Tours & Boats Architecture Tours — Attraction in Chicago

A very lovely cruise. The drop off location was easy to find, the parking situation was a bit confusing but I don’t put that on them, more so me. They do have a parking lot onsite to confirm. My friend and I got there around 5:45 and it was a quick process of them scanning our ticket, giving us an onboarding rundown, and then us finding a place to sit. We grabbed a great spot and the boat had a good sized amount of people but it wasn’t overly packed as we had the whole row to ourselves for the most part (keep in mind this was on a Thursday, 6pm cruise). The cruise lasted exactly for an hour and thirty minutes and the tour guide, Colleen, was great. She was very knowledgeable about the history of architecture in Chicago and touched on every building we passed. She also gave time for everyone to get photos and videos at certain points, and made sure to warn about the low bridges (my only gripe about this trip was the other patrons not listening to her until the very last minute when it came to staying seated under the low bridges. She had to repeat herself a few times). I grabbed the 6pm time slot because I wanted to catch the sunset and I wasn’t disappointed. I could describe how picturesque and romantic the scene was throughout the entire cruise, but nothing beats seeing it in person. I’ve now done the river tour during the day (different company, another great cruise) and now at night and the nighttime cruise is definitely my favorite. I highly, highly recommend booking this not just for visitors but for people of the...

I recently went on this tour with my husband and two friends, and it was THE highlight of our trip! This was my first time visiting Chicago, and even after spending four days exploring the city on foot, this tour helped me appreciate it on a whole new level.

Our guide was amazing! He was so knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely funny. His storytelling brought the city’s history to life, especially the story of the Great Chicago Fire and how the city rebuilt itself with such unique and beautiful architecture.

We found a great deal on Groupon, and it was 100% worth every penny. The value for the experience we had was fantastic. The 90-minute ride was the perfect length, and the tour started right on time. The location was easy to find too. There were plenty of opportunities to capture amazing photos of the skyline and iconic buildings. I truly wouldn’t change a thing about the experience.

I would absolutely take this tour again, but only with this company. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Chicago, whether it’s your first time or your tenth! We went on May 31st, 2025 at 6:00 PM, and it was very windy and cold on the water, so just be sure to dress warmly if you’re planning to go around that...

The Perfect Introduction to Chicago

The Architecture Boat Tour was first on my list after checking into the hotel, and I can’t imagine there is a better way to see the city for the first time! Gliding between architectural marvels, ducking at low bridges while the train passes overhead, waving at pedestrians, and laughing at the revelry occurring on passing party boats made for an incredibly top tier experience; the city felt so alive!

I absolutely loved learning about the history of both Chicago and its beautiful buildings. Further, the humor of our tour guide was very much appreciated. He kept the energy up while taking us through over 150 years of history, and, here’s the kicker, his love for Chicago made me want to love Chicago.

I came away wanting to read more about Chicago’s transformation into the Second City and the architect Harry Weese. For the rest of our (much too short) trip, my family and I would point out buildings and repeat as best we could what we learned from the tour. The Architecture Boat Tour should be considered a necessity for anyone planning a trip to the city and doubly so for any newcomers to Chicago. Many thanks to the crew - y’all really started our...