Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour

Overview

An authentic Chicago tradition since 1935, this is the tour that started it all. This unique excursion tells the story of more than 200 years of fascinating social, cultural and political history, and explores more than a century of groundbreaking architecture. The journey begins with an up-close perspective of Chicago's internationally-known architecture as seen from the Chicago River. Then venture through the Chicago Lock on to the calm, cool waters of Lake Michigan for expansive views of Chicago's extraordinary 26-mile skyline. Take the selfie of a lifetime on this inspirational experience!

City: Chicago

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $42.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $42.00

Make a reservation

New York City Tours

Unique Activities (21) Transfers & Transportation (103) Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises (113) Entry Tickets (47) Sporting Events (1) Good for Small Groups (6) Seasonal & Holiday Tours (41) Walking Tours (697) Outdoor Activities (20) Limitied Availability Tours (6) LGBT Friendly Tours (4) Family-friendly Activities (7) Solo Travelers' Tours (147) Food & Drinks (27) Travelers recommend (73) Good for Groups (8) Top Activities (18) Guided Audio Tours (3) Art, Culture & History (135) Attractions to explore (38)

What's Included

All taxes, fees and handling charges

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Weapons prohibited by US Coast Guard
Outside alcohol is prohibited
All bags are subject to search
Arrive 30 Minutes prior to your departure time
Contact tour operator for wheelchair & ADA access
Indoor and outdoor seating is available on a first come, first served basis
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

What To Expect

Wendella

All tours depart and return to Wendella's Michigan Avenue Dock Located in the heart of Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Boarding for each tour will begin 15-30 minutes before the tour time. There is no reserved seating, as seating is first come first served. All groups should arrive 30 minutes prior to the tour time. All tickets are non-refundable, however, in the event you are unable to make your scheduled tour date or miss the boat, all tickets are transferrable to another time, date, or tour. Tours depart rain or shine. Located on the bottom deck of our climate-controlled lounge are restrooms and a full service bar with snacks, such as chips and candy (no meals or food are served), and a selection of beers, wines, cocktails and soft drinks. All vessel bars accept cash and all major credit cards.

Chicago River

Lake and River Architecture Tours begin at Michigan Avenue and explore Chicago's amazing architecture along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. All tours are narrated by professional tour guides.

Lake Michigan

Your tour travels along Lake Michigan and explores Chicago's beautiful skyline.

Centennial Fountain And Water Arc

Dedicated in 1989 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, known for reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900. For the first five minutes of every hour, the fountain shoots a water arc across the river from a tiered waterfall.

Merchandise Mart

The largest commercial building in the world.

Marina City

Pass by these iconic mixed-use apartment buildings - "a city within a city" with their unique corn-cob exterior.

Michigan Avenue Bridge

Michigan Avenue is home of the Chicago Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and the shopping on the Magnificent Mile.

Wrigley Building

This white, terra-cotta landmark was built in 1922 as headquarters for the Wrigley chewing gum company.

Chicago Riverwalk

An open, pedestrian waterfront called the city's 'Second Lakefront.'

The Lyric Opera House

Second-largest opera auditorium in North America, with an Art Deco interior

Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower

The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

Show 8 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (1000)

Deanna M

Aug 2019

We really enjoyed the cruise. Interesting giving a lot of history of Chicago. Going through the lock was a nice bonus.

durge1t

Aug 2019

Doing the architecture tour on the boat is a great and easy way to see the most of the Chicago sky scrapers and buildings. Definitely recommended!

Alison D

Aug 2019

I’ve taken two sets of out of towners on these tours. The first was awesome. We had a high school history teacher as our guide and he was great, full of interesting tidbits and he was funny. The second time we were first delayed because of an emergency on an earlier boat, which we completely understood. However, when we got to the part of the river near the Boeing building, which I was excited for my guests to hear about as I thought they would find it interesting, we turned around and heard nothing about that and the Civic Opera Building etc, not even a mention. They said it was because of a barge coming up the river, we could see no barge and more realistically they were trying to make up time and make the lock so the next tour wouldn’t be impacted. I just thought it was bad form, as it wasn’t our fault the tour was delayed. The guide this time was younger and she tried her best, but didn’t have the depth of info the first guy had. If I hadn’t been on the boat before, I wouldn’t have realised how good it could have been.