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

Mon 21 Jul

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $50.00

Make a reservation

Mon 21 Jul

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)

drjenniferfee

May 2023

The tour guide, J.T. was excellent as were the rest of the crew. They warned us that a storm was coming , the bats might not come out , and offered to reschedule our tour . Since it was my last night in Austin , I opted to take the tour anyway . We didn’t see any bats , which was a huge disappointment, but J.T. did everything he could to make the time informative and enjoyable—which is was both . I will be back next year and book this tour again !

Response from Host

May 2023

Thanks so much for joining us out on the water! Unfortunately, we have had some of the worst weather in nearly a decade the last few weeks that has affected their flight pattern.

sheilasJ231OP

Apr 2023

Connor and his crew were so nice and were fun and knowledgeable guides- we had such a great time on this tour. It was a perfect night - watching the bats was an incredible experience and the views of the city from the kayaks was spectacular! The amount of bats that flew out was just unbelievable and our view was perfect. Highly recommend Lone Star Kayak !

Response from Host

May 2023

Thanks so much for the awesome review! We'll let him know you appreciated him!

PAandAZ

Apr 2023

Got to our muster point a little early only to find they didn’t have enough tandem kayaks (one was missing a seat with back). So one couple said they’d take 2 singles and the tour guide would use a blow up paddle board instead of a single kayak. Except the TWO inflatable paddle boards both had holes in them and could t be used. Ended up with one couple using the kayak without one seat back—and the tour started nearly 30 minutes late. Andrew, our guide, did as good a job as possible under the circumstances. But because we had to hurry to reach the bridge, we didn’t get the same number of stops along the way that explained the area around the lake/river we would normally have had. Seeing the bats and the sunset viewed from the bridge were both unforgettable experiences. And the kayaking on the lake was fun. Would recommend the experience and might even do it again myself. But would recommend doing so with a better managed company.

Response from Host

Apr 2023

Hi there the guide responsible for the mismanaged equipment and our rushed tour review was terminated last week. We have a set inventory for operations that was not maintained by the tour guide the previous night. He was a mess and we pride ourselves on always providing a 5 star experience and could not tolerate his damage to the company. We do love Andrew though and he'll be with us for a long time!