This was one of my favorite experiences in Austin. 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! read more

Price was reasonable and this was a nice boat ride to do the bat tour. 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. read more

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

Amazing tour -- appreciated the architecture insights alongside all the information about Austin and of course the bats! It was like many tours in one and we would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Austin. We saw so many bat and learned a lot on this tour. Also great that the captain took the time to answer our questions. He was a wealth of knowledge -- Thanks Captain Robert! They drive slow enough that this tour should be fine even for those who get motion sickness. If you are weary of bat droppings, be sure to wear a hat and some glasses and/or bring a light towel or long sleeved clothing to cover your arms/legs. Would do this tour again if ever we visited again. Also, their tours are very affordable. read more

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

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Highly recommend Lone Star Riverboat to view the bats at sunset! It's easy, inexpensive and informative!

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

This was a great tour! We booked the event for the bat tour but as an added bonus, we learned quite a bit about the buildings and their history. The tour guide was great and very funny! We were also fortunate to see a lot of bats coming from under the bridge. The guide told us the history of the bats and why and how they are now under the bridge. Highly recommend. Such a value for the price. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - "Owl" Building - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

So glad we booked this bat tour for our first night in Austin. Very reasonably priced at $15, byob on board, and Captain Toby was great! Sadly, we didn't see the exodus en masse of all the bats, but Captain Toby kept us out a bit later to try to see more and we did get to see a few clusters of bats checking things out. It was a nice tour around the lake with some interesting Austin tidbits that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. Great weather and beautiful sunset. Would recommend! read more

Very fun experience even though we didn't see many bats on our tour. $15 is such a deal and captain Tony was great. Also don't forget to bring your own drinks, adult beverages were our choice for the night. read more

Great experience! Super helpful staff and engaging tour. Amazed by the amount of bats that we saw and the evening Austin skyline was incredible! read more

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

I finally did the LoneStar Riverboat tour on Lady Bird Lake, and I can't believe it took me this long as a local! Watching the bats emerge at sunset was an awesome experience, and honestly, the boat ride itself is worth it just for the views of Austin at that time of day. The sunset was spectacular. The whole experience feels relaxed and welcoming, and the staff makes it easy and enjoyable. The price is very reasonable, especially for such a unique perspective on the city. A great bonus is that you can bring your own drinks, which I'd definitely recommend to make the evening even more fun. Whether you're visiting Austin or you live here and just haven't gotten around to it, this is one of those "must-do" experiences. read more

Toby, our tour guide was awesome. His knowledge of historical facts about the area, his wisdom of bats, and his sense of humor made our cruise a wonderful experience. It was a welcome surprise that we were able to bring our own drinks on board. I would definitely recommend Lone Star. read more

We had a good time. The "trip" is not long nor does it go far, but you get a great view of the city and we definitely saw the bats well. Our tour guide was a young lady and she did a great job of telling us about the buildings, the lake, and the bats. One thing I was not thrilled with, my friend fell while boarding because the ramp slid off the boat. We thought she would fall into the lake but she didn't. The lady from this business told us that they knew the ramp was "doing that" and they pushed it to the side. Well if you k ew that... Anyway, we enjoyed the evening and she was fine so. Ok. read more

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For $12 per person you really can't beat the price for this tour. You get a little tour of the Austin skyline at sunset which is pretty neat and then continue waiting until the bats decide they want to come out. I must say, it wasn't the experience we thought we were going to have with the bats. From photos we have seen, we thought they would come out as a group and fly away, however, they stay super close to the bridge and you can only see them when the captain shines a red light on them. I looked up the price for the kayaks and they paid about $60 a person, so I would choose this tour any day for the price. read more

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

A truly amazing experience! Our guide was funny, entertaining & knowledgeable. The bat girls were sooo entertaining! Never seen so many all at once. They did their aerial "dance" for us and definitely earned their reputation!!! I'd definitely go again! read more

We decided to do the sunset/bat tour and so glad we did. Their prices were very reasonable and the narration was well done. One of the highlights of our trip. My only (minor) complaint was that the seating leaves something to be desired (I've back problems), they use those cheap stackable plastic chairs you get at Target etc. read more

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

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Beautiful Austin day for a boat ride. The 2 guys leading the tour and driving the boat were friendly and professional. 1 hour boat ride and you get to board 45 minutes before departure to enjoy being on Town Lake. There is Soda and water available for purchase. You can bring your own beverage of choice. There is a restroom on board. Whether you live in Austin or visiting you will learn something new. I highly recommend. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Austin ever changing skyline October 2025 - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

Had such a good time!! Our captain was fantastic and had us laughing. She gave us a lot of great information about downtown Austin. Loved her music choices- Stevie Ray and George Strait. Definitely recommend this. It is such a great value and experience. read more

