Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Chicago, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Step aboard a boat for a comprehensive cruise that details the history of Chicago's architecture. Enjoy views of the Chicago skyline accompanied by architecture-focused commentary that points out each of the landmark buildings. As you cruise through Lake Michigan, snap photos of you and your party against the stretch of Chicago's 26-mile shoreline.
- Comprehensive architectural tour
- Live commentary on Chicago's architectural gems
- Travel by boat along the Lake Michigan shoreline
- Buy tickets in advance for this must-do Chicago activity
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Restroom on board
- Local Expert Guide
- Outdoor and Indoor climate-controlled seating option
- Alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks available for purchase on board
- Storage
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 400 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Arrive at 400 N Michigan Avenue 30 minutes before your departure and you will be directed to your boarding dock. Please allow yourself plenty of time to arrive if driving. We do not have parking. It is recommend that you book parking in advance.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Arrive early for boarding onto your boat at Wendella's Michigan Avenue Dock, conveniently located in the heart of Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Seating is first-come first-served, so groups should arrive 30 minutes before the tour time.
On the bottom deck of the climate-controlled lounge, you'll find restrooms and a full-service bar offering snacks like chips and candy.
Depart from the dock to start discovering the architecture of Chicago as you float along the city's skyline. With lively commentary highlighting each landmark building, gain a comprehensive understanding of the city's architectural heritage. As you sail along Lake Michigan, capture photos against Chicago's 26-mile (42-mile) shoreline before returning to your departure point.
On the bottom deck of the climate-controlled lounge, you'll find restrooms and a full-service bar offering snacks like chips and candy.
Depart from the dock to start discovering the architecture of Chicago as you float along the city's skyline. With lively commentary highlighting each landmark building, gain a comprehensive understanding of the city's architectural heritage. As you sail along Lake Michigan, capture photos against Chicago's 26-mile (42-mile) shoreline before returning to your departure point.
1
Chicago River
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Lake Michigan
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Centennial Fountain And Water Arc (Pass By)
Merchandise Mart (Pass By)
Marina City (Pass By)
Michigan Avenue Bridge (Pass By)
Wrigley Building (Pass By)
Chicago Riverwalk (Pass By)
The Lyric Opera House (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Weapons prohibited by US Coast Guard
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- 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
- Special requests entered at checkout cannot be guaranteed
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 300 travelers
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Questions (10)
Q:Where do we meet for the Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour?
A:We are located at 400 N Michigan Avenue at the historic Wrigley Building. Wendella has four dock locations that extend west from the Michigan Avenue (DuSable) Bridge to Wabash Avenue.
Apr 2021
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Caroline_A
We brought my husband’s siblings and their spouses on the 90-minute tour when they were in from out of town. Despite the rain, we had a great time! This is always a fun time and offers a different view of Chicago. Our speaker / guide was fantastic. He was entertaining as well as informative. Highly recommend this activity!
Reviews
4.7
based on 2,395 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Arlene_H, Jul 2026
The boat ride and tour were outstanding. We saw many of the major sights and buildings in the city, and our tour guide, Spiro, was very knowledgeable about the city. He was interesting and informative. We had a lovely time!
Betty_M, Jul 2026
Allow extra time for traffic & parking and walking to the dock. The boat has a bar but only takes credit cards.
Be careful where you sit. The waves can splash over onto the lower deck
Jennifer_M, Jul 2026
The 90 minute architecture tour was interesting, well run, and super enjoyable. Molly was our guide and did amazing in her facts and approachable way, added bonus that she is also a teacher! The buildings of Chicago deserve much praise and even though we've done an architecture tour many times, we'll keep coming if they keep being great!
brambo1017, Jul 2026
I have several done different tours on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan over the years. I had family and friends in out of town and they wanted to book a tour that took us on the river and the lake, so I thought this choice was perfect. I was wrong. Before we left, the Captain announced that there was the possibility that the tour would go long due to the time it would take to go through the locks to get from the river to the lake. I was aware that there could be a bottle neck, but had no clue that it would literally be the majority of the tour. The tour left from the Wendella dock under Trump Tower and headed straight to the lake, where we proceeded to wait forever to go through the locks! We then headed out to the lake and went north first and then looped around and headed south, before we had to wait, once again, for an extraordinary amount of time to go through back through the locks. At this point, we had been on the boat for well over an hour and a half. Since our tour went so long, we headed straight back to the dock at Michigan Avenue and never got to go further east to the split of the river. So the only architecture we really saw on our 2 hour 10 minute boat ride was around the dock and the buildings from Michigan east to the lake. I still cannot understand why Wendella would do the lake portion first, which could easily be truncated due to timing issues and still be sufficient to cover the published tour route/sites. My advice is to stick to a river tour boarded inside of the river or a lake tour boarded at Navy Pier. Avoid this tour.
