The San Antonio River Walk

Tourist trap.
Expensive bad food, you might as well buy out of date food at the Goodwill and poison yourself on that, at least you’d spend less.
Local business promoting their generic bad beers and such to tourists who came for the Alamo and get caught in this tourist trap.
Forget about St Patrick’s day events here. All about selling you bad corporate made slop they call beer. The music is provided by poor native local musicians who grovel to get on the stage and perform crap for folks who don’t know any better.
And finally failing attendance to this once feted destination, the news is spreading fast, see the Alamo but pass on the River-​walk.
Waste of your time and money.

It’s a pretty cool place to visit or just go if your local you can go on boat rides a or just walk the river walk and when your done you can walk to the mall

I had never been to San Antonio but when looking up things to do the River Walk came up as the number 1 thing to do. So there we went. I don’t know about you but not being a native Texan, one doesn’t expect something like this. It’s a loop of river in the heart of San Antonio partially natural, partially man made, and all engineered so it is at a lower level than the street and the city above. Makes it more private and segregates it from the traffic. Very neat. It’s a big attraction to lots of people, even during a not so busy time of the year. Lined with shops and restaurants its the perfect place to take the family and get some air, people watch or even for a romantic night out I’d imagine. Just be careful if you’re getting plastered. There are lots of places to fall into the river! Also, the boat tour is decent. It’s priced ok for a short tour with some interesting tidbits. Put on some sunscreen and get ready for a leisurely day!

Aside from The Alamo, is there anything else more quintessentially San Antonio than the River Walk?
We were only in San Antonio for a day and a half. My two top sightseeing priorities were the Alamo and the River Walk. I was a little nervous as to how we would manage this given that we were also set to meet old friends at the Pearl and we wanted to catch the Spurs game. My nervousness was uncalled for as – aside from the AT&T Center, which was about ten minutes away — the Pearl is part of the River Walk and we could easily take a water taxi if we so choose.
I am always watchful of expenses, and water taxis do not have the cheapest fare. I cannot justify splurging on water taxis so we decided to drive and park nearer the Alamo. From there, the River Walk was within walking distance, according to my local friend. Hurray! Our schedules would not be too tight!
River Walk should really not be missed. Sure it is quite touristy, but this little fact does not make it any less worth seeing. In fact, the touristy aspect of the place makes River Walk a grand place for some fantastic people watching. We opted to take the river cruise and I highly recommend it to get an idea on the history and noteworthy structures of the River Walk. See the old theater. Learn about how the River Walk came to be. And then go hang out at one of the many restaurants by the water. Or better yet, if you want a place with fewer tourists, go to the Pearl and check out the places there.
Visiting the River Walk was really one of the highlights of our hectic trip. It made for a wonderful leisurely afternoon.

A great place to relax, walk along the riverwalk or take the boat to the mall. At night the riverwalk lights up with the sounds of bustling restaurants alongside the river. There are so many way to enter the riverwalk you can miss it. Careful when there is a convention because the lines can get long during peak times.

If you’re ever even remotely close to the River Walk in San Antonio, check it out. It’s a beautiful place for a stroll, jog or even (especially!) date night. And, the look and feel of the walk changes with the time of day.
A morning jog or stroll along the River Walk can be a peaceful yet invigorating activity as the world wakes up with chirping birds, quacking ducks searching for breakfast, and the tranquil sound of waterscapes that occasionally show up during your stroll.
Lunchtime finds the River Walk bustling with activity as people are meeting up for lunch in any of the many riverside restaurants. The walk can be quite crowded during lunch so if that’s not your thing you can plan your stroll to miss the lunch crowd.
And at night, what could be more romantic than a stroll along the river under a lush canopy of trees with sparkling white lights decorating branches and businesses along the river? It’s stunning.
It’s beautiful, day or night, and it’s the perfect spot for a bit of outdoor exercise, or to enjoy the weather, or just meet up with people.
A solid 5+ star walk.

