Boat Tours Chicago

If you search for a boat tour Chicago offers, you will find a lot of near-identical listings. I compared 12 of them on GetYourGuide, and they split into a few clear groups: the classic architecture cruise on the Chicago River, lake and river combinations, lake-only skyline rides from Navy Pier, sunset and night trips, and lunch or dinner cruises. Prices run from $28 to $94, ratings from 4.2 to 4.8, and the operators are Wendella, Shoreline Sightseeing, First Lady, City Cruises and Empire.

My short answer: if I only had one evening and one budget, I’d book the Wendella 1.5-hour guided architecture cruise. It costs $45, scores 4.8 from 9,728 reviews and sails the main, north and south branches of the river, which is where most of the buildings are. If you are travelling with young children or only have under an hour, the $28 Wendella 45-minute cruise is the one I’d pick instead. Every price, rating and duration below comes from the GetYourGuide listings, checked in October 2026, and prices are in US dollars.

I’ve grouped this boat tour Chicago comparison by the way people actually search: architecture, Navy Pier, price, night, tickets, families and the river. Links that open GetYourGuide are affiliate links, and I explain how that works on my about page.

Boat Tours in Chicago

Boat tours in Chicago come in two kinds. River tours leave from the docks around the Michigan Avenue bridge, stay between the skyscrapers and are mostly about architecture. Lake tours leave from Navy Pier or head out onto Lake Michigan for the skyline from the water, and a few boats do both. For a first boat tour in Chicago I’d start with the river: it has the most departures, the highest ratings in my comparison and the buildings right beside you.

My pick for the cheapest standard river cruise is the Shoreline Sightseeing architecture cruise. It’s $39 and has 4,732 reviews averaging 4.8. The listing says 1 hour to 75 minutes, and it includes live commentary and a barcoded ticket that lets you skip the ticket office and go straight to the boarding line. It also includes a boarding photo, and food and drinks are sold on board. Commentary is available in English and Spanish. The meeting point varies depending on the option you pick, so read the booking page before you go. As a boat tour Chicago first-timers can afford, I’d choose it if you want the architecture story at the lowest price and don’t mind a slightly shorter trip than Wendella’s.

Shoreline Sightseeing

Architecture River Cruise Skip-the-Ticket Line

• ★ 4.8 (4,732 reviews)
• 1 hour - 75 minutes
• Free cancellation

My pick: The cheapest standard architecture cruise I found: $39, 4.8 from 4,732 reviews, with live commentary.

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$39

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Boat Tour Chicago Architecture

Architecture is why most people book a boat tour Chicago has on offer, and the search is big enough that I gave it its own page: my guide to Chicago architecture boat tours compares the six cruises that fit, from $28 to $65. The card below is the longest, most seated way to do it, the City Cruises brunch, lunch or dinner river cruise, a 2 to 2.5 hour meal on the glass-enclosed Odyssey at $85 (4.5 from 256 reviews). I’d book it only if you want a full meal with the commentary, which is on the lunch and brunch sailings.

City Cruises

City Cruises Chicago: Brunch, Lunch, or Dinner River Cruise

• ★ 4.5 (256 reviews)
• 2 - 2.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The long, seated version of the architecture trip: a 3-course meal, glass-enclosed boat, $85 and 4.5 from 256 reviews.

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Chicago Boat Cruises

When people say Chicago boat cruises, or a lake boat tour Chicago has on its skyline, they often want to see both the river and the lake in one trip. The Wendella 1.5-hour lake and river cruise is the best match in my comparison. It’s $45, scores 4.7 from 2,244 reviews, and the listing says you choose between the outdoor deck and climate-controlled interior seating. The commentary is by a local guide, and food and drinks can be bought on board. Its listed stops include the lake side of the skyline: Navy Pier, 360 Chicago, Willis Tower and the Adler Planetarium are all named, alongside the river buildings.

The practical point is boarding. The listing says the closest address to most docks is 400 N Michigan Avenue, near the Wrigley Building, and a dock employee will direct you to your boat. That’s a short walk from the Riverwalk and the Magnificent Mile, so it fits well into a day downtown. I’d choose it over the river-only Wendella trip if you care about seeing the skyline from open water, and the price is the same.

Wendella Tours & Cruises

1.5-Hour Lake and River Architecture Cruise

• ★ 4.7 (2,244 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: My pick when you want both the river canyon and the lake skyline for $45: 4.7 from 2,244 reviews.

