Chicago Architecture River Cruise
MyLittleAdventure logo
English / EUR
Chicago Architecture River Cruise
/ United States / Illinois / Cook County / Chicago / Tours & Activities /
See details in English
See details in German See details in Spanish See details in French See details in Italian See details in Dutch See details in Norvegian See details in Portugese See details in Swedish

Chicago Architecture River Cruise

1h15
Popular
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Chicago River, Chicago, IL

Cruise takes place on the Chicago River

Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Chicago Skyline, Chicago, IL 60601

Enjoy an amazing view of the city's skyline

Pass By: Chicago Board of Trade Building, 141 W Jackson Blvd La Salle Street, Chicago, IL 60604-2992

An art deco masterpiece, this is the home of many of the city's financial movers and shakers.

Pass By: Wrigley Building, 410 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611-4213

This white, terra-cotta landmark was built in 1922 as headquarters for the Wrigley chewing gum company.

Pass By: Navy Pier, 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611-3419

50 acres of parks, promenades, gardens, shops, eateries and attractions, including a 15-story Ferris wheel.

Pass By: Illinois Center, Chicago, IL

This mixed-used building is notable in that the streets running through it have three levels.

Pass By: Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower, 233 S. Wacker Drive Entrance on Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60606-7147

Tallest building in the Western Hemisphere

Pass By: Tribune Tower, 435 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611-4066

The neo-gothic tower's signature is the exterior collection of stones from other famous edifices, like the Parthenon, St. Peter's Basilica, Notre Dame, the White House and most recently, the Berlin Wall.

Pass By: 222 Merchandise Mart Plz Suite 107, Chicago, IL 60654-1103

The largest commercial building in the world. First two floors are essentially a mall, and the rest is business offices

Pass By: Marina City, 300 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654-5414

Unique architecture for a building complex as its own self-contained community.

Pass By: Lake Point Tower, 505 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60611-3427

A high-rise residential building located on a promontory of the Lake Michigan lakefront

Pass By: 333 West Wacker Drive, 333 W Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606-1220

Noted for its reflection of the curves of the Chicago River

Pass By: The East Bank Club, 500 N Kingsbury St, Chicago, IL 60654-5721

A health club with 450,000 square feet of space

Pass By: The Lyric Opera House, 20 N Wacker Dr 60606, Chicago, IL 60606-2806

Well-known opera company puts on lavish performances in this massive Art Deco Civic Opera House.

Pass By: Citicorp Center, 500 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60661-4544

Located between Clinton and Canal Streets on Madison Street, the structure was designed in a late modernist style.

Pass By: 360 Chicago Observation Deck, 875 N Michigan Avenue 94th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611-1803

Located on the 94th floor of the John Hancock Center

Pass By: John Hancock Center, 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611-1803

The John Hancock Center, is a 100-story, 1,128-foot supertall skyscraper

Pass By: London Guarantee Building, 360 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601-3814

The London Guarantee Building or London Guaranty & Accident Building is a historic 1923 commercial skyscraper

Pass By: Historic Water Tower, 806 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611-2103

Chicago-focused gallery, specializing in photos, inside a 19th-century Gothic limestone landmark.

Pass By: Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USA

The Chicago Architecture Center is home to a 4,000-building scale model of Chicago

Pass By: Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL 60602-4801

The Chicago Cultural Center is the nation's first free municipal cultural center and one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building, opened in 1897 as the city's first public library, is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes.

Pass By: Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago, IL 60601-6530

Located within Grant Park, Millennium Park is home to Cloud Gate, or "the bean."

Pass By: Buckingham Fountain, Grant Park, Chicago, IL 60605

Chicago's landmark is considered one of America's finest fountains due to its Beaux-Arts-style landscape design, finely wrought bronze sculpture and innovative use of technology.

Pass By: Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, IL 60601

A continuous walkway connecting the lakefront with the heart of downtown.

Read more Show less
Included
  • Guided architecture cruise of the historic Chicago River
  • Live commentary on board
Not included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • All boats have full restrooms and some have a full bar
  • Some boats are single deck vessels, the type of vessel you are placed on cannot be guaranteed
  • Wheelchairs or other walking assistance equipment are not provided.
  • Tour times cannot be changed.
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 250 travelers
Features
Tourism
80%
Cultural
55%
Original
35%
Aquatic
25%
Reviews
4.8
2545
D
Devin M
5 | 2019-09-30

This is a must do. Just book it! Have done the tour with multiple friend groups visiting the city on conference trips. Such a good way to learn about and see the city without walking all the time. Great views and pictures.

a
ampardo
5 | 2019-09-17

This was a very enjoyable and informative tour. We learned a lot about the history and architecture of Chicago. Victor did an amazing job! He is very knowledgeable and funny.