This is a nice place to go if you want to take a walk in the fresh air and a have a variety of eating places to choose from. Along the Riverwalk, you can stop in the shops or grab a bite at a restaurant. I recommend the Aztec boat tour. It’s reasonably priced and gives you an informational overview of the Riverwalk and its history in San Antonio. Take the boat tour just as the sun is setting and the lights come on all over the Riverwalk. It’s so pretty.
Note that It is very crowded during holiday times and weekends. If you’re not adept at navigating crowds, don’t come during a busy time. Also, the walk narrows at points, so if you’ve got a baby carriage it’s a bit scary. It’s conveniently located near the Alamo and lots of parking is available around this tourist oriented place of town, so expect tourists!!!

It’s a horrible tourist trap and I get really nervous about accidentally getting knocked into the disgusting water. The dining options — 90+% Tex-​Mex — don’t seem worthy of any wait time, and yet people will stand around for hours. Probably knocking back the surprisingly cheap drinks (by LA standards, anyway.) This is Middle America at its worst.
P. S. It smells something awful in the summertime. If you must come here, then do it in the winter or early springtime.

TAKE MY ADVICE!!! Go at dawn unless you want to fight the crowds of people. It is so pretty at night but there are so many people especially if you want to take the short ride on one of the boats. The holiday lights were up and it was so pretty.

I had been here nearly four decades ago, when the Riverwalk was packed with bars, disco’s and cowboy saloons. Now it is filled with some restaurant/​bars and café’s. It is such a lovely place to go and just walk without traffic, on a date, or with friends.
I found it a little frustrating, looking at the maps (I only saw one or two), showing where you are for tourists. We walked towards a hotel and climbed the stairs, only to find out there was no way out to the road or through the hotel, so we had to turn around. Also at another point one had to scale the steps, walk across a small walk, only to go back down the stairs again. As a handicapped person, I found this frustrating and it was painful for me, as I didn’t see any elevator. However, the walk itself is just lovely. The landscaping is beautiful.
My husband and I stopped at a pub, had a delicious meal. After being there just a few minutes, I realized that I had also been at this pub so many years ago. It was sort of like reliving a previous vacation. We didn’t take a boat ride, as the lines were just too long, but we did enjoy watching them pass. This would be a lovely place to take an evening stroll for tourists or locals.

Quite a nice walk along the river and definitely one of the primary attractions of San Antonio, really wished it wasn’t raining and freezing cold when we visited though!
The river walk is nicely paved, all along the river with intervening bridges, once you walk down some stairs from the town level, the walking paths are quite extensive and you can cover much ground via this route. The view from all around are festive, colorful and historical. There are a few attractions along the way from the art village to convention center to the river center mall. The signs are quite instructional in pointing you in the general direction as there are no streets on the river level. There are also river cruises running frequently from several different stops, they are pretty worth it to check out. It’s really nice to be actually floating on the river and having someone explaining the various things you may have seen or want to revisit once on the ground.
Of course, there are many many restaurants along the river that’s constantly going to be recruiting hungry tourists, most of them has terrible Unilocal ratings so we opted out of eating there. I do hope to revisit one day when the weather is better.

Such a cute tourist attraction! So beautiful
this time of year in December since all the Christmas lights are still up!!! Lots of places to eat and drink… although the Unilocal ratings didn’t look that great for many joints! So much character and it’s so nice to go for a walk here :)

I had some time to spare and decided to go for a run. I went on the Riverwalk and the calm scenery was nice. I liked how it was quiet and it was cold that day so not many people were out. I enjoyed my run but once I stepped out of the Riverwalk and went onto the main streets, it was not so good. Many run down businesses and I did not get the hype of downtown area. Maybe I was just not in the right spot. I did not get to ride the gondola or do many activities. Wish I saw it at night because I can see the lights hanging from the trees. I bet it would’ve been beautiful. Maybe next time.

