Lake Michigan Sunset Cruise in Chicago
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Chicago, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Drink in a one-of-a-kind perspective on the Windy City when you go for an evening cruise, perfectly timed to coincide with the sunset. Hop aboard your open-top vessel (with an enclosed and climate-controlled lounge) in the heart of the Magnificent Mile, and cruise along the Chicago River. Then, see the skyline from a distance, and watch the skyscrapers light up, when you continue to Lake Michigan for a sunset viewing.
- Admire a perspective of Chicago that most visitors miss on this boat tour
- Explore after dark to see the city's glittering lights come on
- Spy the Wrigley Building, Willis Tower, Hancock Building, and more
- Snacks and drinks are available onboard to purchase
What's Included
- All Fees and Taxes
- Restroom on board
- Enclosed climate-controlled lounge
- Local Expert Guide
- Alcoholic, non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks (available to purchase)
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 way to the meeting point in downtown Chicago to board the sightseeing cruise, and set sail along the Chicago River. As you cruise through the heart of the Windy City, you’ll pass landmarks, including the Magnificent Mile, the John Hancock Building, the Wrigley Building, the Aqua Tower, and the Willis Tower.
Listen to the on-board commentary to learn more about Chicago’s historic sites and striking architecture as you admire the city skyline from the water. Cruise all the way to Lake Michigan, where you’ll watch the sunset from the open-air top deck or climate-controlled lower deck. While on board, you can also pick up some drinks and snacks from the full-service bar (own expense).
After about 1.5 hours on the water, return to the starting point where your tour ends.
Listen to the on-board commentary to learn more about Chicago’s historic sites and striking architecture as you admire the city skyline from the water. Cruise all the way to Lake Michigan, where you’ll watch the sunset from the open-air top deck or climate-controlled lower deck. While on board, you can also pick up some drinks and snacks from the full-service bar (own expense).
After about 1.5 hours on the water, return to the starting point where your tour ends.
Chicago Skyline (Pass By)
John Hancock Center (Pass By)
Aqua Tower (Pass By)
Lake Michigan (Pass By)
1
Chicago River
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Please 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
- No Coolers
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 300 travelers
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Questions (10)
Q:Where do we meet for the Chicago Sunset Cruise?
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
Reviews
4.5
based on 1,622 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Crystal_B, Jul 2026
Very disappointed and highly a waste of money. The music wad terrible, there was no activities or anything worth seeing
Erika_J, Jul 2026
Such a fun, amazing, beautiful experience! The ride was smooth. Great drinks! Good views from anywhere on the boat. And the Chicago skyline sunset was breathtaking!
LoriBeth_S, Jul 2026
The view of the city was beautiful and our guide had a perfect happy attitude. It was obvious that she loves her city and sharing it with others.
Elizabeth_G, Jul 2026
My family and I went on this sunset cruise and it was beautiful. I loved watching the day turn into dusk while admiring the beautiful Chicago skyscrapers.
Would recommend! Excellent service!
Phillip_T, Jul 2026
Great ride down the river and informative guide. Nice little lake cruise and would have been a fantastic view of the city, had it not been for the wild fire smoke from Canada. Not the tour company’s fault at all and still had a great time! Highly recommend this.
Janna_C, Jul 2026
The starting point of the location is not well marked on the description. You need to arrive earlier, because the address that my door provides does not make it very clear where the boats depart from. There are not enough staff members to direct large groups of travelers is looking for boats. The boat was overcrowded, there were barely any seats left on the top deck. The guide only talks for the first 10 minutes of the trip, pointing out some important buildings and provides other historical information the wait time to get into Lake Michigan and out of Lake Michigan is very long. You go around Lake Michigan a little bit of time and then turn around to go back to the river, majority of the two hour trip is spent waiting to get into the lake and out of the lake. The views of the city are beautiful, but does not worth two hour being on the boat.
Biljana_C, Jul 2026
Our guide, Scottie D was very knowledgeable about related architecture and history and spiced things up with some humor and subtle opinions. The sunset was a classic blaze orange and we also got to see fireworks and a drone light show.
William_M, Jul 2026
Wonderful experience! Gabby was a great tour guide who provided a lot of history and fun facts about Chicago. She is incredibly knowledgeable. The views were amazing, and the captain provided fantastic opportunities for photos, too! I would highly recommend this sunset cruise to anyone visiting downtown Chicago.
Holly_S, Jul 2026
Love that this cruise combined the architectural tour with a stunning sunset. The sunset really was spectacular. We were stuck on the boat for an extra hour due to circumstances beyond the tour operator’s control, but they tried to keep everyone entertained and made sure we saw the fireworks and drone show, which we wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
Tatia_J, Jul 2026
Sitting in the lock takes up half of this boat trip …just posting this to manage your expectations. Do not make dinner reservations for after because the time is unpredictable.
Barbara_W, Jul 2026
We did not get into the lock until 8:15 and our cruise started at 7:30. When we actually cruised it was awesome. All of the crew was top notch serving and greeting everyone to make us feel comfortable. It’s 9:30 PM and we are returning.
