Lake Austin Scenic History Tour 2Hr, Fully Shaded, AM, PM, Sunset
Description
Experience Lake Austin on a fully shaded pontoon tour designed for comfort, relaxation, and learning. This small-group public shared tour offers limited seating and a welcoming atmosphere for families, seniors, school groups, and visitors. Your captain provides engaging narration about the lake’s history, notable landmarks, and waterfront homes. This calm, seated cruise is ideal for guests who want to enjoy the outdoors without swimming. Dual-canopy shade and a smooth ride provide comfort even on warm Texas days, making it suitable for children and older travelers. Highlights along the route include the Pennybacker Bridge, Tom Miller Dam, limestone cliffs, and local wildlife, with several photo opportunities. Lake Austin’s constant water level allows for a stable and enjoyable sightseeing experience for all ages. This tour is ideal for guests interested in local history, architecture, nature, and a relaxing introduction to one of Austin’s most scenic waterways, with live narration.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This beautiful & scenic 22-mile public lake known for its clear, constant-level water features privately owned waterfront and cliffside homes, several shoreside restaurants, is home to world champion wake surfers Ashley Kidd and Raleigh Hager & just a 20 minute drive from downtown Austin.
This steel arched bridge built in 1982 is an iconic Austin landmark. Spanning the distance of Lake Austin (1,150 ft long), it connects the North & South sections of the Capital of Texas Highway. The bridge's arched design was created to avoid having support columns that would otherwise interfere with water skiers, wake surfers and boaters on the 22 miles of water below.
This private golf club is located on the banks of Lake Austin. It features a challenging 18-hole course and hosts tournaments, including the popular WGC Dell Match Play. It was designed by architect Pete Dye and is home to golf legend Harvey Penick.
This beautiful 5-acre park located almost 800 feet over Lake Austin. The cliffs of Mount Bonnell provide a vista for viewing not only the Lake from atop, but the expansive hills surrounding Austin.
This Italian-style lakeside villa built in 1916 was home to Clara Driscoll, a philanthropist who was instrumental in the preservation of the Alamo. Today the 14 acre site is home to The Contemporary Austin and is comprised of an outdoor sculpture park, the Laguna Gloria art museum and an art school.
This dam, named after a former Mayor of Austin, began operation in 1940. It was constructed for the purpose of flood control & hydroelectric power generation. On its upstream side is Lake Austin and on its downstream side is Lady Bird Lake. Both reservoirs are a result of the dam's construction.
This 35-acre wildlife preserve located on Lake Austin's waterfront is a refuge for rare, endangered or threatened species and is open to the public through guided tours.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Plan to arrive 30 minutes early for parking & entry
- A waiver and release of liability must be signed prior to boarding
- This tour departs from a public Travis County boat ramp; parking is limited on weekends and rideshare is recommended
- No restroom on the boat; please use facilities prior to boarding
- The boat is equipped with a dual overhead canopy for full sun shading
- Please come prepared for outdoor weather (hat, sunscreen, etc.)
- Food and beverages are permitted
- Alcohol is allowed in moderation; glass containers are prohibited
- Smoking is not permitted
- Loop 360 Boat Ramp entry fee (cash only, paid on arrival)
- Fee is charged by the park and is not included in the tour price
- This is a small-group public shared tour, and other guests may be onboard.
Reviews(174)
A comfortable cruise with captain Ronaldo. We made a stop for the bathroom and grabbed a drink. I enjoyed seeing all the beautiful homes. It was a 25 minute uber ride from downtown Austin and I also enjoyed seeing the scenery on the way.
Kim we’re so glad you enjoyed a comfortable and insightful two-hour tour with Captain Ronaldo. It’s wonderful to hear that you enjoyed taking in the beautiful lake views and homes, and that the convenient stop for a drink and bathroom break made your experience even more enjoyable. We’re also happy you appreciated how close the lake is to downtown Austin. We hope to see you again soon!
Had a wonderful time cruising through Lake Austin with Spencer as our captain. It was a perfect day and we learned a lot about the Lake.
Andrea thank you for sharing your experience with us. We’re so glad you had a wonderful day exploring with Captain Spencer. He brings learning and fun together in the best way!
We thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommend it to anyone. It was relaxing. The lake was gorgeous and the houses along the shore are beautiful. We did the sunset cruise and it was nice and cool. Our Captain Ronaldo is very friendly and joyful!
Wenyong thank you so much for the 5-star review! We’re delighted to hear that you thoroughly enjoyed our Sunday sunset tour and found it to be both relaxing and fun. Lake Austin and all of its private residences really do make for a spectacular setting, especially as the sun goes down. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Captain Ronaldo, as he’ll be so happy to know that his friendly and cheerful personality helped make your experience special. Also, thank you for sharing the beautiful sunset photo - it’s the perfect snapshot of a scenic and serene evening on the water!
Spencer was an amazing tour guide. He gave us history but he was also personable and relaxed. My only complaint was that it was too short lol. I would've paid for another go around!
Tameka we’re so glad to hear that Captain Spencer made your experience both informative and easygoing. We love knowing you enjoyed the 2-hour tour so much that you would've done another go-around. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Spencer. See you again soon for another fun adventure!
Ronaldo was great! Very accommodating to all.
Christopher thank you for joining our sunset tour. Ronaldo will be glad to hear that you appreciated his hospitality, how accommodating he was to everyone on board and the 5-star review!
What a great excursion. We had never been on the Lake before, and Marco our captain made us feel right at home. Very knowledgeable and conversational guy. By the end of the trip, I could say Marco is the best captain ever! Great guy, returned something to me even after I left the boat. Give this guy a raise!!
Steven thank you so much for your wonderful review. We're happy to hear that your first visit to Lake Austin was such a memorable experience. We'll be sure to share your kind words with Marco—he'll be delighted to know how much you appreciated his knowledge, engaging conversation, and hospitality. We're also glad he was able to help by returning your lost item after the tour. Thank you again for choosing to boat with us. We hope to welcome you aboard again soon!
It was a learning experience, The captian explained the history of the lake and its purposes. The captian was friendly and informative. It was a very good tour and relaxing
Emmanuel we're so glad you enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable mid-afternoon tour with Captain Marco. He'll be glad to hear that his friendly approach and historical insights helped make your time on Lake Austin an enjoyable experience!
a two-hour excursion with magnificent views of both banks of the river and a meaningful story about the history of their settlement
Halyna we're so glad you enjoyed a serene morning on the water with Captain Spencer. It means a lot to know that the scenery and stories of its history made your tour a truly complete experience!
Spencer was an excellent and knowledgeable guide. Wonderful afternoon on the water. Will be requesting him on future trips!
Kim thank you so much for boating with us on a fun Sunday afternoon. We're glad you had a wonderful time aboard with Captain Spencer. We’ll be sure to pass along your appreciation to him and look forward to welcoming you back on a future trip!
Lake Austin is beautiful surrounded by magnificent homes. Spencer was an amazing tour guide. Great communication and thoughtful of our family needs.
Vicki we are so glad to hear you enjoyed your beautiful Saturday evening tour with Captain Spencer. Thank you for taking the time to share that you found it to be a 5-star worthy experience. It really means a lot to know that communication and thoughtfulness played a big part!
