Lake Michigan 30-Minute Speedboat Ride
Chicago, USA
- 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Zoom along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, zipping past famous landmarks as you go, during this exhilarating speedboat ride in Chicago. Climb aboard your 2,000-horsepower speed boat at Navy Pier, then hang on for the ride of a lifetime, as you zip past famous attractions like the Willis Tower, Grant Park, and Buckingham Fountain, pausing to learn a little about the history and architecture of the Windy City along the way.
- Lake Michigan speedboat ride in Chicago
- Enjoy incomparable views of Chicago's skyline and waterfront
- Pause to learn about interesting lakefront landmarks, architecture, and history
- Race along the lakefront and experience unique views of Willis Tower, Buckingham Fountain, and Grant Park
What's Included
- 30-minute lakefront speedboat ride
- Informative and amusing descriptions of the world famous Chicago skyline
- Unobstructed views of the beautiful Chicago skyline
- All Fees and Taxes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Boarding: Navy Pier. Parking: City Cruises does not own or operate any parking lots in the area. Local parking is available at 600 E Grand Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 for our Navy Pier Departures. Alternative parking is available at 460 E. Illinois St. and 403 E. Grand Ave. (one block from Navy Pier).
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Take a thrilling speed boat tour of Chicago along the city's beautiful Lake Michigan, enjoying fantastic views of the city skyline and its many tourist landmarks along the way. This fast-paced speedboat ride is sure to get your heart racing, with a little history, humor, and information thrown in food good measure.
Start your ride at Navy Pier, heading out onto scenic Lake Michigan as you listen to a few anecdotes about the Pier and the impressive Lake Michigan. Then pump up the music and listen to the engines roar as your 2,000-horsepower vessel zips along the lake for an adrenaline-pumping tour of the city. Zoom down to Chicago's Museum Campus, where you stop for a few minutes to get a quick history lesson and learn about Windy City's many landmarks.
Then crank up the throttle again as you streak back past Navy Pier towards the Magnificent Mile, catching great views of Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and the Willis Tower as you cruise. Return to the dock at Navy Pier to finish your action-packed speedboat trip.
Start your ride at Navy Pier, heading out onto scenic Lake Michigan as you listen to a few anecdotes about the Pier and the impressive Lake Michigan. Then pump up the music and listen to the engines roar as your 2,000-horsepower vessel zips along the lake for an adrenaline-pumping tour of the city. Zoom down to Chicago's Museum Campus, where you stop for a few minutes to get a quick history lesson and learn about Windy City's many landmarks.
Then crank up the throttle again as you streak back past Navy Pier towards the Magnificent Mile, catching great views of Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and the Willis Tower as you cruise. Return to the dock at Navy Pier to finish your action-packed speedboat trip.
1
City Cruises
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Grant Ulysses Park
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Navy Pier
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Clarence F. Buckingham Fountain
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
The Magnificent Mile
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Infants must sit on laps
- Coast Guard regulations require a photo ID for each guest to board
- All cruises are weather permitting
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- NOTE: Please arrive at the meeting point 30 minutes prior the start time (7:30 AM).
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers
Supplied by
Frequently Asked Questions (10)
Q:Where is the departure point for the 30 Minute Lake Michigan Speedboat Ride?
A:The 30 Minute Lake Michigan Speedboat Ride departs from Navy Pier: 600 E Grand Ave Chicago, IL 60611.
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
Mark_M
The cool breezes of Lake Michigan were awesome as was the view of the magnificent architecture of Chicago! The tour guide was most knowledgeable and made our trip all the more enjoyable! I recommend this experience for all.
Reviews
4.1
based on 353 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Tyler_S, Jul 2026
My son and I both had an excellent time!!! The tour guide was very knowledgeable of the area and the scenery was perfect!
Cherry_B, Jul 2026
The issue wasn’t the boat ride it was viator customer service that provide me with the wrong ticket I was provided with the wrong tickets are in the phone for over an hour I missed to boats ride to get a supervisor on the phone to state he cohere me that good therefore I informed Viator rep the supervisor I would just purchase tickets which was a higher rate and inconvenience and the supervisor confirmed he would just refund me for my
Tickets and now after calling customer service they are saying they have to investigate and I have receipts for the same tickets on the correct
Sea dog which was the same price so I don’t understand why this couldn’t have been taken are of immediately rather then me spending additional my for tickets I already brought and couldn’t use
Amy_L, Jul 2026
This was for the Sea Dog trip but it didn't say that on ticket and we almost missed it because we thought it was a different company and had trouble finding it.
Positive: the guide was knowledgeable and gave good information about Chicago.
Negative: we got soaked and if we had known we would get wet, we would have chosen a different trip.
