Sightseeing Cruises

90-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise

Visitors on Chicago River cruise viewing city architecture.

Chicago River cruise boat passing under a bridge with city skyscrapers in the background.

Wrigley Building and Chicago River view on 90-minute architecture cruise.

Visitors on Chicago River architecture cruise viewing skyscrapers.

Duration

1 hr 30 min

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Guided tour

4.9/5

(326)

Maye

Mar 2026

Verified booking

Our tour guide was the best we've had, hands down. She unequivocally knew her history and kept us all engaged! Her esprit de corps is unparalleled and should be recognized! Others in the industry should emulate her enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge "before" they clock in. My wife and I had monotone tour guides basically reading from their notes and it ended up being a waste of money to include a boring experience! Promote her please!

Sharon

Feb 2026

Verified booking

Our guide,Tess, was fantastic! We were lucky to be visiting on a beautiful day - sunny and in the high 30s (not bad for a February). I was glad I had dressed appropriately for the temperature -- the boat also has a heated main cabin so I could have gone there if I had ever gotten too cold. I am so glad I did this tour and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the beautiful city of Chicago.

Chetna

Dec 2025

Verified booking

I absolutely loved this tour! The JBL speakers were fantastic and made it so easy to hear the guide clearly, even in a busy and noisy environment. The tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable and shared information in such a fun, engaging, and effortless way that it really stayed with me. I still remember interesting facts like the Chicago River being 22 feet wide and how it turns green on St. Patrick’s Day. The clear sound from the JBL speakers and the amazing guide together made this tour truly memorable and enjoyable.

Tiffany

Dec 2025

Verified booking

Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable. Funny as funny can be. Interactive with all those who were on the cruise wonderful history about Chicago in the buildings we saw on the river. This was recommended to my husband and me by locals. We did not have it on our radar, but after meeting multiple local people who said it is a must, we did it and now we understand why they love it so much. Everybody should take this cruise and if I'm back in Chicago again, I will do the cruise all over again.

Donna

Dec 2025

Verified booking

Great guide! Learned and enjoyed so much from him! It may have been the coldest day yet in Chicago. But with the sunshine we still stayed up top most of the trip. Having the warm main cabin and drinks was perfect when we needed to warm up! All the Wendella people were very very friendly!

Mary

Dec 2025

Verified booking

I was amazed by all the buildings and some insights about it. It was a great experience with my friends. The cruise was smooth and really safe. As an exchange teacher from Philippines here in New Mexico I can share it to my students and relatives to try it when they visit Chicago.

Enjoy a 90-minute architecture cruise on the Chicago River with an expert guide providing engaging live commentary throughout the journey.

Discover over 130 years of Chicago’s architectural history as your guide shares fascinating stories behind the city’s most iconic and innovative buildings.

Cruise along the main river and its north and south branches, taking in skyline views from an open-air deck or a comfortable climate-controlled cabin.

Pass landmarks including the Amtrak Rail Bridge, Goose Island, NBC Tower, Tribune Tower, Wrigley Building, Trump International Hotel & Tower, and AMA Plaza.

If you're an architecture buff or love seeing cities differently, this cruise offers a unique view of Chicago along with benefits such as skip-the-line access and onboard refreshments (available for purchase onboard).

90‑min Chicago River architecture cruise

Boat tour with an expert tour guide

Food and beverages (available for purchase onboard)

TOTAL DURATION90 minutes
1 Boarding point
Wendella's Michigan Avenue Docks
Get direction
Sights covered
Lake Point Tower
Centennial Fountain
NBC Tower
Tribune Tower
Wrigley Building
Trump International Hotel & Tower
AMA Plaza
Marina City
Merchandise Mart
Reid-Murdoch Center
Residences at River Bend
Kinzie Park
River Point
150 N Riverside Plaza
100 N Riverside Plaza
2 North Riverside Plaza
Old Post Office
Union Station Power House
Canal Street Railroad Bridge
River City
The Southbank
311 South Wacker
Willis Tower
Chicago Board of Trade
CME Center
Civic Opera Building
333 West Wacker
LaSalle/Wacker Building
Chicago Riverwalk
77 West Wacker
Leo Burnett Building
35 East Wacker
Carbide and Carbon Building
London Guarantee Building
Aon Center
Aqua Tower
Vista Tower
Crain Communications Building
Chicago Marine Safety Station
Goose Island
The Domain

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

326 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, United Kingdom, Germany and over 30 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Maye
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Our tour guide was the best we've had, hands down. She unequivocally knew her history and kept us all engaged! Her esprit de corps is unparalleled and should be recognized! Others in the industry should emulate her enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge "before" they clock in. My wife and I had monotone tour guides basically reading from their notes and it ended up being a waste of money to include a boring experience! Promote her please!
Cheryl
Mar 2026
Verified booking
The guide provided a lot of information and entertaining stories. We learned alot about Chicago history and the river, along with architecture. The boat interior allowed us to stay warm.
Anthony
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Crew was great! Tour guide was excellent!! Wish I could remember her name, so I could give her the recognition she deserves. She was very informative with just the right amount of humor.
Tony
Mar 2026
Verified booking
We opted for the 90-min version. Perfect length! Very skilled guide, packed alot of facts along with a great sense of humour and some juicy gossip on top! Gold star!
Louise
Mar 2026
Verified booking
Tess our guide was fabulous. We learnt so much. This was my second time in the river tour and my husband had never done it. He loved it too

What's not allowed

Keep in mind that outside alcohol, weapons of any kind, flammables, and explosives are not allowed on this experience. Pack wisely!

Smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes is not allowed on board.

Accessibility

This experience is wheelchair and pram/stroller accessible.

Your guide dogs are welcome on board.

Additional information

The Captain reserves the right to adjust the tour route as needed to ensure passenger safety and comfort.

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 cruise departs and returns to Wendella's Michigan Avenue Docks, 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