Congress Avenue Bats Bike Tour: World's Largest Urban Bat Colony
5.0
7 Ratings
Austin
Duration:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Once night falls, bats emerge from beneath the Congress Avenue Bridge. This is a sight to behold and should not be missed if you ever visit Austin! The tour starts with a leisurely ride around Lady Bird Lake and times the stop perfectly to witness the bats flying out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge.
- Zilker Metropolitan Park is a public space in south Austin, Texas, located at the intersection of Barton Creek and the Colorado River. The park spans more than 350 acres of public land and is named after Andrew Jackson Zilker, who gifted this land to the city in 1917.
- Barton Springs Pool is an outdoor pool that is completely filled with water from local natural springs. Found within Zilker Park in Austin, Texas, the pool is situated in the Barton Creek channel and draws water from Main Barton Spring - the fourth largest spring in Texas.
- The Butler hike-n-bike trail, a popular urban path along the lake in Austin, is a multi-use trail that encircles Lady Bird Lake and features the city’s over-water boardwalk. The trail is free from traffic, with no cars allowed, and has many shaded spots. The trail spans roughly 7.5 miles, with some gentle hills and mostly flat, natural/paved surfaces.
What's Included
- All required equipment (bike and helmet)
- Professional guide
- local sales tax
- Learn about the Bats in Austin on this 2.5 hour bat watching bike tour (2 hours on the bike).
- It’s the largest urban bat colony in the world!
What's Not Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Experience the world’s biggest urban bat colony on a 2.5-hour bat-watching cycling tour (2 hours of biking) in Austin. The tour runs in the evening and covers an easy 8-mile circuit, with a few minor uphill stretches. It takes in the Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail, passing through Barton Springs, Zilker park, Butler park, the boardwalk, and Pfluger bridge, with a pause to watch the bats fly out from the Congress Ave. bridge after the sun has set. The tour kicks off 2 hours before sunset - a wonderful and unique experience!
- Bring water, the bike has a bottle cage
- Youths ages 12-17 must be accompanied by an adult
- A minimum of 3 people per booking is required
- Children ages 11 and under, private tour recommended (extra $40 pp)
Location
650 W Riverside Dr
West Riverside Drive
650 W. Riverside ATX 78704 Meet in the park.
Meet in the parking lot of Auditorium Shores, next to the bathrooms on the lake. Across from the Long Center at Riverside and S. 1st St. bridge. Note: sign says "Vic Mathias 900 W. Riverside"
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(7 Ratings)
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Chuck_m
Oct 20, 2019
Scenic bike ride full of history and pictures of bats. - Mike did a great job of explaining the bike ride before we started and giving a history of the city and scenic sites along with a great explination of the bats.
Review provided by Viator
Ali20814
Jun 29, 2019
Super fun tour, don’t miss! - This is an ideal tour! It’s active at a mellow pace, gives you a great sense of the city’s layout, and shows a local perspective that’s hard to get otherwise. Mark is a fantastic guide. Funny and knowledgeable. Perfect way to learn about Austin and see the crazy bat action!! Don’t miss this one.
Review provided by Viator
Warrfam2017
Jun 4, 2019
Bat tour - Mike was great. Lots of knowledge about Austin. Great bikes, great time. Learned a lot about the city and its history and saw a lot of great sites. Mike has knows how to make sure you enjoy your outing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kandmclark
Aug 12, 2018
great way to see Lady Bird Lake and the bats! - We booked a bat watching tour for July 5th, and perhaps because the holiday fell in the middle of the week, my wife and I were the only participants. Mike made us feel like we were on our own special tour. He asked questions about our hometown and offered many insights into Austin. This was a perfect way to see the beautiful area around the lake and the springs, and then we enjoyed an incredible show from the bats. We would highly recommend this experience. Thanks again to Mike for a great evening.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Duncan
Oct 30, 2017
Amazing tour and Mike was a great... - <p>Amazing tour and Mike was a great tour guide. The bats came as advertised though a little tough to see at times. Good way to get to know Austin.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Peggy
Sep 28, 2016
Awesome trip, guide was incredible... - <p>Awesome trip, guide was incredible, tailored to tour to the riding ability of all guests and made the ride very fun and enjoyable. We rode in the twilight to evening hours making for a cool and interesting ride around Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. The ride ended with a mass flight of thousands of bats and the guide managed to get us there right on time with a ten mile ride around a lake on a safe bike path. I would highly recommend this ride to families and individuals or couples it was an incredible experience.</p>
Review provided by Viator
