New found adventure in Texas! We booked a Sunset Congress Avenue Bat Bridge Tour at 7:30pm to 9:30pm - we were with JT's group and it was a blast! Started on time and the team handles a large group like a pro. Prepared kayak, seats, paddles, safety vest, and ensure everyone's concerns were addressed before we started the activity. JT led the group and gave us some tips on how to maneuver (so first timers are really not an issue), then we stop and regroup in some spots to give insights about the history and fun facts. The sunset was so pretty and the view of the skyline from the lake was amazing. Due to the weather, bats were hesitant to do their normal routine, we still saw few tho. We head out to the starting point before the rain poured while watching the lightning above us. All safe and had fun. read more

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1-STAR REVIEW -- EXTREMELY DISORGANIZED, UNSAFE & DISAPPOINTING ***UPDATED 9/24/26*** Thank you for your passive-aggressive response, Conor. I expected no less from you, and unfortunately, you fulfilled that expectation. Rather than addressing the legitimate concerns raised about our experience, your response only reinforces the impression that customer concerns are something to be defended against rather than genuinely addressed. Good luck with your customer-service career. I sincerely hope you take some time to reflect on what good customer service actually looks like. 9/22/26 ORIGiNAL REVIEW We booked this bat kayak tour on September 22, 2026, while in Austin for a business conference. Several of us were first-time visitors to Austin and were genuinely excited about experiencing the famous bats. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disorganized, frustrating, and ultimately disappointing. There were approximately 25 customers but only ONE guide. We were already concerned about how one person could safely manage such a large group on the water. The organization became even worse when the guide apparently lost track of where we were supposed to launch. At one point, we were told to proceed without him. Given the number of inexperienced participants and the safety concerns involved with kayaking, our group was not comfortable doing that and declined. What was especially frustrating was the attitude toward our concerns. Instead of making sure customers were comfortable and that the experience was properly organized, the focus seemed to be on getting everyone into kayaks rather than delivering the experience we had paid $54 per person for. Conor was particularly rude and dismissive. His interactions made us feel as though our concerns were an inconvenience rather than legitimate customer-service issues. Most importantly, the primary reason many of us booked this tour was to see the bats. When my coworker specifically told Conor she was concerned that, because of all the delays and disorganization, we were going to miss the bats, his response was essentially that we had "plenty of time" because the bats don't fly out until 7:45 p.m. This was incredibly dismissive. Rather than acknowledging our concern about potentially missing the main attraction we had paid to see, he minimized it. After everything that happened, we were told the next day that we would receive a refund, but no clear timeframe was provided. That added even more uncertainty to an already frustrating experience. I also strongly recommend reading this company's responses to previous negative reviews before booking on Trip Advisor. Based on what we saw, the responses came across as defensive and focused on deflecting blame rather than acknowledging customers' concerns, apologizing, or taking responsibility. That was consistent with the experience we had. BOTTOM LINE: * Extremely poor organization and communication * Approximately 25 customers with only one guide * Customers were told to proceed without the guide * Significant safety concerns were not adequately addressed * Concerns about missing the bats were minimized * Conor's attitude was rude and dismissive * Refund process was unclear * Previous negative-review responses raise additional concerns about accountability We came to Austin excited to have a memorable experience and instead left frustrated and disappointed. For $54 per person, we expected a professionally organized, safe, and enjoyable tour. Based on our experience, I would strongly encourage anyone considering this company to carefully read the negative reviews and the company's responses before booking. read more

We've done one of their rentals/tours just once when one of my systems were in town for a visit. It was so much fun. The folks here really know their stuff. They're so friendly and good about making sure you're comfortable with getting out on the water. The sunset tour on Ladybird Lake is spectacular. Seeing the Austin skyline at dusk is beautiful and calming. read more

