Sightseeing Cruises

90-min Chicago River and Lake Michigan Architecture Cruise by Wendella

4.8/5(271)

Lori S

Solo

Verified booking

2 weeks ago

Wendella boat tours are wonderful, I have been on several. My favorite is the Lake and River cruise. The Dosets are very knowledgeable about the city. The scenery of the downtown from the lake view is spectacular. I highly recommend this tour. It was my third this summer!

Martin M

Couple

Verified booking

Last week

The crew on shore and water was very professional. We were surprised to experience entering the lake through a Locke! It was such a cool surprise and wow what an experience. Seeing the city from the river and the lake was amazing. We highly recommend the cruise!

Thomas S

Couple

Verified booking

3 weeks ago

What a great overview of Chicago. The background on some of the architectural marvels in the city and the view from the lake set the tone for a great weekend in the Windy City!

Brock G

Couple

Verified booking

Sep 2026

It was a good overall experience. Spiro was a great guide, and the time on the river & lake was very enjoyable. My only small quibble was that I emailed someone there to ask about whether this cruise on the river and lake included all the arms of the river and the lake, or an abbreviated river tour to allow time on the lake. The person who responded said it was all 3 arms of the river and then the lake ... but it ended up being just the east/west arm of the river. Not a huge issue, but a small disappointment.

Jill R

Solo

Verified booking

Sep 2026

For 90mins I was treated to an incredible view of the city from the river and a wider view from Lake Michigan. Our guide gave us interesting insights about almost every building we passed and kept everyone engaged with some history as well. The boat was clean, the staff was friendly, and the entire experience was well worth the money. I only had one day in Chicago and I'm so glad I chose to spend that time on this cruise through the city.

Virginia R

Couple

Verified booking

Sep 2026

The guy who took us on our cruise was very knowledgeable. We learned so much about individual buildings and the development of Chicago in general. I felt like it was a good combination of history and entertainment.

90-min architecture cruise

Boat cruise on the Chicago River & Lake Michigan

English-speaking tour guide

Food and beverages (available for purchase onboard)

TOTAL DURATION1 hour 30 minutes
FREQUENCYOnce per day
1 Boarding point
Wendella's Michigan Avenue Docks
Get direction
Sights covered
Chicago Harbor Lock
Navy Pier
Oak Street Beach
Chicago Lighthouse
Museum Campus
Buckingham Fountain

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

271 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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Guests from Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and over 17 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Lori S
Solo
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
Wendella boat tours are wonderful, I have been on several. My favorite is the Lake and River cruise. The Dosets are very knowledgeable about the city. The scenery of the downtown from the lake view is spectacular. I highly recommend this tour. It was my third this summer!
Martin M
Couple
Verified booking
Last week
The crew on shore and water was very professional. We were surprised to experience entering the lake through a Locke! It was such a cool surprise and wow what an experience. Seeing the city from the river and the lake was amazing. We highly recommend the cruise!
Thomas S
Couple
Verified booking
3 weeks ago
What a great overview of Chicago. The background on some of the architectural marvels in the city and the view from the lake set the tone for a great weekend in the Windy City!
Robert C
Couple
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
Friendly, informative, and entertaining. Lived here for over 20 years and learned several things I never knew. The guide did a great job
Wesley S
Couple
Verified booking
5 days ago
Excellent host with comprehensive knowledge of Chicago. Her anecdotes were interesting and delivered with good humor. Would do it again.

What's not allowed

Alcohol, weapons of any kind, flammables, and explosives are not allowed on this experience.

Smoking cigarettes (including e-cigarettes) is prohibited on board.

Accessibility

This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.

Your guide dogs are welcome on board the boat.

Additional information

The Captain may adjust the tour route as needed to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers.

Safety comes first. All bags are subject to inspection.

The crew reserves the right to deny entry to anyone who appears intoxicated, impaired, or may pose a safety risk.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.

Please arrive at the meeting point 15 mins before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

Meeting point

Meet your guide at Wendella Tours & Cruises.

Address: 400 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.

Landmark: The dock is located at the northwest corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge (now called the DuSable Bridge), at the base of the Wrigley Building on the Chicago River.

Get directions to the meeting point