Two beautiful lakes are a big part of greater Austin. Though it’s widely known as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin is also River City. Below Lake Travis and Mansfield Dam, Lake Austin runs southeast to Enfield Road and the Tom Miller Dam. There begins Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) which runs east thru downtown Austin.

Lake Austin is a power boat access lake and has 5 boat access restaurants. Lady Bird Lake offers some excellent vantage points for viewing the city from the water and is home to several great boat touring venues.

Popular boat tours are sightseeing, Bat watching tours, lunch and dinner cruises, sunset cruises, ACL and SXSW cruises. Here is our list of the best Austin Boat Tours.

Capital Cruises

Bar watching with Capital Cruises under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Photo: Will Taylor - lostinaustin.org
Bat watching with Capital Cruises under the Congress Avenue Bridge. Photo: Will Taylor – lostinaustin.org

Nestled on the shores of beautiful Town Lake Hyatt Regency Hotel , Capital Cruises is proud to offer lunch and dinner cruises, wedding events, internationally famous bat-watching excursions, party boat services, and the ultimate alternative for group and corporate outings.

Phone: (512) 480-9264
See Our Cruise Fleet: Here
Web Address : Capital Cruises

Related Links:
Austin Vacation Rentals
Best Austin Hostels


Lone Star Riverboat

Underway on Lake Autsin with Lone Star Riverboat Cruises.  Photo; Ryan Conine
Underway on Lake Austin with Lone Star Riverboat Cruises. Photo: Ryan Conine

Lone Star Riverboat Cruises offers public, narrated sightseeing cruises. Our sunset / bat watching cruises bear witness to the spectacular emergence of the world famous Mexican free-tailed bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge.

Join us aboard one of our all environmentally-friendly vessels. Experience the exhilaration of the outdoors, the abundant waterfowl, our ever changing city skyline and the natural beauty that is Austin. Come see the sights and learn about Austin or jazz up your next occasion and have a private party aboard The Lone Star, the largest electric powered paddle wheeler in the nation.

Phone: (512) 512-327-1388
See Our Tours & Book: Here
Web Address : Lone Star Riverboat Cruises

Related Links:
Best Austin Swimming Holes
Austin’s Best Festivals


Congress Avenue Kayak Tours

Congress Avenue Kayaks - Austin Kayak Rentals
Touring Town Lake with Congress Avenue Kayak Tours.

Congress Avenue Kayaks Tours on Lady Bird Lake is THE place for great paddling in Downtown Austin whether first-timers or veteran paddlers! We have plenty of boats, so there’s no need to reserve. Check out our guided kayak tour for guests from our two-person kayaks to see Austin’s spectacular colony of Mexican Freetail Bats emerge from under Congress Avenue Bridge. Find us just below the Four Seasons Hotel, on the trail.

Phone: (512) 809-8916
See Our Tours & Book: Here
Web Address : Congress Avenue Kayak Tours

Related Links:
Best Lake Austin Restaurants
Best Austin Honky Tonk Dance Bars


Live Love Paddle Tours

Live Love Paddle - Austin Kayak Tours
Waiting for the bats under the Congress Ave. bridge with Live Love Paddle – Austin Kayak Tours.

Welcome to Live Love Paddle. We specialize in Austin Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Tours to view the bats’ nightly departure. We also offer Austin kayak rentals and paddle board rentals on Lady Bird Lake, Urban Kayaking Tours of Downtown Austin, ACL Music Fest listening tours, Austin full moon kayak tours, Austin 4th of July Fireworks water tours, and corporate team building activities.

Phone: (512) 804-2122
See Our Tours & Book: Here
Web Address : Live Love Paddle Tours