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$45

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Chicago Boat Trips

If your plan is a Chicago boat trip after dark, this is the boat tour Chicago does best at night. The First Lady night cruise is $50, runs 1.5 hours and covers both the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. It has live guide commentary and a 4.7 rating from 1,281 reviews. Beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks are sold on board, and the listing notes that food and gratuity are not included.

The boarding detail is worth knowing. You find First Lady at the north-east corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, under a black awning, then take the stairs down to the Riverwalk level to reach the box office. A departure board next to the box office shows the current boarding gate. I’d go on a clear evening, and the 24-hour free cancellation window gives you some room if the forecast turns.

Night tour

First Lady

Chicago by Night River and Lake Cruise

• ★ 4.7 (1,281 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The proper night cruise in my list: $50, 1.5 hours on the river and lake, 4.7 from 1,281 reviews.

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$50

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River Tours in Chicago

The river is the core of every boat tour Chicago offers, and two tours cover it from different angles. I’d start with the Wendella 1.5-hour guided architecture cruise. At $45, with 9,728 reviews averaging 4.8, it’s the best-reviewed ticket on the page, and the listing includes a local expert guide, access to the open deck and to a climate-controlled interior deck, and gratuities. Drinks and snacks are for sale on board. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure. The route runs the main, north and south branches, and the listed buildings include Marina City, the Merchandise Mart, Willis Tower, the Chicago Board of Trade Building, Tribune Tower, Aon Center, NBC Tower, Aqua at Lakeshore East and Lake Point Tower. The meeting point is 400 N Michigan Avenue, near the Wrigley Building.

The second card is a leftover, not the best match for the river section, and I’d rather say that plainly. The Empire guided sunset cocktail and architecture tour is a river trip with a drink included. The listing says that one or two alcoholic beverages come with your ticket if you choose that option, plus free coffee, soda and bottled water, snacks for purchase and restrooms on board. It costs $65 and scores 4.5 from 243 reviews. It leaves from 465 N McClurg Ct, which is about 0.7 km east of the Wrigley Building dock by my calculation from the Google Maps coordinates. Pick it if you want a glass in your hand while the sun goes down. If not, the Wendella ticket is the better value.

Wendella Tours & Cruises

Chicago River: 1.5-Hour Guided Architecture Cruise

• ★ 4.8 (9,728 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The one I'd book first: $45, 4.8 from 9,728 reviews, main, north and south branches.

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Night tour

Empire Tours & Productions (Chicago River Boat Architecture Tours)

Chicago River: Guided Sunset Cocktail & Architecture Tour

• ★ 4.5 (243 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: A leftover for this section, but good if you want a drink included: $65, 4.5 from 243 reviews, restrooms on board.

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$65

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Boat Tour Chicago Navy Pier

Navy Pier is the second big departure point after the river docks. It sits about 1.6 km east of the Wrigley Building by my calculation from the Google Maps coordinates, and it’s where the City Cruises Lake Michigan boats and the Shoreline skyline ride board. If your day is already built around the pier, a boat tour Chicago Navy Pier departure is the simplest option, and I’d still check where your particular boat leaves from before you go.

The top-rated pick for this search is the Architecture Center cruise on Chicago’s First Lady, at $57 and 4.7 from 656 reviews. It’s the only tour in my data that lists docents trained by the Chicago Architecture Center, and the listing promises guaranteed seating on the open-air upper decks. You can add discounted entry to the Chicago Architecture Center if you choose that option. Note that it checks in on the river, at the black awning on the Riverwalk level at the south-east corner of the Michigan Avenue bridge, so it is not a Navy Pier departure despite what the search suggests. If you really want to leave from the pier itself, look at the lake cruises and the City Cruises dinner boats, which meet at 600 E Grand Ave.

CAC with CFL

Architecture Center Cruise on Chicago's First Lady

• ★ 4.7 (656 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The architecture cruise with Chicago Architecture Center docents and guaranteed open-air upper-deck seats: $57, 4.7 from 656 reviews.

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$57

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What You See on the Chicago River

The map below, which is the route of a typical boat tour Chicago architecture cruise, follows the river stops in the order a standard architecture cruise passes them, starting at the Wrigley Building dock. From the dock to Willis Tower is about 1.5 km by my calculation from the Google Maps coordinates, which gives you a sense of how compact the downtown stretch is. Most of the famous buildings are within a few hundred metres of the water.

