Loved our architecture tour of the river and lake! It was 90 minutes, full of interesting…read moreinformation. The views were gorgeous. Boat was super clean and they had several safety warnings/information. It was absolutely fantastic. Bobby was our tour guide and he was extremely knowledgeable, engaging and funny. Worth the price.

We got lucky and pulled the perfect day to be on the river, but even without a beautiful, temperate…read moreday I think it would've been fantastic. Our tour guide, Zack, was a wealth of knowledge, fun facts, puns, and recommendations for other Chicago activities. He was super passionate about the history of the buildings and the styles of architecture, which made the experience more exciting for those of us who (*cough*) don't really care about either topic. The boat was very clean, had ample bathrooms, a bar with all kinds of hard and soft drinks and snacks, and what appeared to be good safety provisions. Glad we didn't have to explore that issue further. 10/10, highly recommend Wendella!

This was a most incredible tour and having Dave as our docent made it very enjoyable. Dave's…read moreknowledge of Chicago and its amazing architecture gave us a whole different perspective as compared to just walking the city. Highly recommend!

Took Architectural boat tour with Sam as our tour guide. Wonderful trip down river with fabulous…read moreviews of skyscrapers with excellent descriptions and historical background from Sam. Highly recommended. ​

We did the 75-minute Architecture River Tour with Shoreline Sightseeing, departing from Michigan…read moreAvenue, and it was such a great experience! If you're visiting Chicago, this is definitely an activity I would recommend adding to your itinerary. The tour was incredibly informative, and it was fascinating learning about the city's history, architecture, and the stories behind some of Chicago's most iconic buildings. Seeing the city from the water also gives you an entirely different perspective, and the views of the skyline were absolutely beautiful! Our tour guide was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, personable, and had a great sense of humor. He kept everyone entertained with jokes throughout the tour while still providing plenty of interesting information. I really appreciated that balance because it made the experience feel less like a history lesson and more like an enjoyable conversation. The 75 minutes went by surprisingly quickly, and it was such a relaxing way to take in the city while learning something new. Overall, this was definitely one of the highlights of our Chicago trip! Between the beautiful views, interesting history, and entertaining tour guide, it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. Absolutely worth doing, especially if it's your first time visiting Chicago!

A river tour is a must when visiting Chicago! We decided to do Shoreline Sightseeing, and it was…read moresuch a great experience. We were nervous because my mom gets motion sickness easily, and we weren't sure she'd be able to enjoy the tour. Thankfully, the water was calm enough, and she absolutely loved it! The views were beautiful, and we learned so many fun facts about the city along the way. Definitely recommend adding this to your Chicago itinerary!

A beautiful day on the Lake Michigan. Had a blast on Veteran-owned FIREBOAT-TOURS today! Such a fun…read moreafternoon soaking up Chicago's history and architecture from the water. The itself was comfy and solid, and it's pretty cool to think this fireboat served the city's fire department from 1937 to 1981. Lucky us, we caught a perfect day light winds and clear blue skies. Thank you to Cliff, our tour guide, who had serious knowledge of Chicago history and a fun vibe was fabulous. The bartender, magic manning, was a total character, bringing good energy and making sure everyone had a good time. In fact, the whole crew was super welcoming and made the experience even better. Next time we are going to try the sunset cruise and do this all over again.

This fireboat tour was spectacular! My friend and I both had a wonderful time and can't recommend…read moreit highly enough. The length of 2 hours was perfect so we didn't feel rushed. We motored around near Navy Pier and on the river. While I'm generally not into architecture, the buildings were beautiful and interesting to learn about. I expected that the tour would include a recording of the information about all the sights, but the person narrating the tour did so live. He came up and chatted with all the passengers a couple of times. We felt very well cared-for. Word to the wise though, it can get a bit chilly so wear layers if possible. Highest recommendation!