Our party of 5 booked the Austin bat kayak tour for 9/22/26 and arrived at the designated meeting location at 6:30pm., as instructed. There were at least 10 other customers, but only one guide, Justin, appeared to be managing the entire group. Customers were asked to help transport kayaks to the water, and our group became lost while trying to locate tge launch area. When someone returned to ask for directions, Justin became upset, told us to take the kayaks out without him, ans said he was quitting. We did not feel safe kayaking without a guide and therefore did not participate. We contacted the company for a refund but we're told it could not be processed until the charge posted to our credit card. The experience was disorganized, unprofessional, and extremely disappointing. I would not recommend this company. read more

We had an amazing trip with Reid, Kyle and Aiden! Aiden was our docent telling us all about the history of Austin and its growth as well as the bats and their history and importance to the community. Definitely would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a spectacular night view of the city and the most amazing encounter with the bat colony! read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have to say I enjoyed the tour and our guide was a very pleasant and knowledgeable young man. However, it was hard to find the meet up place. I know there was some construction going on, but there was actually no real guidance as to where to find. In fact, it was a dirt trail beside a construction zone, and I was lucky to happen on it. When I got there, I found out that they had forgotten to bring paddles for the equipment and had to go back to their warehouse and get them. But that's OK, it wasn't very laid The equipment was old, beat up, and dirty. Now I know they may not be able to always offer brand new fancy equipment, but this stuff was disgusting. Even if it was old and beat up, it could've been cleaned. In general, looking around at some of the other facilities around, this one seemed really very poorly run and not worth the price. It's too bad, because I did enjoy it, and the guide was pleasant. read more

Cool experience. Paddle boarding to see the bats. The guides were cool. Gave info on not only the bats but also what to do in the area. read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Bat watching on Lady Bird Lake - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

Ok, so here's the thing, beautiful lake surrounded by super cool skyline, leisurely paddling, along in a super stable sit on top kayak. All while Connor you're young hip guide tells stories, history and well placed dry witted comedic relief. It was an absolute blast. We went out in the morning for a City tour and came back for a second trip in the evening to watch the bats emerge from the bat bridge. The bat tour is definitely the best way to go see the bats. It's a combination sunset cruise, Eco tour. Now stop what your doing and make an appointment to go get ya some. read more

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This Kayak place was awesome and great for your first time learning! You get to learn how to kayak before you do it, and it is super fun! The place we kayaked at was Lady Bird Lake. Our guide was JT and he was super nice! He taught us how to kayak and showed us all the cool things! On the way there, my arms got SUPER tired, so on the way back, he tied my kayak to his paddleboard, got in the kayak, and rowed me back while I sat on his paddleboard. He was the best, and I even took a picture with him. I recommend going to this place. If you do go, have fun! read more

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Great afternoon on the lake with Mitchell as our guide. Great way to stay cool on these hot Austin days. We even were lucky to be Mitchell's only 2 guests! We were here in August and were able to hear the bats under congress bridge. Recommend to others! Thank you for the amazing tour. read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Kayaking on Lady Bird! - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

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TJ Torres was a great tour guide. We had so much fun. He is very knowledgeable. The kayaks were great. I highly recommend the night tour to see the bars. read more

The tour guides were knowledgeable and friendly. The kayaks filthy and the life jackets were disgusting. But overall, we had fun.

My 2 friends and I enjoyed the sunset bat tour on Wednesday night. The email confirmation had a location for meet up that was easy to find and Christel, one of our guides, texted me to confirm if we wanted single or tandem kayaks. The usual truck driver was out, so getting the kayaks to the launch took a little longer than expected. We got on the water around 7pm. Our guides Christel and JP were hilarious and so knowledgeable. We paddled and stopped along our way to the bridge, learning about the architecture, wildlife and pop culture. As we waited for sunset, we relaxed by the bridge and learned all about the bats. Then, we watched them show off for us. The paddle back in the dark let us enjoy the city lights view too. Highly recommend! read more

This was one of the best kayak tours we've ever taken - And we've been taking tours for 15-20 years. Ryan was an exceptional guide and his knowledge of Austin history and architecture was unbelievable. Our additional guide, Reid, was affable and friendly as well. Lady Bird lake was nice to kayak on as there is not a strong current and the surroundings were gorgeous. We couldn't have asked for a better experience. read more

