AUSTIN · TEXAS
The best of Austin, most popular first.
The 15 most popular canoes & kayaks in Austin. The ones worth building a day around, with prices, run times and who runs each.
Paddle under Congress Avenue as Austin’s bat colony erupts at dusk, with skyline views from the water and a beginner lesson included.
Most Popular“The experience was great. It is easy to paddle the kayak. The bats are smaler than I expected but it was pretty nice. Austin and Will were amazing, a lot of information about the city and the bats”
Paddle downtown Austin at sunset and watch millions of Mexican free-tailed bats exit the Congress Avenue Bridge from below.
“Dalton and his pup were amazing!! For only being a guide for 6 months he was very knowledgeable answered all our questions and was very engaging! He made sure to cut the tour a little short to make sure we made it back to the bridge to watch the bats!”
Kayak Austin at sunset to the Congress Avenue Bridge bats. 1.5M fly nightly. Gear and lights included, small-group tour.
“Nice to go out and be on kayaks as the sun went down, but not as many bats as expected, overall, would do it again.”
Paddle the spring-fed San Marcos River at night on a glow-style kayak tour from City Park, with small-group guidance and great date-night energy.
“We enjoyed the whole tour, from beginning to end. Our tour instructor was great! He was very patient with a few that were not able to keep up and went back to help them out.”
Paddle the San Marcos River in a clear kayak at sunset, with glow lights for underwater views, wildlife spotting, and spring dips for $65.
“Our guide, Kaya, was great. She was patient, knowledgeable and made it a great experience for us. We got to see some cool things like raccoons, bats, birds and turtles while going down the river and the lights on the clear kayaks made it easy to see everything in the water.”
Sunset bat kayak on Austin’s Lady Bird Lake. Small-group paddle to Congress Avenue Bridge to watch Mexican free-tailed bats.
“I loved kayaking on the river and the guide was knowledgeable about downtown buildings and skyline. He also kept us entertained and made us feel safe.”
Paddle Lady Bird Lake for 2 calm hours in a single or double kayak, with easy self-guided routes and Downtown Austin views.
“It was a self guided tour. At the suggestion/request of my teenage daughter as something to do, we rented the kayaks for two hours and had a great time! Since I knew a little of the area already, we had a pre planned route already in mind which helped. Great weather, sunshine, calm waters, an…”
Paddle Lady Bird Lake for a downtown Austin skyline view. A $50, ~2-hour guided group kayak tour with lessons, safety gear, and wildlife.
“Perfect day to be on the lake. Our guide Marshall was knowledgeable and fun. Everyone had a great time.”
Paddle Lady Bird Lake at dusk to watch Austin’s Congress Avenue Bridge bats fly out, then glide past the lit-up skyline on a 3-hour kayak tour.
“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.”
Paddle a kayak or SUP at sunset on Lady Bird Lake, glide to South Congress Bridge, and watch Austin bats fly in a short guided outing.
“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.”
Kayak Lady Bird Lake for Austin bat watching at Congress Bridge. 2-hour guided tour with safety gear, $54.99, small groups.
“Our tour guide was awesome and very informative! Super friendly and helped when needed! A++ can’t wait for my next booking with him”
Kayak Austin’s skyline from Lady Bird Lake and Barton Springs. Learn paddling, spot bats and wildlife, and get great photo angles.
Paddle Lady Bird Lake in a clear LED-lit kayak at night, with skyline views, wildlife spotting, and patient guides. Max 12 people. $75.
“It was a fun experience, the guides are great any questions or concerns are addressed before hitting the water. Bring a towel”
2-hour kayak lessons on Lady Bird Lake in Austin. Paddle past the skyline and bat bridge with gear included for $30.
“Hold the paddle like this and come back here at 1p, that’s the lesson. Not as advertised! When I asked the guy about the 2hr lesson on Lady Bird Lake I purchased he said “I have to put that on there for Viator to post it, you can cancel.” There we were, my spouse and…”
Clear-bottom kayak on Austin’s Lady Bird Lake: downtown skyline, Congress bats, and spring-fed Barton Creek.
“The tour was excellent. We ended up being the only people on tour, so it was essentially a private tour. We were able to get very close to the bars under the Congress Street bridge. It was awesome. The views of downtown Austin from Lady Bird Lake were amazing, especially to see the difference between…”
The lake, the music, the barbecue, and every road into the Hill Country.