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

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My experience was very mediocre. Let's start with the information provided prior to our scheduled tour. I was happy that they gave several parking options, however, as tourists from out of town we did not know the lay of the land. The first and free option was to park at Vic Mathias Shores. I didn't review the map fully, as they suggested, so it was my own fault that we parked at the complete opposite side of the park requiring us to walk 15 minutes to the dock. (Just a warning to others NOT to do this.) We made it to the dock with time to spare and check-in was seamless. All we had to do was give our names. There were 4 boats to choose from: one double-decker with tables and chairs, two medium-sized boats with just chairs and one smaller boat with just chairs. We chose one of the mid-sized boats, but later wished that we'd chosen the double-decker because of the tables. You are allowed to bring drinks onboard, but the seating was very cramped. It would have been nice to have a table. Some of the staff were loud and rowdy prior to departure. I listened as they made snide remarks about the customers not listening and not signing the waiver, as instructed. When we checked in, we were told to choose a boat and find a seat. I first heard mention of the waiver AFTER we had already boarded and gotten ourselves comfortable. We did not make any extra effort to get off and sign the waiver, so if that is important to them, they might want to streamline that process to ensure they get all of the required signatures. The captain of the double-decker boat gave a safety speech, but it sounded like he was speaking to just the passengers of his boat. I listened but expected our captain to give a speech too. He did not. I have no clue where our life vests were, but we were told that the water was fairly shallow, and we could probably stand and walk out of the lake in an emergency situation. The boat ride itself was peaceful, leisurely and informative. AND due to the presence of the bat colony, there were little to no insects bothering us while on the water. The biggest disappointment came when the bats didn't emerge within the allotted timeframe and our captain took a vote asking who wanted to stay out longer or return to the dock. I'm almost certain that those seated in front of me did not even hear what he said. I think HE was ready to go home! We saw very few "scout" bats. They come out to check the scenery before letting the colony know that it is safe to emerge. We did not make it to that point because our captain took us back to the dock. If I were to do this again, I would rent a kayak or duck boat and take it out ourselves so that we're in control of when we go in or give up for the night, but for $14 per person, this wasn't too bad. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - 4 boat options to choose from on a first come first serve basis. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

So much value for the price point! I've done several boat tours all over the country, and I was impressed how knowledgeable and upbeat our tour leader Maverick Staub was. For my husband and I, admission was less than $30 for the bat watching sunset boat ride. For me the tour leader's knowledge and enthusiasm with leading the tour was well worth it. No restroom on the boat just seats for views and that's it, but it went a little over an hour. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - View from the tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

Overall: 7/10 Guide: 10/10 Boat: 5/10 Value: 7/10 Fun to be out on the water and seeing the city skyline. We did the Congress Bridge Bat Tour which I highly recommend is the best way to see the bats. From that standpoint it was amazing. We got a "good" bat night which was fun to watch. The guide was playful, knowledgeable and a joy overall. The boats are fine, they're just very used and nothing special. The boat didn't sink so that's really all we can come to expect I suppose. The bat tour is great, highly recommend. read more

I did this boat tour with two friends who live in Austin last May. Unfortunately this night the bats did not fly as anticipated which was disappointing but not at all the fault of the tour company! We can't control nature. Fortunately, the guides did a great job of keeping us informed and entertained while we waited to see the bats. Overall it was a good time and I can't knock any stars off for what the company can't control. read more

We had a great time it was a beautiful night and Reagan was a great tour director. I will ask for her when I do the tour again with my boyfriend in June read more

It was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot from the tour guide Captain crunch. The weather was great. It was a peaceful & beautiful experience. 1hour ride for a wonderful price. read more

Venue opened on time. Bathrooms were available on site. Bring your own beverage is true. There is no food or drink for sale. (But, if you forgot, there was a vendor in the park selling water for two dollars.) Pontoon boat chairs were clean. The crew was friendly, engaged with the passengers, and entertaining. They are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their city! The bats were the best part of the experience. Our captain had a lot of interesting information about them. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience! Highly recommend! read more

Unfortunately it rained on and off during the whole event. However, what we were able to see and do was enjoyable. We had the option to get a refund or a rain check but we chose to stay. read more

Great crew, very funny and entertaining. Everyone is very friendly. The bats are amazing!! Would recommend to anyone visiting Austin or locals who have never been. Great time for the whole family!! read more

Excellent tour 100% recomendent it's a nice trip in the river, the architecture frim donw tonw everything was good

Directions on the website were clear and accurate. Reservations were super easy to make. Prices were super reasonable. The tour guide was personable, informative, funny and smart. We saw lots of bats! I've lived in Austin for 7 years and this was my first time on the boat. Much better than going to watch from the bridge. read more

Great experience! Tour started on time the tour guide was very funny as she explained Austin skyscrapers read more

