Chicago River 90-Minute Architecture Tour
Recommended by 93% of travelers
Chicago, USA
+6
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Discover the architectural gems of the Windy City from an ideal vantage point—and learn insider facts and stories about the city's top attractions—on this Chicago River cruise. Travel in comfort aboard a boat equipped with both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Covering more than 130 years of architectural history, this tour is the perfect opportunity to see a huge area of the city without the hassle of taxis and public transit.
- Enjoy unobstructed views of the city’s top attractions
- Gain an in-depth understanding of local Chicago architecture
- See Marina City, the Wrigley Building, and other historical highlights
- Maximize your time: Admire top city sights, all in one boat tour
What's Included
- Indoor and outdoor seating available (indoor is climate controlled)
- Narrated tour on board by professionally trained tour guide.
- Restroom on board
- Expert Local Guide
- Alcoholic BeveragesDrinks and snacks available for purchase on-board the vessel.
- Gratuities
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
Make your own way to the boarding dock, located on Michigan Avenue, 15 minutes before your chosen departure time. Then, climb aboard your vessel and choose between indoor and outdoor seating options to ensure your comfort.
Set sail, and float past Chicago's architectural wonders. Cruise along all three branches of the Chicago River while your architectural guide narrates the evolution of Chicago's skyline and the significance of each landmark.
As you go, admire iconic structures like the Willis Tower, Merchandise Mart, and Wrigley Building. Take in the sights of the Chicago Riverwalk, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the unique Marina City apartment buildings.
The tour concludes back at the starting point.
Set sail, and float past Chicago's architectural wonders. Cruise along all three branches of the Chicago River while your architectural guide narrates the evolution of Chicago's skyline and the significance of each landmark.
As you go, admire iconic structures like the Willis Tower, Merchandise Mart, and Wrigley Building. Take in the sights of the Chicago Riverwalk, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the unique Marina City apartment buildings.
The tour concludes back at the starting point.
1
Wendella
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Centennial Fountain And Water Arc (Pass By)
Merchandise Mart (Pass By)
Michigan Avenue Bridge (Pass By)
Wrigley Building (Pass By)
Chicago Riverwalk (Pass By)
Lyric Opera of Chicago (Pass By)
Marina City (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
- Outside alcohol is prohibited
- All bags subject to search
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- 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
- Maps are available with highlights in simplified Chinese. They can picked up per request at the ticket window.
- 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 90-min Chicago 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
We had an absolutely incredible experience on the Wendella Architectural Boat Tour in Chicago. The views alone are stunning, but what made the tour truly unforgettable was our guide, Jack Pickard. He’s more than just a guide, he’s a local legend. Jack combines deep knowledge of Chicago’s history and architecture with a gift for storytelling that keeps everyone completely engaged from start to finish.
He doesn’t just rattle off facts, he paints a picture of the city, weaving in anecdotes, history, and humor in a way that makes the skyline come alive. You can tell he loves Chicago and has spent years mastering his craft. By the end of the tour, we felt like we knew the city on a whole new level.
The boat itself was comfortable, the staff were professional, and the whole operation ran smoothly. But if you get the chance to tour with Jack, you’re in for something special. It’s not just an architectural tour, it’s an experience.
Highly recommend Wendella, and especially Jack Pickard, if you want the very best way to see and understand Chicago.
Reviews
4.7
based on 10,998 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Delightful tour! Very smooth boarding process and easy to get around on the boat to the bar and bathroom. Very educational guide! The buildings and history were fascinating.
This is by far the best way to see Chicago. I suggest going to the bow of the ship downstairs where it felt like a private tour.
Spiro the tour guide was very good. Easy to understand. Entertaining. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
Very informative! Host had a great voice and personality. Although it rained, I enjoyed. Also awesome they had a bar
Very nice. We enjoyed ourselves, great photo opportunities and learning about the city and buildings were very informative. Recommend. 👍
This trip was great! We went with a large party and the cruise was able to accommodate all of us. The guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and even stopped to talk to guests. A great experience.
Spiro was a great tour guide! He was very knowledgeable and funny. The boat cruise by itself was very enjoyable; it covered a lot of territory. There was a glitch when I was lining up to board and they handed it quite well. I readily recommend this tour--a great way to spend an hour and a half on a cruise.
