Chicago Architecture River Cruise
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Chicago, USA
+27
- 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Admire some of the Windy City's most iconic views—and enjoy a time-saving, relaxing way to sightsee—aboard this pet-friendly Chicago River architecture boat tour. With commentary from your onboard guide, watch the spectacular skyline glide by, including dozens of notable buildings, like the Wrigley Building and the John Hancock Building. In just one tour, you cover multiple branches of the Chicago River and learn insider facts and stories you'd otherwise miss.
- Pick from numerous tour times available all throughout the day
- Capture some of the Windy City's best views
- This tour is ideal for first-time and time-pressed Chicago travelers
- See more of the sights than you could exploring at street level
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This ultra-flexible cruise runs multiple times daily from Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue.
What's Included
- Guided architecture cruise of the historic Chicago River
- Live expert commentary on board
- Restroom on board
- Pet-friendly
- Drinks (available for purchase)
- WiFi on board
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting points
Select a meeting point
Type to search
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Make your way to either Navy Pier or Michigan Avenue (depending on option chosen) for your cruise departure. Board your riverboat and find a comfortable seat; a restroom is available on the boat.
Listen as your guide, an architecture expert, gives you an introduction to the city's landmarks. Along the scenic route, see buildings by world-famous architects including Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn, and beyond. A boat on the river is the best vantage point to admire the distinct city skyline.
Pass by dozens of classic Chicago buildings, including the John Hancock Center, the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), the Wrigley Building, and more. Learn about how the invention of balloon-frame construction revolutionized how homes were built, and hear the dramatic story of Chicago's rise from the Great Fire of 1871. Both of these milestones led Chicago to become one of the cradles of modern American architecture.
Your cruise ends at its starting point.
Listen as your guide, an architecture expert, gives you an introduction to the city's landmarks. Along the scenic route, see buildings by world-famous architects including Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn, and beyond. A boat on the river is the best vantage point to admire the distinct city skyline.
Pass by dozens of classic Chicago buildings, including the John Hancock Center, the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower), the Wrigley Building, and more. Learn about how the invention of balloon-frame construction revolutionized how homes were built, and hear the dramatic story of Chicago's rise from the Great Fire of 1871. Both of these milestones led Chicago to become one of the cradles of modern American architecture.
Your cruise ends at its starting point.
1
Chicago River
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Chicago Skyline (Pass By)
Navy Pier (Pass By)
Tribune Tower (Pass By)
John Hancock Center (Pass By)
Marina City (Pass By)
Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower (Pass By)
Aqua Tower (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- All boats have full restrooms and a full bar.
- Some boats are single deck vessels, the type of vessel you are placed on cannot be guaranteed.
- Wheelchairs or other walking assistance equipment are not provided.
- Cruises are dog-friendly.
- Tours can be rescheduled through Viator 24 hours prior to the departure dates.
- Wheelchair accessible from Navy Pier dock only.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 250 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Chicago at night 10/10 beautiful city! Sam was an amazing tour guide, it helps that he is tripled degreed in history but also loves the city of Chicago! Although I already love the city this tour gave it an extra 🫶🏽
Reviews
4.8
based on 17,251 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
My friends and I were visiting Chicago for the first time and we were told my many people that an architecture tour was a MUST. we didn't want to commit to a 90 min ride, so this 70 minute slot was perfect. Our guide was friendly and super knowledgeable about the area and told us so much about the buildings surrounding us in only an hour. 10/10 would reccommend!
This was a fascinating tour! The guide was
so incredibly knowledgeable about the architectural history of the buildings along the Chicago River. We learned so much!
It was a night trip. You need to get dressed better as it is windy. They sell thin blankets and hot coffee besides cold drinks.
The boat is open. The guide was very informative. We decided to go when it was dark to see all lights. It was very beautiful experience. Thank you
I loved a super spectacular view, it's beautiful, 😍 it's super cheap, I would visit Chicago again especially to see this view again from Lake Michigan
Beautiful evening cruise highlighting the architecture of the city. The buildings were lit up and it was a terrific view from the water. The guide was fantastic.
Easy booking and within price range. Love they have different times throughout the day to book. Arrived 15 minutes before the ticket and very easy and efficient to check in. Boat tour started on time. 1 hour tour with a funny and so knowledgable guide. He was great!! The boat had a bar with snacks and drinks which was fun! price pretty much what you'd think. Decided to treat myself! I learned so much on the tour that i didnt know and the architecture spectacular! It was slightly chilly, so id dress accordingly. I noticed some people had blankets with them. I loved everything about this tour and was definitely a highlight visiting Chicago. I would recommend 100%.
