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Chicago Tours
Chicago Architecture River Cruise
5
BEST SELLER

Chicago Architecture River Cruise

By Shoreline Sightseeing
Recommended by 97% of travellers
97% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Get views of Chicago’s most famous buildings, as well as insider info from an expert guide, on this time-saving, architecture-focused cruise. See the city's most important buildings all on one tour—including the Willis (Sears) Tower, Old Post Office, Wrigley Building, and more—and enjoy a more relaxing way to explore the city. As you go, your guide's live commentary will bring their stories to life.
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-99, max of 250 per group
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English, Spanish
More

Highlights
  • See Chicago's top architectural masterpieces in a single tour
  • Choose from multiple departure times to fit your busy schedule
  • Learn about the city's architectural history through an expert's narration
  • Admire some of the most picturesque angles of the city
Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2024

  • Guided architecture cruise of the historic Chicago River
  • Live expert commentary on board
  • Restroom on board
  • Pet-friendly
What's not included
  • Drinks (available for purchase)
  • WiFi on board

Make your way to the specified departure place, either the Michigan Avenue riverfront or Navy Pier, in time for your chosen cruise departure. Since you’ve pre-purchased your tickets, skip the line and have no worries if this popular Chicago tour sells out. Find a comfortable seat and settle in as your guide, an architecture expert, gives an introduction to Chicago's architectural history. Pass by more than 40 distinctive buildings, including the 360 Chicago Observation Deck, Willis (Sears) Tower, Wrigley Building, and more, and learn which buildings famous architects Mies van der Rohe, Helmut Jahn, Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill designed. You have plenty of photo opportunities. Some cruises include a full bar. Your cruise ends at its starting point.

Start:Multiple meeting point options.
  • Option 1
    401 N. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL, 401 Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
    FROM MICHIGAN AVE: Departs from 401 N Michigan Ave at the Shoreline Sightseeing docks. NE corner of Historic Michigan Ave. (Dusable) Bridge. Located alongside Chicago's Honored Pioneer Court.
  • Option 2
    124 N Streeter Dr, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
    FROM NAVY PIER: Departs from 124 N Streeter Drive from the Shoreline Sightseeing docks at Polk Bros Park.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Near public transportation
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5580ARC

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Most travellers can participate
    • All boats have full restrooms and a full bar.
    • Some boats are single deck vessels, the type of vessel you are placed on cannot be guaranteed.
    • Wheelchairs or other walking assistance equipment are not provided.
    • Beginning November 11, 2024 through April 2025, tours will be 60 minutes in length.
    • Cruises are dog-friendly.
    • Tours can be rescheduled through Viator 24 hours prior to the departure dates.
    • Wheelchair accessible from Navy Pier dock only.
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 250 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5580ARC

