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(169)
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!!
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
a two-hour excursion with magnificent views of both banks of the river and a meaningful story about the history of their settlement
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!
Spencer was a fantastic captain on a spotless pontoon boat on lake Travis. We had a great time on this excursion
Our hearts are happy! We’re so grateful to hear that you had such a great time out on beautiful Lake Austin that you consider it the best excursion in Austin. It's always a special place to spend time. We also appreciate your note about the boat being spotless. We take great pride in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness, so we're glad that stood out. P.S. We love photos you shared with Captain Spencer and of the stunning sunset—they capture the experience perfectly!
Entertaining quite informative enjoyable captain of the tour kind respective . Thanks for sending pictures to us for memories
Vicki thank you so much for the review. We’re delighted to hear that you found the tour entertaining, informative, and enjoyable. Captain Spencer will truly appreciate your recognition. It means a lot to know his efforts made a positive impact on your experience. We’re happy you enjoyed the photos as well. They’re a wonderful way to look back on the day. Thanks again for spending a fun Friday afternoon on the water with us!
Spencer was great. I appreciated the full coverage on the boat for shade. And finally Kelly in the office was great and helpful with a reservation change.
Kimberly thank you so much for your kind words! We’re glad to hear you had a great experience. Spencer will be happy to know you enjoyed his service, and we’re also glad the full overhead shade on the boat made a difference. We’ll be sure to pass along your feedback to Kelly—she’ll be pleased to hear that her ease and helpfulness stood out. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience and for choosing to boat with us!
Awesome and just the right amount of time. Our captain was very polite and took time to point out things that make the lake unique.
Pedro thank you so much for your kind words. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed your experience and that Captain Spencer made your Sunday morning extra-special. What a fun way to celebrate!
Our captain was Spencer and he was amazing. He told us about all the houses around the lake and he took us to little Italy which was my favorite part. A beautiful sunset ended our experience. Great value! Loved it!
Samantha we're glad to hear you had such a great experience on the tour and enjoyed the amazing waterfront homes and exploring Little Italy - it's a true hidden gem!
