Name: Capital Cruises
Telephone: (512) 480-9264

Capital Cruises on the shores of beautiful Lady Bird Lake offers sunset cruises, lunch & dinner cruises, wedding events, internationally famous bat-watching excursions, party boat services, and the ultimate alternative for group and corporate outings.

Capital Cruises’ internationally famous bat-watching excursion departs nightly approximately 30 minutes before sunset and lasts roughly one hour in length.

The Congress Avenue Bridge is the home of the largest urban bat colony in the world. Our cruises provide the best possible viewing for one of the most incredible wildlife spectacles in the world! Bat viewing is available on a public tour nightly March through mid-November. Or you can customize your own excursion with dinner, cocktails, and more.

Capital Cruises also offers a wide selection of rental boats. Our manually powered rentals include paddle boards, canoes, one-person and two-person kayaks, and swan pedal boats. Our motorized rentals are sporty electric launches and can accommodate groups of 10 or less.

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(512) 480-9264

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We went on a sunset cruise on a Friday evening in late January, a little chilly and no bats, but still a fun experience. Highlights: funny and knowledgeable boat captain (I hate that I forget her name, or else I’d compliment her here), BYOB, and only $10! I definitely recommend it. Relaxing little hour long cruise, you learn a lot, and see the sunset on lady bird lake.
Melaine G. , 5 years ago
I found this place after I saw someone in a swan boat on the lake from my hotel room window. It was a gorgeous day and I couldn’t think of a better Sunday afternoon activity. You get to walk along a bit of the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail before you make it to the Capital Cruises dock. You can’t really miss it since there’s a welcome tent set up, lots of colorful canoes and kayaks, as well as a barge and a donut boat that both display their name prominently.

When we got there no one was at the welcome tent and there wasn’t really any signage indicating if they were out to lunch or not. We stood around not knowing what to do until someone came out from one of the buildings on the dock. I had to sign a statement saying that I was going to bring back the swan boat in good condition, paid the fee, and we were off to the races.

The pedaling of the swan boat isn’t strenuous at all. You can pedal faster but it doesn’t actually make the swan go any faster. The lake has lots of water birds and we even saw a group of turtles sunning themselves on a rock! There’s a big park on the south side of the lake and you can people watch and see dogs running around by the off leash area. Sometimes the dogs dive off a dock there. We had one that was super curious about what this strange giant bird was!

The rate was pretty amazing considering it was only $15 for an entire hour for 2 people. I highly recommend this experience – it really is a unique way to enjoy the Austin skyline, to get some quick exercise in without fear of getting wet or sweaty, all while being outdoors.
Emily L. , 5 years ago
The Bat excursion cruise was delightful! Our tour guide Alex was really knowledgeable about Austin and really gracious! Our group didn’t see as many bats as we would have in the summer but we did get to hear them under the bridge and spotted a few! The egrets ended up giving us a great show instead! The tour was also a great price for 4 people to go! Definitely bring a jacket in the Fall & Winter months but beautiful tour!
Ashleigh B. , 5 years ago
Loved the Sightseeing tour. Our guide was great, very knowledgeable and charismatic. You get to see the whole downtown and become more informative about it as well. I definitely recommend it.
Alba O. , 5 years ago
We went on the 5oclock city tour with tyrell (Tyrone?) and he was just so informative about buildings along the lake and also very enthusiastic about giving us the opportunity to see the bats. We went mid November and so it wasn’t technically a bat tour, but due to good weather, we were totally able to post under the bridge and see the bats emerge. Overall, it was the best $10 spent for a relaxing hour on the lake and I definitely recommend this, as well as maybe bringing some beverages of choice to enjoy the sunset
Natasha O. , 5 years ago
Was on a business trip to sightsee the bats and look at the Austin cityscape. It was beautiful!
Holly A. , 6 years ago
What a great trip! We took the bat cruise on 10/27 and had booked without knowing it was nearing the end of the season. We were thrilled to see so many bats. Our captain did a great job positioning our boat perfectly for optimal viewing. My only regret is that I didn’t bring an adult beverage with me. Definitely a must do if you’re in Austin. You learn about the city and get a great view of the skyline and the bats!
Rebecca V. , 6 years ago
Great experience. Gabe was very knowledgeable about all sorts of things about the lake, the buildings, the bats, the birds and many other Austin things. We really enjoyed the cruise
Erica L. , 6 years ago
We took a great Bat Watching Tour with Captain Gabe. He was very informative and had a good sense of humor. There wasn’t one question about the bats he couldn’t answer. He positioned us for viewing very well and even though it was getting close to migration time we saw the bats streaming out from under the bridge in droves. It was pretty amazing!

BTW, I was very impressed that Capt. Gabe cared enough about the safety of young boys in a nearby boat to warn them to get back behind the railing to safety. Even though they were wearing life jackets, they were in danger of sliding off on to the deck below or into the water. Kudos to Gabe for his conscious caring.
Mei Wei W. , 6 years ago
Went on August 2, 2019. This was a fantastic way to see the bats especially if you have young children or elderly people in tow!

My friends who live in Austin have never done the boat tour and honestly weren’t fans of being on the bridge, or trying to camp out on the side of the bridge for a good view as they said it gets too crowded and you’d have to go early for prime location. Yup they were right. It’s a straight crowded party out there on both shores, both sides of the bridge and on the water.