    From
    £38.92
    per adult
    Select date and travellers
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • 1
      Cruise takes place on the Chicago River.
      Pass by
      Chicago Skyline
      Navy Pier
      Tribune Tower
      John Hancock Center
      Marina City
      Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower
      Aqua Tower
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Shoreline Sightseeing
      9,352
      Chicago, United States
    • jangT5327TP
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      A wonderful view of the shoreline
      They sold hats, gloves and blankets on the boat I had told my family of adults not to worry about the cold because every boat I’ve been on had blankets that they give you that’s This is the first place that sold them and that’s why they get a four instead of a five
      Written 10 November 2024
    • TravelerGabe
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun, enjoyable, and you get to learn about Lake Michigan.
      Personally I always love being able to get a break and spend some time on a boat. I only spent one day in Chicago and I happened to be by the pier and made a spontaneous decision to experience this tour. It wasn’t very crowded, so I was able to get a good seat towards the front. I thought it was really fun and enjoyable experience. Plus you get to learn a little bit about Lake Michigan. It may be a little pricy for what you get but if you are in to this kind of activities, I would say it’s worth it.
      Written 15 October 2024
    • ericmQ2934DI
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Lake Cruise
      Really enjoyable lake cruise with great views of the city and a comfortabe boat with friendly staff, we also used this company for water taxi which was also really good
      Written 23 September 2024
    • lucianep441
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Enjoyable boat tour with excellent narration
      This was an enjoyable short boat tour on Lake Michigan with lovely views of the Chicago skyline. The recorded audio narration is excellent: it’s easy to hear and understand, the facts are interesting and relevant, and the narration is occasional not constant, which works really well. Highly recommended.
      Written 8 September 2024
    • sonyaf596
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Relaxing and picturesque boat tour
      Ashley provided us with an informative and interesting tour of Chicago's architecture. A relaxing way to get to know the city. Highly recommended!
      Written 1 September 2024
    • newjerseyfamily
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The perfect solution for tired feet!
      We had finished visiting the Field Museum and enjoyed a snack outside. As we were trying to figure out how to get to the Navy Pier, my husband happened to spy a sign that said they offered water taxi services to the pier. What a perfect solution! We saw a lovely view of the Chicago skyline, it was safe, enjoyable and fun. We landed right were all the restaurants were and happily picked out somewhere for dinner. Great way to get around without looking at traffic.
      Written 29 August 2024
    • kaitlynd526
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      10/10 Booking Experience! Thank You, Vanessa!
      10/10 booking experience. Shoreline Sightseeing & specifically, Vanessa in the sales office have outstanding customer service. We had a large party of 25+ with a scheduling mishap on our part. Shoreline accommodated moving all of us onto another evening reservation. Vanessa really went above and beyond and we are so thankful!
      Written 25 August 2024
    • joshuabG9324PY
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Jill rocks!
      Our friend Jill was hilarious and did a wonderful informative tour! Give her a raise, she ruled! Definitely made me want to check out other tours offered!
      Written 25 August 2024
    • Burmac
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Magical Chicago
      The most amazing views of the city of Chicago!! A must for each visit there.. Tried different time of the year day and each viewing is amazing’
      Written 11 August 2024
    • amandatD1278LC
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Relaxing Cruise with Great Views!
      This was a relaxing, enjoyable experience. The staff were friendly. The views were incredible! An audio-recorded script provided interesting information about the city. This was my favorite part of my family’s short visit to Chicago.
      Written 31 July 2024
    • dennisdP92XR
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Definitely recommend!
      This was a wonderful experience. We went really went far out into the water for just gorgeous views. Could even see Buckingham Fountain from the boat. Afterwards go right over to Navy Pier and spend some time. Worth the price and will do again.
      Written 12 June 2024
    • simonemW9596RL
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Peaceful and smooth
      It was very peaceful. The boat was smooth and the tour was informative about the architecture. The boat wasn’t crowded.
      Written 1 May 2024
    • Arielle251
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beautiful!
      We went on the Skyline Chicago River boat tour back in October, it was very windy. But also, very pretty! Really enjoyed it and got some great pics of the skyline and water. Loved it!
      Written 19 April 2024
    • Shirley0127
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Not worth the ride
      Not worth the ride too expensive for nothing, you better off walking to see the city of Chicago, instead of looking at it from this boat that it’s really only 25 minute boat ride.
      Written 4 March 2024
    • Bria1010
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Do it!
      My significant other and I had a WONDERFUL experience aboard one of the Hot Chocolate Cruises. It would make a great family outing as well; short and sweet. I would definitely recommend going after the sun has set.
      Written 29 December 2023
    See all 9,352 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles5,926 reviews
    Excellent
    5,428
    Very good
    358
    Average
    57
    Poor
    30
    Terrible
    53

