Kayak & canoe · AUSTIN KAYAKING TOURS

15 Austin Kayaking Tours Worth Booking

24 tours  ·  from $15 a head

This is the shortlist you would send a paddling friend: 15 austin kayaking tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.

Congress Avenue Bat Bridge Kayak Tour in Austin - Starting at East Avenue and getting on the lake
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Congress Avenue Bat Bridge Kayak Tour in Austin

1.Congress Avenue Bat Bridge Kayak Tour in Austin

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 245 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $50Our pick

Join Lone Star Kayak Tours for a roughly two-hour evening paddle on Lady Bird Lake. You’ll receive a short safety lesson, then kayak toward Congress Avenue Bridge to watch Austin’s Mexican free-tailed bats leave for the night. Guides such as Henry, Aidan, Nico, and Sam add bat facts, city history, and plenty of humor. No kayaking experience is required.

“Suggestion...talk about residential district next to waterline building so the tour is closer to the bat Bridge and better viewing of residential district as a whole”

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Austin: Sunset Bat Watching Kayak Tour - Meeting at Austin Rowing Club
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Austin: Sunset Bat Watching Kayak Tour

2.Sunset Bat Watching Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 227 reviews · from $45

Meet your English-speaking guide at Austin Rowing Club for a two-hour sunset kayak trip on Lady Bird Lake. After a short paddling lesson, you’ll cruise toward Congress Avenue Bridge for skyline views and the bat emergence. Guides such as Holden, Sam, and Dalton are praised for clear instruction, local stories, and friendly conversation.

“Holden was an amazing guide, so informative and also great to chat to. The kayak was a beautiful trip at sunset and the bat flight was amazing! We were in the best spot to watch them too. Would definitely recommend!”

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Downtown Austin Sunset Kayak Tour with 1.5 Million Bats - From 5 East Avenue to the Congress Avenue Bridge
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Downtown Austin Sunset Kayak Tour with 1.5 Million Bats

3.Downtown Austin Sunset Kayak Tour with 1.5 Million Bats

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 186 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59Top rated

Paddle from 5 East Avenue along Lady Bird Lake toward Congress Avenue Bridge as Austin’s skyline changes from sunset to city lights. Guides such as Chris, Ross, Aaron, and Channing have helped first-time paddlers, shared bat history, and taken photos. Kayaks, paddles, life jackets, and lights are provided, though extra visibility lights and a change of clothes are smart additions.

“Such a unique experience! Our guide was very knowledgable and was prepared with red light to see the bats in the dark. Would recommend adding lights to the kayaks as they can be hard to see by other boaters in the night.”

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Crystal Kayak Glow Tour - Why the San Marcos River makes a good setting
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Crystal Kayak Glow Tour

4.Crystal Kayak Glow Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 172 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)

Meet at City Park in San Marcos at 9:45 pm for a 75 to 90-minute Crystal Kayak Glow Tour on the spring-fed San Marcos River. Guides including Ben and Matt lead groups of up to 12, with an easy downstream glide and a more active paddle back. Weight limits apply.

“This was a very last minute booked tour. Went seamless! Our guide Ben was fantastic! Awesome date night.”

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Clear Kayak Sunset Glow Tour - Timing, parking, and what to bring
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Clear Kayak Sunset Glow Tour

5.Clear Kayak Sunset Glow Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 171 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.) · from $65

Meet your guide at City Park in San Marcos for a 75-minute sunset paddle in a clear tandem kayak. Guides such as Journey, Trey, Kaya, Max, and Jake point out fish, turtles, bats, raccoons, and sometimes beavers or otters. Glow lights reveal the spring-fed riverbed, and you may swim in the clear water before returning to the launch point.

“It was a real fun experience! The water was so clear and it was cool to be able to see the fish and plant life beneath you.”

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Guided Sunset Bat Kayak Tour in Austin - Setting out from 74 Trinity Street
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Guided Sunset Bat Kayak Tour in Austin

6.Guided Sunset Bat Kayak Tour in Austin

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 135 reviews · from $55

You’ll paddle Lady Bird Lake at sunset with Austin Rowing Club, heading toward Congress Avenue Bridge as Mexican free-tailed bats emerge. Guides such as Quinn, Scott, Harry, Sam, and Ethan share stories about Austin, the skyline, and the bats. Kayaks and paddles are provided, and the roughly two-hour trip returns to 74 Trinity St.

“It is so much fun to go out onto the river, and to paddle up and down. However, it seems to me that to go in mid October, may be a little to late to see the bats, as if they were to be seen earlier in the season. The tour guide was really good though, knew lots of facts about bats and the general area.”

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Austin: Single or Double Kayak Rental - From Waller Creek Boathouse to the open lake
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Austin: Single or Double Kayak Rental

7.Single or Double Kayak Rental

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 79 reviews · from $32

Rent a single or double kayak for two hours at Waller Creek Boathouse and explore Lady Bird Lake without a guide. Paddle toward Congress Avenue Bridge, Barton Springs, or simply enjoy Austin’s skyline and wildlife. Equipment and life jackets are included, while a driver’s license per kayak and a signed waiver are required.

“Such an exciting way to explore the city!! Everyone was friendly and helpful!”

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Austin Skyline Kayak Tour - Austin City Hall and the downtown skyline
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Austin Skyline Kayak Tour

8.Austin Skyline Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 78 reviews · from $50

Spend about two hours kayaking Lady Bird Lake with a professional guide and a maximum of 12 people. You’ll pass Austin City Hall, the public library, Google buildings, hotels, artwork, ducks, birds, turtles, and the bat bridge while learning about the city and lake. Guides include Austin, Niko, JT, Marshall, Reid, and Andrew.

