Lone Star Riverboat
Austin, Texas
(248)
Austin, Texas
(248)
248 customer reviews
Magda Jonak
Such a fun way to spend an afternoon in Austin! Beautiful views! The boat crew are very polite and nice!
Reviewed on Facebook
LaVonne S.
We went on the New Years Eve evening cruise, which was nice and relaxing. The buffet was great but the placement in the boat was weird and not many people could get thru it very fast. The cruise itself was interesting and the service was nice. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Ryan P.
Very very nice and informative host. I had a pleasure getting to know a little bit of Austin. And learning about the condo and building structures.
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Roy Durham
Had a wonderful inexpensive time on the lone Star riverboat and I highly recommend it .
Reviewed on Facebook
Jacques I.
I purchased a Groupon for the Lone Star Riverboat, to take an hour-long sightseeing cruise. It was a nice experience and learned more about the city of Austin. Once you purchase a Groupon, you're instructed to make reservations to reserve a time slot. I was able to do this online over an e-mail form, and the staff responded within a few days. We reserved a time slot for a 2PM tour on a Sunday. It was a little difficult to find, as it's next to a hotel on the water. We passed by a loading zone, which I initially thought was it, but it turned out to be another boat company. They must be mistaken for this all the time because as we were walking towards the entrance, they asked if we were for the Lone Star Riverboat and after confirming, they told us to go down the pathway more. The entrance is hidden, so make sure to set some time for finding it and getting a good seat on the boat. Since it was a sightseeing tour, everyone sat on the outdoor deck of the boat where one of the employees provided the tour while the other employee drove. Staff was friendly and our guide was funny. The tour consisted of going up and down Lady Bird Lake, mostly seeing the skyline of Austin. We also were able to go under the bat bridge, as Lone Star Riverboat offers a night cruise to see the bats fly. It was a nice tour, and I was glad to learn more of Austin and how it has rapidly changed due to recent growth. More...
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Michell Y.
Was very awesome, even with knowing you may get bat pee on you! The tour guide was hillarious and made to ride very interesting. The trivia part he does is really cool. And OMG when he gives the safety instructions, he open and honest because it's a big deal, but manages to through a funny in tht as well More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Darris J.
Tour guide Laura was just the Bomb.com. If not for this young lady the whole tour would have been a downer, I mean watching bats go to dinner and explanation of the Nouveau riche Austin skyline. Much props to the Chase building though, go Owls!I mean do it, but do it on Laura's boat. More...
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Christina Church
This wasn’t the best river tour hard to find location and parking expensive boat smelled carpet dirty and restroom disgusting I recommend the San Antonio River boat tour
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Jessica B.
Awesome cruise! We had a great time showing around some friends who were visiting from out of town. We went on a really clear day so we got to see lots of bats. Captain Shelby and her coworker (I think Mike) the bat expert were really great and entertaining as well! Would totally recommend. And bring cash so you can leave a tip! More...
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Azely R.
we went to a family friends wedding and it was amazing the captain and his assistant were very kind friendly people the boat was well organized and set up we loved it definetly recomend
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Leslie R.
Nice relaxing cruise. We enjoyed it immensely. Staff was informative. The only issue was they advertised beer on the ship but did not have any
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Kristin P.
We rented the boat for our reverse Rehearsal Dinner. We got married on Friday and we took all of our guests out on the boat Saturday night. The price is very reasonable (about $19 per person plus taxes) and then you get to bring your own alcohol and food. We catered Cabo Bob's Mexican food and they came and set it up on the boat for us. The boat offers a non alcoholic package at $5 per person and we just brought the alcoholic options. The bartender was very friendly and approachable and DJ, our boat captain was so wonderful to work with. He walked me through how the night would go and then walked me through the invoice at the end. He is very kind! Joye was our sales contact and she was very accommodating and helpful through the whole process, answering all of my questions on linens, food, timing, etc.We went from 6-8pm and saw the bats. Some of my favorite pictures from our wedding weekend was the city skyline on the boat. I highly recommend it for everyone's wedding weekend! More...
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Angela S.
