Capital Cruises Tours

208 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX, 78704

(512) 480-9264

Capital Cruises offers famous Sunset Bat Watching excursions that include a trip up Austin’s Lady Bird Lake (formerly known as Town Lake). They also offer Sightseeing tours during the day on weekends that start at 1pm (This is a tour of Lady Bird Lake and does not include bat watching). Boats are limited to 36 people and tours fill up fast. You can use this system to book a reservation, but need to show up 30-45 minutes before departure time in order to claim your spot.

The boat dock is located behind the Hyatt Regency in downtown Austin on Barton Springs Road between Congress and South 1st Street. The closest and easiest place to park is in the Hyatt Regency Garage. It runs $8 for up to 4 hours of parking. Other lots in the area are also pay lots and vary in price depending on events in the area. Please allow plenty of time to get to us as the downtown traffic can be congested at times.

Please not that if you have not checked in 15 minutes prior to you departure, you may lose your space and no refund will be given.

View all images

Capital Cruises Tours Reviews

Meaghan Parker

December 8, 2018

Attended a work event. It was rainy and cold so we were unable to use the top deck until it stopped raining. It was beautiful. Skyline was amazing.

deleslie jackson

December 7, 2018

I had a great time on my cruise! Very educational about Austin, learned so much that I didn't know. I will definitely be going again.

Dennis Cardoso

October 22, 2018

Or group did the bat seeing tour at dusk. It included a leisurely cruise up the river to take in a few sights. The tour guide provided a lot of great information about the city and specific points of interest. The Congress Bridge bats were quite a sight to behold, though a bit dark at this time of year to really get the best view. All around great experience.

Jen Peeples

September 25, 2018

My local group charters a boat with Capital Cruises for an event every year. Austin is famous for its bat colony, and watching them emerge from the Congress Avenue bridge from the middle of the lake is an amazing experience. Before the sun sets and the bats come out, you can enjoy the spectacular Austin scenery as you take a leisurely tour of Lady Bird Lake. I highly recommend it!

Lauren Aldana

September 10, 2018

Highly recommend the Duffy boat for a fun, relaxing cruise around the lake. Had such a great time on this boat and saw Austin in a new light. Missing one star because unfortunately the stereo to hook up your phone was not working!

Monica Atwood

September 2, 2018

Michael was extremely rude and not helpful at all. I assume all the customers are regulars and know where to go, what to do and how long we have on the kayaks. Helpers were very nice. I will wait in line across the street next time. I guess that is why one has a line and one does not? Kids went back today because it’s the only place to rent the paddle boats. Everyone was very polite and doing there jobs.

Brandon Peacock

August 30, 2018

I've been on Capital Cruises twice now when family/friends are in town for the bat tour. Once I went on the small boat, which was great because it took us right underneath the bridge and you could see the bats up close. The second time I went on the large boat which sits out a little further and you actually get to see the column of bats as they fly off into the night. The pricing is great, this is honestly one of the best ways to see the bats if you're visiting Austin or just have never seen the bats other than from shore or on the bridge.

Catherine Aliaga

August 21, 2018

Had a great experience staying here while attending a work conference at the Convention Center. Travel to and from was quick. As far as the stay, the rooms are great sizes and very clean/comfortable. I chose to have breakfast delivered every morning before heading out and I was not disappointed, the convenience was worth every penny. In the room they have a list of things you can call and get delivered to your room in case you left home without something. This list was very extensive and comforting. Also, the bar carries great local whiskeys which I thought was pretty fantastic.

Daniel Sherer

August 19, 2018

"Captain Brittany" was our guide for the bat-watching cruise. She was knowledgeable and energetic and made the cruise informative and fun. The cruise was totally worth the price and we were fortunate to be there during the "Bat Festival". They let you bring beverages (and hats/umbrellas) on the boat and that would have been nice. Probably also some "wet-wipes" in case of stray guano. Actually, Brittany was super-skilled and kept us out of the path of most of the poop.

Wayne Pursel

August 9, 2018

We’ve been using capital cruises for years with no problems we’ve been renting Primarily the canoes and kayaks since My son was in high school. Whenever he comes back to visit Austin it’s great to take out a canoe from the same place you did years ago. Unfortunately recently I made a rental for the Longhorn and placed a payment over the phone they charge the card immediately. No big deal. The day I was to take the boat out it started to rain and they canceled my excursion that I put a deposit down for. When I asked for a refund they said I could come back another time but when I tried to go back to claim that refund nobody seemed to know what I was talking about.