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Experience the best Wendella Cruises in Chicago

Since 1935, family‑owned Wendella Cruises Chicago has been sharing the city’s story from the water. Depart downtown for an architecture tour along the Chicago River, a scenic Lake Michigan cruise, golden‑hour sunset sail, fireworks voyage or private charter; each boat features climate‑controlled salons, open‑air decks and expert local narration.
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Slide 1 of 7, Chicago River cruise boat passing under DuSable Bridge with city buildings in the background.
Chicago River cruise boat passing under DuSable Bridge with city buildings in the background.
1 hr 30 mins
from
$45
Slide 1 of 8, Chicago River cruise boat passing under a bridge with city skyline.
Chicago River cruise boat passing under a bridge with city skyline.
45 mins - 1 hr 30 mins
from
$28
Slide 1 of 7, Chicago River architecture cruise boat passing under a lift bridge with city skyscrapers in the background.
Chicago River architecture cruise boat passing under a lift bridge with city skyscrapers in the background.
1 hr 30 mins
from
$45
Slide 1 of 10, Cruise boat on Lake Michigan with Chicago skyline at sunset.
Cruise boat on Lake Michigan with Chicago skyline at sunset.
1 hr 30 mins
from
$45
Slide 1 of 8, Dinner cruise boat on Chicago River with illuminated city skyline at night.
Dinner cruise boat on Chicago River with illuminated city skyline at night.
2 hrs - 3 hrs
1 more
  • Enjoy a 2.5-hour cruise on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan with a gourmet dinner and live entertainment onboard.

  • Relax in a climate-controlled interior deck while enjoying scenic views of Chicago’s skyline and architecture.

  • Enjoy a chef-prepared meal as you take in the breathtaking views of Chicago's skyline and iconic architecture.

  • Live curated entertainment, along with an onboard bar with beverages available for purchase, enhances your dining experience, making it perfect for special occasions.

  • Choose between a Chicago River cruise with a plated gourmet dinner, a Lake Michigan cruise with a plated gourmet dinner, or a Lake Michigan cruise with a buffet dinner.

More details
  • Enjoy a 2.5-hour cruise on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan with a gourmet dinner and live entertainment onboard.

  • Relax in a climate-controlled interior deck while enjoying scenic views of Chicago’s skyline and architecture.

  • Enjoy a chef-prepared meal as you take in the breathtaking views of Chicago's skyline and iconic architecture.

  • Live curated entertainment, along with an onboard bar with beverages available for purchase, enhances your dining experience, making it perfect for special occasions.

  • Choose between a Chicago River cruise with a plated gourmet dinner, a Lake Michigan cruise with a plated gourmet dinner, or a Lake Michigan cruise with a buffet dinner.

from
$117.55

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What our guests say

Callie M

United States
Couple
Last week
First time in Chicago. Decided to do this night one just to get a feel for the city. It was raining and the views were still amazing!

45-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise by Wendella

Avishay G

United States
Group
Aug 2026
The cruise was phenomenal. The sites themselves were well chosen for a shorter tour (I did one of the full length ones before) and the guide was knowledgeable, passionate and amusing. Not to mention that it was incredibly affordable. Even my skeptical friend who I dragged along for the experience had a blast. . I highly recommend this tour!

45-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise by Wendella

Monica D

United States
Group
Last week
We could not have had a better guide. Alex, you were amazing. Your knowledge and the way you are able to communicate it are top tier. You are witty and funny. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

90-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise by Wendella

Amanda P

United States
Couple
2 weeks ago
The architectural boat cruise was a great way to see the city and learn about the buildings while enjoying a break from walking. The tour guide was very informative. It was nice to be able to walk around the boat and get different views too!

90-min Chicago River Architecture Cruise by Wendella

Lori S

United States
Solo
2 weeks ago
Wendella boat tours are wonderful, I have been on several. My favorite is the Lake and River cruise. The Dosets are very knowledgeable about the city. The scenery of the downtown from the lake view is spectacular. I highly recommend this tour. It was my third this summer!

90-min Chicago River and Lake Michigan Architecture Cruise by Wendella

Ronald J

United States
Couple
2 weeks ago
We booked a dinner on the didn't know what boat it was. Once we kept walking and found out it was the Spirit of Chicago, we got aboard and thanked them for the grace period. After being shown to our seats, we got to enjoy the amazing view of the city. It was our anniversary and Destiny treated very well! I totally forgot it was a buffet and couldn't have been more happier. The food was really out of this world. The variety, the flavors, it was a whole experience. We hopped on the dance floor for a bit, ordered more (pretty large) drinks, and went outside to take pictures of the sunset. Amazing experience... Can't wait to do it again!

Chicago Dinner Cruise

Susan N

United States
Couple
2 weeks ago

+3 more

We had a gorgeous and wonderful evening celebrating my birthday. Lauren, our server, was fabulous. We had a great starter, Mediterranean plate. The 3 course meal was delicious. We enjoyed great music, dancing, cocktails and wine list. Great evening all the way around.

Chicago Dinner Cruise

Chantal H

United States
Couple
3 weeks ago
I very much enjoyed the cruise, but it ended up being a lot longer than expected and we had to go to dinner afterwards so if I had known it was gonna be more than 90 minutes, I don't know if I would have planned it so close to dinner. They had explained that this cruise was gonna be a little different but I didn't hear why they said it was gonna be different. We had to pull over a couple times to stop so I don't know what was going on. The views of the buildings and the sunset were really nice. I couldn't really hear what they were saying about the buildings & the history of them because we sat downstairs but if I was to do this again, I would try and get a better seat so I can hear them hear them speaking about what we're seeing.

90-min Scenic Sunset Lake Michigan Cruise by Wendella

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