Wendella Lake River Cruise: 90-Minute Tour Through the Lock

Wendella Tours & Cruises

1.5-Hour Lake and River Architecture Cruise

★ 4.7 (2,244) · from $45

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Prices and timetables checked 2026-10-16. This page contains affiliate links: I earn a commission on bookings, at no extra cost to you.

The Wendella lake river cruise is a guided 90-minute boat trip that combines the downtown river with a loop on Lake Michigan, priced at $45 per adult.

The rare detail here is the lock. The boat has to pass through the Chicago Lock to reach the lake, and the listing admits the trip can overrun a little at the height of summer, when more boats queue at the lock, so the 90 minutes is a floor.

Not sure this is your boat? Start at the Harbour Advisor home page or read the Chicago boat tours guide.

What is the Wendella lake river cruise and what do you see?

It is a 90-minute Wendella architecture cruise that starts on the Chicago River, passes through the Chicago Lock and finishes with a loop of Lake Michigan in front of the skyline.

That second half is what separates it from Wendella's river-only boat. On the lake the guide points out the sights that are too far apart to see from the river: the Willis Tower and the former John Hancock tower side by side, Grant Park with Buckingham Fountain, Soldier Field, and the Museum Campus pair of the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium.

• River half - Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Marina City, Merchandise Mart, AMA Plaza, Aon Center, Aqua and Trump Tower
• The lock - the gate system where the river meets the lake, the part of the trip reviewers either love or find slow
• Lake half - Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain and the Adler Planetarium from open water
• Skyline from the water - Willis Tower and 360 Chicago in one frame

Where does the Wendella lake river cruise leave from?

You check in at the Wendella dock at 400 N Michigan Avenue, the address closest to most of Wendella's docks, and a dock employee points you to your boat.

The listing says you board at the DuSable (Michigan Avenue) Bridge, and Wendella's accessibility page adds that one dock has an elevator and the other has 62 steps without one. If anyone uses a wheelchair, phone 312-337-1446 in advance; electric wheelchairs are not allowed on board.

The pin for the check-in point is 400 N Michigan Avenue.

What is the route, stop by stop?

The route has two halves: the river up to Wolf Point and back, then the lock, a lake loop, and a return to the Michigan Avenue bridge.

The listing's end point is labelled with an office name, but its text says the boat returns to the Michigan Avenue bridge, so I treat the dock as both start and finish.

How long is it and when does it sail?

The cruise is billed as 90 minutes, and the listing warns it can overrun a little at the height of summer, when more boats queue at the lock.

That small note is the most useful number on the page. If you have a restaurant booking or a train, treat 90 minutes as the minimum, not a promise, and leave a buffer of 20 or 30 minutes in July and August.

• Boarding - Wendella advises arriving 30 minutes early, with boarding 15 minutes before the sailing
• Lock queue - more boats use the lock in summer, so the lake section can start later
• Timetable - not shown in the listing, and Wendella's homepage says only that tours run daily, so pick a slot in the calendar for your date
• Late arrival - Wendella tickets are not refundable once the departure time has passed

What is on board and what is included?

The ticket covers the cruise and the live guide, and you choose between open-air seats and a heated lounge.

Pets are not allowed, though assistance dogs are, and the not-allowed list also covers weapons and outside alcohol.

How does it compare with the other Chicago boat tours?

It costs the same $45 as Wendella's river-only cruise, so the lake section is effectively free; the price you pay is the lock wait.

All of them sit on the Chicago boat tours hub, where I rank them by use case instead of price. If the buildings are the reason you want a boat, my guide to Chicago architecture boat tours sets this lake-and-river trip against the river-only cruises.

Is this Wendella lake river cruise worth it versus the other boats?

I would book it for a first visit when you want both the building stories and the open-water skyline, because it is the only guided Wendella ride that includes the lock and the lake for $45.

Value for money scores 4.6 against 4.7 on the river-only boat, which fits the review complaint about waiting at the lock and dense commentary.

• Book it if you only have time for one boat and want the full skyline
• Choose the river-only cruise if waiting around does not appeal and you prefer commentary non-stop
• Choose the sunset version if you want golden-hour light and fewer facts

55.3 million visitors reached Chicago in 2024, a post-pandemic high, so summer lock queues are a real planning factor.

When is the best time to go?

Clear days in May to September give the best lake skyline, but they also mean the longest wait at the lock, while October trades warmth for shorter queues.

Out on the lake the air is cooler than on the river, so keep a layer in the bag even in August. A late sailing also lines up with sunset, shown below.

A 90-minute cruise leaving about an hour before those times would put you on the lake at dusk. For a boat designed around that, see the sunset cruises in Chicago.

The National Weather Service Chicago office has the wind and wave forecast to check before you board.

What do passengers say?

All ten snippets I read are positive, with guides praised in most of them and the lake and lock called out in three.

• Lock and lake - one reviewer loved going through the lock and then seeing the skyline
• Waiting - another thought the stretch of waiting around the lake entrance dull
• Information overload - a visitor said 64 buildings were described, which was more than they could keep up with
• Boat and weather - the boat is clean and well maintained, and a fall day suited it

The marketplace summary flags the same pacing issue, so ask the guide to repeat a name if you miss it.

Who should skip it?

Skip the lake cruise if you dislike waiting, need a short outing, or want a meal.

The lock wait is the single most common complaint, and the cruise cannot promise how long it lasts.

• Short on time - the 45-minute family cruise is half the length and $17 cheaper
• Dinner plans - see Chicago dinner cruises instead
• Pure river focus - the Shoreline river tour covers all three branches in 60 to 75 minutes

How do you book the Wendella lake river cruise?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Wendella lake and river tour page, accessibility and getting here (checked 2026-10-16); GetYourGuide listing 293160; CTA fare chart; Choose Chicago, 2024 visitation; Open-Meteo archive API; Nager.Date; OSRM walking route.