We had to pay for additional parking fee.
Tracy_L, Jul 2026
Get there early for the sunset cruise.
Guided tour was excellent. Tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
Slawomir_B, Jul 2026
If you do not show up much earlier and stand in line you will end up on lower deck where you can not see or hear what guide is pointing/talking about
Kelley_M, Jul 2026
Guide was awesome and informative, vibes were great, highly recommend. Great for all ages to get to see the city from the water and lake.
Melanie_F, Jul 2026
This was an easy to book and easy to attend experience. It was worth the price to experience a different view of the city and shoreline.
Iesha_M, Jul 2026
This experience was truly incredible! We had the best time! The staff/crew members were very nice! The seating, drinks and a/c downstairs was a nice touch!
Lesley_H, Jul 2026
Bookings are full, so get there at least a half hour before boarding to ensure you get seats together. Absolutely wonderful experience. Guide explains the history of buildings on the Chicago river then Boat goes to Lake Michigan for the sunset. You’re able to see Navy pier Hancock building, Sirrius (Willis) tower and many other Chicago landmarks coming back. The sky is beautifully lit.
Ashley_H, Jul 2026
Very nice and relaxing! It was our first for this cruise and we really enjoyed it. Now it did rain while on the boat and after we got off. The cruise still go on in all types of weather. Over all it was very nice. A must go if you haven’t been.
Kim_D, Jul 2026
May not see the sunset as promised. Depends on water authority, we spent most of our time unable to move due the gate way not open and over crowded with other boats.
Ivis_R, Jun 2026
We arrived early to our sunset cruise and were directed to a completely different location by 3 different staff members. This caused us to be late to our cruise, and then after discussing what happened with a manager about 5 different times, she tells us that we can’t get a refund or can only reschedule the cruise for another slot, even though that was our last night in Chicago. She also said that it wasn’t their fault that my GPS directed us to the location that Viator has on the app. After totally derailing our plans for the evening we decided to go ahead and book the evening cruise. The cherry on top of all of this was one of the male staff members with a long ponytail wrongly scolding and accusing my brother of vaping without asking if it was him. Whole time it was a loud Albanian woman with a horrible facelift and migrated lip filler that was near us doing it! The whole experience could have gone smoothly if there were better and clearer signs directing customers on where to go, especially those coming from Viator. Please do better!
Vivian_G, Jun 2026
The trip lasted a little longer than scheduled, which was worth waiting. I would have preferred to sit on the bottom if I had known about the lock. We did the sunset cruise, a perfect way to end our day!
Michelle_B, Jun 2026
Even the rain didn't dampen the experience. I chose this as our first tour in Chicago and of course it decided to rain most of the day. I almost considered cancelling this one but since it was non-refundable, we gave it a go. I am glad we did. There are interior areas on the boat so we were able to stay dry. The tour starts on the Chicago River and goes through the lock to get to Lake Michigan. The lake was choppy but the boat handles the waves fine and they moved to a calmer area so we could enjoy the Chicago Skyline from the lake. Had it not rained, we would have been able to see a fireworks show as well, but the lit up skyline was the real highlight of the tour. That is, until our new friends sitting at our table allowed us to witness their marriage proposal. She said "yes." Even without the proposal, and with all the rain, the tour was fun a gave us views of Chicago you just can't get on the shore.
Marilyn_P, Jun 2026
If you're looking to see the city from a different perspective and you don't need much info on the structure of the city this is the cruise for you. The music was perfect and the views were absolutely beautiful!
Regina_C, Jun 2026
The experience was wonderful learn so many things about the history of the building the environment was so relaxing and much needed glad I was able to experienced this tour
Susan_C, Jun 2026
It was an amazing way to see the Chicago skyline! Beautiful at sunset and when the sun goes down. Just make sure to dress warmly! We went in June and it's cold on the lake. Our guide was informative but once you get on the lake, it's just cool music!
Cindi_B, Jun 2026
Gorgeous sunset views! (We never actually saw the sunset…) A sister trip that was just magical! Between the sites, the refreshments, and the company, was just perfect! Note: THIS IS NOT AN ARCHITECTURE TOUR! The poor tour guide said it three times and people still asked, lol! She was hilarious too though, very entertaining!!
Marla_K, Jun 2026
Our guide was EXCELLENT and highlighted much of the architecture on the river portion of the cruise. Once on the lake, the views of the pier and the city and the sunset were stunning. Even the experience passing through the lock was interesting. Guests should be aware that the wait to pass through the lock can be extended so maybe a quarter of the time on the boat is being queued up. No rush to get a drink right away - wait until you’re in line for the lock to hit the bar!
Anthony_M, Jun 2026
So beautiful and scenic. My fiance and I enjoyed ourselves very much. I would suggest layering up bc it can get breezy out on the water.
Lizbet_f, Jun 2026
It was breathtaking… very informative Jeff was amazing! The views were beyond beautiful coupled with the sunset. Highly recommend…
Victor_M, Jun 2026
This was a great experience with nice views of the skyline. Everyone at Wendella makes you feel welcomed.
Likely to Sell Out
From $45.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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