We booked this tour kind of last minute and was happy to see there were open tickets. Parking is not the easiest, but that is everywhere in Austin. We were in the boat with inside seating and were able to see the bats just fine. We moved to the bow of the boat while underway. It was nice to go back inside when the bats were overhead. Tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. More...
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Jessica G.
Would definitely recommend, the sites are beautiful and usually you are Captain is very funny
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Jamie M.
Great way to spend the sunset in Austin. BYOB is always great, don't forget to bring water, too. Our guide, Kimber, was very funny and knowledgeable. We had a great time learning about the bats and floating peacefully along the lake. We saw a TON of bats and got to hang out watching them for quite a bit. Cheap, easy to access, fun, funny, and educational. Loved it! More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Elvira D.
The Lone Star Riverboat provides a pretty nice tour of Austin on the water, introducing the various skyscrapers in the downtown area, showing the array of outdoors bars and restaurants that people frequent on the hot summer days, as well as parks and statues dating back to historic figures. Compared to other boat tours, this didn't seem as informational and was a bit disorganized, but it was still pleasant. Unfortunately the weather was so hot that we couldn't tolerate sitting up at the top, and perhaps we would have changed our minds if there were misters to keep us cool. The downstairs covered portion was okay; a bit dingy and outdated with a cash only bar serving simple drinks. The room was pretty small and intimate with only a few tables of people able to fit inside. The views were mediocre thanks to the semi-clean windows. I would recommend coming back during a time when the weather is tolerable and you can actually sit at the top. I've also got to say, it was a beautiful sight seeing all the kayaks and peddle boats out on the water, especially the swan-shaped ones for couples to sit in. Definitely something I'd want to try next time. This tour gave a nice idea of how it is in Austin during the summer--fun, carefree, full of laughs and good food and drinks. I can't wait to visit again. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Catherine B.
Great time with Captain Bella! Very informative and amazing view of the bats! Loved that it was BYOB. Make sure to arrive at least 15 min before to sit with your group.
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Catherine H.
We had such a great experience on the moonlight/midnight cruise! Definitely recommend sitting upstairs to fully enjoy the Austin skyline.
Reviewed on Yelp
Eric C.
This was our second time using Lone Star to see the bats. Great little tour, always fun to listen to the staff tell stories of Austin. They have the process of boarding down to an art. Wait time was not bad and there was no long waits for the boat to leave. I highly recommend if you are wanting to see the bats leaving at night. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Eric Ray Chapman
This is the 2nd time we have taken the bat tour. Relaxing and super time. No long lines or long waiting times. These people have it down to a science. Highly recommend
Reviewed on Facebook
Bryan B.
We chartered a 2-hour bat watching dinner cruise for 96 people with Lone Star. Joye was a pleasure to work with setting up the cruise. We had the catered fajita dinner and it was fabulous. I highly recommend getting the grilled veggies in addition to the fajitas. The captains Chris and Sharon kept things running smoothly, and I got a lot of compliments on how much everybody enjoyed the cruise, even though the bats decided not to participate! The Austin skyline is beautiful in the evening, and we had a great time even without the bats. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Madeline Baumgartner
Great captains, interesting facts, good price.
Reviewed on Facebook
Muriel M.
Thanks Bella for a great tour on the little star! We had the best view of the sunset, the bats and the gorgeous city sky line. Thank you for a great evening. Don't forget to pack your cans of beer or white claw if you're into that. Lol More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Stacy Picou
We loved seeing the bats. Captain Shelby was very entertaining and knowledgeable!
Reviewed on Facebook
Larry P.
Let me start this review off by saying that if you are in Austin, TX and want to take a great tour to seeing the nightly Bat Tour, please visit Lone Star and ask for Captain Shelby's boat. Captain Shelby provided us a great tour and probably the best best views of the bats from start to finish. We were also provided with a good history of Austin and recommended some great places to visit.The Sunset Bat Tour is a really interesting tour to see over 700,000 bats flying from a bridge that happens every night.A must see thing at least once in your lifetime. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Gerard L.
Love the experience the captains were super funny! Glad we booked online because the line was bonkers and would have been impossible to get a ride without online reservations.
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Rachael R.
