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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

    Lake Point Tower

    Centennial Fountain

    Centennial Fountain

    NBC Tower

    NBC Tower

    Tribune Tower

    Tribune Tower

    Wrigley Building

    Wrigley Building

    Trump International Hotel & Tower

    Trump International Hotel & Tower

    AMA Plaza

    AMA Plaza

    Marina City

    Marina City

    Merchandise Mart

    Merchandise Mart

    Reid-Murdoch Center

    Reid-Murdoch Center

    Residences at River Bend

    Residences at River Bend

    Kinzie Park

    Kinzie Park

    River Point

    River Point

    150 N Riverside Plaza

    150 N Riverside Plaza

    100 N Riverside Plaza

    100 N Riverside Plaza

    2 North Riverside Plaza

    2 North Riverside Plaza

    Old Post Office

    Old Post Office

    Union Station Power House

    Union Station Power House

    Canal Street Railroad Bridge

    Canal Street Railroad Bridge

    River City

    River City

    The Southbank

    The Southbank

    311 South Wacker

    311 South Wacker

    Willis Tower

    Willis Tower

    Chicago Board of Trade

    Chicago Board of Trade

    CME Center

    CME Center

    Civic Opera Building

    Civic Opera Building

    333 West Wacker

    333 West Wacker

    LaSalle/Wacker Building

    LaSalle/Wacker Building

    Chicago Riverwalk

    Chicago Riverwalk

    77 West Wacker

    77 West Wacker

    Leo Burnett Building

    Leo Burnett Building

    35 East Wacker

    35 East Wacker

    Carbide and Carbon Building

    Carbide and Carbon Building

    London Guarantee Building

    London Guarantee Building

    Aon Center

    Aon Center

    Aqua Tower

    Aqua Tower

    Vista Tower

    Vista Tower

    Crain Communications Building

    Crain Communications Building

    Chicago Marine Safety Station

    Chicago Marine Safety Station

    Goose Island

    Goose Island

    The Domain

    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
    Canada
    United Kingdom
    Germany
    France
    Australia
    Ireland
    Mexico
    Dominican Republic
    Colombia
    Philippines
    Canada
    United Kingdom
    Germany
    France
    Australia
    Ireland
    Mexico
    Dominican Republic
    Colombia
    Philippines
    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

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