$5 park entry fee per person, payable by cash only ($3 for ages 62+). No fee for ages 12 and under.
Hotel pick up and drop off
Captain gratuity (highly encouraged)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

5019 N Capital of Texas Hwy, Austin, TX 78746, USA
Tour departs & returns at the Loop 360 Boat Ramp located under the south end of the Pennybacker Bridge. Parking underneath the bridge is free. $5 entry fee per person ($3 for ages 62+) collected by & paid to Travis County Parks. Cash only. No entry fee for ages 12 and under.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your cruise starts at the boat ramp under the south end of the Pennybacker Bridge. Meet your captain and board your pontoon boat with a canopy that helps with shade on hot days.

Your captain guides you past the most photogenic spots around Lake Austin, such as the Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria, an Italian-style lakeside villa, and the Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife preserve. Spot animals and public art along the way.

Make use of floating foam islands called Aqua Lily Pads if you wish.

Continue past the Austin Country Club and the Tom Miller Dam. Your last pass-by is Mount Bonnell, a public park. Your cruise ends with drop-off back at Pennybacker Bridge.

Lake Austin

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Pennybacker Bridge (Pass By)

The Contemporary Austin - Laguna Gloria (Pass By)

Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife (Pass By)

Austin Country Club (Pass By)

Tom Miller Dam (Pass By)

Mount Bonnell (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
Plan to arrive 30 minutes early for parking & entry
There is no restroom on the boat - please use facilities prior to boarding. Restrooms breaks are available. Please inform your Captain.
Food and alcoholic beverages are permitted (glass containers are prohibited)

Waiver of Release and Liability will be required to sign prior to boarding
This is a public park and boat ramp operated by Travis County, from which we depart & return only
Only vaping is allowed when the boat is parked and not within the seating area. No cigarettes or cigars are allowed.
Swimming is permitted during the rental. Please inform your Captain.
$5 park entry fee per person, payable by cash only ($3 for ages 62+). No fee for ages 12 and under.
The boat is equipped with a foldable dual overhead canopy for full/partial sun shading. As with any outdoor activity, we do recommend coming weather prepared with sun protection (hat, sunscreen, etc).
Any changes made less than 24 hours* before the experience's start time will not be accepted. *Cut-off times are based on the experience's local time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours* before the experience's start time or no call/no show the day of the experience, the amount you paid will not be refunded. *Cut-off times are based on the experience's local time.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

94 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 94 reviews

Spencer was great! We...

Rachel_C, Apr 2024

Spencer was great! We went for a bachelorette weekend and had a blast! Will definitely be back again and would recommend!

Great way to get on the water!

Lisa_K, Apr 2024

Great tour. Spencer was a great host for our first time to Austin. Spencer was knowledgeable about the lake, the history of the system and local area, and provided lots of stories from the lake. It was fun to learn about the houses and lake estates. The boat was a great break from the heat! Highly recommend.

Highly recommend!

agurnitz, Apr 2024

Spencer is a wonderful boat captain and guide. We had 4 generations on the ride and it was so fun. Highly recommend!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Allison we're so glad you and your entire family had a wonderful time on your private cruise with Captain Spencer. We love that it was not only recreational, but generational. Thank you for boating with us!

Captain Leo was great! We...

John_B, Mar 2024

Captain Leo was great! We all enjoyed the ride on the lake. Boat was clean and comfortable, learned a lot about the area

Response from Host, Apr 2024

John thank you for boating with us Saturday afternoon. We're happy you had a great time with Captain Leo on your cruise. We take pride in keeping our boats clean and we thank you for letting us know it was a 5-star experience!

Lake Austin Tour

Brandon_B, Mar 2024

Spencer was a great host and guide. We all greatly enjoyed the tour!! Would highly recommend this to anyone touring around Austin.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Brandon we're so glad to hear that your cruise with Captain Spencer on Sunday morning was greatly enjoyed. We also appreciate your recommendation to others looking to spend time on Lake Austin's beautiful waters!

Great Boat trip on the lake!

