Frequently Asked Questions
How can I view the holiday lights on the River Walk? The holiday lights on the River Walk will turn on this year on November 29th and remain lit from dusk to dawn each night through January 12th, 2025. You can experience the lights on foot, our narrated cruises or our Holiday Cocoa Cruises that include hot cocoa and holiday music.
The Downtown Reach encompasses the heart of San Antonio, where visitors can enjoy the Arneson Theatre, Friendship Torch, Sculpture Garden, Main Plaza and more—showcasing the hustle and bustle of constant activity on the River Walk. Do you have a military discount? Active, Retired Military& Veterans receive military discount along with their spouses and dependents. Only one ID is required per active and retired military family. One per family, discount may only be used once and must be current, an expired ID will not be accepted.
Yes, you can bundle a Go Rio Narrated River Cruise with 3 more top San Antonio attractions and save 39% off combined admissions. Learn more and purchase online for instant mobile ticket delivery. How should we plan or forecast for inclement weather? Safety is a high priority for our guests, so if we feel our guests’ safety will be compromised on our cruises, we may suspend service until weather permits. If you suspect service may be interrupted for this reason, please feel free to call 210-227-4746 or visit us on social media for the latest updates.
Please contact us at 210-227-4746.
For the major river parades, the walking area along the River Walk is closed at around 3 p.m. in the afternoon. This allows time for the restaurants to set up their seating for customers who purchase parade packages from them. Yes, some people will be able to watch the parade(s) from the bridges over the river, but please understand that tens of thousands of people will be trying to do the same thing. It may not be the experience you are hoping for.
The Christmas/Holiday River Parade is always the Friday after Thanksgiving at 7 p.m. For additional information, contact Visit San Antonio at 210-227-4262. Go Rio hosts private watch parties along the parade route year-round, check for tickets today!
Yes. The popular wedding spot is called Marriage Island and is located directly behind Hotel Contessa. It is a small peninsula that juts out into the river and is a perfect place for an outdoor wedding. To reserve it, contact the City of San Antonio Department of Parks and Recreation at 210-207-7275.
Downtown San Antonio has just over 10,000 city and privately owned parking spaces in garages, surface lots, and parking meters.
The River Walk does not have a physical address. With the addition of the Museum and Mission Reaches, it runs for many, many miles. A central location is 111 West Crockett Street, San Antonio, TX 78205.
Please visit us HERE to learn more about available positions and the application process.
Through our program Project Discover, we offer schools the opportunity to book field trips with Go Rio. For more information on Project Discover, call (210)-227-4746.
Unfortunately, at this time we do not have an app, but you can track our shuttles via our GPS system HERE.
Sign up for our e-club to stay in touch with what’s happening at GO RIO, including announcements, special events, and promotions. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and at @GoRioCruises for the latest updates.
"Step into the Soul of San Antonio" means there's another world to be experienced in San Antonio, just steps below the street level. GO RIO cruises let our riders experience a true reflection of our City’s culture, the "Soul of San Antonio."
No, although service animals are allowed.
GO RIO is committed to serving people of all abilities. All our barges are ADA-accessible so that everyone can enjoy our tours, shuttles, and charters. We make every attempt to provide reasonable accommodations for accessible seating, companion seating, and access ramps for any guest who requires it. For our daily shuttle operation, we can accommodate two wheelchairs on each barge. Boarding ramps are available on board each GO RIO shuttle. Many of our riders with mobility impairments choose to transfer into seats next to companions/family members. Barge drivers reserve the seats closest to the boarding area for mobility-impaired passengers and make reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis. Drivers can place a companion chair next to passengers who prefer to remain in a wheelchair. The City of San Antonio keeps maps of accessible routes throughout the River Walk area with walkway routes and construction projects.
Our fleet of barges operate with electric, eco-friendly engines without the diesel fumes or engine noise of the past… just a quiet hum! So, yes, we consider them to be “green.”
Our boats are colorful, quiet, eco-friendly, and are decorated with punched-aluminum panels resembling papel picado, with motifs representing the San Antonio Missions, the military and San Antonio’s Tricentennial. The boats also sit higher in the water to give riders a better view of all the sights along the River Walk, and feature new seating arrangements. While the routes are the same, our new narrated river cruises feature a brand-new script highlighting the history and culture of San Antonio. We also have a variety of unique cruises taking place throughout the year—check them out HERE.
You can board the GO RIO River Shuttle at one of our 15 designated stops along the River Walk. Look for the GO RIO Shuttle signs located along the River Walk Downtown and on the Museum Reach. River Shuttles are marked with a sign on the front and the back that says GO RIO Shuttle. Shuttles run on a timed schedule approximately every hour.
A boat configured for dining holds a maximum of 20 people. Please see more information on our dining cruise page.
No. Food and beverages must be provided by a restaurant or catering company. You may book a private tour and add Go Rio's Beverage Bar To-Go for no additional service fees.
All food and beverages must be provided by a restaurant or catering company. You may not provide your own food.
You can create your own unforgettable San Antonio River experience with a GO RIO private charter for up to 37 guests depending on the type of cruise. Charters include a boat captain. Private Charters cost $230 for 1 hour during peak time and $180 for 1 hour during non-peak times. For information, please visit our Private Charters Page or call 210-227-GRIO (4746).
You can enjoy food and drinks from one of our approved caterers/River Walk restaurants onboard a GO RIO cruise as you take in the sights and lights along the iconic San Antonio River Walk. Dinner cruises will comfortably seat 18, with more intimate dining configurations available for 2-10 people. For more information, please visit our Dining Cruise Page or call 210-227-GRIO (4746). Food and beverages must be provided by one of our approved caterers. You may not provide your own food.
To make a reservation for a private/chartered dinner cruise, visit our Dining Cruise Page or call 210-227-4746.
Reservations are not necessary for our public narrated cruises. The tickets are not time specific and they leave our docks every 15 minutes. You can purchase tickets to ride the boats at any of our three ticket booth locations along the River Walk. Large groups should make reservations by calling 210-227-4746.
(A) Historia - 706 River Walk (Under Market St. Bridge & Alamo St.) – across from Hilton Palacio del Rio (B) Rivercenter - 849 E River Walk (Commerce & Bowie St.) – River level (C) Aztec Theater - 731 River Walk (River Level Aztec Theater – Crockett & St. Mary's St.) Buy GO RIO River Cruises tickets online today or at any GO RIO ticket station on the River Walk. Ticket station locations: Please note: some locations have varying hours, are open only on weekends, and/or are seasonal.
Technically the River Walk never closes. You can walk along it at any time, day or night. Of course, the businesses on the River Walk do close at night. Most of the restaurants close around 10 p.m. and bars close at 2 a.m.
Narrated tour cruises are offered Monday through Sunday 10 a.m to 10 p.m for most of the year. During Holiday peak periods, hours of operation may be extended. Please notice that during peak times, wait times will be longer. GO RIO operates year round weather permitting and unless the River floodgates are closed.
GO RIO can accommodate up to 37 passengers per boat.
GO RIO offers narrated cruises, unique cruises, private charters, dining cruises, and river shuttle service from Downtown to the Museum Reach; check out our Cruises Overview Page for details. |