Anthony_L, Jul 2026
Great tour. Very informative with a great guide. Learned a great deal about the city. Thank you very much.
mario_V, Jul 2026
Really fun! We found a couple of chairs in the front of the boat on the lower deck and had a great view without all the sun!
Mark_H, Jul 2026
Molly did a great job as our tour guide. Great views of the city. The locks system was very interesting.
Jamie_F, Jul 2026
The tour guide was phenomenal, it was an awesome experience with amazing views of the city. If I do it again, I would probably choose the 45 min one only because 90 minutes was hard with a toddler.
Sergio_D, Jul 2026
Very good view of all the panoramic sights. Guide was great and pointed out many interesting things. Was a good tour.
Pauline_T, Jul 2026
Excellent tour. Bobby stole the show with all his knowledge about the various buildings and history of Chicago. Well worth the money.
Dave_S, Jul 2026
It’s the best of both the river and the lake and reasonably priced. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and had some great stories.
Tiffany_W, Jul 2026
Wonderful tour! Kenny was amazing. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. Beautiful way to see this majestic city. We absolutely loved it. Highly recommend this tour
David_D, Jul 2026
Very informative cruise our guide K was amazing cruise was very nice great day on the lake enjoy it very much
Thomas_S, Jul 2026
The lady who gave the tour was very knowledgeable, and funny! She explained a lot about architecture, history, and some interesting trivia
Beth_S, Jul 2026
Not to be missed when visiting Chicago. The architecture of the city is fabulous and the view from Lake Michigan is spectacular.
Its very fun and interesting .
Kimberly_T, Jul 2026
Very interesting and informative! Alex tour guide provided great details in an engaging and fun way!
Marcus_B, Jul 2026
Excellent experience and the host was excellent. The entire tour was great, I have zero compliants. Book your tickets asap and arrive early because there will be a huge line.
Drew_V, Jul 2026
We had such a great time. It was a 90 minute cruise but felt like only a short time. Great info and a great atmosphere
SAMEER_T, Jul 2026
Great experience, informative and yet enjoyable. Must have when in Chicago.
Highly recommended to visitors. Love it and would like to have it again some time.
Weeze_C, Jul 2026
Kenny was a fantastic tour guide. Had lots of knowledge of Chicago architecture and history of the city.
Sheila_L, Jul 2026
Wonderful experience, those choosing to sit on top of the boat should consider hat and sunscreen. If the temperature is in the high 80’s a cooling towel or fan might be helpful.
Tour guide was fun and knowledgeable.
Brianne_M, Jul 2026
Chicago is one of those cities that speaks for itself but our tour was greatly enhanced by our tour guide. He was so knowledgeable about the architecture and the city but was also funny and witty.
Edward_A, Jul 2026
Fun time on the boat wear sun screen. Keep personal conversations to a minimum because the host has valuable information to share. You can hear everyone’s conversation on the water.
steven_s, Jul 2026
Great informative tour. Tour guide was very knowledgeable
The river and lake tour gives you great views of the city and architecture.
SIMONE_B, Jul 2026
Very pleasant and comfortable all very friendly, boat with restroom and snack bar, and optional seat inside on AC or outside. . Freedom to walk around. Fun and dynamic description on architecture and history facts.
Precious_W, Jul 2026
We had a wonderful time and we will definitely do the tour again. Love the tour guide and learning about the architecture of Chicago!
Ioana_C, Jul 2026
Best combination of lake and river tours. The Chicago skyline is wonderful to see it in its entire length and beauty from Lake Michigan. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and had a wonderful story to tell at “every corner”.
Toilets were clean and there was no problem finding where to sit. We did not buy anything from the bar but everything looked clean and nice.
Total duration of the tour is one and a half hours spent approximately half-half between the lake and the river part.
Fun fact: lake is a couple of feet higher than the river and you can see that when crossing over during the tour. Chicago river flow direction was altered in the early 1900 to flow away from the lake and keep chicagos source of clean water intact.
Kathleen_M, Jul 2026
This tour was everything people said it would be. The boat went through the locks to Lake Michigan, very exciting. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the skyscrapers and their history.
She also gave us a restaurant recommendation - The Chicago Brewhouse on the Riverwalk. We had a great time and dinner! Thank you!
Rex_A, Jul 2026
Book in advance. Allow lots of time for parking. Be prepared to be in the sun (on the top deck). Best view of the skyline is from the water.
Deborah_J, Jul 2026
The tour was great! Lots of history and information about Chicago. Great experience!
The tour guide was great with her jokes🤣
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