Austin Duck Adventures + Other Unique Things To Do In Austin, Texas

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Abby and I recently visited family in Austin, Texas. During our trip, we took an amazing duck-boat tour with Austin Duck Adventures. We had so much fun! I wanted to share about the experience and provide some other family-oriented and unique Austin experiences that might be perfect for your family.

Visiting Austin Texas

Austin, Texas, is such a young, energetic, and fun town that it has really become a go-to destination for Texas travel. It’s the perfect destination for a short or long family trip, with so many options for great food, music, and outdoor adventures.

While we were in Austin, we stayed at the Hotel Van Zandt in the Rainey Street Historic District. Rainey Street is geared more toward the 21+ crowd, so while it’s not the ideal place to stay with kids or teenagers, it proved to be a nice central location. We really enjoyed the hotel and the food truck park! There are a lot of unique things to do in Austin close by.

Austin Duck Adventures

My Dad lives in the Texas Hill Country and came up to spend a day with us. He loves Austin, Texas, and was proud to show us around. I have to admit – I was a little skeptical when he said we were going on an Austin duck tour!

It turns out that Austin Duck Adventures was a highlight of our trip. Nothing can top our kayaking experience, during which we viewed the bats coming out from under the Congress Street Bridge. Still, our Austin Duck Adventures tour was a solid second place.

Austin Duck Adventures Tickets

It’s recommended you buy your Austin Duck Adventures tickets online and in advance. Tours operate seven days a week, and there are one to three tours per day that run from 11 AM through 4 PM. At times, multiple tours head out at the same time.

You can check availability and book tickets to Austin Duck Adventures by clicking here: AUSTIN DUCK ADVENTURES TICKETS.

Austin Duck Adventures Meeting Location

The Austin Duck Adventures meetup point is at the Austin Visitor’s Center, which is centrally located in downtown Austin. It’s near two nearby Hilton Hotels—the Hilton Austin and the Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown and right next to the Austin Convention Center.

It’s recommended you arrive early before the Austin Duck Adventures tour. This gives you a chance to look around the Austin Visitor Center, which is a great time to look at all the brochures and get acquainted with the large selection of unique things to do in Austin.

I love visiting visitor centers because they are fabulous ways to get a fast and comprehensive idea of trips, tours, excursions, parks, and museums available in an area. You can also frequently find good coupons, maps, and fun goodies in the brochures that aren’t available online! The Visitor Center has a great gift shop if you are looking for Austin or Texas-related gifts and souvenirs.

The Austin Visitor Center and Austin Duck Adventures meeting point is located at 602 E 4th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. Several other tours meet here as well, including the Austin Double Decker Bus Tour, which is a great option if you don’t care for the Lake Austin part of the tour.

About The Austin Duck Adventures Tour

The Austin Duck Adventures tour is a 75-minute sightseeing tour that goes on both land and water. It takes you through the Austin downtown area, including the Sixth Street district, to the Texas State Capitol Building and Governor’s Mansion, the State History Museum, the University of Texas, and even into Lake Austin.

The knowledgeable guides share many fun facts and point out so many interesting places, including natural springs, the Google building, and more. They narrate the entire tour, so you just sit back and enjoy the ride!

The best part for the kids is going from land into Lake Austin. The pontoon nature of the vehicle allows it to float on water. Splashing into the water and floating around the lake is a memorable experience for everyone! The tour spends about 20 minutes actually in the lake.

Austin Duck Adventures Boat

Their US Coast Guard-inspected Hydra Terra vehicles (the “Duck”) can seamlessly transition from dry land to water. The Austin Duck Adventures duck boat is built for safety. It is aluminum, designed for maximum safety and seaworthiness on the water. Special engineering and construction make it nearly unsinkable. The duck holds 44 passengers. The boats are covered but have large open windows running along the sides. The windows make for great viewing but let in a lot of light. I recommend wearing sunscreen in the summer.

I have to prepare you in advance for one thing—on the tour, they give everyone something called a “QUACKER,” which is a yellow-colored duck whistle. People are not afraid to use them, especially kids. These quackers make it extra fun, but they can get a little noisy!

