Small-Group Sightseeing Boat Tour in Chicago
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Chicago, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
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Overview
Get a chance to experience the Windy City from multiple vantage points during this two-hour, small-group boat tour in Chicago. Hop aboard a secure and reliable US Navy-built Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) for a unique sightseeing experience. Pass by iconic sights such as Navy Pier, Soldier Field, Fort Dearborn, Vietnam Memorial, Wolf Point, Shedd Aquarium, and more, all while comfortably seated in a group capped at only six people.
- A 2-hour small-group Chicago sightseeing cruise by RIB
- Enjoy an intimate experience within a group limited to only 6 travelers
- Admire and photograph local landmarks and the city skyline
- Safety first: life jackets are provided
What's Included
- Life Jackets
- Bottled water
- Please bring your own sunscreen
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- SP+ Parking2431 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614, USA
Proceed to "A" dock which is the most northerly dock at the marina. Your Captain will be waiting for you at the front gate with his life jacket donned. The video link should help you locate us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJE6A1WH0hk
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Navy Pier (Pass By)
Soldier Field (Pass By)
Adler Planetarium (Pass By)
Chicago Skyline (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 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
Raquel_W
Had an amazing time on the water in Chicago! The views were stunning and the whole experience was just awesome. Our boat captain was incredibly nice, professional, and full of interesting facts. Highly recommend this experience if you’re in the city!
Reviews
5.0
based on 101 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Brian_T, Jul 2026
Outstanding tour extremely knowledgeable about Chicago and its infrastructure as well as its history, highly recommended
Carolina_M, Jul 2026
Thrilling and beautiful suitable for all ages
Shows off Chicago and her history. Captain Ken has a charming personality and a great knowledge of Chicago. It is a little difficult to find but despite us being late he gave us the full tour. We would do this trip again if in Chicago
PS
When you reach the harbour Captain Ken can be found at Peir A
Marco_B, Oct 2025
Captain Ken is a real captain. Nothing better than being on the water on a small boat without the crowds while being in the capable hands of someone who knows the local water and sights…
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for the kind words! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed your time on the water with Captain Ken. He truly loves what he does, and it means a lot to know his local knowledge and relaxed, crowd-free experience made your trip special. We appreciate you choosing us and hope to welcome you back for another great day on the water soon
Brandon_H, Sep 2025
I enjoyed the experience. It was very informative. I would recommend that you wear a sweater or jacket because of the winds during the ride.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad you found the trip enjoyable and informative. And that’s great advice about bringing a sweater or jacket — the breeze can definitely pick up out on the water. We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to have you join us again in the future!
Sian_S, Sep 2025
Fantastic trip for a very reasonable price. The host was friendly and knowledgeable and made the trip a real pleasure. We were delighted to find this trip also included the city river tour in the price. One very slight improvement would be to make the location a little better signposted but we would definitely book again.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re really happy to hear you had such a great trip and found it to be a good value. It’s great to know that Capt. Ken helped make the experience enjoyable and that you appreciated the included city river tour — we love being able to offer that as part of the experience.
We also truly appreciate the feedback about the signage. That’s very helpful, and we’ll absolutely take it into consideration as we work to improve the experience for future guests. Thanks again for choosing us, and we’d be delighted to have you book with us again!
Drew_A, Sep 2025
Wonderful! Informative, cool, marvelous. We liked maneuvering through the Chicago river under the skyscrapers.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much! We’re delighted to hear you had such a wonderful time and enjoyed cruising through the Chicago River under the skyscrapers — it really is a special experience. We appreciate your kind words and hope to see you back on the water again soon!
Oscar_C, Aug 2025
Best tour ever!! Captain was very friendly and overall great experience !! Bout ride was really fun !
Tom_H, Aug 2025
Captain Ken was great.
My son and I had a blast on the trip.
The RIB was a great vessel to explore Lake Michigan and The Chicago River.
Most unique boat on the water.
Matthew_P, Aug 2025
This was an absolute awesome experience! Highly knowlegable and friendly captian! Good mix of excitement and information. Perfect for a family! Way better than one of those crowded commercial river tours...our captain previously worked for one of those and had extensive knowledge! 1000x recommend!
David_L, Jul 2025
Ken did a good job of navigating the weather and keeping it a lot of fun for my 12 year old. His stories were good and this covered much of what you would see on the Architecture Boat Tour, but with some quick legs along the edge of the lake as well.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Capt. Ken likes what he does and being a school teacher he has learned to capture the attention of our youth.
Cindy_D, Jul 2025
Easy to book and right on time for a great water tour of Chicago. Amazing and private zipping across lake Michigan.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Capt. Ken is a person who has a strong attention to detail and being on time is always crucial
Raquel_W, Jun 2025
Had an amazing time on the water in Chicago! The views were stunning and the whole experience was just awesome. Our boat captain was incredibly nice, professional, and full of interesting facts. Highly recommend this experience if you’re in the city!
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Thank you for coming out. We enjoyed your company
Stephanie_P, Jun 2025
This adventure was the highlight of our trip. Captain Ken was amazing and so knowledgeable. We learned so much about Chicago’s history and had a wonderful time out on the water. We always felt very safe as he is very skilled at what he does. Captain Ken is super funny which was a bonus! We would definitely re book with him.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
We appreciated your company. Come see us again when you are in Chicago.
Deisi_A, Jun 2025
My boyfriend and I had a fantastic time, highly recommend to those that want to hear about the city’s and buildings history and also enjoy a fun boat ride.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Come back and see us again. Try our evening tour where you get to view of the city lights from the lake.
