Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour
- 1h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Mobile ticket
Highlights
An authentic Chicago tradition since 1935, this is the tour that started it all. This unique excursion tells the story of more than 200 years of fascinating social, cultural and political history, and explores more than a century of groundbreaking architecture. The journey begins with an up-close perspective of Chicago's internationally-known architecture as seen from the Chicago River. Then venture through the Chicago Lock on to the calm, cool waters of Lake Michigan for expansive views of Chicago's extraordinary 26-mile skyline. Take the selfie of a lifetime on this inspirational experience!
Inclusions
What's included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Outdoor and Indoor climate-controlled seating option
- Local Expert Guide
- Restroom on board
What's not
- Alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, and snacks available for purchase on board
- Storage
Itinerary
Lake and River Architecture Tours begin at Michigan Avenue and explore Chicago's amazing architecture along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. All tours are narrated by professional tour guides.
Your tour travels along Lake Michigan and explores Chicago's beautiful skyline.
Dedicated in 1989 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, known for reversing the flow of the Chicago River in 1900. For the first five minutes of every hour, the fountain shoots a water arc across the river from a tiered waterfall.
The largest commercial building in the world.
Pass by these iconic mixed-use apartment buildings - "a city within a city" with their unique corn-cob exterior.
Michigan Avenue is home of the Chicago Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and the shopping on the Magnificent Mile.
This white, terra-cotta landmark was built in 1922 as headquarters for the Wrigley chewing gum company.
An open, pedestrian waterfront called the city's 'Second Lakefront.'
Second-largest opera auditorium in North America, with an Art Deco interior
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
4.7
- 52,029
- 4251
- 378
- 248
- 157
Ratings come from 2,463 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Showing reviews written in English.
5Amazing Tour Experience
The guide on the boat was absolutely fabulous! His charisma, passion and genuine interest in Chicago really came thru in the info he provided.
5Amazing Outing
Easy to locate, it was an absolutely amazing tour, the guide was very knowledgeable, very friendly, and funny. The day was perfect for boating! Will definitely be back for another tour!!
5Informative lake and river cruise
My husband and I both enjoyed this 90 minute lake and river cruise. We learned a lot about the architecture and history of Chicago from our knowledgeable and engaging tour guide. Highly recommend!
3The speaker was...
The speaker was interesting but we were disappointed in how the time was spent. We hadn't realized that the tour was going through locks and that took too much time away from the actual river cruise and discussion about the architecture.
5The tour started and...
The tour started and ended exactly on time, was really fun and informative, I'll definitely take the tour again when I'm back in the city. Great views and explanation of history, and an easy ticket buying and check on process
5Great experience on the river
This is the second time we have experienced the architectural river tour. Learned new stuff and the crew aboard the boat was friendly and accommodating as they were the last time. This is definitely an interesting and economical experience for anyone who lives here and wants to learn more of Chicago’s history or someone from out of town that just wants a nice afternoon. !
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- 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.
- Pickup
- Everyone meets at the starting point; there is no pickup.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 300 travellers
- Operated by
- Wendella Tours & Cruises
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Weapons prohibited by US Coast Guard
- Outside alcohol is prohibited
- All bags are subject to search
- Arrive 30 Minutes prior to your departure time
How it compares in Chicago
- Its from-price is 47% below the median of the 106 city tours we list in Chicago.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 5 of 106.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Chicago
Chicago is a Great Lakes city on Lake Michigan, famed for skyscraper architecture, deep-dish pizza, blues and jazz and a long lakefront of parks.
Chicago rebuilt itself after the fire of 1871 and became the cradle of the skyscraper. The Chicago River runs through the Loop, where tall towers rise, and boat tours explain the architecture from the water. Millennium Park's mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture, known as the Bean, and the Art Institute of Chicago, with its Impressionist paintings, are close together. Willis Tower has a glass-floored observation deck.
Top-ranked sights in Chicago: Navy Pier, Wrigley Building, The Magnificent Mile.
Special offers in Chicago
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
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