M
Marleen V
5 | 2019-09-16

They were knowledgeable of all the architecture history and the presentation was lively and engaging and entertaining. Beautiful cruise!

K
Kelly H
5 | 2019-09-12

Super tour! Extremely knowledgeable guide, who even played blues for us on his harmonica! Highly recommend this tour to see the evolution of beautiful buildings along the river.

K
Kimberly A
5 | 2019-09-11

The Chicago Architecture River Cruise is the best way to get the lay of the land in this huge city and to learn all about the variety of architectural designs that distinguish Chicago from any other major metropolitan destination. The tour guide made the trip fun and informative, and the large, open-air vessel featured plenty of seating, bathrooms, and a bar. Any spot is a good one for viewing the architecture, since you'll be looking mostly up. Several people recommended this tour to us, so I will highly recommend it to you. But try to choose a day with good weather!

m
mlmusko
5 | 2019-09-09

Everything About this tour was wonderful. The boat is spacious and has plenty of seating and every seat has a view. It started on time and our tour guide was absolutely wonderful!

S
Shirley T
5 | 2019-09-02

Our tour guide was excellent and informative we enjoyed the tour and scenery around. If you go to Chicago do this tour it’s well worth it

R
Robert K
5 | 2019-09-02

My wife and I after many years of talking about it finally did it. Although we don't live that far from Chicago and we both worked in the loop years ago, we learned a lot on the cruise. It wasn't boring learning, it was fun and informative and nice to see the beautiful buildings and learn some history.

C
Cynthia O
5 | 2019-08-14

Our guide was very knowledgeable. This tour provided a great overview of the city. I highly recommend this tour.

W
Wendy E
5 | 2019-08-14

We unexpectedly had the highlight of our Chicago 5- day trip on the Architecture River Cruise! To thin that we almost missed it and it took 3 people recommending this tour is funny to us now because it was SO good, so fun and worth every penny. The speaker was entertaining, funny, and his sense of humor was perfect for all adults. Don't miss this tour!

R
Reece L
5 | 2019-08-13

The trip was excellent. The staff was friendly and the tour was enjoyable and informative. We got to learn some of Chicago's history and see some pretty cool architecture. The drinks at the bar were a little over-priced, but that is common to any tour similar to this one. We were allowed to take drinks and food on the tour, so if you don't want to pay for their drinks just bring your own.

D
Diane R
5 | 2019-08-12

So glad we chose to go. The Architectural Cruise was exceptional and informative with a lot of Chicago history. Under the stars in the evening breeze was very relaxing. Our tour guide, an architectural history grad student was great!

i
isabel L
5 | 2019-08-08

It was great, it was a beautiful day also, very informative about architectural history. waters are clean. Beautiful

J
Janet M
5 | 2019-08-05

Very informative - Nick did a great job. Weather was perfect. All of the staff were very friendly. Overall very nice outing.

S
Sydney R
5 | 2019-08-01

Upon our arrival to Chicago, we asked around what for a good touristy things to do. Several people suggested the Architect Tour. We went the next morning at 10am and what a beautiful way to start our vacation. It was fun and educational. And absolutely breathtaking! Highly recommend.

m
matt.hicks2012
5 | 2019-07-30

Wonderful river tour of Chicago’s downtown skyscrapers. We took the 7:45 pm tour which we found the perfect time to experience both daylight and dusk. There are 2 departure piers (East Michigan and East Grand) so make sure that you’re at the right place. Thankfully, the ticket office transferred our tickets to the nearest terminal. Great city experience!

K
Kathleen L
5 | 2019-07-24

The timing, the buildings acknowledged and boat were all done very well. The way Jaylan, our docent spoke, was clear, informative, personable, and funny. He also provided times for us to reflect and enjoy the scenery.

J
Jennifer S
5 | 2019-07-22

Victor was our tour guide and he was fabulous! He did an excellent job and we truly enjoyed this tour and learning some of the history of Chicago.

S
Spring H
5 | 2019-07-19

Enjoyed this trip. Very educational, fun, and inspiring. The tour guide clearly knew what he was talking about.

