Guided Sunset Bat Kayak Tour in Austin

Recommended by 93% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Austin, USA

High interest

Booked 3 times today.

2 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7

· Stephanie_K ·

May 2026

We had a great tour to see the bats. Holden, our tour guide, was super nice and informative. The bats were so cool! We were originally due to go on the tour on a Thursday, but a storm came through. They had no problem allowing us to reschedule to the next night or cancelling. They are all so nice!

· Martine_U ·

Aug 2026

It was one of the most unique experience! I had so much fun! Our tour guide was great. I’d highly recommend!

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Overview

Many of the bat tours that set out on Lady Bird Lake in Austin are filled with so many people, it can be hard to see where your guide is leading you, but not with this Austin Bats Sunset Small-Group Kayak Tour. This tour sets out at sunset with just 12 for a more intimate experience. Take in views from your kayak of the Mexican free-tailed bats as they fly above Congress Avenue Bridge.

See the bats fly above Congress Avenue Bridge Bat in Austin
This kayak tour takes place at the best time to see the bats—at sunset
A small-group experience limited to 12 makes for an intimate tour
A kayak and paddle are provided for you for an easy day on the lake

What's Included

Paddle
Kayak
Guide
Water

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

74 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78701, USA
We are located at the Waller Creek Boathouse. We will meet downstairs near the kayak paddles.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Watching

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail (Pass By)

Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Infants must sit on laps
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.7

based on 248 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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10/10 worth the experience! 🦇

Candy_A, Aug 2026

It was definitely a wonderful experience! Our tour guide (I’m sorry I can’t remember her name but it started with an “L”) was the BEST!! She had an amazing vibe and gave us really great intel about the city and its architecture! It was definitely an activity you do not want to miss here in Austin! Especially if you want to do something special or spontaneous it’s the perfect activity! We will definitely try it again whenever we have another trip back in Austin!

Now that is ALOT of Bats!

Donna_D, Aug 2026

Great time! Walked up, signed waiver, and hopped in Kayak within 10 minutes after a quick how to and safety chat! Ethan was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about area. We kayaked down past bridge to discuss area and then came back just as bats started coming out. SUPER COOL! I wanted to do something different and this fit the bill. Sunset on the water was beautiful and watching the bats come out was amazing.

Highly Recommend

Martine_U, Aug 2026

It was one of the most unique experience! I had so much fun! Our tour guide was great. I’d highly recommend!

A lot of fun! Our guides...

Dianna_C, Aug 2026

A lot of fun! Our guides name was Bo and he was Outstanding! Very cool watching the bats come out as the sun started to set.

Missed the bats coming out

Samantha_S, Aug 2026

It was fun and cool to kayak around and learn info about austin and the bats. The tour guide was really nice and informative The one down side is we were late to seeing the bats come out, which was the reason for doing to tour and we missed the coolest part and im disappointed about that. I know you never know exactly when the bats come out but we should have been there waiting when the sun set. We still saw a lot of bats coming out but it was already dark by the time we were fully underneath all of the action. Would have been night at the start when there was still a little bit of light. Im actually really really disappointed. They should have given us some sort of future discount or a slight refund for missing what we payed to come and see but they didnt do anything about it.

From start to finish, the...

Melaina_M, Aug 2026

From start to finish, the tour was entertaining and professional. We learned so much from Katie. She did an amazing job.😀

Great August Bat Tour

Emily_R, Aug 2026

Great kayaking experience—perfect for beginners. Going in early August meant we got to see tons of bats since it was right after birthing season. Ethan was a great guide! It was a fun way to see the city and learn a bit about it while waiting for the bats to take off. As others mentioned, our group did wind up being larger than 12–probably close to double that—which was fine, but is different than the listing.

It was disappointing...

LaTisha_S, Jul 2026

It was disappointing because The Tour was cancelled and we did not get the experience. Then we were told that it could take 10 days for a refund.

This was canceled on us...

