FAQs

The River Walk is a public park and is free to visit. Boat rides, attractions, and other activities will have various costs associated with them.

The River Walk is 15-miles long. It flows through approximately 5-miles of downtown San Antonio. As such, there is no one address. For GPS purposes, use the address for the Shops at Rivercenter, located directly on the River Walk, in the heart of downtown, at 849 E. Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas 78205.

The headwaters of the San Antonio River is located at the University of Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas. approximately four miles north of Downtown.  It joins the Guadalupe River and flows all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

See an overview map of River Walk

The Downtown and Museum Reach sections of the River Walk are open 24-hours a day. Please check with businesses directly for their hours of operation. The Mission Reach section of the River Walk is open during daylight hours only.

Go Rio Cruises offers boat tours, boat taxis, and private dining boats.

Weather permitting, boat tours and boat taxis operate from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm daily. Dinner cruises require advance reservations. Tour and taxi tickets may be purchased in advance online or at three locations on the River Walk.

For more information call the reservations office at 210-227-4746 or visit www.Goriocruises.com

There are over 2,000 parking meters, most of which are enforced 8AM-6PM, Mon-Sat. Parking is free outside of these hours. Parking is free in city-run parking garages and lots during “Downtown Tuesday” which is available  on most Tuesdays after 6 PM.
Use this link locate parking in the downtown area.

Out-of-town visitors may park their buses at the Travis Park parking meters or at The Alamodome. Arrangements for parking meters need to be made in advance on a first-come basis with the Traffic Division at 210-207-7755. For more information on The Alamodome, visit www.alamodome.com or call 210-207-3663.

Contact The City of San Antonio Disability Access Office by calling 210-207-7957 or by visiting The River Walk ADA Page.

Or view the River Walk’s map showing ramps and elevator access.

The nice folks at Tom’s Wheelchairs rent wheelchairs and scooters. You may reach them at 210-223-7878 or www.tomswheelchairs.com. They are conveniently located in Downtown San Antonio.

Climate Conditions Daily Average.

Visit http://www.weather.com for local San Antonio conditions 

There is! It is called Marriage Island and is located on the bank of the river near Hotel Contessa. Reservations and fees must be requested through the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department at 210-207-7275.

Dogs are allowed on the River Walk, but they must be leashed. Many of the outdoor restaurants and shops welcome dogs on their patios while you dine. Some restaurants even have pet menus (Rita’s on the River). Please call ahead to check if the specific business you wish to visit allows dogs.

Please remember to clean-up after your pet.

As tempting as it is, we ask that all visitors refrain from feeding the wildlife people-food.  It is not healthy for them, and it has a direct affect on the delicate eco-system of the river by changing the PH balance of the water. 

Thanks to a series of locks and dams, the downtown section of the River Walk does not flood – even during heavy rain periods. Street level water around the River Walk is routed into the river to avoid street level flooding as well.   A sophisticated monitoring system ensures water level does NOT rise to flood the sidewalks on the Downtown section of the River Walk.

South of downtown is the Mission Reach section of the River Walk which can flood. If you can’t see the sidewalk or a barricade is up, turn-around and avoid the area.

100,000 Christmas lights are turned on each year the day after Thanksgiving to kick-off the Ford Holiday River Parade. The lights remain on until a few days after the first of the New Year. The turn-off date varies. The lights go on at dusk and off at dawn each day during the season.