Austin water & city tour reviews
Nobody sells Barton Springs Pool entry online — that costs $2–$9 at the gate. What you can book online are the six experiences on this page, and I have done every one of them with out-of-town guests. Each review below covers what the trip is actually like, what it costs, and where it falls short. The sunset bat kayak tour is the one I book most often.
The six reviews
Austin: Sunset Bat Watching Kayak Tour
Two hours on Lady Bird Lake, ending under 1.5 million bats at dusk.
from ~$50Read the full review ›
Austin: Electric Bike City Sightseeing Tour
2.5 hours on pedal-assist bikes, with a stop at Barton Springs.
from ~$70Read the full review ›
Austin: Single or Double Kayak Rental
Two hours self-guided on Lady Bird Lake. The cheapest thing on this site.
from ~$28Read the full review ›
Austin: Best of Austin Driving Tour
Two hours in an air-conditioned Sprinter with an Austin Detours guide.
from ~$49Read the full review ›
Lady Bird Lake Stand-Up Paddleboard Rental
A two-hour SUP rental — a rental, not a tour. Read this one before booking.
from ~$55Read the full review ›
Lake Austin Boat Cruise: 1.5-Hour Scenic Tour
BYOB cruise past Mount Bonnell and the 360 Bridge, on a different lake.
from ~$49Read the full review ›If you want prices side by side first, see all tours or the cost breakdown. If you came here for pool entry, read the gate price table — no tour site sells that, including this one.
Frequently asked questions
Are these reviews independent?
Yes. This site is an independent guide, not a tour operator and not the City of Austin. I earn a commission if you book through my links, at the same price you’d pay anyway — details in the affiliate disclosure. The commission is identical across tours, so I have no reason to push one over another.
Do any of these tours include Barton Springs Pool entry?
No. Pool entry is $2–$9, paid at the gate — see the price table. The e-bike tour stops at the pool, and the kayak and paddleboard rentals let you paddle toward Barton Creek, but nobody sells pool admission online.
Which tour would you book first?
The sunset bat kayak tour, April through September. Outside bat season, the driving tour is the safest pick — top-rated across hundreds of reviews, with air conditioning, which matters here.
Why is the paddleboard rated lower than everything else?
It carries the weakest rating in this lineup, from a low-double-digit review count, and the main complaint is expectation, not equipment: one guest booked it thinking it was a guided tour. It’s a rental. The full review explains who it actually suits.