I’m so happy we have a wonderful family weekend getaway where you can find great food, fun and festivities.
If you don’t come here during the holidays you’re missing out on a wonderful festive spectacle. You’ll find lots of people strolling along the walkways but some areas of the riverwalk do get congested so bring your patience and your walking shoes.
For those of you who have never been, the River Walk is smack dab in the middle of downtown San Antonio, below street level.
The «riverwalk» is a 2.5 mile trail lined along the river with shops, bars and restaurants. Trees and hotels are lit up with lights during the festivities in December and they put out 6,000 luminaries. They line up the entire river walk! It’s so beautiful to stroll along the boutique hotels and shops. The decorated boats stroll by full of people waving and it reminds me of the Safari jungle ride at Disneyland. It’s surreal. It’s that beautiful.
It gets crowded especially on the weekends so getting around with a stroller is ugh… not really ideal. You should make restaurant reservations because finding a spot on a weekend is tough. Be ready for long waits or 9 p.m. seatings.
You can catch a river boat or a taxi ($ 15 pp and ticket good for 24 hrs) to get around. We took a water taxi and got to see a lot of the river that you would normally not get to see. So I recommend you get a boat tour to hear some historical facts.
During the holidays the boats are decorated with lights and performers. I saw bands of mariachis, singers, and one boat had a dining table set up so I’m sure you could have a private dinner on a boat!
If you come for a weekend trip to try get a hotel located on the Riverwalk. It’s convenient and you’ll be near other tourist attractions like The Alamo and several cathedrals, markets and restaurants.
What are you waiting for? It’s free to walk around so go now!
#1002

I have been here several times, usually for conferences. I would say it’s definitely worth checking out if you are in the city. The «river» is more like a canal.
A lot of the restaurants are tourist traps. They have an endless flow of tourists, most of whom are «one and done», so they don’t need to have great food.
Some people stay around here for many days. For me it’s a half day visit.

A must if you are in or near San Antonio! We drove from Dallas to San Antonio since my friend had raved about this walk and we were not disappointed. Even on a gloomy-​ish day, we pleasantly enjoyed stretching our legs, smelling the different aromas coming from the restaurants, and enjoying the different plots of landscapes along the river.
It’s a simple and flat walk, given some stairs to cross the river here and there. Highly recommend!

I spent 5 days staying at a hotel on the River Walk last week and it was absolutely beautiful! We walked all over during our time there and it was always so peaceful to get off of the streets and walk along the water. It did seem like there weren’t a lot of local people there, mostly tourists, unless they worked at a local restaurant or hotel.
One thing I noticed is that it is really clean. It was rare to see garbage in this area, which I appreciated. Also the ducks were so friendly while we ate at several different places on the River Walk. We also did a Dinner River Cruise our first night there and had a wonderful tour guide who told us the history of the river and San Antonio. I love that there are all different types of statues and waterfalls along the river, adding to that serene atmosphere. There is even a small outside theater right by our hotel that was adorable. I wish we could’ve seen a show there.
With it being a very touristy area, I’m not sure I would go back for vacation. It’s nice to say now that I can check that off my travel list and I definitely recommend it to anyone that hasn’t been there before.

San Antonio Riverwalk is the highlight of the city, so everyone should at least visit once. It’s an overrated experience with average, over-​priced food, but at least you can say you’ve been.

I wanted to know this place. I really did. I’d heard about it for years! It was lackluster to be honest. No real charm. It’s all restaurants, and generic ones at that. Some speciality shops would really liven this place up.
I feel like all the restaurants were a little worn down, grungy, and hardly appetizing, menu wise. Typical tourist joints like Hard Rock, Dicks, etc.

I didn’t do a boat tour but I did do the «walk» and I really liked it. I was behind a bunch of slow ass tourists (I was a tourist, too but I walk pretty fast for a short girl).
I loved the plants, the little waterfalls and the ducks. I’m a total sucker for baby ducks all in a row. Don’t judge me.
The Riverwalk is a very cool place. Full of people watching, shops, and restaurants. It felt like New Orleans to me for some reason. I wanted to set up a tent and live here.

