Congress Avenue Bat Bridge Kayak Tour in Austin

Overview

Experience the world’s largest urban bat colony emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge! This colony made up of 1.5 million Mexican free tailed bats is an amazing sight to see and hear. From the meeting point, join your professional guide where you will paddle and observe one of nature’s wonders and learn about how these nocturnal creatures help create a better ecosystem for everyone. The tour lasts 2 hours and food and drinks are not included.

City: Austin

Tue 12 Aug

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $50.00

Make a reservation

Tue 12 Aug

Starting at $50.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Paddle lesson and safety instructions

Professional guide

Life jacket

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Operates in most weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Recommend you wear swimsuit, windbreaker jacket, or lightly layered synthetic clothing
Bring sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, waterproof camera, bottle water, bug repellent, towel, and extra change of clothes

What To Expect

Congress Avenue Bridge Bat Watching

You will see the world's largest urban bat colony that peaks at around 2 million bats during the peak of the season. The bats take off around sunset and always head towards the eastern part of downtown.

Austin

You will see a number of buildings on the Austin Skyline including the Hotel Van Zandt, The Austonian Tower, and a multitude of residential and commercial buildings.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (199)

karikeintz

May 2023

My husband and I went on the Austin Bat Bridge kayak tour and had a great time. Weather was beautiful and our guides, JT and Trevor were great! Very knowledgable of everything Austin and surrounding areas. Only confusion we had was launch time - it’s all based on when bats leave bridge, but detailed instructions say 6:30pm, voucher said 7:00 but in reality left at 7:30 (and this time wasn’t noted anywhere). Other than that, I highly recommend!

Response from Host

Jun 2023

Thanks so much for the kind review! This was due to a glitch that we have addressed twice with Viator support at this point. It's finally been fixed and it's now been corrected.

Phil_P

May 2023

The lower rating is not based on our guide. Our guide was great, very engaging and informative. Unfortunately we just didn't get to see many bats. Maybe 10 at most. This was due to the weather and pending storms coming. The Kayaking itself was nice and a lovely way to see the city at night

Response from Host

May 2023

Hi there we'd love to get you out at a different time in exchange for changing this review! We pride ourselves on leaving each guest satisfied. With the bats being wild animals we can't always control whether they take off or not.

Trail815802

May 2023

Our group of nine was excited to go on the sunset bat kayak tour on Cinco de Mayo. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived at the launch site around 7pm, the National Weather Service had issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch that was in effect until 10pm, the wind was picking up, and the clouds were a menacing gray-black. We really appreciated the guides Connor and JT giving us a full picture of the potential downsides if the storm hit while we were on the water, and also describing how they would constantly monitor the weather as we paddled toward the Congress Ave. bridge, and turn back if thunderstorms moved in. We decided not to tempt fate, and they honored their policy of giving a full refund in the event of bad weather. I am a backcountry skier and scuba diver, and always appreciate guides who show a healthy respect for signs of bad weather. Safety first. As the evening progressed, the wind died down, and no thunderstorm arrived, but unfortunately, neither did the bats. We watched in vain from our hotel (The LINE) for the bats to emerge from the bridge. It was the second night in a row that the bats did not emerge, so I suggest that you don't count on them appearing every night when they are roosting in the bridge during the spring and summer. Austin Kayak Tours always responded within hours to my questions about our reservation before I arrived, whereas Live Love Paddle never responded to a query that I sent them about making a reservation for our group.

Response from Host

May 2023

Thanks so much for giving us this amazing review! We hope you'll come out with us again in the future! You can typically rely on the bats every night except when there are storms going on in the area which is why we offer cancellations when the signs are bad!