Because this was my family’s first time in Austin and we both had young children with us, I thought being on boat would be the “easiest” way to see this amazing natural phenomenon and it definitely was. Seeing/hearing almost 2 million bats living and flying out from that bridge is amazeballs! Here’s my experience with this company:

1) Parking can happen right on the backside of the Marriot for $10. It’s literally right next to the pier where the boat launches. You could drive around and find free/cheaper parking but again for convenience, $10 gets you next to it. Plus we used the hotel’s restroom and Starbucks before hand!

2) The check in time and process on the dock was simple and easy. They had three different boats out there that we could choose from: 2-double deckers with an open air top, a regular smaller one. We choose the double decker with the open top. Tip: that stairwell going to the top deck is very steep so elderly and the young might have a hard time accessing it.
3) Our tour guide was great; he threw in as much history and information about the river and all the buildings/sites as we cruised around waiting for sundown. (Sundown is when the bat magic happens).

Being on the top deck of the boat allowed for unobstructed views of the bats in a fantastic location on the water. Everyone has a seat, but even with a full deck of people, there was plenty of space for patrons to get up and take pictures. The one caveat about being on that open deck is that you might get bat piss/poo on you (particularly when you travel under the bridge!).

Again, I totally reccommend this company/boat if you have elderly or very young children and want to get fantastic, unobstructed views of the bats in a comfortable, convenient and time efficient manner.
Elizabeth N. , 6 years ago
We had the best time watching the thousands of bats fly out at dusk. It was a magical experience to see it right under the bridge. I highly recommend this tour!
Tina B. , 6 years ago
We’ve lived in Austin almost a year without seeing the bats due to the wet fall and spring, but last Wednesday, we finally made it out to Capital Cruises for the 7:30 bat tour. It was sold out (as it seems to be most nights) and the line was a sight to be seen.

When it was our turn, they let us choose our boat, and we nabbed our plastic lawn chairs on a pontoon. They offered water for $2 as we boarded and gave everyone the chance to nab a beverage and use the restroom at the Hyatt if desired. Some folks brought pizza and a small cooler. Our captain – Georgia – was an Austin native and true bat lover made the tour memorable and fun. She was knowledgeable and personable.

We were so lucky to see so many bats and pups. It was amazing. My only warning is that you may feel a little bat poop but it felt like rain drops — just bring some hand sanitizer.
Rieale L. , 6 years ago
Had a great time, everyone was really nice and friendly. We did this tour at sunset, great view of the skyline of the city. Totally recommended
Jonnathan J. , 6 years ago
I had family town and they wanted to get on a boat and cruise around Town lake. We happened to
find seats with Capital cruises for their Father’s Day Brew B Cruise for 44 pp. It was def worth it! All you can eat and drink. Plus live music from Beat Bodega on the upper deck. Good pizza from VIA 313, love their edge crust! Uncle Billy’s canned cocktails over ice totally yum! Great service and friendly staff on board. I took home lots of wine from Gratsi!
Julie S. , 6 years ago
I did one of the bat watching tours with my parents when they were visiting for a long weekend and we had a great time with Capt Raynard (this may or may not be how you spell his name).

We left with plenty of sunlight still so he took us down the river and told us about the various downtown buildings. We even caught the sunset. At the end, we made it by the Congress St bridge where we saw the bats fly out. We had the best view of the bats from our boat!

The docks are behind the Hyatt Downtown hotel. The hotel has parking, and you just walk around to the back.

I have some friends visiting next month and will definitely do the tour with them again!
Gergana S. , 6 years ago
I read that Austin was known for its abundance of bats and figured it was best to try to catch a bat tour while the weather was nice when I was in town.

I somehow got a ticket last minute (basically ordered 2 days in advance). For $12, it’s a solid value.

The tour itself was about an hour. The boat fit about 20 people and everyone seemed to have a fun time. The tour guide himself (I forget his name, but whoever works on Tuesday) was really awesome. His jokes were hilarious. Made the trip even better.

We also saw a ton of bats too, so that made it even better. Do it while you’re there! I know people can just wait on the bridge or near the front or back of the bridge to wait for the bats to fly, but I think it’s a much better experience on the boat.
Vivek D. , 6 years ago
I LOVED my experience here!

My friend and I rented paddle boards and the rental process was very easy and straight forward.

They have small lockers you can rent for $2 to keep your keys, phone or other items in. One of the girls working was nice enough to take some pictures for us before putting my phone in the locker.

It was a beautiful and windy day on the lake and the views couldn’t have been more beautiful!
Bridget K. , 7 years ago
My 6-year-old son and I went on the bat tour and had a wonderful time! This tour is in the evening, so you get to see Lady Bird Lake and the Austin skyline during sunset which is absolutely gorgeous. Our tour guide Beck was knowledgeable and funny, making the ride both educational and funny.

One thing I wish I knew beforehand is that you are able to bring your own food and drinks on the boat.
Erika J. , 9 years ago
Georgia was our guide and she was wonderful. So knowledgable and enthusiastic. We loved it! She’s also very considerate to the bats, unlike some of the other boat tours out there who flash lights at the bats before they’re ready.
Jessie D. , 9 years ago
Bruce and Ryan were our tour guides and boy were they funny. The tour itself was awesome, laid back, and the vibes were great for both adults and kids. The beautiful lady I brought with me had a good time and it was nice enjoying a few Independence Brewery beers that we brought.

We both live in Austin and learned a good bit about the city, so I would recommend to locals who haven’t had a chance to hop on their boats. Overall, this tour is one for the books. Thanks again Capital Cruises and especially Bruce and Ryan!!
Derek O. , 9 years ago

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