Sehr schöner Stadtkern einer der schönsten texanischen Städte (nur Austin überbietet San Antonio meiner Meinung nach). Hier merkt man nicht, dass San Antonio mit ca. 1,3 Millionen Einwohnern die 7. größte Stadt der USA ist.
Der Riverwalk wurde Ende der 1930er angelegt. Ursprünglich hatte man die Flusskurve durch einen Bypass trockenlegen wollen, nachdem eine Flut im September 1921 den Downtown District überflutet und 50 Menschenleben gekostet hatte. Den Plan, neben des Bypasses den ursprünglichen Strom durch 3 Gatter zu regulieren, die Ufer zu betonieren und damit einen Unterhaltungsbereich zu gestalten, legte Robert Hugman vor, der damit zunächst auf Kritik stieß. Glücklichweise wurde der Entwurf umgesetzt und wir dürfen uns nun dieser Attraktion erfreuen.
Am Riverwalk kann man tagsüber herrlich spazieren gehen und die Seele baumeln lassen, hier und da lohnt es sich, den Riverwalk zu verlassen und sich die eine oder andere Ecke der Stadt genauer anzusehen (The Alamo, Tower of the Americas, El Mercado, La Villata).
Gut gefallen hat mir der Übergang zur Mall, in der alle herkömmlichen Ketten, sowie einige lokale Geschäfte vertreten sind.
Abends ist hier von Dinner über Drinks und Karaōke bis Clubbing alles drin. In vielen Läden gibt es (wie überall in den USA) Bands, die ohne Eintritt nur für Tips spielen.
Unbedingt die River extension zum Alamo Plaza durch das Hyatt beachten!

Cadre très agréable, meme si depuis 2004 il a pu changer ahah.

Der Riverwalk ist eine der Sehenswürdigkeiten in San Antonio. Tagsüber bietet er nebst zahlreicher Shopping-​Möglichkeiten auch diverse Unterhaltungs-​Attraktionen. Auch das Texanische Wahrzeichen «The Alamo» und «The Tower of the Americas» sind in nächster Umgebung schnell zu erreichen. Tagsüber werden zudem noch kleine Bootsfahrten über den Fluß angeboten, der am St. Patrick’s Day immer grün eingefärbt wird. Zum Abend hin gestaltet sich der Riverwalk zu einer wahren Ausgehmeile und man kann in den zig Bars, Pubs und Restaurants einen tollen Abend verbringen.

suuper recherchiert. danke für diesen interessanten und wertvollen beitrag über san antonio. ich bin begeistert. ich war 2 mal da. meine tante und ihre 4 kinder (erwachsen) wohnen da.
eine ergänzung möchte ich zu deinem tollen artikel aber doch noch hinzufügen der Ort wo am 9. Dezember 1835 San Antonio eingenommen und ja eigentlich gegründet wurde ist The Alamo. Das legendäre Fort, das inmitten der Stadt auch noch zu besichtigen ist.

Als ich in San Antonio gewesen bin, bin ich nicht mehr aus dem Staunen gekommen. Diese Stadt ist einfach fantastisch!
Alleine mit einem Floß durch die Innenstadt zu shippern ist genial!
Leider bin ich nur einige Stunden dort gewesen, aber da möchte ich wieder hin!

