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When people think of San Antonio, two images come to mind: the Alamo and the River Walk.
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We’ve all seen the iconic images of the San Antonio River Walk – with open boats carrying visitors past historic buildings while others enjoy delicious meals along the River Walk. San Antonio’s River Walk is one of two iconic sights!
The River Walk features an area of walkways with restaurants and businesses along the downtown river. The River Walk’s downtown portion is about 2.5 miles long if you walked the entire area. Since the river wanders, it is usually shorter to take the streets above to get from point to point, but it is a lot prettier on the River Walk!
The Sites
The River Walk crosses through several important areas of downtown San Antonio. The River Walk passes by the Convention Center, the Tower of the Americas, and the Rivercenter Mall. It is just a block or two from other important San Antonio locations – think The Alamo, St. Joseph’s Church, and the art deco theaters like Aztec and Majestic. To me, the most fun part of the River Walk is just walking by and seeing all the gorgeous areas and hear about their history.
Boat Tour
You can catch the GoRio at two spots along the River Walk. On a busy weekend, you’ll wait approximately 45 minutes for a boat ride. Once you’re on, the ride itself lasts approximately 45 minutes. The most important aspect of the ride is the historical points you’ll learn from your guide – plus you don’t have to walk! At a cost of $12 (discounts available to some groups), I actually recommend taking this tour if you’ve got the time. We did not buy the tickets in advance but you can get a discount if you do. Check out their website. (You can take your drinks on the tour, including alcoholic drinks!)
Walking Tour
While most walking tours in San Antonio don’t solely focus on the River Walk, since it is an important part of the city’s history, at least portions of the tour will include the River Walk. While there are many different kinds of tours you can take, depending on your interests, I was extremely pleased with my free walking tour from Amigo Tours and I highly recommend them. Their business just started summer 2018 and I was not compensated in any way to endorse them – they’re just that good!
I do feel that some of the restaurants here don’t try too hard since they know that tourists will be coming anyway, so I would warn you to check out Yelp reviews before you commit to a place for dinner. On the other hand, we ate at Fogo de Chau (an all you can eat Brazilian steak place) and had an excellent dinner.
I recommend taking one of the Viva buses to visit the other cultural and tourist areas of San Antonio like the Missions. Each line stops by the Rivercenter so it is convenient to get to other spots.
Know Before You Go
- Hotels on the River Walk are convenient but expensive. Select a hotel a block or two away.
- It is very crowded on the weekends. Visit during the week if possible.
- Take the boat tour – you won’t regret it!
- The River Walk is free.
- Check a restaurant’s review before selecting it.
I’ve stayed at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter before and loved both its facilities (plenty of restaurants!) and location. You can walk outside directly onto the River Walk!
Booking.comLooking for more things to do and see in San Antonio? Check out these great posts:
- Top 10 Things to do in San Antonio
- Visiting the San Antonio Missions
- Why You Should Visit the Alamo
- A Guide to VIVA – San Antonio’s transportation system
- 5 Reasons to Visit the Tower of the Americas
Happy travels!
Annick, The Common Traveler
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Raised as a third culture kid living in South America and Europe, Annick caught the travel bug early. As an empty-nester, Annick enjoys sharing her tips for traveling for those with champagne taste and beer budgets.
I’ve always wanted to visit this destination, and your post just moved it up a few notches on my bucket list! Your insights on navigating local transportation and the must-see hidden spots are invaluable. Can’t wait to read about your next adventure.
The best part about the riverwalk is that you can walk the entire thing with your dog. It’s about 15 miles in its entirety, but you see so many different areas and historical places on the way. We walked straight through one time which took the better part of a day. I don’t know if anyone else has ever done that, but it felt like an opportunity we couldn’t pass up!
What a great tip! So many people travel with their pups these days. Thanks for sharing!
So weird! I just came across pictures of the river walk today and got so excited because I’m moving to Texas in 2 weeks! It looks absolutely lovely, and looks expensive. Great tip about checking Yelp! as I do notice more “touristy” places know they’ll get business anyways and don’t care about their customers much.
River Walk at San Antonio looks wonderful with colorful boats. I loved that is place has no entrance fee and definitely visit on weekdays to avoid crowd. Also thanks for telling about great free walking tours provided from Amigo Tours.
I enjoy these river walks and boat tours and this one looks gorgeous through your wonderful captures. Those colourful boats surely deserve a ride . i am glad you gave an honest opinion about the food options around san antonio which is surely helpful !
The way you have described the San Antonio River Walk is so picturesque. It would definitely be a great idea to see a lot prettier sights on the River Walk instead of taking streets which could be shorter. Its amazing that one could see the beautiful places including the art deco theaters like Aztec and Majestic, and get to know their history too. It adds so much more meaning to the whole experience. Would keep in mind the free walking tour from Amigo Tours. Its great to learn the alternative boat tour also and thanks for the tips of making advance bookings for the discounts. Since it is generally crowded on the weekends, would prefer vising the San Antonio River Walk during the week!
The river walk indeed seems a great way to see the city without a doubt. I have never visited this and if I was this would be on the top of my list. My most favorite would be the open boats carrying visitors and the joy of enjoying those historic buildings on a bot. The perfect place to enjoy some good food and overall a great place to enjoy your holiday. Thanks for sharing
I so like the place, it’s so picture perfect! We have something similar in India–Hop On and Hop Off boats in a small town, Muziris, in Kerala. It’s a boat tour with stops of historical sites.
The River Walk looks like the first thing to do in Antonio. Your tips are very practical and useful. Will keep in mind to eat at restaurants 1 or 2 blocks away from the main center. The fact that the river walk is free is totally awesome
I would love to do this. I know it’s a bit touristy but it looks so nice, I’ve rarely heard anything negative about the River Walk except the hotels/restaurants are a little bit expensive. Thanks for the top tips!
ok, maybe it’s a bit touristy, but it’s such a cute place! And those little bars and cafes look so cozy! I’d definitely visit the area of I’ll ever be in San Antonio 😉
These are definitely great reasons to visit the river walk. I am keeping in mind to book hotels a block or two away. Thank you so much for this money saving tip. I sometimes get lazy and just book the one closest to the destination.
Also, would you mind sharing your favorite restaurant and food recommendations too? 🙂
Wow, I didn’t know anything about San Antonio, expect maybe for the Spurs. I learned so many new things with this article. It looks like a vibrant city with a lot of things to do. Thank you for sharing.
I visited the San Antonio River Walk many many years ago but would love to go back. I bet there are so many new restaurants and shops since I went, and I’d love to do a boat trip!
This looks like a great river walk, have to keep this in mind next time I’m in the area. I agree about the food around touristy areas – places know they don’t need to try hard to attract punters so the quality drops.
I’d love to experience both – walking tour and boat tour and its good that the River Walk will be a part of both. It sounds like a great way to not only spend the day, but also learning about the history of San Antonio. It looks like a pretty little town!
I’ve come upon your blog a few times, and it’s always a good find. I have been to the River Walk before, but this gives me such a different perspective. I totally agree about staying at a hotel a block or two away from the River Walk. I think it’s too hectic, on top of being expensive. Thanks for always sharing your expertise!