Lisa_G, Oct 2024
Ken was great! Super nice guy, lots of knowledge, and neat way to see the city from the water without a huge crowd. Loved it!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Capt. Ken needed to find a unique way to show the City of Chicago and huge crowds make it difficult to be unique. Thank you for choosing us come back and see us again
Ellen_M, Oct 2024
The only way to see the city! Ken was really informative. The weather was perfect so we got some amazing pictures of the city. Loved the boat & would definitely recommend this as a must do for anyone visiting.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Capt. Ken also informs passengers if the weather is going to be hazardous too. Safety is paramount when you are on this tour. If inclement weather is forecasted he notifies the passenger before, so passengers can make an informed decision, however, weather in Chicago changes drastically at moments notice. Capt. Ken does have ponchos on board if a rain shower pops up.
sayemelissa, Sep 2024
Ken was an amazing tour guide! We like to find unique experiences and this was definitely one- we recommend it!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Thank you for the recommendation. Come see us again when we start our 4th Season in 2025
Chad_H, Sep 2024
What a great experience. Captain Ken is very knowledgeable and accommodating. Chicago is full of great stories and history.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
It's a great adventure too. History is part of it and Capt. Ken sometimes comes up with great stories along the way.
Whitney_P, Sep 2024
My partner and I were running late due to traffic and parking, Ken was very helpful, kind, and patient! The boat ride was perfect and enjoyed by the both of us!
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Capt. Ken does his best to help with scheduling, but sometimes if people are going to be to late and we have other passengers we must leave within in a 10 minute window.
James_M, Aug 2024
Simply amazing! If you are looking for a boat tour of Chicago. STOP. Go no further! This venture by Capt. Ken is worth every penny!
The small party experience with family or friends is so much enhanced in using the RHIB and the professionalism of Capt Ken and his maritime background.
Capt Ken is personable, knowledgeable, and accommodating.
This was our highlight of a two day visit to the Windy City. In essence, if there is anything you are deciding to do in Chicago, a trip with Capt Ken and Blackhawkboattours.com should be number 1 on your list.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you James and thank you for your service. Capt. Ken gained a lot of professionalism while he was a federal boarding officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Jeneane_A, Aug 2024
What a blast! After friends with a boat canceled our plans, I scrambled to find a boat tour that allowed for a great first-time lakefront experience for my out of town guests along with some local flavor. We struck gold with Captain Ken and Blackhawk Boat tours. This was a super fun experience. Ken is a professional who prioritizes your safety and truly wants you to enjoy your experience. This is now on my must do list with friends. Definitely a winner!
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Fantastic news to hear we were able to accommodate you needs for this day. Safety is paramount at Blackhawkboattours.com
wesleeferron, Jul 2024
Best boat tour!! Don’t miss it! We brought four teenagers and the parents and teens all loved the tour with Captain Ken. The kids stayed engaged and learned a ton of information with a very different feel than on the larger boat cruises.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
The kids are great hope you and Danny enjoyed the game at Soldier Field
Janet_L, Jul 2024
This was such a great experience! Captain Ken was superb and was very informative. Way better experience than a large boat and we got to see so much! I would love to bring my kids back to do his tour again.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Great to hear you enjoyed the tour. Our company incorporates a little bit of everything from going fast on the lake to a leisurely stroll up and down the river.
Hunter_T, Jul 2024
Most memorable part of the experience was the boat ride to the down town river. It was so fascinating
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you for coming downtown and choosing us.
Andrew_W, Jul 2024
Absolutely outstanding tour. Ken was a great guide and knows a little about Chicago history. It was nice to be on the lake and on the river. The tour was informative and fun.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Andrew, it is because of customers like you that we continue to improve as a business! Please come see us again soon.
Heidi_P, Jun 2024
Captain Ken was very knowledgeable and personable. My Mom was worried about the “inflatable boat,” which turned out to be unfounded. The craft was sea worthy, sturdy, and the inflatable portion of the boat acted as bumpers for the docks. We had a wonderful time and my Mom was laughing like a teenager as we skipped along the waters of Lake Michigan. This was the highlight of our trip to Chicago and I would never choose to be on a big boat with 150 people for an architectural tour if I could instead float with Captain Ken where I could ask all my questions and soak in all of his knowledge!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Capt. Ken used to work on those bigger boats and found out that there wasn't many tours on the river and Lake Michigan for smaller groups. He knew that a seaworthy vessel was needed for these types of Tours. Furthermore, he wanted to embrace safety standards by providing inflatable life jackets to all passengers.
Martie_D, Jun 2024
One of our best outings in Chicago. Thank you for the awesome morning- Captain Ken. Loved seeing Chicago from the water- small group and learned alot!
Response from Host, Jul 2024
MORNINGS are the best time to go! This is when the city of Chicago has the best light for photos.
Evie_T, Jun 2024
Great experience with Captain Ken! Had a wonderful time with our toddler. Would recommend and we'll definitely do it again.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Capt. Ken is a favorite on the water even the Chicago Locks know his voice on the VHF radio. Perhaps when the toddler gets a little bigger he can drive the boat, of course with Capt. Ken next to him.
Snejana_S, Jun 2024
We had a great experience! Was a gift for my husband for Father’s day, he enjoy it. We all enjoy it.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Hearing how much you enjoyed the tour has brightened up our day at BLACKHAWK BOAT TOURS!
Jamie_C, Aug 2023
Great time, so much better than the big boat cruises. We had a fantastic time with our Captain. Definitively a great decision to go with a smaller boat for a more relaxing and personalized experience!
Response from Host, Sep 2023
That is our goal. We are thankful you decided to go with us.
From $89.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Small-Group Sightseeing Boat Tour in Chicago
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