We really enjoyed our trip. Also we had a problem with our train arriving on time and they easily switched our tour to a later time. 10/10 recommend
We had such a great time on this tour! Eric, our tour guide, did an amazing job. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire experience fun and enjoyable. Highly recommend!
Great little tour, packed a lot into a quick cruise down the river. Our guide Joe was amazing and knowledgeable
The tour guide was hilarious, entertaining, and informative. Highly recommend . Although it
Was cold we had a great time
The guide was excellent. Had excellent knowledge of Chicago. The boat was nice. The staff was great. Loved all the history.
They cancelled our cruise hours before it started.
Very disappointing, considering we traveled from Europe
Visiting from Texas, first time to Chicago. The tour was easy to book and was very informative. Margaritas were great and Liam was awesome!
Lots of information in a practical 1-hour tour. Staff was great, especially the host/speaker. Pictures sold at the end, a bit pricy.
Bundle up it’s very chilly other than that no complaint the host was very great and me and my friend had the best time ever
Our tour guide, Brian (I’m pretty
sure that’s his name) was EXCELLENT! The thing I love about traveling is that you get to learn so much about the place you’re visiting… If you learned nothing, you’ve wasted your time. Brian’s knowledge of the Architectural history
Is amazing and I learned so much abundantly it the city of Chicago. Definitely worth the money!!
We very much enjoyed the tour. The live commentary was very interesting, clear, and easy to follow. Amazing views!
Charlie was exceptionally entertaining and informative. The trip was easy to book and the location was convenient.
Very beautiful tour. The gentleman was really well educated and presented an awesome good time. Can't wait till next time.
Believe the hype about the architectural river cruise. It was a wonderful way to learn about more than just architecture. You will get a great understanding of the history and even culture of Chicago. Don’t hesitate to book this activity.
This experience was very knowledgeable and creative in how the docent explained in detail. Thank you so much
Victor, the boat tour guide, was phenomenal. So knowledge and passionate about the architecture of Chicago. Definitely a fun and educational experience!
Even with the partial rain the experience was worth every penny. Very detailed instructor with great enthusiasm and education. I would recommend this ride for all.
Brian was extremely knowledgeable and went into depth about the history of Chicago and how architecture is deeply rooted in Chicago’s history/culture! We really enjoyed the ride. We did the 6:45pm ride and it was perfect. The city is beautiful during the day but absolutely stunning at night! My partner also really enjoyed the ride and history. He found out about architecture styles he never knew of and really fell in love with art-deco and neo-deco.
It was a perfect day to ride down the Chicago River & see all of the beautiful buildings. Our guide pointed out many of the buildings & shared their storied history. We only had one day, so this was a perfect way to start the day
The river cruise was fantastic. Our tour guide was excellent and taught us a lot about Chicago in a fun and interesting way. I highly recommend going during sunset. You get see the city from different perspectives, day time and night time. The buildings sparkle as the sun goes down.
Sam was super nice and educational. It made me fall in love with the city. It was the perfect amount of time and the drinks weren’t crazy priced
Bring a hat and jacket as it gets cool on the water. Put your phone down and ENJOY this cruise. You learn a lot!
When planning your Chicago itinerary, put this tour at the top of your list. The Chicago Architecture River Cruise was a must-see experience. The weather was great. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the city and its buildings, which made the experience enjoyable. It’s nice for all ages. Make sure you dress warmly.
Good Tour of the water front properties. Guide was informative and fun personality. Made the tour very good for my 7 yo. I also enjoyed the tour. Great information about the history of the city as well.
Member Pricing
From
$37.05
per personWas $39.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Chicago Architecture River Cruise
17,251
1 hour
Free Cancellation
From
$39.00
$37.05
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Chicago, USA
- Pizzeria Uno Tours & Tickets
- Navy Pier Tours & Tickets
- Merchandise Mart (The Mart) Tours & Tickets
- Flyover in Chicago Tours & Tickets
- Grant Park Tours & Tickets
- Chicago Riverwalk Tours & Tickets
- Griffin Museum of Science and Industry Tours & Tickets
- Soldier Field Tours & Tickets
- Chicago Architecture Center Tours & Tickets
- Route 66 Tours & Tickets
- Chicago Theatre Tours & Tickets
- Harold Washington Library Center (Chicago Public Library) Tours & Tickets
- Northerly Island Tours & Tickets
- Chicago Chinatown Tours & Tickets
- Chicago History Museum Tours & Tickets
- Frederick C. Robie House Tours & Tickets
- Medieval Times Chicago Tours & Tickets
- American Writers Museum Tours & Tickets