It was so informative and the building sites were incredible
John the tour guide was so knowledgeable funny and brilliant personality brought the tour to a different level.
Excellent tour, great guide who was entertaining and knowledgable.
Wouldn’t have noticed all the different buildings before the tour
We enjoyed this night tour, Alyssa is a good tour guide. The only one thing I would prefer to hear more is to have a story about a buildings. To be honest with you we won't remember the names of all the architects but people will remember the story about how the building was build and what a particular style means for the special era,how it was build. We will be back, thank you
The tour guide was exceptional, very knowledgeable about the architecture and shared great historical stories.
The ticket buying process was easy and the information shared on what to know was helpful.
The architecture was fascinating and beautiful, but our guide, Michael made it live. The rain was no match. He thoroughly knew his history and presented it professionalism, style. The tour left me the possible desire to move to Chicago.
It is a great opportunity to know a little bit more of the history of the city through the buildings around the River
The guide was fabulous and the history, architecture and engineering facts so valuable!
I have a profound respect and admiration for Chicago now. Have been recommending it to all my family here visiting
Not a lot of seats out of the rain if the weather is not nice
Very organized and friendly staff
Cool history of Chicago. We learned a lot
It was beautiful ! The ride was smooth, although it rain a little bit. I think I want to move to Chicago now.
amazing tour at night with the building all lit up.
would 100% recommend again. informal and a great bar
The experience was amazing. Such beautiful architecture. We unfortunately got rained on but it didn’t stop the tour. Although it was wet, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. We booked a 7pm tour and it was dark so the city lights were shiny bright and we got great pictures. 10000% recommend.
Fantastic and a must do activity in Chicago! Would absolutely recommend this tour!! Very well done in a beautiful place.
We have taken guests on several of these cruises and Wendella's is the very best. Our guide was outstanding. He showed extensive knowledge of architecture and Chicago history, and was a great story teller.
Go down many stairs to get to dock if that is an issue for you. Get there at least 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Our guide was extremely informative and kinda funny. Beautiful skyline.
If you’re into history and appreciate architecture, this is a MUST DO when visiting Chicago. Worth every dollar.
The staff who were supposed to assist with directing guests at the meeting point were extremely unhelpful. There was little to no direction provided, and their attitudes came across as dismissive and as though they did not want to be bothered. It made figuring out when to head to the boat unnecessarily frustrating. We also received conflicting information about how the tour operated, one person told us it was first come, first served, while another told us the app would notify us when it was time to head to the boat. However, once the architecture tour began, our guide was very informative and engaging, and I really enjoyed the tour itself. I just wish the experience at the meeting point had been handled better.
So informative without being boring. Our tour guide Alex, was incredible and so entertaining. This is an amazing way to get to know the city.
Great experience very informative and our compare was wonderful. We had great seats and the sun was shining as a bonus
loved our guide, loved all the information about chicago and overall had a great time and will be back
Very beautiful tour. It was cold when my best friend and I were there in December so bundle up but the boat serviced hot drinks so that helped. Loved the scenery
Loved it! The guide was excellent and the weather was perfect. Loved seeing all of the Chicago buildings and getting detailed information on the history.
Great tour. Lots of interesting points. Our guide was Jim. He was excellent. Highly recommend this boat tour.
So informative and very fun. A must do while in Chicago. Our guide was really funny and very knowledgeable. We had a blast.
Member Pricing
From
$42.75
per personWas $45.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Member Pricing
Chicago River 90-Minute Architecture Tour
10,994
1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$45.00
$42.75
5% savings
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Explore Similar Things to Do
Attractions in Chicago, USA
- Chicago Lakefront Trail Tours & Tickets
- Flyover in Chicago Tours & Tickets
- Navy Pier Tours & Tickets
- Art Institute of Chicago Tours & Tickets
- Chicago Temple Tours & Tickets
- Rookery Building Tours & Tickets
- Lincoln Park & Zoo Tours & Tickets
- Chicago Cultural Center Tours & Tickets
- Field Museum Tours & Tickets
- Grant Park Tours & Tickets
- Lincoln Park Conservatory Tours & Tickets
- Wrigley Field Tours & Tickets
- Lake Michigan Tours & Tickets
- The Magnificent Mile Tours & Tickets
- Millennium Park Tours & Tickets
- House of Blues Tours & Tickets