Ein weiterer Ausflug von Round Rock aus,
führte uns nach San Antonio
San Antonio ist die älteste Stadt in Texas.
Sie wurde 1694 von spanischen Kolonisten gegründet.
Der Name geht zurück auf den Heiligen Antonius von Padua,
an dessen Gedenktag die Kolonisten in der Gegend haltgemacht hatten.
Die Stadt war zunächst Teil der spanischen Besitzungen und dann von Mexiko.
San Antonio wurde am 9. Dezember 1835 von Truppen der bald darauf
ausgerufenen Republik Texas im Aufstand gegen das mexikanische Régime
von Antonio López de Santa Anna erobert. Die Republik schloss sich später
den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika an.
San Antonio ist das wirtschaftliche und kulturelle Zentrum in Südtexas.
Tragende Wirtschaftszweige sind das Bankgewerbe und die Tourismusindustrie
(die Stadt verzeichnet etwa 20 Millionen Touristen pro Jahr).
Sehenswert sind die fünf französischen Missionen,
einschließlich der Mission San António de Valero (1718 gegründet).
Sie wurde 1793 in ein Fort umgewandelt,
das Alamo (spanisch: Baumwollpflanze) .
Ebenso bekannt ist der spanische Gouverneurspalast,
der 1772 Hauptsitz der spanischen Regierung in Texas und La Villita wurde.
Weiterhin von Bedeutung sind die San-​Fernando-​Kathedrale (1873 fertiggestellt),
das historische King William Area (König-​Wilhelm-​Viertel),
ein von deutschen Kaufleuten im späten 19. Jahrhundert besiedeltes Wohngebiet
zu Ehren von König Wilhelm I. von Preußen (dem späteren Kaiser Wilhelm I.) benannt,
sowie der 228 Meter hohe Tower of the Americas.
Sehr gut gefiel mir das Touristenarenal «Riverwalk» das Venedig von Texas.
Die Gegend ist voller Musik, Unterhaltung und Leben. Eine Tour auf einem Flussboot
kostet $ 5.25 und ist eine herrliche Art, das bunte Treiben zu erleben
Die Alamo und der Flussspaziergangspfad sind die Hauptattraktionen in
San Antonio und die zwei Hauptattraktionen im ganzen Staat von Texas.
Die La Villa geschichtliche Gegend im Inneren der Stadt, die am Flusspfad entlang liegt,
ist heute eine Kunsthandwerkgemeinde mit vielen kleinen Läden,
die interessante Geschenkartikel und Andenken verkaufen.
Ein paar Häuserecken südlich gibt es die King Williams Historische Gegend,
die hunderte von herrlichen renovierte Viktorianische Häuser enthält.
Besucht man das Guenther Haus in dieser Gegend früh am Morgen und geht
in das Restaurant bekommt man das beste Frühstück der Stadt!
El Mercado, oder Marktplatz, am westlichen Rande der Stadt ist der grösste
Mexikanische Markt in der ganzen USA. Hier kann man wunderbare handgefertigte Töpfe,
Schmuck, Kunst und Bekleidung zu Gelegenheitspreisen erstehen.
Verschiedene andere Latino kulturelle Attraktionen liegen auch in dieser Gegend,
sowie der Spanische Gouveneur Palast, das Navarro Haus Museum und die San Fernando
Kathedrale. Strassenbahnen fahren durch die Innenstadt für den geringen
Preis von 50 cents.
Es gibt mehrere Themenparks ausserhalb der Stadt. SeaWorld San Antonio
(leider an diesem Tag geschlossen)
mit seiner Wasserunterhaltung liegt 15 Minuten westlich vom Stadtinneren.
Der Six Flags Fiesta Texas Themenpark und der Splashtown Wasserpark liegen
15 Minuten nördlich der Stadt. Die Schlitterbahn, 48 km nördlich an der Route 35
entlang ist sehr interessant. Dies ist ein deutscher Themenpark komplett mit einem
Replika Schloss und einem der grössten und besten Wasserbahnen im Lande ‚
und liegt in der Mitte der deutschen Gemeinde von New Braunsfels. Restaurants in
diesem kleinen Ort servieren Bratwurst und Apfelstrudel sowie die gewöhnlichen Texas
Barbeque– Grill Speisen.
Wie ihr schon an der Länge meines Berichtes seht, gefiel mir
San Antonio ausgesprochen gut, ich möchte sagen die schönste Stadt auf unserer Texas-​Tour.