Sightseeing Cruises

45-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise by Wendella

Chicago River with raised lift bridges and skyline during architecture cruise.

Tour boat on Chicago River with city skyline in background during architecture cruise.

Visitors on Chicago River cruise viewing city architecture.

Chicago River with skyline view, featuring modern skyscrapers on a 45min architecture cruise.

Duration

45 mins - 1 hr 30 mins

Free cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience

Book now, pay later

Book now without paying anything. Cancel for free if your plans change.

Guided tour

4.9/5(953)

Luxshini S

Solo

Verified booking

Last week

I had an amazing experience on the Chicago Architecture Cruise. What I enjoyed the most was learning about the city's incredible history and the stories behind its iconic buildings while cruising along the Chicago River. The guides were knowledgeable, engaging, and made the tour both educational and entertaining. Seeing Chicago's stunning skyline from the water offered a unique perspective that you simply can't get from the streets. I especially loved hearing about the different architectural styles and how the city evolved over time. The views were breathtaking, and there were plenty of opportunities to take beautiful photos. This cruise was the perfect combination of sightseeing, history, and relaxation. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Chicago or even locals who want to appreciate the city's remarkable architecture in a new way.

Holly W

Group

Verified booking

6 days ago

Our family absolutely loved this cruise! Our guide, Jack, was incredibly knowledgeable about Chicago’s architecture, history, restaurants, and must-see attractions. He shared so many interesting facts and stories while keeping everyone entertained with his great sense of humor. The cruise was both informative and fun, and we learned so much about the city in a short amount of time. It ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Chicago, and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city!

Mason C

Group

Verified booking

Last week

The Chicago River Architecture Cruise through Wendella and Headout was a great experience overall. Booked for a work team building and culture event and the group had a great time on the cruise connecting and enjoying the tour. The process was easy from purchase to day-of boarding. Highly recommend booking for your next team event.

Kevnn R

Solo

Verified booking

Last week

Absolutely the best thing to do in Chicago! Very highly recommended. We lucked out with the amazing weather. The sights from the river as well as having the live naration of each buildings history was incredible. It was so good that we will definitely come back for another tour. Maybe this time in the evening. What a treat! :)

Barbara C

Family

Verified booking

Last week

We took our grandkids, 10 and 7 on a Wendella cruise yesterday. It was perfect! Our city was sparkling, the boat was comfortable, clean and well staffed. Our guide, Kenny, was so fun! Very knowledgeable and a great sense of humor. 45 minutes was just the right amount of time with kids. Thanks!

Deanna D

Solo

Verified booking

Yesterday

We took my son's pre-school class and they had a blast! The guide was extremely knowledgable but also entertaining and funny. I would recommend this for fieldtrips, bring your out of town guests to see our city's beautiful landscape or great for datenight. 10/10

45-min Chicago River architecture cruise (as per option selected)

90-min Chicago River architecture cruise (as per option selected)

Expert tour guide

Food and beverages (available for purchase onboard)

TOTAL DURATION45 minutes
1 Boarding point
Wendella's Michigan Avenue Docks
Get direction
Sights covered
London Guarantee Building
Carbide and Carbon Building
Crain Communications Building
35 East Wacker
Leo Burnett Building
77 West Wacker
Chicago Riverwalk
LaSalle/Wacker Building
333 West Wacker
Civic Opera Building
CME Center
Willis Tower
2 North Riverside Plaza
100 N Riverside Plaza
150 N Riverside Plaza
River Point
Merchandise Mart
Reid-Murdoch Center
Marina City
AMA Plaza
Trump International Hotel & Tower
Wrigley Building
Tribune Tower
NBC Tower
Centennial Fountain
Lake Point Tower
TOTAL DURATION90 minutes
1 Boarding point
Wendella's Michigan Avenue Docks
Get direction
Sights covered
Lake Point Tower
Centennial Fountain
NBC Tower
Tribune Tower
Wrigley Building
Trump International Hotel & Tower
AMA Plaza
Marina City
Merchandise Mart
Reid-Murdoch Center
Residences at River Bend
Kinzie Park
River Point
150 N Riverside Plaza
100 N Riverside Plaza
2 North Riverside Plaza
Old Post Office
Union Station Power House
Canal Street Railroad Bridge
River City
The Southbank
311 South Wacker
Willis Tower
Chicago Board of Trade
CME Center
Civic Opera Building
333 West Wacker
LaSalle/Wacker Building
Chicago Riverwalk
77 West Wacker
Leo Burnett Building
35 East Wacker
Carbide and Carbon Building
London Guarantee Building
Aon Center
Aqua Tower
Vista Tower
Crain Communications Building
Chicago Marine Safety Station
Goose Island
The Domain

