Chicago River Cruise: Historic Architecture Tour

Explore Chicago’s iconic architecture on a guided river tour. Discover historic landmarks, new developments, and enjoy a unique cruise experience through the city’s three river branches.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Wrigley Building - Situated in the heart of the Magnificent Mile and just steps from the Michigan Avenue Bridge, the Wrigley Building has been a prominent feature of Chicago’s skyline since 1920. Originally designed as the headquarters for the successful chewing gum company, the building was inspired by the Giralda Tower of Seville Cathedral in…
What's Included
  • Fully enclosed interior with air conditioning, seats, & windows
  • Outside seating available (first come, first serve)
  • On-board restrooms
  • Guided architecture cruise of the historic Chicago River
What's Not Included
  • Full bar & snacks (available for purchase)
  • Gratuities
  • $12 to $15 discounted parking lot connected to marina
Additional Information

Marvel at the magnificent architecture on the Chicago River with expert tour guides! All ages welcome.
Each architecture river tour is narrated by a professional guide which leads passengers down the Chicago River to discover the city’s most renowned landmarks. In addition to historical insight on well known structures such as the Civic Opera House,…

Location
900 S Wells St
South Wells Street
Registration takes place in the parking lot connected to the marina. Please note that parking typically costs between $12.00-$15.00. For more details on directions and parking.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(1561 Ratings)
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Chris_g
Sep 13, 2025
Dont miss this tour!!!!!! - It was awesome!!! Our tour guide was awesome. She was great. So knowledge and funny!! Shows most of downtown chicago
Review provided by Viator
J5078fzpaulak
Sep 12, 2025
Best Tour - Excellent Tour with the MOST amazing Tour Guide Hillary!! Hands down THE Best Architectural River Boat Tour in the Windy City!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bruce_p
Sep 10, 2025
Highly recommended - Great tour and guide was very informative. It’s something you must do when visiting Chicago. You get a real understanding of the city
Review provided by Viator
Cotrinaj2025
Sep 10, 2025
Awesome view of Chicago skyline! - This was a great 90 minute architectural tour of the Chicago skyline. My family really enjoyed it and the information provided by the tour guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Skeeterfitz
Sep 10, 2025
Excellent Immersive Introduction to Chicago Architecture - Typical sight-seeing boat but no one goes for the boat. The tour up and down the river was a crash course to whet your appetite for Chicago architecture. While there are plenty of architects you’ll want to explore whose works aren’t visible from the river, it’s a great starting point and our guide on the “Summer of George,” knew a lot more than his spiel. He directed us to a seminal Louis Sullivan building on our walk back to the hotel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
523sunainag
Sep 9, 2025
A Must Do Chicago Experience - Booking this architectural boat tour was the best decision for our Labor Day 2025 visit to Chicago. Our guide on 9/2/2025 for the 11:30am tour was fantastic! He was extremely knowledgeable, enunciated well and friendly. This 90-minute experience will provide you with a concise historical overview of how the city grew before and after the Great Fire of 1871. We’d easily repeat this tour during our next visit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tina_h
Sep 9, 2025
Adam and Capitan Joe Rock! - Adam was so knowledgeable and entertaining. Great experience! The evening tour allowed for the sun to set and the city shine!
Review provided by Viator
Judy_m
Sep 8, 2025
Great informative... - Great informative narrative-just delightful ! Very organized….friendly crew… Enjoyed the tour 100 percent!!
Review provided by Viator
Juliekf1359fy
Sep 8, 2025
Great time. - Great time. Love that it was in the south loop so you did not have to drive through city traffic like some of the other boat tours. Very informative.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gigi
Sep 8, 2025
Fun time with Hillary - Hillary was amazing! The history and fun facts about Chicago’s tallest buildings were delivered with such enthusiasm. I never lost interest in the information. Hillary delivered with a lot of fun and passion about the topics! Had the whole crew laughing and having a good time. Definitely recommend this tour for anyone visiting Chicago!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $37
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).