Capital Cruises

We did the bat tour with Capital Cruises. Although the boat is very basic the river tour and view of the bats is TOTALLY worth the $ 10! Our guide was awesome and the bats were so fun to watch!

The tour was great and very relaxing. On the day we went there were only 4 people (excluding the tour guide) so it was roomy, casual and fun.
The tour was totally worth it! Would highly recommend to people visiting the area.

This is where I go to rent paddle boards. People usually come for the swans and water bikes but the paddle boards are kind of a secret :) For that reason, there is never a wait. Great spot to put in too as you can choose to paddle East or West.
Staff has always been friendly and the price is right at 15 $/​hr both weekends and weekdays. Only wish they had longer winter hours!

Went on the bat cruise for a company excursion. We had the entire boat to ourselves (~60 people). It was a little squished during dinner time but more space was made after eating due to everyone wandering out in different locations on the boat. We had catering which I’m not sure if it was provided by the boat company, Hyatt, or external business but it was fantastic. The boat allowed us to have alcohol/​an open bar.
The view was fantastic and the boat steered at a comfortable speed. The timing is perfect as it set sail in the late afternoon, turns around during beautiful sunset so the city skyline view is visible, and stops by the bridge for the bats to fly out, and nighttime city skyline is visible for enjoyment after the bats finish flying out. Overall a wonderful Austin experience I would re commend to everyone.

We wanted to experience the famous bat bridge from the perfect vantage point. Captain Charles not only delivered a beautiful bat watching experience but took us on the most lovely little tour near the bridge! He was funny, charming, and even my twelve year old son had a fabulous time. Austin is a very interesting and gorgeous city! We learned so much and had a great time!!! We highly recommend capital cruises and especially Captain Charles!!!

Went to check in for the bat cruise, sunglasses guy barely acknowledged us, other than to say they weren’t checking until 6:15. No bench or chairs so after a long day of museums and walking left to stand. Even though the ad stats it’s first come first seated.
Three personnel were present and doing nothing in the way of preparation, no reason not to let clients go aboard and relax. It’s a hospitality industry after all. Sit on the lower deck at the Hyatt, enjoy a drink or food and be treated with respect.

This review is for the bat cruise. It was really fun and relaxing, you float down the river with a great view of downtown then wait for the bait to reveal themselves. Our tour guide knew exactly where to go to get the best views of them. The only downside (the reason for the 4) is because I was sitting in the front of the boat and I could barely hear the tour guide. It was as if he was just speaking to the back rows. If they could get some type of speaker this tour would be all 5s

We had a very minor issue I won’t go into and the owner contacted me and made good. Thanks Capital!

It was awesome! Would have liked more bat facts and less about the facts of the Austin skyline.

As an Austin resident, I have seen the bats many times, but had never done the view from the water. My mom and I wanted to do that — so we made reservations.
We specifically did this in August when the babies were also active. They didn’t disappoint! The bats started their nightly outing BEFORE it was dark and it was an amazing show!
We had a family member drop us off so we didn’t have to mess with parking. (DO this if you can!)
PLAN WELL. It was hot! Once the boat was moving, there was a nice breeze to cool us down a bit.
Our captain was cheerful and engaging. We enjoyed hearing some extra history about the downtown area.
Worth the time and expense for us! Great for kids, families or visitors.
MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS EARLY! These tours sell out quickly and both boats were filled to capacity.

My sister and six-​year-​old nephew were in town and we decided to take a bat tour. I definitely think this is the best way to see them. We went on Sunday evening. I felt that for the price it was super affordable, I think it was $ 10 for us and maybe $ 7 for my nephew. It was informative, fairly breezy, pretty, and a neat way to view and learn about the bats. The location was simple enough to find. We parked at the hotel it is adjacent to. I would definitely do this again.
Tip: I would recommend getting there about 15 min. early if you have a group so that you are able to easily find seats together. Although, we did not have a problem.

Fun cruise!
Exciting way to see the bats from the lake.
Staff was funny and very entertaining. Definitely worth the 10 bucks so I would highly recommend it.
Definitely call ahead as their seats are limited.
how up!
Overall fun time!