Amanda_V, Jul 2026

This was canceled on us and we did not get any notice and I have emailed everyone to try to get a refund and I am very upset that I was unaware of this cancellation and I cannot get in touch with anyone for a refund OR to reschedule

Communication and Notice Needed

Teresa_G, Jul 2026

Our tour was canceled due to the opening of the dam up river, which is understandable, so I can’t really comment on the tour my grandsons and I had been waiting to do during their yearly visit. The reason I gave a poor rating is because the Rowing company didn’t notify us until a couple of hours before our scheduled tour even though the opening of the dam happened at least 24 hours before. They should have anticipated the lake closure the day before, not after we drove all the way to Austin, paid for parking, and were severely disappointed by an email. Please text or call next time! Please consider closures as expected every time dams are opened. Better communication is needed. I fault the Rowing company, not Viator, for this issue.

Great time!

Marni_F, Jul 2026

I was fun, informative and fantastic to be on the lake! Ethan is a great host and I plan to do this again!

Equipment and guide we're...

Roger_L, Jun 2026

Equipment and guide we're great! The group was much larger than the 12 max advertised, which made the paddle slow and disjointed with a lot of floating time. We did see bats, but found out that this is a slower time of year as they are birthing and less active. Sounds like it's more active after the babies are born. Overall very well organized and a lot of fun.

It was an awesome tour...

Leigh_C, Jun 2026

It was an awesome tour and a fun experience! Our teenager enjoyed and we did as well. Remember to take off your sunglasses, though!

Sunset kayak

Christina_S, Jun 2026

Our guides Katie and Lauren were so calm and knowledgeable. It was easy, fun and such a grear way to see the skyline. The bats were fun to see as well.

Nice Paddle

David_S, Jun 2026

On this night the bats were not as prolific as I had hoped. Perhaps I was mislead by photos of swarms of bats flying against a dusky sky. That said, we saw many bats especially in the red lights tour guides used to illuminate them. The paddle on Lady bird lake was very nice. Guides did a nice job. I recommend this tour but caution paddlers not to expect swarms of bats emerging at one time. Their emergence occurs over about 30 minutes. Overall a very nice experience.

South Congress Bat Bridge Tour

Alyssia_D, Jun 2026

The tour was a slow and steady pace which was perfect for an evening kayak tour. We were able to see some natural wildlife and got a lot of information from our tour guide. The bat viewing was a cherry on top to end the tour.

Take the Tour!

Yarrow_A, Jun 2026

Holden was amazing. He was full of knowledge and def a people person. Being out on the water at nighttime was an awesome experience. Do it!

Misleading description

Marta_L, May 2026

So the experience was wonderful. Holden was a phenomenal guide, very interesting story and both the baths & the skyline were breathtaking. But the entire description about how the tour is small and intimate and max of 12 people is just plain wrong. Our group was 30! Someone asked the guide how many he normally has, and he said „15 to 25”. So please update the description to actually be truthful.

The Kayak tour was...

Kelly_G, May 2026

The Kayak tour was amazing and we had a great guide. The only negative is that the tour company has no bathroom so you have to use the public bathroom which was gross and unsanitary The company should provide its guests a better bathroom

Fun experience with a great guids

Victoria_D, May 2026

Really good - you can get wet though and dirty from the ores. So wear something you’re not bothered about.

We had a great tour to...

Stephanie_K, May 2026

Lovely sunset tour on the lake!

Gemma_H, May 2026

Lovely sunset tour on the lake! Had a very nice time watching the bats pour out from Congress bridge. Great guide and organized event.

This was an excellent...

Travis_W, May 2026

This was an excellent experience! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and interested in our questions. She helped this be a fun experience. The water was very calm, the weather was perfect and the bats put on an amazing “show”!

Buyer Beware

Justin_T, Apr 2026

Booked this because it said “good weather required.” It was raining steadily and they still ran the tour. When I asked about it, they said they only cancel for lightning… which is not what the listing says. That’s misleading, plain and simple. Even worse, they wouldn’t work with us at all after the fact. No flexibility, no effort to make it right. Plenty of other kayak options in Austin… I’d go with one that’s actually upfront about their policies.

Amazing tour!

Sara_W, Apr 2026

This guided tour was phenomenal! We learned some history about the city and buildings and of course everything bars!! Highly recommend!!

Dont Miss Out

Mary_R, Apr 2026

This was so much fun! We were able to see so many bats. They offer double or single kayaks. My kids had so much fun with such a beautiful view of the city. Highly recommend for anyone spending time in Austin!!