Lucia_L, Nov 2023

Our captain was knowledgable and great personality. We also left a purse and he waited a few extra minutes.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Lucia thank you so much for boating with us during the week. We're glad it was a great experience for everyone and that Captain Spencer's engagement and customer service were both enjoyed and appreciated!

Spencer is the Best

Emma_H, Nov 2023

Spencer was awesome! Made for such a fun and beautiful experience! Very knowledgeable and thorough tour with lots of customization and consideration of the group.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Emma thank you so much for boating with us on a Saturday. We're glad you had an awesome time with Captain Spencer at the helm!

Terrible experience

Thierry_a, Nov 2023

The fact that the tour was not where I hoped so a huge problem with your website the tour staff insisted on not canceling even though it was cold and drizzly. I am in the end your customer or was and I advise you to pick your sub contractors more carefully.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Thierry thank you for providing your feedback about our business. We're sorry to hear you feel we missed the mark somewhere, as customer satisfaction is one of our top priorities. We do hope that you will reconsider your review rating as your sentiments are directed towards a Viator Experience you booked, but did not participate in. The Overview for our Private Lake Austin Boat Cruise experience on Viator does specify that Lake Austin is located just minutes from Downtown. In addition, the Meeting and Pickup details provide the physical address as well as a link to Google Maps for geographical place marking and navigational interfacing. While we are unclear as to where you were hoping this experience is located, we feel the information provided online is concise and welcome any suggestions that you may have for the product listing. With regard to weather, we make the decision to cancel or not to cancel an experience based on radar readings and lake conditions forecasting for a scheduled time of departure. This is generally done the day of and applicable to inclement weather only (pouring rain, extremely rough water, lightning or extreme temperatures). November in Austin, TX has an average high temperature of 71 and an average low temperature of 50, with just 4 days of rain. We did advise you one day prior to your scheduled departure date to come weather prepared as it would feel cooler on the water. On Friday (11/10), the morning of your scheduled departure, we informed you that aside from being cloudy and having just a slight chance of precipitation over the next 6 hours, the forecast looked good. The outside temperature would be 60 degrees and the boat Captain assigned to your 1:15pm cruise, who had been on the water for one and a half (1.5) hours prior to, was reporting no rain on the lake. Collectively, weather conditions weren’t inclement and did not warrant us to cancel. The cruise you booked would depart as scheduled. At 1:18pm (three minutes after your scheduled departure), you notified us by telephone that you were not coming. We encourage you to give us a call should you wish to discuss further. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts. We sincerely hope you’ll consider booking again in the future.

Awesome Lake Austin Cruise

2Dave_D, Oct 2023

We had a great cruise on Lake Austin. Our Captain was very knowledgeable and provided a lot of interesting facts as we cruised around the lake.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Dave thank you for spending your Saturday with us. We love getting feedback and are happy to hear that Captain Jason made it a 5-star experience for all of you!

Great Day!

Dawn_S, Oct 2023

Spencer, our Captain, was a great boat tour guide. He was experienced and he made our cruise fun and interesting. This Boat Cruise was memorable and hope to go again sometime. Thank you, Spencer!

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Dawn we love hearing that you had a great time on your private boat cruise with Captain Spencer. We're glad it was an anniversary to remember and thank you for choosing to boat with us to celebrate it!

Great pontoon ride. Beautifully clean boat

Sue_H, Oct 2023

Beautiful peaceful lake surrounded by gorgeous homes. Spencer was a great guide and kept us entertained

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Sue thank you so much for boating with us. We couldn't agree more that it's a peaceful ride on weekday mornings and we're so glad that you enjoyed having Captain Spencer at the helm!

A great afternoon on Lake Austin with Spencer and his boat

David_C, Oct 2023

From collection to drop off Spencer really looked after us so well. He explained what we were seeing, how the lake evolved and many other aspects of Austin and it's life. 100% recommend this trip, really great.

Response from Host, Oct 2023

David we're so pleased to hear that you had a great experience with Captain Spencer on your cruise. We sincerely appreciate the recommendation and thank you for letting us know how much you enjoyed your time!

A must do in Austin!

