    4.5(473 reviews)
    0.4 miTown Lake

    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!

    Price was reasonable and this was a nice boat ride to do the bat tour…read more The bat tour was not what I expected. I thought I would see bats flying away from the bridge all together but what I ended up seeing was a few tiny bats flying inside the bridge (not very exciting). No fault of Lone Star but I would recommend having low expectations when going and plan to learn about bats. They sell drinks but no snacks.

    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

    Austin Duck Adventures - Every tour welcomes guests of all ages!

    Austin Duck Adventures

    4.4(404 reviews)
    0.4 miDowntown
    Certified professionals
    Wheelchair accessible

    My experience on the Austin Duck Tour was phenomenal! The experience was made very special by our…read moreguide, Captain Bob. He was a professional through and through. His knowledge delivered what you would expect on a tour and his charisma provided charming and unforgettable moments. He was engaged the entire time and attuned to opportunities to interact with the public. It takes a special person to command a full ship through multiple terrains and to do so with constant energy! This is definitely something you want to do to explore Austin, especially if you're celebrating something with people from out of town. Highly recommend!

    Returning for a visit to Austin a few years after moving away. Thought the duck tour would be a…read moregood way to see a bit of Austin today without the hassle of traffic or parking. Easy boarding, and an added attraction that boarding is at the visitor's center, which has lots of fun touristy items on sale. Hit just a few downtown highlights and back stories. It's not a fast moving or detailed tour - it's a shorter ride with more fun intended. The duck quackers everyone got when boarding were silly and fun and well used. Seating was a little tight for the grown ups (lots of kids), but the open air sides made up for it. The time on the lake was probably the highlight. It's a different perspective than the usual tourist view. We'd not do again, but were glad we did once. A little too loud and a little too kid friendly for that fifth star.

    Photos
    Austin Duck Adventures - The Hydra Terra vehicle switches from bus to boat as it cruises through beautiful Lake Austin!

    The Hydra Terra vehicle switches from bus to boat as it cruises through beautiful Lake Austin!

    Austin Duck Adventures
    Austin Duck Adventures

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    Lake Austin Riverboats - Lower deck in the front of the commodores pup

    Lake Austin Riverboats

    4.5(36 reviews)
    3.4 mi

    If I could give ten stars I would. From the moment I submitted the request to the last step off the…read morePub a month later, every interaction and step in the process was top notch. From Brandon, to Captain John, to staff and crew - everyone was amazing to work with. The day of the event was perfect and seamless. I could not have asked for anything to have been different. Everyone had a great time and raved about the day. We ordered food through them and it was delicious and high quality. We had a professional chef as a party attendant on the boat and he gave high marks. Some with dietary restrictions were impressed with options and accommodations - all that of that was coordinated through Lake Austin Riverboats - everything was perfect. The crew was amazing and so welcoming to the guests and truly contributed to the experience. Book your event - you will not be disappointed.

    I was invited to an event at Quince, which included a boat ride with Austin Riverboat. The…read morerestaurant's staff was outstanding--welcoming, friendly, and highly professional. That level of service carried over to most of the staff on the boat, making the experience even more enjoyable. During the event, I was introduced to Paul, who was seated with a group of friends. He was introduced to me as the boat owner and came across as relaxed and not at all pushy--qualities I appreciate when considering a business, especially since part of my motivation for attending was to explore options for my birthday celebration. Unfortunately, Paul's friends left a negative impression. A couple of them outright refused to acknowledge me, turning away when a gentleman attempted to introduce me. Others made inappropriate jokes about my accent in a condescending and offensive manner. One individual even made vulgar comments, implying that Paul should get my phone number to discuss event planning details later, which was completely unprofessional and inappropriate. While the event itself was enjoyable, the boat ride interesting, the behavior of those around the boat owner and the fact that the boat owner never replied to my text message trying to discuss my event, was disappointing and detracted from my overall experience. This experience left me with a negative impression of the boat's management, and I strongly feel that they are not welcoming to immigrants. The group consisted of older white men whose behavior was filled with prejudice and hostility. And for that reason I felt compelled to post a review discouraging people like me- and those against this type of behavior - to stay away and make better choices. We can use our money to invest in a much better experience elsewhere I left the boat traumatized and truly disgusted by those old men behaviors. Do better!

    Photos
    Lake Austin Riverboats - Upper deck of the commodores pup

    Upper deck of the commodores pup

    Lake Austin Riverboats - Upper deck of the commodores pup

    Upper deck of the commodores pup

    Lake Austin Riverboats

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    Nauti ATX Charters - Sitting on the top deck of our double decker with slide in Devil's Cove.

    Nauti ATX Charters

    4.8(21 reviews)
    13.6 mi
    Certified professionals
    Locally owned & operated

    Decided to hire Nauti ATX Charters for a fun Bachelorette trip at Lake Travis! For a party of 9-10,…read moreI wanted my guests to experience waterfront life in Austin and rented a Pontoon boat for 4 hours. Before arriving to the dock, Trisha, who has been coordinating with us, and Brett, our captain, contacted us about half an hour ahead of time notifying us that Brett was ready for us at the lake whenever we arrived! Upon arrival, he provided a cooler with ice and water bottles for us to use to store some of our sandwiches and drinks. The boat ride was extremely smooth and he provided much insight into Lake Travis! The boat was equipped with speakers that allowed us to play our favorite songs and the slide & lily pad were a nice added touch! The girls and I thoroughly enjoyed it and the location he chose, Devil's Cove, was great for pictures and swimming. Overall, the experience was a 10/10 and I would highly recommend booking with Nauti ATX Charters again!

    We had the best time out on the lake!!! We were having so much fun we extended our time. Captain…read moreTim was perfect. We were able to relax & have a blast and knew he was keeping up safe. He was also a champ about taking photos for us! I will definitely return and will be requesting Captain Tim!! Thank you Nauti ATX for helping us make some great memories.

    Photos
    Nauti ATX Charters - Bachelorette on Lake Travis. All of our boats have bimini for shade.

    Bachelorette on Lake Travis. All of our boats have bimini for shade.

    Nauti ATX Charters - Book now! Save 10% off when you mention this flyer.

    Book now! Save 10% off when you mention this flyer.

    Nauti ATX Charters - Enjoying our 16 person double decker with slide during Memorial Weekend

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    Enjoying our 16 person double decker with slide during Memorial Weekend

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

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

    5.0(332 reviews)
    7.0 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.

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    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!!

    Austin Rowing Club - rafting - Updated May 2026

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