Terry_B, Jul 2026
Outstanding experience! Very informative as well as exhilarating!!! Much fun! We really enjoyed DJ! Very good experience.
Mr. & Mrs. Bentley
Devin_R, Jul 2026
Beautiful views of Chicago, great guide, great experience, perfect for family with children, and discount on food and drinks at nearby restaurant.
heather_w, Jul 2026
The booking got canceled because of the thunderstorm :/. Really was looking forward to the trip. They suggested i reach back out via the app to get my refund
Irwin_K, Jun 2026
It's not worth the cost of this boat ride. Even the 10 year old and 14 year old said the ride was very disappointing
Suzanne_L, Jun 2026
Fun boat ride. Captain and tour guides were funny, witty, and knowledgeable. It was a great way to experience the Chicago skyline.
Julian_C, Jun 2026
It was a very enjoyable trip, we enjoyed seeing the Chicago skyline from out at sea, the speed was thrilling for the grandhildren.
Claire_S, Jun 2026
Super exhilarating especially for a over 70 couple for an anniversary!
The birds , the tall buildings, architecture, beautiful water, speed, splashes of water. Beautiful sky’s.
Joy_O, May 2026
Lack of details on booking....It took FOREVER to find the location for boarding. Nice cool breeze during the tour but not as fast as expected.
KANIKAPRASAD_N, May 2026
Excellent experience. Sunset sped boat ride was one of the highlight of my trip. Great back drops, slight thrilll, good commentary, good music! Overall excellent!
Naysa_W, May 2026
Spontaneity has been the theme in Chicago and my friend and I did this on a whime. We had so much fun and would do it again!
ValerieMcLaughlin, May 2026
Absolutely crazy fun. Book this !!!! Our crew were amazing people and made a great experience ever so much more. Jacob was our host. Sam the 1st mate and François the captain. From the moment we got in line to the moment we said goodbye at the dock, the made us feel welcomed and safe. All ages would love this activity.
Fadia_A, May 2026
It was amazing with nice music and very nice view.
The drivers were very professional. The weather was cold but I enjoyed the trip.
Kenton_R, Mar 2026
You will get sprayed in the face. Feels great when the sun is out. Don't need to take pictures of the city when the boat is racing, it will slow down to turn around.
Rocio_L, Nov 2025
It was the best experience ever, we all had so much fun on the ride we loved the view, everything looked so beautiful we will for sure come back
anjanita, Oct 2025
It was great experience and all the staffs were very good. The commentary was great. This is a must do activity
Maryann_M, Oct 2025
The staff was very kind and funny! It was a great ride and we learned a lot about Chicago with beautiful views!!
Sharath_T, Oct 2025
You punks stop scamming people and do your job correctly. Useless customer service. I won't recommend your service to anyone.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
We're sorry to hear about your experience and regret that we fell short of your expectations. Your feedback is important, and we take it seriously. If you're open to it, we’d appreciate the chance to learn more and try to make things right—please contact us directly.
Blanca_V, Sep 2025
My email confirmation said Lake Michigan 30 minutes speedboat ride. Please include the name seadog. We walked around the other side of the pier looking for a speed boat because google maps gave us walking directions for the other side which was wrong.
We loved the boat experience! It was great.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thanks for the great feedback! We're thrilled you loved the boat experience. We appreciate your note about the directions and the mention of Seadog—we’ll work on making that clearer in the confirmation email to help future guests find us more easily.
Natalie_D, Sep 2025
Amazing! We went at 8pm the lights of the city were breathtaking. Super fun to do with kids highly recommend.
Don_W, Sep 2025
A fun and exciting way to see the Chicago skyline. Pick a day when you don’t mind getting a little wet. The seats toward the front stay drier than the rear seats. The boat gets up to 45 mph and provides an exhilarating ride.
Andrea_S, Aug 2025
Could of been faster but overall very fun. The music was great and the narration was informative. The guide was knowledgeable.
Karl_N, Aug 2025
It’s fake and doesn’t exist - ignore this service as it’s crap service in getting there and no signs as it’s fake
Julie_B, Aug 2025
We took the sunset cruise at 8pm. Excellent experience. Fun and informative! We will do this again!
Only drawback was the guy standing in front of the view. Wish he would speak in from the back of the boat.
Don_S, Aug 2025
It was fun. I just wish it would have been a full hour long instead of a half hour. It was entertaining.
Garry_J, Aug 2025
Super fun and informative. My kids loved it. Water was very choppy so we got a little wet but so much fun!!
Donna_S, Aug 2025
Kind of eventless. I expected a little more action with the boat. Expensive 30 minutes of driving straight out and straight back
Asif_A, Aug 2025
Boat ride was slow and limited to driving to planetarium and back to pier. No thrill rides as promised in the ticket. Very disappointed
From $36.89
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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