You can check out an Instagram reel that I made sharing our trip here.

Austin Duck Adventures FAQ

I wanted to share a few things we learned on our Austin Duck Adventures tour. These are FAQs about the duck tours in Austin that can help you decide whether this is something you want to do on your trip. Plus, it enables you to plan ahead, which is always important when traveling with kids!

Where Do You Park For Austin Duck Adventures?

You can always look for the street marker first, but the nearest parking garage is the 5th Street Garage, located at 601 E. 5th Street. The meetup location is also right next to the Capital MetroRail Downtown Station, making public transportation very easy.

Will I Get Wet On The Austin Duck Adventures Tour?

Not from the lake! You have the greatest chance of getting wet if it is raining. However, you will not get wet when you tour Lake Austin on the duck boat.

Where Can I Find Austin Duck Adventures Reviews?

I recommend reading Trip Advisor reviews. Of the 797 reviews there, this outing has 4.5 stars, and there are many great written reviews from people just like me.

Other Unique Things To Do In Austin

There are so many unique things to do in Austin! I wanted to share some other fun and exciting excursions that might be perfect for a family or a group with kids. These encompass the area’s natural wonders, its historic downtown, and its incredible music scene. These tours are all top-rated and receive at least a 4 out of 5 stars on Get Your Guide.

Sunset Bat Watching Kayak Tour

This sunset bat-watching kayak tour is one of the most popular tours on Get Your Guide. Abby and I went on this tour, and we absolutely loved it!

On this two-hour evening tour, you’ll kayak on Lady Bird Lake and enjoy amazing views of the city skyline. You’ll go under Congress Ave Bridge around sunset and see one of the city’s most amazing events—the nightly flight of the bats! Your expert guide will teach you about the local bat colony and lead you to the best spots for pictures.

Best of Austin Driving Tour with Local Guide

On this 2-hour Austin city tour, you’ll take an air-conditioned van and tour major landmarks, lesser-known gems, and various neighborhoods in Austin. There will be several stops where you’ll be able to stretch your legs, eat at food trucks, and even take a tour of the State Capitol building.

Your guide will cover interesting facts about the art, culture, and music of Austin, and you’ll learn about secret places, famous people, and local history. After the tour, you can enjoy a free treat!

Morning History Walking Tour of Downtown Austin

This early bird Austin History Walking Tour is a great way for the family to start the day! On this 1.5-hour tour, you’ll cover a lot of ground in downtown Austin and get to see numerous landmarks, restaurants, coffee shops, and music venues.

Your guide will tell you the history of these places and share interesting facts about Austin’s history, art, architecture, and culture. You’ll explore the city like a local and even get a chance to learn about the celebrated bat colony in the city.

Live Music Crawl in Austin

On this three-hour Austin Live Music Night Tour, you’ll have a fun night out on the town, exploring the live music scene with a local entertainer as your guide.

During this music adventure, you’ll see live music, explore three different clubs, visit iconic venues, learn about Austin’s live music history, and get the scoop on current trends in the local music scene. If you’re into bars and music, this is a great way to immerse yourself in the Austin scene.

Downtown Austin Haunted History Tour

No city vacation is complete without a haunted tour! On this 1.5-hour Haunted Austin Tour, you’ll explore the ghastly locations and tales of Austin.

During this storyteller-led haunted walking tour, you’ll stop at hunted places and uncover stories of ghosts, murder, and the macabre. As expected, your guide will haunt you with terrifying tales and give you the fascinating and dark history of some of the city’s landmarks.

Austin Duck Adventures & Our Trip To Austin, Texas

We had a blast on our Austin duck tour! Austin was the perfect place to visit with my daughter, and we had so much fun exploring everything this city has to offer.

We definitely recommend taking a tour to see the bats, as well! We hope you enjoyed these recommendations and that they inspire you during your trip to Austin, Texas!

More Texas Family Travel Inspiration

If you are planning a trip to Texas, make sure to check out my other Texas blog posts. We have a lot of family there and travel to Texas often. You may enjoy the following popular Texas travel posts!