Really fun cruise to see the bats. My kids took me for my birthday & we were blessed with a beautiful sunset, nice weather, and a fabulous view of the bats. Great bang for buck!BTW- The river is only 4ft deep for those nervous about being on the water... More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Tracy Lyons Hensley
Great experience with Captain Alyssa. The bats were amazing tonight and Alyssa was fun and gave lots of interesting facts!
Reviewed on Facebook
Kina L.
We did the bat tour on a Friday night in August and learned so much! I originally wanted to do a kayak self guided tour to see the bats but am glad I did this first as you learn more about the bats and their migration. Would highly recommend for young children as they would get a total kick out of seeing thousands of bats take flight. Like others mention,the view is way better then the bridge. Did I get guano on me-- yes. But no big deal. Cost is also very reasonable $12 and tour is a little over an hour. They are located behind the Hyatt and parking at Hyatt is $10. This is the second largest urban bat colony in the world! #1 being some cave in Dallas. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Shelly Forrester Sanders
Best of the Best! We had a great time and the captains were great!!
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Cary Sellards
amazing experience. captian shelby did a fantastic job!
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Meagan T.
Great tour. Tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable about the bats and city of Austin. Would definitely recommend choosing the smaller boat over the larger. Would definitely go again.
Reviewed on Yelp
Lori Woody Berry
Very interesting bat cruise. Funny, entertaining and informative. The whole family enjoyed the cruise.
Reviewed on Facebook
Antoinette Alldolledup Crump
So much fun something cool to get the kids out the house!
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Matthew M.
Shelby was our boat captain, and made the whole hour informative and fun. She was hilarious too. I'd recommend this boat cruise to anyone.
Reviewed on Yelp
Shea H.
My husband and I decided to go see the bats on a boat, it was such a neat experience. I recommend anyone who is a lover of animals, nature, or the city to go take this tour at least once! We left the dock about an hour before the bats flew and we went down the lake a little ways and our Captain, Alyssa, shared many facts about the city. We went to the bridge where the bats lived and she was very knowledgeable about the bats and answered many questions. The experience was nothing like I've ever done before. The only negative is that in our tour, there were some little children that made it very hard to hear some of the things she was saying. I know kids will be kids, but I would have liked a louder microphone! Parking was a little tricky to get to, other than that, the experience was great! More...
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Rachelle P.
So amazing to see the bats, laughed a lot at our tour guides jokes and learned some of the history too! Definitely worth the cost!!
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Rachel Wied Villalovoz
Cute, short afternoon tour of the lake
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Laura Draper
Was entertaining and informative. We did the evening bat tour. What an amazing sight.
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Deena Oaks Sackey
Great way to see the bats! Bella was a great captain and a fabulous phone saver!
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Jus Mone
I've heard great things my 49th bday is August 24th and I'm bringing the crew so excited can't wait
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Dina Wester Bittinger
Amazing Experience...a must if your visiting Austin! So glad we did!!
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Teri C.
Overall great experience. Beautiful sunset and so many bats.I wish we had Captain DJ. Our captain talked a lot, but that might just be me being irritated. We were the last boat ( and there are a bunch) to get into position to see the bats exit the north side of Congress Bridge. I was worried we would miss it. We did miss the bats starting to fly out but there are so many flying, that part was okay.It's a must do if you've never seen the bats. We'll do the kayak bat tour next time. More...
Reviewed on Yelp
Cynthia McNutt Medlin
A relaxing ride on Lady Bird lake. The “Captain” pointed out landmarks and buildings along the ride. And it’s BYOB too.
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Victoria Crick-Thornton
Cool way to see the bats!
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Jake H.
I have looked at the bats on the South Congress bridge a number of times- some from above and a few times on boats. Lone Star River Boat is the best company out there! The crew are great and easy conversationalist. I forget his name but go with the guy with the light beard (and his fiance is generally there too). Wonderful time with friends and got some great pictures of the sunset and bats. Lone Star River Boat is not just for tourists from outside Austin! More...
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Bryan Statter
great info and vantage point
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Cynthia Alford
It was very pleasant, even being hot outside, the boat captains were knowledgeable about Austin and the bats. It was fun.
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Catherine David
Shelby was an excellent captain. We had so much fun!
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Esmeralda Olivas
It was awesome! Really cool o see the bats at night !
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