Almost everyone you meet in Chicago who loves their city will ask when you tell them you are…read morevisiting from out of town, "Have you done the architectural boat tour?" People in Amsterdam will also ask if you have done a canal boat tour - and you have to do these when you visit these cities. Our docent volunteer guide, Steve, was excellent. He was very personable and extremely knowledgeable about the city's riverside buildings and its history. The boat staff was also hardworking and ready to help with any issues, from getting a drink at the boat's downstairs bar to handing out covers when the rain hit us. For what we paid, the 1.5 hour tour was more than worth it. I recommend sitting at the top towards the back, as you don't have to crane your neck as much when he points out places of interest. This was a truly wonderful experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Not what I expected overall but it was still a very educational experience. Scoring tickets to…read moreChicago's Architecture Center through our hotel, we used the tickets as a good time filler. Not a must see or do attraction but a great day filler activity as you explore the city. Loved the wealth of information they offer as it's valuable to understand Chicagos importance from the ground up! I thought it would be more about highlighting the amazing architectural buildings around the city but nothing like that. It's was more about the environmental impact the city has and the hurdles when designing buildings around town. The staff were friendly at check in and provided great service overall as they were kind and helpful. Small center that you may explore at your own pace and may or may not be worth the admission price. But scoring free tickets it allowed us to be selective in our day or day plans to include the activity to pay it a visit!

Such a fun boat ride just chilling riding going in and around all the buildings and learning about…read morethe architecture and history all while taking Chicago in The staff was great and it was a nice ride and break from walking Lovely time

Such a great city for architecture, the very oldest building sitting next to the newest…read moreskyscrapers. I loved this tour...even though it rained and we had to spend part of the tour inside to stay dry without much of a view, it was still a great tour for the cost. We were warned to make a reservation cause the tours do fill up, and this was a holiday weekend. Do not leave Chicago without doing this!

Booking an architecture boat tour is an absolute must when visiting Chicago!…read more We booked our tickets through Citypass which I recommend doing early as this tends to be popular and spots fill up very quickly. Our guide, Charlie was super knowledgeable and very entertaining which made the experience even better! He taught us about the history of Chicago and we got to learn so much about the city's iconic buildings. Highly recommend this tour!

Quick take: Must do in Chicago…read more Definitely go on a river boat tour if you are visiting Downtown Chicago. The tour guide was awesome. The weather was so nice. Not too hot and not too cold. Very interesting history and stories about all the businesses and buildings along the river.

I was just walking around Navy Pier and ran into their boats. They have two types of tours and they…read moreuse the same boats for them both. The first is an architectural tour and the second is a wild ride around Lake Michigan. The architecture tour is super fun because it ends with a high speed ride through Lake Michigan. It's a great price and a great tour!

For 30 minutes whirling around the bay, the view of the city is nice and the weather is perfect in…read moreearly/mid October- just make sure to bring a windbreaker and you'll be set. Watch out for caps, sunglasses, and your phone if you're taking one of the faster boat rides as the wind element can definitely whip it out of your hand. Suitable for all ages, young children and elderly will likely enjoy this ride, the turns are wide so there's relatively little G force to worry about. Recommended if you're looking for a relatively affordable attraction on the waterside! Otherwise, you'll get about the same entertainment on the shore minus the lackluster commentary of the staff (designed to humor more the kids).

We recently visited Chicago and had a fantastic time, but certainly one of the highlights was our…read morearchitectural boat tour with Hillary. She was one of the best guides we've ever experienced. Hillary was extremely knowledgeable, full of energy and had the best sense of humor. She took care to explain not only what we were seeing, but also relate all the architecture in laymen's terms. Outstanding! If you take this tour, ask for Hillary!

Chicago skyline…read more.. So lucky to have had a beautiful clean night as we boarded the Summer of George for Chicago Architectural Tour and at first it doesn't sound like much to do even if you have no interest in buildings let me tell you it was an amazing ride. First of all the rive is nice and calm and so is the ride as our tour guide explained in such detail of the various buildings was fascinating and never expected to really enjoy it we started out in the early evening which is what I recommend as it does get quite dark and difficult to see and besides watching the sunset with a 360 view isn't so bad at all. Thank you!

Jonathan, our tour guide, is a gem. Extremely knowledgeable, entertaining, and quick-witted. The…read moretour itself was fascinating getting to see real places with stories rooted in the prohibition era and learn about various enterprising figures of the time. Jonathan truly showed us a great time. The tour and time spent was the highlight of visiting Chicago. Can't recommend Prohibition Tours enough!

Fantastic tour, was highly informative, and historically based. The places we were taken to had…read morefantastic drinks! Highly recommend for history needs and drink afficicionados. I had the best old fashined I've tried while on this tour.