Chicago Architecture River Tour: Is It Worth It?
While planning my fall trip to Chicago, I couldn’t go two minutes without seeing a recommendation for an architecture boat tour along the Chicago River.
At first, I was skeptical. When the same recommendation pops up everywhere, especially in posts that look like ads, my first thought is that it must be a scam. And since I didn’t know much about Chicago, I wasn’t sure what to believe.
But I can confirm that the tour is very real and happened to be my favorite part of the trip.
How We Booked
We booked our Chicago Architecture River Tour through Viator about three days before departure, but if I were to go again, I’d book further in advance. Since we waited until the last minute, we had limited time slots to choose from on our preferred date.
The reviews on Viator helped us decide which experience was the best fit for our group. It also gave us a good idea of what to expect.
They made it easier to compare tour companies, duration, and experiences before booking with Wendella Boats.
There were five of us, but we booked together under one person’s account and split the cost through Venmo.
This worked well for our group since all the mobile tickets were sent to one person, making them easier to keep track of.
Length of Tour
As mentioned above, we decided to go with Wendella Boats for our reservation.
It felt like the best choice for our Chicago Architecture River tour based on price and what we were looking for length-wise.
The company offers three options: a 45-minute Chicago Architecture River Tour, a 90-minute Chicago Architecture River Tour, and a 90-minute Lake & River Tour.
Each option runs daily, and the boats operate regardless of the weather.
If you’re looking for a short cruise down the river, I’d recommend the 45-minute option. It gives you skyline views without over committing on time.
The tour includes quick facts about some of the city’s most famous buildings and plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
The 90-minute Chicago River Tour offers a deeper dive into the city, exploring all three branches of the Chicago River.
This is a great option for those who want to explore more of the river, learn about Chicago’s history, and discover what went into creating its iconic skyline.
The 90-minute Chicago Lake & River Tour takes you down the river and out into the open waters of Lake Michigan.
While it includes the architecture and historical facts from the other tours, this is the best option for getting a picture-perfect view of the Chicago skyline as a whole.
How Much Was It?
For our Chicago Architecture River Tour, we chose the 45-minute tour, which cost $28 per person for anyone ages 13 and up. Children ages 4–12 were $14, while those under 4 were free. For us, this was the best bang for our buck, and we felt like we got everything we wanted out of the experience.
The 90-minute tours cost $45 per adult and $20 for children ages 4–12. Keep in mind that these prices apply to Wendella Boat Tours specifically. Other companies may offer different prices, tour lengths, and experiences.
Your ticket only includes admission to the tour. Food and beverages are available for purchase onboard. The ticket does not include either in the price.
The boats are also cashless, so be sure to bring a card if you plan to grab something to eat or drink!
What to Expect
Wendella Boat Tours departs from 400 N. Michigan Avenue, right by the DuSable Bridge. You’ll find a check-in stand near the bridge where you can have your tickets scanned and line up for boarding.
The line can get quite long, so plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure. Once boarding begins, the line moves fairly quickly, but expect your tickets to be scanned and your bags checked before entering.
Outside alcohol and weapons are prohibited, and all bags must go through security.
You should also expect different things depending on your tour time. We knew we wanted to do an evening tour so we could either get the sunset or nighttime skyline.
Since we waited so late to book, we had limited options, and in the end, we went with the 7PM tour.
During the tour, you’ll hear highlights about some of the most iconic buildings along the Chicago River. However, you’ll be asked several times to keep conversations to a minimum so everyone can hear the narration. If you’d rather chat with your group or simply enjoy the views, you can head to the lower deck.
The boat moves slowly enough for you to take plenty of photos and videos along the way, with a stop near Navy Pier.
What to Wear
I would recommend dressing in layers, especially during the fall, winter, and spring. The Chicago River can be surprisingly windy, so bringing a light jacket is almost always a good idea. The boats continue to run rain or shine!
I’d heard from multiple people that we should dress warmly for the tour, but, surprisingly, the wind was hardly blowing during ours.
I was comfortable in a green track jacket while cruising along the river, but actually had to take it off when we stopped on Lake Michigan for about ten minutes. I don’t think that’s typical for an October evening in Chicago, and we were all a little confused!
Our Experience
Like I said, the Chicago Architecture River Tour was one of the only things on my must-do list when visiting Chicago, and boy, did it live up to the hype!
The dock was about a seven-minute walk from our hotel, and we planned to grab deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s beforehand. We quickly realized we should have made a reservation. It took about 18 minutes to get seated and another 30 minutes just for a small personal pizza.
Despite arriving nearly an hour and a half before our tour, we ended up having to get our pizzas to go and head to the dock. Thankfully, it was only about a minute and a half away from the restaurant.
The only reason we didn’t stay to eat was that a Google summary indicated Wendella allowed outside food and beverages. So, around 6:40 PM, we joined the boarding line with our pizzas in hand. And let me tell you, that line was insane!
At first, I didn’t think it was too bad. I could only see the people lined up along the stairs. But once I made my way down, I realized the line twisted and turned along the dock before reaching the boarding area.
Thankfully, boarding moved fairly quickly. However, halfway through the line, I started getting anxious about whether we’d actually be allowed to bring our pizzas on board.
I didn’t want to be wrong and lose our $30 dinner! I checked again and found conflicting information, including another post saying outside food wasn’t allowed.
After doing a little more digging, we found that outside food was, in fact, permitted. But by then, we’d already started freaking out.
Our solution? Tuck the large takeout bag underneath an even larger jacket that somehow made it through boarding without being checked.
Once we were on board, the tour guide went over the rules, and we finally pulled out our supposedly contraband pizza and passed it around.
I really felt like I was living the ultimate Chicago night, eating pizza while cruising past the skyline.
And UGH, the skyline! I can’t get over how beautiful it was. As someone who has never been a fan of cities, this experience completely changed my perspective.
There is something magical about Chicago, and seeing it from the water only made me appreciate it more.
We weren’t particularly interested in learning all the architectural facts, but the views alone were worth the ticket price. I got so much content and loved being able to share the experience with my friends.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t access certain parts of the river because construction on a bridge blocked our route. However, it was pretty incredible watching a boat literally move a bridge along the water!
My favorite part of the tour was heading out toward Lake Michigan to get a closer look at Navy Pier. The boat turned around and then stopped for about ten minutes, giving us time to take in the entire Chicago skyline and snap some pictures.
After the 45 minutes were up, we were back at the dock. Getting off the boat was easy, but you still had to climb those stairs. Maybe I’m just out of shape, but I felt every single step!
So Is the Chicago River Architecture Tour Worth It?
Yes, 100%. Actually, no. 1000%.
This was the absolute highlight of our trip. We were in Chicago for a work conference, and the tour was the perfect after-work activity to break up our long days.
So many people at the conference had taken the tour and raved about it, too. And honestly, there’s nothing better than eating deep-dish pizza while cruising through the city.
If you’re looking for other things to do in Chicago, check out my Chicago in the Fall Guide.