You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.

953 reviews
How do we collect reviews?
These ratings include verified reviews from both Headout guests and our trusted partners who operate this experience locally. All reviews come from real travelers who've taken this experience.
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Guests from Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico and over 42 countries have loved this experience
What our guests say
Luxshini S
Solo
Verified booking
Last week
I had an amazing experience on the Chicago Architecture Cruise. What I enjoyed the most was learning about the city's incredible history and the stories behind its iconic buildings while cruising along the Chicago River. The guides were knowledgeable, engaging, and made the tour both educational and entertaining. Seeing Chicago's stunning skyline from the water offered a unique perspective that you simply can't get from the streets. I especially loved hearing about the different architectural styles and how the city evolved over time. The views were breathtaking, and there were plenty of opportunities to take beautiful photos. This cruise was the perfect combination of sightseeing, history, and relaxation. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Chicago or even locals who want to appreciate the city's remarkable architecture in a new way.
Holly W
Group
Verified booking
6 days ago
Our family absolutely loved this cruise! Our guide, Jack, was incredibly knowledgeable about Chicago’s architecture, history, restaurants, and must-see attractions. He shared so many interesting facts and stories while keeping everyone entertained with his great sense of humor. The cruise was both informative and fun, and we learned so much about the city in a short amount of time. It ended up being one of the highlights of our trip to Chicago, and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the city!
Lisa R
Group
Verified booking
Last week
The tour itself was amazing and so beautiful at night with all the lights. It would have been a perfect tour if not for the screaming baby next to me the whole time, I could not hear the tour guide at all so I missed out on what the different architecture was and the history of the buildings. I was disappointed to pay that much and miss out on 50% of the experience.
Mason C
Group
Verified booking
Last week
The Chicago River Architecture Cruise through Wendella and Headout was a great experience overall. Booked for a work team building and culture event and the group had a great time on the cruise connecting and enjoying the tour. The process was easy from purchase to day-of boarding. Highly recommend booking for your next team event.
Kevnn R
Solo
Verified booking
Last week
Absolutely the best thing to do in Chicago! Very highly recommended. We lucked out with the amazing weather. The sights from the river as well as having the live naration of each buildings history was incredible. It was so good that we will definitely come back for another tour. Maybe this time in the evening. What a treat! :)

What to bring

If you wish to purchase refreshments at the snack bar, bring your credit card along, as cash transactions are unavailable.

What's not allowed

Keep in mind that alcohol, weapons, flammables, and explosives are not allowed on this experience.

Your voucher will be emailed to you instantly.

Please arrive at the meeting point 30 mins before the scheduled time of your tour to avoid any delays.

Display the voucher on your mobile phone with a valid photo ID at the meeting point.

Meeting point

Meet your guide at Wendella Tours & Cruises.

Address: 400 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States.

Landmark: The cruise departs and returns to Wendella's Michigan Avenue Docks, located at the northwest corner of the Michigan Avenue Bridge (now called the DuSable Bridge), at the base of the Wrigley Building on the Chicago River.

Get directions to the meeting point