Sightseeing Cruises

90-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise by Wendella

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(420)

Marijah F

Solo

Verified booking

Last week

The Wendella Chicago River Architecture Cruise exceeded expectations! The views alone are worth it—seeing the skyline from the river gives you a completely different perspective on the city’s design and history. What really made the experience stand out, though, was the tour guide. His knowledge was deep but easy to follow, not to mention funny! I believe his name was John, 10/10! If you’re even slightly interested in architecture—or just want a well-run, informative experience on the water—this is one of the better tours you can take in Chicago.

Shantell C

Solo

Verified booking

2 days ago

This tour came highly recommended by a local—and it absolutely delivered. Our guide was fantastic: knowledgeable, engaging, and even added a touch of humor and music along the way. The 90-minute sunset cruise was truly memorable. Learning about the city’s history and architecture while watching the sun reflect off the buildings along the river made for a stunning experience. Highly recommend.

Eve M

Family

Verified booking

2 weeks ago

We loved this cruise - so much interesting information from a chatty and informative host. We took our 5 and 7 year old kids who also really enjoyed this. The views are spectacular, you get to see sights on all 3 branches of the Chicago river. A great way to see Chiacgo and well worth the money, highly recommended.

Jonghyeop L

Group

Verified booking

3 days ago

I had an amazing day in Chicago thanks to the Wendella Architecture Tour. The guide was very witty and provided excellent explanations throughout the trip. There were so many stunning buildings to see, and I truly enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the river. It was the highlight of my trip!

Adwoa A

Solo

Verified booking

Last week

I absolutely loved Alex and so happy to be on his 31117 tour yesterday. I would recommend everyone to do this your and Chicagoans to go at least once a year. The views are gorgeous, stories and history recap was amazing and entertaining. I love when I get visitors so we can go.

Nakia R

Solo

Verified booking

Yesterday

The tour guide Alex was very well informed, personable and made a freeing cold windy boat tour worth it. Seeing Chinatown and the park near it was my favorite part about the tour as well as learning the history of how Chicago got its name!

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.

420 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.
387
21
10
0
2
Guests from Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and over 32 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Tracie C
Couple
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
Although the weather was very cold, the speaker was so good that it left us forgetting how frigid the cold was. He was very knowledgeable on the history of Chicago and its buildings.
Ericka J
Solo
Verified booking
3 weeks ago
I enjoyed my tour guide. He was very enthusiastic and informative. You could tell he was very passionate about his job and had a genuine love for what he does.
Marijah F
Solo
Verified booking
Last week
The Wendella Chicago River Architecture Cruise exceeded expectations! The views alone are worth it—seeing the skyline from the river gives you a completely different perspective on the city’s design and history. What really made the experience stand out, though, was the tour guide. His knowledge was deep but easy to follow, not to mention funny! I believe his name was John, 10/10! If you’re even slightly interested in architecture—or just want a well-run, informative experience on the water—this is one of the better tours you can take in Chicago.
Shantell C
Solo
Verified booking
2 days ago
This tour came highly recommended by a local—and it absolutely delivered. Our guide was fantastic: knowledgeable, engaging, and even added a touch of humor and music along the way. The 90-minute sunset cruise was truly memorable. Learning about the city’s history and architecture while watching the sun reflect off the buildings along the river made for a stunning experience. Highly recommend.
Eve M
Family
Verified booking
2 weeks ago
We loved this cruise - so much interesting information from a chatty and informative host. We took our 5 and 7 year old kids who also really enjoyed this. The views are spectacular, you get to see sights on all 3 branches of the Chicago river. A great way to see Chiacgo and well worth the money, highly recommended.

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