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

Natalie was our tour guide, with good humor, she shared her knowledge about lady Bird Lake, the buildings Surrounding the area, and the bats under congress bridge. And we listened to Stevie ray vaughan on our way back to the dock. It was a fun experience. read more

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While planning my trip and short stay in Austin, I began searching for activities and experiences. I came across Lone Star Riverboat. This company provides scenic river tours in the daytime and a moonlight cruise (on Fridays only). They also offer a sunset cruise to see the famous Mexican Free-Tailed Bats of Austin. Annually, approximately 750,000 pregnant mothers migrate to Austin and roost under the Congress Ave. Bridge until they give birth then return to Mexico for the winter. Each night, these bats can be seen leaving the bridge for the night to feed. Those interested in watching this activity can do so on or off water. I chose to book a trip with Lone Star Riverboat. We had an entertaining Captain who provided information about the City of Austin and some of it's architectural buildings but also was very informative about the bats. He kept us entertained with occasional quips and jokes during the tour. He placed the boat in an ideal location for us to witness the bats as they left to fly out for the night to feed. This was a super cool experience and witnessing this phenomenon from the water is the best way to do it. Thank you Captain Han Solo and Lone Star Riverboat for the wonderful and memorable experience! read more

We enjoyed our excursion here. We had not seen Austin's famous bat colony before, and this is a nice way to do it. It's BYOB if your want to bring a beer cooler. But it's a family friendly event, not a party boat, so keep that in mind, too. They made bottled water, Sprite and Coke available for $3 each. They start boarding 45 minutes before they depart. Show up early to sit together if you're a larger party. We spent two hours on the boat, in total, as we arrived just as they opened the doors to start boarding (we were in the boat from 7:30 to 9:30 but on the actual tour from 8:20 to 9:20). You sit in a plastic chair on the deck. We weren't pooped on, but that can happen, so be prepared for that. Maybe bring wet wipes just in case? But it didn't seem to be a problem for anyone on our trip. Bats are not 100% predictable. They don't do the exact same thing at the exact same time every evening. They're small and you won't see them up close. But there were 750,000 of them there when we visited and they definitely started swarming. Pretty cool. The video I took came out pretty good but I didn't get a good photograph of the bats. I tried, but the 2.5x optical zoom in my iPhone wasn't quite enough for a photo but somehow did pretty well in the video. The reason is (and you can probably configure this), shutter speed slows when it's darker, and with a longer exposure, you won't capture anything that's moving. The boat captain is entertaining and informative, and you'll learn a few things about Austin, which we enjoyed. The pictures I took that came out well were of the Austin skyline. You may not feel a need to do this again after you've done it once. But it's not a bad way to spend a couple of hours and the price is right :-) read more

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Really fun and educational. Learned so much about bats and Austin. Felt like a tourist in my town. Beautiful sunset. Highly recommend. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Sunset on boat cruise near the bats. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

We stayed at Austin and made it a priority to see the bats on our last night here. We decided to book the cruise to view them from the water and I am so glad we did. It was about 15 bucks each and we got to bring our own drinks and snacks. Our captain zipped us up and down the lake to point out some landmarks. Then posted it up underneath the bridge at the best site. She came equipped with red lights to light up the underside of the bridge without disturbing the bat's behavior. She had tons of color commentary and cheesy jokes. I would definitely recommend this short trip for anyone who wants to see the bats up close. read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Congress St. Bridge bats. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had an absolute blast with this little tour. We got up close and personal to get a good view of the bats. Our captain was humorous and knowledgeable. He really made the trip interesting and fun. This was worth every penny!! read more

Lone Star Riverboat - Austin skyline at dusk. Our captain knew all the good angles to get great photos. - Boat Charters Near Me - Austin, Texas

Our tour guide was awesome. She was joking with us and very nice to the kids. I don't use the Venmo app or carry cash, it would be nice if they took tips with other apps as well. I hate I didn't get to leave them a tip because they deserved it. Both captain and she were great. read more

Good city information. If you can get past the bad jokes. Hahaha. Good family or date night activity

If you are in Austin and plan on seeing the bats, I highly recommend you take this bat boat tour with Lone star riverboat. We got a lovely tour on the river of many of the buildings in downtown Austin and then had a great viewing area to watch the bats as they departed the bridge and went out to feed for the night. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable at quite the comedian. It was definitely worth the time to do the boat tour instead of sitting on the shore. read more

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Went out on New Year's Eve had a great time met some good ppl and the food was surprisingly good !

The staff was friendly and very knowledgeable. Reagan was our guide and she was funny and entertaining. The boat ride is nice and slow, making it very relaxing. Seeing the bats fly out was exciting. We were able to be center stage for the bats flying out and for the price (very reasonable & cheap) it's definitely worth it! We'll be doing this again next time we're in Austin! read more

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