Top 10 Things To Do On San Antonio's River Walk, Texas - Updated 2024

things to do in san antonio on the riverwalk
Hemasudha
Hemasudha 
Updated
| 4 min read

Rightly called as the “The American Venice,” the San Antonio River Walk is a stunning park set amidst a picturesque background. You can shop, eat, drink, admire the green places, and marvel at the fabulous artwork in this area. Either you are looking for a leisure walk or a fun-filled time, this is a perfect place for you. Due to the presence of plenty of attractions in this enthralling location, this spot is renowned as the top tourist destination in San Antonio. During spring, the River Parade festival will decorate the river with colorful flowers. Let’s explore the top 10 things to do on San Antonio’s River Walk, Texas.

1. Go on a Scavenger Hunt Adventure (from USD 20.0)

A scavenger hunt is the best way to explore the marvels of a city. This three-hour activity starts from the Alamo and proceeds towards the beautiful San Antonio River Walk, the famous San Fernando Cathedral, and many renowned monuments and locations around town. You can use your smart phone to solve clues and learn the history of San Antonio. Two to five people can participate in this activity.

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San Antonio Scavenger Hunt Adventure 3-Hour Walking Tour

Duration: 3 hours

16 reviews

2. Take a walking food tour (from USD 65.0)

This food tour will satiate any foodie visiting San Antonio. By booking this tour, you can skip the line and dine at the top restaurants of Alamo City. You can taste the authentic Creole and Tex-Mex cuisines during this tour. Overall, you can learn the culinary greatness of San Antonio in this amazing food tour.

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San Antonio Walking Food Tour: Downtown Delicacies

Duration: 3 hours

148 reviews

3. Make wishes on Confucius Wishing Lanterns


Confucius wishing lanterns is an old tradition in San Antonio in which people leave lanterns into the river in remembrance of their loved ones, hoping for a good fortune, or praying for good luck. Though entry is free, you will have to buy the lantern for a small fee. The lantern will include a candle and a pen. You can decorate the lantern as per your wish. Live Asian entertainment will be available at this event.

Confucius Wishing Lanterns

Website: Confucius Wishing Lanterns

Price: 5 USD

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4. Explore Arneson River Theatre for outdoor dance or musical performance

things to do in san antonio on the riverwalk | explore arneson river theatre for outdoor dance or musical performance
Source: instagram

Arneson River Theatre is a historic open-theater started in 1939 to host operas, dance, and music shows. This amphitheater can comfortably accommodate 800 people at a time. It is named after Edwin Arneson who arranged construction funds from the reputed Federal Works Progress Administration. The popular neighborhood, La Villita is packed with art galleries and shops.

Arneson River Theatre

Address: 418 Villita St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

Website: Arneson River Theatre

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 10am - 6pm; Sun: 11am - 5pm

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5. Attach padlocks written with sentimental messages to their lovebirds to a fence at Love Lock Bridge

Love locks
Source: Pixabay

The visitors can express and exhibit their love message at the Love Lock Bridge in the River Walk. This ancient tradition has been passed from Paris to San Antonio after its removal from the former city. This custom enables the visitors to attach the lock to the bridge and drop the key into the river as a symbol of their true love.

Love Lock Bridge

Website: Love Lock Bridge

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6. Go kayaking on the river along the Mission Reach


Though restaurants and shops are popular in River Walk, many visit the place to enjoy kayaking in the San Antonio River. Any visitor with a kayak and a life jacket can kayak in this beautiful river. The trail along Mission Reach is filled with natural sceneries, birds, and wildflowers. It is advisable to take drinking water, sunscreen, and insect repellent cream while kayaking.

Mission Reach trail

Address: 8510 Mission Pkwy, San Antonio, TX 78214, USA

Website: Mission Reach trail

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7. Visit the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum

Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum in Bangalore - Jim Ankan Deka photo
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jim Ankan Deka used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is an exceptional museum which displays odd exhibits like exotic animal skeletons and ill-shaped figures. The mysterious and weird exhibits can leave you awestruck. You can see the world’s tallest man, visual illusions, cannibal skull, the 1,400-lb man, and shrunken head in this amazing museum.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum

Address: 307 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

Website: Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum

Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 10am - 8pm; Fri - Sat: 10am - 10pm

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8. Relax at the Mokara Spa

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Grab a glass of champagne, take a dip in the whirlpool & relaaax ?

Posted by The Mokara Hotel and Spa on Friday, August 30, 2019

Right in the Mokara Spa, you can pamper yourself with a head-to-toe treatment and rejuvenate. The experienced therapists will create magic with their hands and provide a relaxing spa experience. The treatment is carried out in 18 treatment rooms. There are even private lounges for men and women. One can indulge in massage, beauty services, body treatments, and hair care services in this spa.

Mokara Spa

Address: 212 W Crockett St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

Website: Mokara Spa

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9. Soak up the history at La Villita Historic Arts Village (from USD 55.0)

things to do in san antonio on the riverwalk | soak up the history at la villita historic arts village
Source: www.viator.com

This tour enables you to ride an electric scooter and explore the wonders of San Antonio. This two-hour sightseeing expedition starts at Alamo Plaza and then takes you to the popular La Villita Historic Arts Village in Southtown and the great King William Historic District. Later, you will be driving through the San Antonio River Walk and enjoying a pleasant ride. Finally, you will go on a visit to the Mission Concepcion which is a Spanish Mission belonging to 1700s and the National Historical Park for a leisure walk.

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San Antonio Electric Scooter Tour to Mission Concepcion

10. Create countless memories on a River Walk boat tour

This tour is a double dose of fun which includes major landmarks of San Antonio. You can catch a boat and take a 35-minute enchanting cruise on the San Antonio River. Then, you can take a hop-on, hop-off, double-decker bus and tour the famous places of the city. You can select 19 stops as per your wish and learn about them. The on-board commentary will allow you to know the city better. At last, hike to the top of the Tower of the Americas and enjoy the mesmerizing view of the Alamo City.

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San Antonio River Walk and Tower of the Americas

Duration: 1 day

545 reviews

River Walk: the right place to start your San Antonio tour

San Antonio River Walk, San Antonio, Texas
Source: Photo by user Ken Lund used under CC BY-SA 2.0

River Walk is a 15-mile (24.1-km) stretch which offers a visual treat to the visitors. With so many attractions to check out in this area, River Walk is the perfect place to spend leisurely with walking, sightseeing, boating, shopping, and dining. Browse through our top attractions in River Walk and enjoy your holiday in San Antonio!!

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Hemasudha is a dedicated travel writer whose true passion lies in exploring the world. Traveling, for her, is not just a hobby but a profound spiritual experience that she is deeply passionate...Read more

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