Update– I will start by saying that i had previously had given this a lower star rating. But due to the fast and very understanding response from the owner I believe that this company deserves a better rating. The owners (Shannon) response was very clear and not at all defensive. I was offered a refund which I have refused (I don’t think that is fair, I did see bats after all)
Shannon has assured me that more training/​tips will be given to the guide.
I think that if you are looking for a good experience to see the bats to give Capital Cruises ago. I just hope that they do change a few things first.
I will start by saying that for $ 10 it wasn’t the worst experience i have paid for.
However I will not recommend it to anyone. Here are the following reasons:
–Our tour guide whilst informative didn’t really give much audience participation. So realistically a good 45 minutes what just listening to him talk and talk and talk. No questions were asked and many jokes made. Bad jokes. All in the same tone as the info which made you question what he was serious about and what he wasn’t. He did to his credit inform us that he will sometimes spin on in «fairytale mode» but maybe switch up the tone bit. (and ask a few questions! Please, we were falling asleep!)
I would look over longingly to the other Capital Cruise boat whenever it passed wishing we had chosen that boat– they looked (and sounded) like they were having a ball!
–Our guide did not have a microphone which made it very hard to hear.
–As a previous review said the chairs were just flimsy plastic chairs which were not incredibly comfortable. I saw quite a few other passengers constantly adjust on the seat trying to get comfortable.
And my biggest problem–
I (as someone who works in a small business) understands that there are competition and sometimes its not friendly. However that does not excuse bad mouthing another business, not just once– But constantly!!! Even going as far as to say that that competing company has previously had passengers contract rabies from the bats (yes it was a joke– But REALLY?! Like I said previously its hard to distinguish his jokes from seriousness. And unfortunately some people are not equipped with the intelligence to not take him seriously) Another «joke» which was just as awful and in bad taste of the competitor was when we were informed that it is against company policy to make eye contact with said competitor.

We reserved the Longhorn Duffy boat for a 4^th of July/​Birthday. When we got there they showed us to the boat. it was roomy enough for our group, Had a nice size table with drink holders. we unloaded some food and drinks and got ready to spend a couple hours cruising on the lake. They could not find the right key to start the boat, so they moved us to another boat. This boat felt smaller, the table was falling apart, it moved every time someone leaned on it, causing drinks to spill. The steering wheel was loose which made it harder to steer. In full throttle we were probably going about 8 mph the whole time. Cruising the lake was nice but pretty sad watching kayakers passing us by going faster than we were.
I’m not sure it was worth the price $$$

We made reservations that afternoon; tickets were $ 10 per person. The parking attendant at the Hyatt suggested we park at the back lot of The Catherine apartments. There are signs directing you to parking, and it was $ 5 to park until 3 am. The attendant in this parking lot was able to direct us to the dock. We walked straight through the Hyatt to the back exit, and took the steps on the left side of the patio to get to the boats.
We arrived about 15 minutes before the boats departed, and the boats were almost entirely full. We were able to get the last set of 2 seats next to one another.
Our captain was hilarious and the boat ride was really enjoyable. She knew a lot about the history of the river and future plans for the area. After cruising the river for awhile, we stopped right before the bridge and waited for the bats. Seeing the bats fly out is something I’m glad I got to experience.
I only have 2 complaints. The chairs were flimsy plastic patio chairs, which got uncomfortable after an hour. Also, our captain was awesome, but she had no microphone, so it was hard to hear her.
I would definitely do this again!

Everyone was super helpful and they have plenty of kayaks and boards. Thanks for being easy going!

The captain had a great mixture of humor and knowledge. He definitely made the trip entertaining while we waited for the outstanding bat show.

Nice staff and clean swan paddle boats~ great morning to spend valentines! Thanks for supplying playtime, capital cruises. :-)

Years ago, I took my mom on one of the bat cruises here. You buy a ticket and board a large paddle boat with a bunch of strangers as you cruise up and down Austin’s Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) and take in the sights and get a glimpse of the bats taking off from under the Congress bridge at Sunset.
But this year, I have twice rented one of their private 21′ Duffy boats and gone out on the lake with friends at Sunset. The boat is lined with bench seats around the edge and has a table in the middle. You can drive the boat yourself or pay extra for a captain.
These boats seat 10 – 12 people, but 10 is probably the max you would want. You can bring your own picnic and cruise around Town Lake at a leisurely pace. They have a 2 hour minimum rental at Sunset. 2 Hours is the perfect amount of time and it is really quite affordable for what you are getting. You will step off the boat happy and relaxed, wishing you could do this every week!
They also rent paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, Swan pedal boats and smaller Duffy boats, as well as cater lunch and dinner cruises, and accommodate other private events (weddings, corporate…).
They are conveniently located off the parking lot of the Hyatt Hotel. Renting a boat requires a credit card to reserve it and a Drivers License.
So stop sitting on the shore and watching the boats go by. Get off the dock and cruise with the big swans!

Heads up: the Swan ride is hard!
If you have your heart set on trying out Capital Cruises and their very unique swan boat, be ready to work up a sweat. We were dead set on trying out this novelty and on the plus side you do get some nice photos with this cool looking boat. On the other hand, the boat has no power whatsoever so you’ll be pedaling at max effort only to move at snail-​like speeds. It can get pretty frustrating especially when the wind is cruel and spins you around in circles. To be fair, the guys at Capital Cruises warned us of the wind and that we would need at least two people to power the swan boat. They also advised against the Swan Boat at times of high winds but when in Austin you gotta go all out.
Tip: go against the wind in the beginning because you want the wind to push you back to shore when you’re tired at the end of the hour.
Tip: parking on the streets near the Hyatt is free on Sundays or there are 2 hr visitor spaces near the Hyatt Regency.
For $ 8/​hr, (after $ 2 Unilocal Check-​In discount, $ 10 normally), this is an interesting way to explore the Barton Springs lake. I’ll just go with a kayak next time!