Samuel_I, Sep 2023

The boat cruise was one of the highlights of our Austin holiday. Our Captain was Ronaldo, great guy and he made our tour enjoyable, relaxing and engaging. Kids really loved it. He is knowledgeable about the area and told us about the beautiful homes on the lake and most especially brought our attention to the house with “Eyes” looking at you on the lake. We would always ask for Ronaldo again if we are in town! Thanks Wake Riderz!

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Samuel we are delighted to hear that your trip to Austin was highlighted by your family's boat cruise with Captain Ronaldo. We're glad he made it super fun for everyone and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Can’t Wait to Book Another Trip

Jill_D, Aug 2023

Our private Lake Austin pontoon boat tour was amazing from start to finish. The online booking was so easy and Kelly was quick to respond with answers to all my questions. Spencer, our boat captain, was very entertaining and knows EVERYTHING about the lake. My favorite thing was seeing and learning about the different homes. Spencer took us by his top ten list and they were all unique. We even got to take a quick dip on the lily pad to cool off before heading back . My only regret is not doing the 3 hour tour. Thank you Wake Riderz for a great time. We will be back!

Response from Host, Aug 2023

Jill thank you for spending your Saturday afternoon with us. We're so pleased to hear that you found the booking process easy, our communication responsive and Spencer a wealth of knowledge and great fun as Captain. The water feels AMAZING this time of year, so we're glad you took advantage of the Lily Pad and enjoyed it, too. We look forward to seeing you again!

Beautiful day on the...

Christopher_C, Jul 2023

Beautiful day on the water. Spencer was the best captain. Great experience with our group of twelve people.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Christopher thank you for the feedback. We're glad you and the others in your group had a great Saturday afternoon on the water with Captain Spencer. We'll be sure to share with him!

Excellent ride with lots pf sightseeing

STEPHEN_A, Jul 2023

Fun and exciting, my kids love it so much amd water waves gave us a complete ecperience. We will love to take the ride again

Response from Host, Jul 2023

It's fantastic to hear that your kids had a fun and exciting time during the boat ride! Enjoying the water and having a complete experience can make the trip even more enjoyable for everyone. It's great to know that your family had such a positive experience that you're already looking forward to taking the ride again. I'm sure your kids will cherish those memories, and we hope you have many more wonderful adventures together in the future!

Can’t skip it if in Austin

Alfredo_B, Jul 2023

From the begging to the end, it was a great experience. The instructions on how to get there were super clear and concise. The capitan was super friendly and had accommodations for us. He had cool water to offer us and thanks God because we left ours. He gave us a tour around Austin Lake and explained different points and houses whom it is said they belong. The boat was super clean and neat. Beautiful! Thank you capitan for the group pictures and the great tour. Would definitely recommend it.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Alfredo thank you for boating with us. We're so pleased that you and your family enjoyed your time with Captain Jason and that he took great care in ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable time for everyone. We're glad it was a great experience from start to finish and appreciate the recommendation!

Fun in the sun

cat, Jul 2023

Fantastic day on the lake. Jason our captain was wonderful taking us to great spots to swim and we visited unique culverts along the way. Great tunes and a great way to cool off from the heat!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you so much for writing us a review and letting us know that you had a fantastic day on Lake Austin with captain Jason. We always strive to provide the best boating experience for you and your loved ones. Come back and boat with us in the near future.

Friday afternoon tour

Lynn_L, Jul 2023

Ronaldo was a great captain!!! He was very entertaining and made our tour very enjoyable! We would not hesitate booking with Ronaldo again!

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Thank you for reviewing our private Lake Austin boat tour and cruise. We are excited to hear that captain Ronaldo provided a great boat rental experience for you and your loved ones! We would love to have you again in the near future.

Shout out Spencer

noofacesoprano, Jun 2023

Spencer was the best host and did an amazing job engaging with us as well as informing us on the lake area history and setting good vibes !

Response from Host, Jun 2023

We're so pleased Captain Spencer made your boat cruise a five-star experience. Lake Austin is rich in history and scenic in beauty, so we're happy you enjoyed both!

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