J
JASIM M
5 | 2019-07-08

Nick was so knowledgeable as his background is engineering. Very nice time!! Never knew the history and complexity of engineering involve to design high rise buildings

l
la_memphis
5 | 2019-07-03

My two sisters and I really enjoyed this tour. Our guide, William, was entertaining and knowledgeable. We felt like it was an excellent way to learn about notable buildings and Chicago history.

J
Joanne H
5 | 2019-07-03

Fantastic trip and it was really interesting learning about the history of these buildings and Chicago. It is a very beautiful city.

R
Ralph S
5 | 2019-07-03

Excellent narrator and ride during the view of the City !!! My wife and I were very impressed with this excursion. The photo taken before the trip was also added a great finale !!!

C
Chuck B
4 | 2019-05-09

Although architecture really isn't my area of interest, the host of the tour made it interesting, humorous and engaging...more than I thought I'd be. The fact that it was a beautiful day and I could sit down, rather than walking for more than an hour didn't hurt either. Reasonably priced and a nice way to see the city.

b
betty h
4 | 2019-05-02

An informative tour. The tour guide was knowledgeable and kept the tour interesting. It takes you along the Chicago River so you get a nice view of all the buildings there. No problem with the tickets purchased from Viator.com. The meeting point is easy to find.

M
Miss Rachael L W
5 | 2019-04-29

First of all - due to concerns about the weather, we wanted to change the date/time of our pre-booked tour and the company was brilliant - no fuss, no bother, just "yes, no problem". So I've bumped up the review to 5 stars for the service. The tour itself was great - our guide was very knowledgeable, clearly interested in his subject and full of enthusiasm, which meant that he carried his audience with him even if they weren't initially all that interested in architecture! We learned lots about architecture, the city and the river, and I would highly recommend this tour.

K
Kelly S
5 | 2019-04-23

Very enjoyable and informative. Perfect for all ages. Our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. Worth the money for sure, it was a cold day but the warm tea and hot chocolate available to purchase helped keep us warm!

k
kathy l
5 | 2019-04-16

Absolutely loved the architectural tour! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable and we learned so much! Would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Chicago.

A
Ashlee D
4 | 2019-04-11

Fabulous overview of the story and style of Chicago's skyline seen by the best vantage point of a river cruise. Very clear, easy to follow and informative.

E
Emberly H
5 | 2019-04-01

Ben was so knowledgeable and interesting with the best sense of humor! This was by far the best tour we have been on.

J
Jonathan N
5 | 2018-10-29

Great tour of the city. Tour guide was excellent. So many interesting buildings. I would say this is a must for any visit.

J
James E
5 | 2018-10-16

A really great way to see the city and learn about Chicago history. Our guide was FABULOUS!!!!!!!Taking the 12;30 PM cruise was perfect, enjoyed the Navy Pier and then the cruise. The staff was excellent!!

s
stocksmodel
5 | 2018-10-09

It's a great tour!

R
Rachel D
5 | 2018-10-08

It was a foggy day but still gorgeous. The guide was very knowledgeable. I saw and learned a lot about Chicago in a short period of time. Highly recommend!

K
Kathy C
5 | 2018-10-02

This was a gem! We are thrilled we did this tour. It was informative, pleasant and interesting. The buildings are fantastic, our guide was outstanding, and the boats are smooth, clean and fun! We will definitely do this again when we return to Chicago!

B
Becky A
5 | 2018-10-01

Very entertaining and informative.

m
marybester
5 | 2018-09-24

Jim our tour guide was great! Stephanie at Giardellis wants to meet him to confirm that he’s real! Great tour!

R
Raymond H
5 | 2018-09-20

The Guide on our tour was so knowledgeable and fluent that it made it just a great informative and enlightening experience, BRAVO

You may also like
Click to discover other experiences See all
Chicago North Side Essentials
Collections
Chicago North Side Essentials 13 Activities
Scavenger Hunt
Collections
Scavenger Hunt 6 Activities
Segway
Collections
Segway 24 Activities
Original
Collections
Original 31 Activities
Chicago City Tour
Collections
Chicago City Tour 121 Activities
Shows & Entertainment
Collections
Shows & Entertainment 23 Activities
Card & City pass
Collections
Card & City pass 8 Activities
World Fair
Collections
World Fair 6 Activities
Navi Pier
Collections
Navi Pier 7 Activities
Escape games
Collections
Escape games 9 Activities
See all 27 Collections
Anonymous
Anonymous

Chicago

  • Information & Tips
  • Collections
  • Tours & Activities

Settings

We use cookies to provide you the best experience. By continuing to browse this site, you accept the use of cookies. For more information, please read our privacy policy.