    John B
    San Antonio, TX1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2019
    Within an 8 to 10 year timespan,I've visited Chicago twice. Both times I took the Architecture River Cruise,and thoroughly enjoyed both trips. The onboard docents were both great sources of knowledge and always willing to answer passenger's questions. While the city's buildings look great from their STREETSIDE,seeing them,also,from their WATERSIDE,is a wonderful experience.
    I strongly recommend this tour for ANY visitor to the city who is even slightly interested in it's architectural history.
    Written 15 June 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to share your opinion! We hope you come back soon (8 years is too long!)
    Written 16 June 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Douglas W
    24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The tour guide, Sam, was the ideal guide for this cruise through Chicago’s outstanding architecture. He was tremendously informative and also managed to keep it entertaining without pushing too hard. This former tour guide from back in the day (universal studios in the 70s and nbc page in the 80s) was very impressed. And if you can take the tour a bit before sunset (6:45) as we did you get to see everything in the light/sunset for the first half then as dusk falls you see the last portion allowing for a wide variety of pictures.
    Written 22 August 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    JAZ
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    First the COVID safety’s protocols made our group feel super safe and welcomed. The tour guide was so informative, witty and fun! I would absolutely do this again and recommend this to anyone wanting to see the city’s architecture in a non stuffy, fun and relaxing environment. I hate that I can’t remember the tour guide’s name - he is incredible! (we took the 5PM ride on aug 22nd!)
    Written 23 August 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Drew
    16 contributions
    2.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2022 • Friends
    We booked from Navy Pier at dusk so we could enjoy a “sunset cruise” and be positioned to see the last fireworks of the season. Unfortunately, the weather changed to blustery and cool. We chose to sit at the back of the boat to avoid rain, if it happened. Wrong choice! To hear the commentary, we should have been front and center. The sound system was weak and a number of families sat around us making it doubly hard to hear the speaker. Our docent spoke for almost 1 1/2 hours without notes (!) but he spoke so quickly that we couldn’t process half of what he said. I would recommend he pepper his phenomenal amount of information with less statistics and more stories. We eventually gave up, sat back and tried to enjoy the sights. It was very disappointing.
    Written 4 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    MsPiggy
    Miami Beach, FL4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2020 • Solo
    I don’t normally write reviews but an exception is being made. I took the 5pm cruise with my German Shepard and was wowed by the incredible skyscrapers along with a deep history lesson of this magnificent city combined with anecdotes, jokes, and a blues song played on the harmonica and sung by our guide. Thank you Kevin, they don’t pay you enough. Highly recommend this to anyone who appreciates architecture or wants to be inspired.
    Written 24 September 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Robert L
    Amherst, MA1,621 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We did the 90 minute boat tour that was guided by an architectural commentator. The views of the city and buildings were stunning. Many of the buildings are new and the guide discusses the various design periods. The 90 minutes just flew by.....this is a must even though you get tickets via Ticketmaster- who clearly inflate the charges.
    Written 9 May 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    yvonnel253
    Baltimore, Maryland3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    May 2022 • Couples
    Mary Jo, our guide for the May 10 boat tour, was knowledgeable about Chicago’s historic and current architecture, the engineering feats behind the skyscrapers and the history of Chicago River as well as the city. She took the time to introduce herself to passengers who were waiting to board the boat and to find out where they were from and why they were in town. She was organized, articulate, and provided an outstanding 90 minute presentation that was well worth the ticket price. The beautiful day made the trip unforgettable.
    Written 18 May 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Shellie B
    Portland, OR59 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    As a former travel writer, I’ve taken a lot of tours. Honestly, this was a Top 5 experience. The difference? The volunteer docent, Jim. He was an older man with an AMAZING memory and enthusiasm for the city. In 1.5 hours, he never referenced a script; he knew every date, architect name, address - it was astounding as was Chicago’s architecture. I’d recommend doing the last tour of the evening when you’ll likely be treated to the sun setting on the reflective buildings of the city. It makes for lovely photos. One last thing: I would have gladly tipped Jim, but the docents don’t accept gratuities.
    Written 19 July 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Anurag S
    Seattle, WA2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2021 • Friends
    Spiro was an engaging and a friendly guide. I would recommend this tour to everyone who wants to learn about the architecture history for the Chicago skyline and interesting stories about the growth of the city to what it is today. The tour is an hour long adventure and it is a fun walkthrough in the centre of the city. A must for anyone visiting Chicago.
    Written 26 December 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Solange S
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2021 • Family
    Jim was our host and he is THE BEST host ever! You’ll get the money of what you pay x100 times. We wanted to do a sunset trip with other company but was sold out when we got to the pier. So we said let’s give a shot to this architectural trip. I remember I told my sister, we just don’t listen to whoever is giving the tour and we just enjoy the view. Thinking was going to be boring and flat. But I’m the contrary this tour has been incredible! Didn’t want it to finish and I’ve learn so so many things. Please do it! I recommend the sunset one because you see beautiful colors and it’s not too hot if you go in summer time. Ask for Jim!
    Written 6 June 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Showing results 1-10 of 5,725
    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Chicago Architecture River Cruise provided by Shoreline Sightseeing

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