San Antonio Self-Guided Riverwalk Walking Tour

Explore San Antonio’s rich history and vibrant culture with this self-guided walking tour of the Riverwalk. Stroll along scenic pathways and uncover stories of Spanish explorers, Texas revolutionaries, and historic landmarks. Visit The Alamo, a symbol of courage and sacrifice, admire the Spanish Governor's Palace, and wander through La Villita Historic Village, filled with art and charm. Along the way, take in stunning architecture, lively plazas, and the unique spirit of this iconic city.

Meeting Point

River Center

159 Dolorosa, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

After booking, search your email for "Set up your self-guided tour now." Follow instructions NOW with Wi-Fi/data. Don't wait until onsite. What to bring: Charged smartphone, Power Bank, Headphones, & downloaded tour app.

What's included:

• Easy-to-use app: download Action’s Tour Guide App onto your phone
• Engaging storytelling: Uncover unique tales and thrilling history for a memorable journey!
• Perfect narrator: nothing can beat listening to a great voice. Proven with tons of rave reviews!
• Offline maps: no signal, no problem! Works perfectly without cellular or wifi.
• Comprehensive route and stops: See it all, miss nothing, leave no stone unturned!
• Go at your own pace: Start anytime, pause anywhere, enjoy breaks for snacks and photos freely!
• Learn more: dive deeper into any story you enjoyed with extra stories.
• Hands-free: audio stories play on their own based on your location. Easy to use!

Not included:

• Food & Drinks.

What to expect:

Duration: between 3 hours and 4 hours

San Antonio River Walk

849 E Commerce St, , San Antonio, 78205-3939, Texas

This beautiful city is so much more than just the Alamo. Today, we’ll explore the stunning San Antonio River, visit iconic sites like the San Fernando Cathedral, and dig into the embattled history of this Texan city.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Stargazer "Citlali" Statue

W Market St &, S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

Mexican Artist Pedro Reyes unveiled this sculpture in 2022. Do you see the star held in the figure’s hand? It’s made of marble and is supposed to represent a whole bunch of different things. This is the Lone Star state, of course, but it also represents a literal star in the sky, viewed for millennia by countless different cultures across time.

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Labor Plaza

Market/ Front of Convention Center, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

As the name suggests, this plaza is dedicated to labor history in San Antonio. It’s also absolutely packed with little details honoring figures from the labor movement over the years. On the spiral walkway is the poem “So that Our Crossing May Never be Obstructed” by San Antonio’s former poet laureate Octavio Quintanilla.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

La Villita Historic Village

418 Villita St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

Although today it’s a cute arts district, it has major historical significance. This was the first neighborhood in San Antonio! When we reach the big set of stairs on our left, stop walking.
People built simple houses here, along the banks of the San Antonio River.

Pass by without stopping

Rosita's Bridge

418 Villita St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

On our right is Rosita’s Bridge. This gorgeous, ivy-covered bridge gets its name from Mexican-American singer Rosita Fernandez.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Marriage Island

111 Soledad St #346, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

See this little island sticking out into the river? If you look closely, you might notice that it’s shaped a bit like a heart. This is Marriage Island, and it’s been the site of a whole bunch of wedding ceremonies over the years. Over 200 couples get married here every year!

Pass by without stopping

Tower Life Building

310 S Saint Marys St, , San Antonio, 78205-3165, Texas

That soaring skyscraper on our left is the Tower Life Building, dating back to 1929. This 31-story building soars to 404 feet, which made it the tallest building in San Antonio until 1968.

Pass by without stopping

Main Plaza

, , San Antonio, Texas

This plaza follows the classic design the Spanish used for almost all of their major New World settlements: Big cathedral on one side, plaza on the other. During the time of the Spanish, this was the central hub of the settlement, where town meetings would be held and vendors would sell their wares.

Pass by without stopping

San Antonio City Hall

100 Military Plaza #4, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

As we walk, we’ll see the impressive edifice of the San Antonio City Hall on our right. This building dates back to 1891, but the land it stands on has much more history. During the Spanish era, the spot where City Hall now stands was actually the center of the Main Plaza.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Presidio San Antonio de Bexar

105 Plaza de Armas, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

When the Alamo was established in 1718, the Spanish also built this presidio. This is where soldiers would be stationed in order to protect the mission and the growing town from raids by Native tribes or bandits. Initially, almost 50 soldiers and their families were garrisoned here.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Spanish Governor's Palace

105 Plaza de Armas, , San Antonio, 78205-2412, Texas

The Spanish Governor’s Palace is coming up on our right. For a closer look, feel free to turn right at the corner ahead to see the front of the building. Built in 1749, this was originally the residence of the military commanders of San Antonio. Later, it became the primary residence of the Spanish governors of this province.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Alamo

300 Alamo Plaza, , San Antonio, 78205-2606, Texas

On March 6th, 1836, General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched a full assault on the Alamo. By this time, a small number of reinforcements had been able to slip through to support the Texian position, but they still numbered only a little over 200, versus Santa Anna’s thousands of men.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Esquire Tavern

155 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA

The Esquire Tavern opened in 1933. For those of you who know your American history, that date might stand out: It’s the year Prohibition ended! The Esquire opened to celebrate the end of those prohibition laws. The 100-foot bar in this opulent watering hole holds the title for longest bar in Texas to this very day.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

The Aztec Theatre

104 N Saint Marys St, San Antonio, 78205-2209, Texas

On our left stands the historic Aztec Theatre, which dates back to the first golden age of Hollywood. Built in 1926, this theatre showed classic films back when Charlie Chaplin was the biggest name on the screen.

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included