Carlo, Collin and I am blanking on the last name, but all guides were great! It was very relaxing being out on the water at sunset and watching the bats. They had good knowledge and recommendations of the city along with some fun humor. Would recommend them to anyone for a unique experience! read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We had so much fun on this tour. The guides, Rives and Maggie were so sweet and fun to talk to. They were knowledgeable and responsible in making sure that we all stayed together as a group. The bats did not disappoint! I would highly recommend this tour! read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

We were visiting from out of town and I had booked the 2 hour Kayak tour for our family ahead of time. We had an absolute blast. It was the first time for my boys on Kayaks and they did amazing. Our tour guide, Rives, was great and super knowledgable about the area. He was very friendly and made us all feel at ease. I would definitely recommend this tour. It was beautiful way to see the city! read more

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Kayaking towards Congress Avenue Bridge to check out the bats (aka bar tour). It's an easy process to reserve and rent kayaks. Just check out their website for the quick process. It's about $55 per person. I had such a fun time kayaking with my group for my sister's bachelorette trip. It's also quite a work out for the arms, too! We started the tour @ 7pm and finished around 9:30pm. Our kayak tour guides (Steve and Drew) were amazing, funny, and easy going on teaching us on how to kayak and lead the way around Lady Bird Lake. Steve even took pictures for us with his water-proof (not float-proof) smart phone during kayaking. So nice of him! Thank goodness it made it easier for me to not use my phone, (despite placing my phone in a water-proof bag so that I can take pics/videos). I can just focus on kayaking and enjoying the views. Haha...though my group did take a lot of pictures on their phone along the way, (especially groups selfies). During kayaking, we were able to check out a few hidden creeks and even some critters along the way (i.e. turtles, birds). For the bats, we had to wait for them to come out for awhile from under the bridge...like around 8-8:30pm and waited till around 9:15pm. They were pretty hard to see because of how dark it was at night. I was able to see a few bats flying from some light posts to the trees on the side of the bridge. Overall, whenever I visit Austin again, I would LOVE go kayaking again with Lone Star Kayak Tours. Towards the end of this tour, I felt like an expert kayaker*...or at least functional enough to know how to use a kayak. Lol! I would definitely recommend this for anyone who tends to love a more relaxed water activity and to sight-see around Austin to try this tour. read more

I booked a sunset bar tour for my boyfriend and I. Jeff, our guide, communicated with me the day of the tour to ensure we arrived on time and at the correct meet spot. Kayaking was so much fun! We got to learn more about the bats in Austin as well as information about the city. We will definitely be booking with Lone Star on our next trip to Austin! read more

Easy access to booking, waivers, and payment. Super friendly staff. Great location! Quick and easy entry to the lake with amazing views of the Austin skyline. Will definitely be back for some more fun. read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Spectacular View from the rental location. - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

Highly recommend this place for kayaking and paddle board. My family and I went there, we didn't have a reservation. Crystal and Mario greeted us with a big smile. They were so friendly and kind. They told us to go online to make the reservation. The reservation process was super quick, and easy. They helped us with our life vest jackets, and they got the kayak in place for us. They also conducted us to the water. The kayak experience was awesome, the equipment is in grey conditions. Highly recommend booking your next kayak adventure with them. read more

Not only was this spot convenient, but the price couldn't be beat! The people were more than friendly. The one gal even took my pic for me! Will definitely be back! read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Paddle boarding on Lady Bird Lake in Austin. - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

We booked the Skyline tour for our mother-daughter trip. Marshall was our tour guide and he was all you could hope for in a guide. He was patient with our slow start and gave us great tips for successfully paddling our kayaks - thanks so much! His knowledge of the skyline, Austin in general, music in your city, and bats was remarkable! It was a great experience and fun for us all! I highly recommend this tour and Marshall for your guide! read more

Did the Bat Tour with Cody and Dallon. Both very experienced with kayaks and also the city. We headed out around 6:30pm on the boat and had to wait till after 8pm for the bats to show up. We then paddled back in the dark, which I thought was scary and fun at the same time. They provide a clear phone case so you can hang it around your neck and also take pics without taking the phone out. You can also store belongings in the shack that they lock so your stuff will never get wet. Love it. Definitely go for it if you have time and/or want to watch the bats at a better angle than the bridge! read more

