Congress Avenue Bat Bridge: Kayak Tour Experience

Witness the incredible sight of 1.5 million bats emerging from the Congress Avenue Bridge on a thrilling kayak tour. Learn about their role in the ecosystem and enjoy a 2-hour adventure.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 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.
What's Included
  • Paddle lesson and safety instructions
  • Professional guide
  • Life jacket
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Witness the emergence of the world’s largest urban bat colony from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge! This incredible colony, consisting of 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats, offers a spectacular visual and auditory experience. Meet with a professional guide at the designated location to paddle and observe this natural wonder, while learning about…

Location
Holiday Inn Boat Launch
East Avenue
We will meet at the Holiday Inn Boat Launch! You can find this landmark on Google Maps for easy directions. Look out for a black van with blue and orange kayaks!
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.6
(239 Ratings)
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244gussies
Oct 8, 2025
Bats 🦇 - Sam was our tour guide and he was very informative. It was an awesome experience seeing all the bats from a kayak on the lake. What a spectacular view! 100% recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kelley_r
Oct 8, 2025
It’s a very informative... - It’s a very informative and beautiful experience. The guide was very knowledgeable, helpful and funny
Review provided by Viator
Gussie_s
Oct 8, 2025
Bat kayak tour - It is very fun and relaxing. My first time kayaking and I loved it. We saw lots of bats! Very amazing view. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Lisaeddie
Sep 23, 2025
Do not miss this unique experience! - Excellent adventure seeing the bats in Austin. Our guide Henry was excellent. He was funny, helpful and most important patient with us since we are novice Kayakers. We learned a lot about Austin in this unique experience. The bats flying overhead was an experience of a lifetime and the skyline was beautiful at sunset. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisagallo63
Sep 23, 2025
Don’t miss this unique experience! - Excellent adventure seeing the bats in Austin. Our guide Henry was excellent. He was funny, helpful and most important patient with us since we are novice Kayakers. We learned a lot about Austin in this unique experience. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Kmbw0125
Sep 23, 2025
Worth it! Great tour! - Great experience, no kayak experience needed, fun way to view such an interesting phenomenon! Fun tour guides.
Review provided by Viator
Kristen_o
Sep 21, 2025
Fun experience - It was great! Definitely worth the price and super fun! Much better seeing from the water than the bridge
Review provided by Viator
Kate_a
Sep 18, 2025
This tour was great. We... - This tour was great. We were lucky enough to get a really good night with the bats, so many came out. The view from the kayak of the bats and the city was amazing. Went with my mum who is a 1st time kayaker, nobody fell in so great success. Would definitely recommend. You get slightly wet with the paddling so pay attention to the recommendations
Review provided by Viator
Susanhl5152pm
Sep 14, 2025
Great Guides Great Fun Great Group - Great Guides! Great Fun! Great Group! Honestly just thought the guides were there to ensure our safety…but they shared Austin history, interesting bat facts, and some good jokes. Totally worth our time and money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jami_m
Sep 13, 2025
Super amazing experience... - Super amazing experience seeing the bats. It definitely was tough if you don’t have experience, but worth it
Review provided by Viator
From $50
up to 12 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).