Marina City, with its corn-cob towers, comes first. Then you pass the Merchandise Mart, Wolf Point where the three branches of the river meet, Willis Tower, the Chicago Board of Trade Building, Tribune Tower, the Aon Center, NBC Tower, Aqua at Lakeshore East and Lake Point Tower. Not every operator lists the same stops, so the map shows the common route, not one company’s route. The Wendella river listing names nine of these buildings, while the lake-and-river version also adds Navy Pier, 360 Chicago and the Adler Planetarium. If you want to read the buildings before you board, the Chicago Riverwalk is free to walk and runs along the same water.

Where the Boats Leave From

Most boat tour Chicago departures leave from a short stretch of the river near Michigan Avenue, with a second cluster at Navy Pier. These are the places I’d use to orient yourself. I’ve marked as stops the ones that appear in a product’s itinerary.

The Wrigley Building dock at 400 N Michigan Ave is where the Wendella boats check in, and Tribune Tower is only about 0.1 km away. Navy Pier is the base for the City Cruises lake boats and the Shoreline skyline ride. The Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium appear on the lake itineraries, about 2.8 km from Navy Pier. The Chicago Harbor Lighthouse is a landmark about 1.2 km from the pier, though no product in my data lists it as a stop.

Boat Tour Chicago Groupon

People search for a boat tour Chicago Groupon deal because they want a discount. I don’t have Groupon prices in my data, so I won’t quote any, and I can’t tell you how a voucher compares with a GetYourGuide ticket. What I can do is show where the cheapest tickets are on GetYourGuide today. The Wendella 45-minute family cruise is $28, the 30-minute Shoreline skyline cruise is $34 and the Shoreline architecture cruise is $39. Check any voucher against those numbers, and read its cancellation terms before you buy a boat tour Chicago deal.

The card in this section is a leftover and not the lowest price. The Shoreline Lake Michigan skyline cruise is $34, 30 minutes, 4.6 from 809 reviews, and it leaves from the south side of Navy Pier, about 300 feet from the start of the pier, where you look for greeters in orange. The commentary is pre-recorded in English or Spanish, depending on the option you choose, and the listed stops are Willis Tower, the Field Museum and 360 Chicago. It’s the quickest way onto the water, but it’s a lake ride, not an architecture cruise, so I’d treat it as a short add-on to a day at the pier.

Shoreline Sightseeing

Shoreline Lake Michigan Skyline Cruise

• ★ 4.6 (809 reviews)
• 30 minutes
• Free cancellation

My pick: A leftover here (not the cheapest), but the quickest way on the water: 30 minutes from Navy Pier for $34.

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$34

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Boat Tour Chicago Night

For a boat tour Chicago night view I’d book the First Lady cruise in the boat trips section above, because it’s the only ticket in my data that’s described as a night cruise. The card here is a leftover. The Wendella 1.5-hour scenic sunset lake cruise is not a night trip in the strict sense: it sails on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan around sunset. It costs $48, scores 4.7 from 790 reviews, and the listing says you choose between the outdoor deck and indoor, climate-controlled seating, with live commentary and drinks and snacks for purchase.

How late does the light last? I calculated Chicago sunset times from the city’s coordinates: around 8:18 to 8:30 pm in June, 7:28 to 8:11 pm in August, 6:36 to 7:27 pm in September and 5:48 to 6:34 pm in October, before the clocks go back. In November it’s dark by about 4:30 pm. So the same cruise slot is a daylight trip in summer and a night trip in late autumn. Check the departure time on the booking page against the sunset time for your date.

Night tour

Wendella Tours & Cruises

1.5-Hour Scenic Sunset Lake Cruise

• ★ 4.7 (790 reviews)
• 1.5 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: Not a true night cruise, but a good dusk one: $48, 1.5 hours, 4.7 from 790 reviews.

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Chicago Boat Tour Tickets

If you’re buying boat tour tickets in Chicago, the main decision for any boat tour Chicago traveller is how long you want to be on the water and whether a meal is part of it. Every tour in my comparison has free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, so you can book once the forecast looks good.

The top-rated pick here is the City Cruises Premier lunch or dinner cruise, though I’d call it a special-occasion ticket rather than an everyday one. It’s the most expensive tour in my comparison at $94 and runs 2 to 3 hours aboard the Odyssey, which leaves from Navy Pier. The listing includes a 3-course plated lunch or dinner, an onboard DJ and dance floor, and unlimited coffee, hot tea and iced tea. Alcohol is extra. It scores 4.2 from 515 reviews, the lowest rating in my comparison, so I’d read the listing carefully before paying for the premium. The listed route passes the John Hancock Center, Water Tower Place, Lake Point Tower, Navy Pier, the Aon Center, Willis Tower, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium.