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No reservations required, quick check in process, great experience overall. My family and I was visiting from Denver and loved Kayaking the Lady Bird River. What a great view of downtown too! read more

What a great outdoor adventure. Not only did we kayak on the beautiful Lady Bird Lake (really a river) but the experience of seeing the 750k bats that came out at the bridge was certainly a site to behold, nature at its finest. Connor & JP were incredible guides and not only kept us safe but gave us a great history of Austin along the way. I highly recommend this tour!! read more

The kayaking tour was absolute , learned so many new facts , and tricks, if you didn't know how to paddle you definitely would learn during the tour. Rives was our tour guide and woah super awesome guy! Made the whole tour feel like a breeze. If you're new to Austin and don't know what to do, definitely do the tour, you'll learn new facts, swim the amazing lady bird lake and an even bonus you get to see bats fly from under the bridge. You can sign up for the bat tour which is super cool but we decide to do mid-day kayaking but seriously if you're thinking about it book with Rives. Best decision. From Dallas , Texas - To Austin Yeee-haaaw read more

We had a wonderful trip to see the bats. Carlo and his co-guide were very informative and thorough. Safety was a priority and we were very well taken care of. He also provided detailed history of the area and Austin. I can't recommend this tour enough and would do it again in a heartbeat! read more

We had an amazing time!! Travis made it an unforgettable experience.. he was very knowledgeable, good guide keeping the group together, had a very wide knowledge of Austin in general, not just the bats, very processional and entertaining! Definitely a five star experience! read more

Tim was the perfect tour guide for my skill level. He didn't make me feel goofy and had tons of amazing info about the surrounding area and Austin read more

Lone Star Kayak Tours - Sunset bat tour - Paddleboarding Near Me - Austin, Texas

Super easy to book, pay, and sign the waivers online. Great location along the boardwalk with gorgeous skyline views. Kind and helpful staff. Will be back! read more

Great girls working there, it was quick and easy to rent them. Beautiful views of the city from launch point. Lots of little turtles and birdwatching to be done. We had just enough time to go under two bridges and get back within an hour. I'd recommend two hours on a 70 degree morning or evening., and make sure you wave to other kayaks! read more

I went to cancel due to windy conditions. I only got a 50% refund loosing $200. This is theft.

Really?!? A year after you are going to try to follow up on my review with snark about a motorized adventure. Nothing wrong with my kayaking abilities. Guide or manager, you knew you were in the wrong...it's why the OWNER called me personally and even made YOU call to apologize. So nice try "manager." That's laughable in itself. Go troll someone else. read more

This was amazing, we were helped by the nicest people, the boards were very comfortable, easy to balance on, so it will be super easy to use if you are a beginner! read more

Very easy reservation process and they were very accommodating when we had to change the day and time of our reservation. Connor was a great host. read more

My girlfriend and I were looking for Stand-Up-Paddle boarding in Austin. After reading a few reviews and eventually choosing this one, it was worth the trip. The place was a bit hard to find and its on the side of a building under a tent but for what we wanted to do, we did not care. Connor was very polite, patient and helpful during the whole process. He explained the time for the paddling and how far it would take us to go the the bridge and back. He was very friendly so it was easy to feel comfortable when getting started. I definitely recommend this to other if they are interested in Stand up paddle boarding. When you go, ask or see if Connor is there, he will give you other places, food spots since he is a local which definitely improved our trip! read more

We had a great time! Super easy to book and a great location to see the city skyline from the water. Connor was really knowledgeable and gave us the history and recommendations in the city. read more

We had a fun tour and Carlo was a great guide!! It was cool getting to be in the middle of the city while on the water. Would recommend wearing a hat. read more

JT was seriously an amazing tour guide! He was knowledgeable about the history of the buildings along Lady Bird Lake and gave some fun facts about Austin too! Lovely evening kayaking experience! Highly recommend booking with Lone Star you won't be disappointed :) read more