River Walk Cruises & City Tours
Prices & schedules checked October 18, 2026
The River Walk is free to stroll, and it’s a public park open 24 hours a day. The organizers say a visit to the downtown River Walk may take one to two hours, while adding Museum Reach or Mission Reach can fill a half or full day. A boat or trolley helps you cover more.
GO RIO river cruises
- Narrated 35-minute cruises through the downtown River Walk with live guides; English tours daily, Spanish on selected dates.
- Operating daily, most of the year from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; open year-round, weather permitting.
- The operator says cruise tickets are not location, date or time specific, so you can ride when it suits you.
Old Town Trolley (hop-on hop-off)
The operator lists a narrated tour of approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, with packages that add a 35-minute GO RIO cruise.
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Small-group combination tours
If you’d rather not plan the logistics, small-group tours bundle the Alamo, a mission, the Tower of the Americas and a river cruise into one outing, or pair a guided downtown walk with a cruise. Check each listing for exactly what’s included.
Viator prices change often, so we don’t quote them: the Viator buttons open the live listing, where you’ll see today’s price, times and cancellation terms. Facts on this page come from the operators’ own sites.
Our take
- Just one paid thing: the 35-minute GO RIO cruise — after dark in December.
- No car, two days: the hop-on trolley, plus a missions tour.
- No car, one day: a small-group combination tour.
Sources
- San Antonio River Walk — visitor FAQs (24-hour public park, time needed, reaches)
- GO RIO Cruises — Narrated tours
- GO RIO Cruises — Visitor information (hours, year-round)
- Old Town Trolley Tours San Antonio — Tickets
- Viator — Best of San Antonio Small Group Tour
- Viator — San Antonio Small Group Walking Tour with Riverwalk Boat Cruise
- Viator — San Antonio Hop-On Hop-Off Trolley Tour