City Cruises

City Cruises Chicago: Premier Lunch or Dinner Cruise

• ★ 4.2 (515 reviews)
• 2 - 3 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The premium plated-meal option: $94, 2 to 3 hours on the Odyssey, 4.2 from 515 reviews.

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$94

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Chicago Boat Tour Reddit

Search for a boat tour Chicago on Reddit and you will find the same question again and again: is it worth it, and which one? I can’t quote forum threads, but I can give you the review data behind the same question. The standard river architecture cruises score 4.7 to 4.8, with thousands of reviews each, and the meal cruises score 4.2 to 4.5, with far fewer. So if the question is whether it’s worth it, the architecture cruise is the safer yes.

For a meal the top-rated pick in this group is the City Cruises Lake Michigan lunch or dinner cruise, and it’s the one I’d choose over the Premier version for value. It’s $67, runs 2 hours and scores 4.4 from 367 reviews. The listing says you cruise on either the Spirit of Chicago or the Spirit of Navy Pier yacht, with a buffet brunch, lunch or dinner, onboard DJ, dance floor, rooftop games and a guaranteed table for your party size. Unlimited mimosas are included on the brunch option only. It meets at 600 E Grand Ave on Navy Pier.

City Cruises

City Cruises Chicago: Lake Michigan Lunch or Dinner Cruise

• ★ 4.4 (367 reviews)
• 2 hours
• Free cancellation

My pick: The meal cruise I'd choose for value: $67, buffet, DJ and rooftop games, 4.4 from 367 reviews.

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$67

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Chicago Boat Tours for Kids

For families, the boat tour Chicago children enjoy most is a short one. The Wendella 45-minute family-friendly architecture river cruise is $28, scores 4.7 from 2,939 reviews and is the cheapest tour in this comparison. The listing includes a local guide, outdoor and interior deck access, climate-controlled seating, and food and drinks available to buy. It meets at 400 N Michigan Ave, and the listing says weapons and sharp objects are not allowed.

Why 45 minutes? Because a child can stay interested through the corn-cob towers of Marina City and the tall glass buildings, but a long sit-down is harder. I don’t have age limits, stroller or child-pricing details in my data, so check the booking page for those. If your children are older, the 1.5-hour Wendella cruise has the same operator and more to see.

Wendella Tours & Cruises

45-Minute Family-Friendly Architecture River Cruise

• ★ 4.7 (2,939 reviews)
• 45 minutes
• Free cancellation

My pick: The one I'd book for children: 45 minutes, $28, 4.7 from 2,939 reviews, with indoor seating.

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$28

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Which Chicago Boat Trip Type Fits You

This boat tour Chicago table is built from the same listings. Prices are the lowest in each group.

Trip type	Price from	Typical duration	Best for
River architecture cruise	$28	45 min to 1.5 hours	First-timers, families, building fans
Lake and river cruise	$45	1.5 hours	River and open-water skyline in one trip
Lake skyline ride from Navy Pier	$34	30 minutes	A quick ride on a pier day
Night cruise	$50	1.5 hours	Lit-up skyline, couples
Sunset cruise	$48	1.5 hours	Golden hour, drinks, photos
Dinner cruise	$67	2 to 3 hours	Birthdays, anniversaries, groups

River cruise is what I recommend by default. The meal cruises list a DJ and dance floor, so book one on purpose and not by accident.

How I’d Choose a Boat Tour in Chicago

Here’s the short list I’d use for any boat tour Chicago offers, whichever boat tour Chicago day you plan:

• First visit, one trip: the Wendella 1.5-hour guided architecture cruise at $45 (4.8 from 9,728 reviews).
• Cheapest standard architecture cruise: Shoreline at $39, 1 hour to 75 minutes.
• With children: the Wendella 45-minute family cruise at $28.
• River and lake together: the Wendella 1.5-hour lake and river cruise at $45.
• After dark: the First Lady night cruise at $50, and check sunset time for your date.
• A glass in hand at sunset: the Empire cocktail tour at $65, or the Wendella sunset lake cruise at $48.
• A full meal: the City Cruises Lake Michigan cruise at $67, or the Premier at $94 for plated service.
• A short skyline ride: the 30-minute Shoreline lake cruise at $34.

Whatever you choose, check the boarding point on the booking page, because the river docks and Navy Pier are about 1.6 km apart. Bring a layer even in summer, as the open deck is cooler than the street on any boat tour Chicago has. Every ticket here allows free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, so a boat tour Chicago booking is easy to change. For other cities, start from the Harbour Advisor home page. Whichever boat tour Chicago visitors rank first, I’d still match it to your time and budget.