“Perfect day to be on the lake. Our guide Marshall was knowledgeable and fun. Everyone had a great time.”

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Downtown Austin Giant Paddleboard Sunset Tour with Bats - Meeting at 5 East Avenue and getting onto Lady Bird Lake
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Downtown Austin Giant Paddleboard Sunset Tour with Bats

9.Downtown Austin Giant Paddleboard Sunset Tour with Bats

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59

Join Boats and Bats for a private 2.5-hour sunset outing on Lady Bird Lake. You’ll share a huge, stable 15-by-4.5-foot paddleboard with up to five companions, watch Austin’s bats leave Congress Avenue Bridge, then paddle back under the downtown glow. Guide Ross is among the guides who share bat facts and local tips.

“The guides were helpful, knowledgeable, and fun. Lady Bird lake is beautiful and paddling at night with a view of downtown created a beautiful fun memory with my daughter.”

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Evening Bat Watching Kayak Tour - Paddling toward Congress Avenue Bridge at sunset
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Evening Bat Watching Kayak Tour

10.Evening Bat Watching Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 50 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours (approx.) · from $49

Join guides such as John and Dave for a 2.5 to 3-hour evening kayak trip from Live Love Paddle to Congress Avenue Bridge. Paddle across Lady Bird Lake at sunset, watch Austin’s famous bat colony leave the bridge, then return beneath the lit downtown skyline. Kayaks, paddles, life-jackets, water, and lockers are included.

“Beautiful evening on Lady Bird. It was our first time kayaking but John was a great guide. John knew so much about Austin and especially the bats. Seeing millions of bats fly out from the bridge from under them was amazing. This is a must do.”

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Kayak or Paddle Board Sunset Bat Tour - Paddling toward South Congress Avenue
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Kayak or Paddle Board Sunset Bat Tour

11.Kayak or Paddle Board Sunset Bat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 37 reviews · from $0

Meet at Lady Bird Lake Rentals & Tours for a roughly two-hour evening paddle by kayak or stand-up paddleboard. Your guide leads you toward South Congress Bridge, shares facts about Austin and the local environment, and positions the group for the bats’ dusk flight. Kayak, board, paddle, and life jacket are included.

“Our guides were awesome and helped us navigate the river the entire time. They told us facts about Austin and Lady Bird river. They led us to a great spot to view the bats. It was an overall great experience.”

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Congress Bridge Kayaking Bat Tour - What the two-hour itinerary is really like
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Congress Bridge Kayaking Bat Tour

12.Congress Bridge Kayaking Bat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 26 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $54

Paddle Lady Bird Lake from 7 East Avenue at 7:30 pm with a guide from Longhorn Kayak Tours. You’ll learn about Austin, local wildlife, and Congress Avenue Bridge’s 1 to 1.5 million bats while using provided kayaks, paddles, and safety gear. The two-hour outing returns to its starting point.

“Such a relaxing and enjoyable experience. The bats were neat to see and our guide was very knowledgeable.”

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Austin: Downtown Skyline Kayaking Tour - Getting started near the kayak rental desk
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Austin: Downtown Skyline Kayaking Tour

13.Downtown Skyline Kayaking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 24 reviews · 2 hours · from $50

Join Austin Rowing Club for a two-hour guided kayak trip from Lady Bird Lake toward Barton Springs. Ethan has led memorable outings with skyline views, easy paddling, photos, and time for a swim. Your $50 includes the kayak, paddle, life vest, instruction, guide, and bottled water.

“We had a great tour with Ethan. We ended up being the only ones on the tour. Ethan shared a lot of knowledget about Austin with us. We went for a nice swim, easy kayaking and he took photos for us. Overall a great tour and unique way to see Austin!”

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Austin Texas Night Clear Kayaking Glow Tour - Paddling toward the Sandbar
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Austin Texas Night Clear Kayaking Glow Tour

14.Austin Texas Night Clear Kayaking Glow Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 23 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $75

Meet Get Up and Go Kayaking ATX at 30 East Ave for an approximately one-hour night paddle on Lady Bird Lake. You’ll use a tandem clear kayak lit from below, follow a guide toward the Sandbar, and watch for bats, fish, and Austin’s skyline. Guides such as Patrick, Nelly, and Suvana have helped beginners feel at ease.

“Perfect night, beautiful scene, awesome tour! Would definitely recommend and do this again! Nelly was great!”

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2 Hour Kayak Lessons On Lady Bird Lake - A short lesson before you paddle
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2 Hour Kayak Lessons On Lady Bird Lake

15.2 Hour Kayak Lessons On Lady Bird Lake

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 18 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $30

Meet Longhorn Kayak Tours at 7 East Ave for a short kayak lesson, safety instructions, and route advice before paddling Lady Bird Lake for about two hours. You can head toward the Austin skyline, look for wildlife, or paddle toward the Congress Avenue bat bridge. Kayak, paddle, and life jacket are included.

“Fun, exciting and you will get a little wet. Shawn was very friendly and I definitely recommend trying”

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New in Austin Kayaking Tours

★ 5.0Sunset Skyline Kayak Tour7 reviews
★ 5.0Clear Kayak Day Adventure Tour in San MarcosFrom $658 reviews
★ 4.6Downtown Sunset Tandem Kayak with 1.5M BatsFrom $547 reviews

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