Worth every single penny. So many people told us to do this and it was worth every penny! We had a blast. Bar and bathroom on-board. It was about an hour and a half and wonderful. Plan it for around sunset! read more

Just did another cruise on the Chicago river on Friday and not only was the weather perfect for a cruise, but we had the best Docent, Harry! He was so knowledgeable, entertaining (but not over the top) and very clear in his explanation. The boat was perfect and the boarding was very organized. Overall, it was a wonderful way to introduce our beautiful city to our Out of Town guests! Thank you. read more

We took the architecture tour with Joan and it was fantastic! Her knowledge was incredible and the weather today was perfect. So worth doing. So interesting to learn about all the buildings. Would recommend this tour and would do it again. read more

What nice and perfect way to get to know Chicago! Wonderful tour, worth every penny, very informative. Take care you have a sunhat and enough water on hot days before you enter the boat :-) read more

this is one of those things that i feel like i need to do about 10 more times to really grasp all of the information/sites that are presented. i loved it despite the chilly weather in which we decided to take the tour. the price is a little steep, but it's worth it. the tour guide gave interesting antecdotes, and it really made me appreciate the city and all of its state-of-the-art design so much more. be sure to get there early because you'll get a much better seat and can grab a drink to enjoy the ride even more. looking forward to summer when i have out of town guests and can go again. read more

Rebecca Dixon guided our tour and it was very informative, even for someone like myself not into architecture. The buildings in Chi are beautiful, and this is a great way to see them. We even saw some residential properties, and I was able to daydream about what it would be like to live in such a great spot. I could have used a 60min instead of 90min tour, but I get antsy sitting anywhere for over an hour. read more

Awesome time !! Beautiful, even in the rain!!! Really awesome views and learned lots about Chicago!!! Be sure to tip the speaker!!!!! He's working for free!!!!!! read more

Yes, it's spendy. Though, if you only have a day or two and want to get a good overview of the layout of the city and a brief history, this is a great opportunity. The docent and staff were very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The boat was comfortable, although the speakers can be quite loud depending on where you sit (I had to put in some earplugs). Easy to get to and a good option if you want to get in some non-walking sightseeing. read more

What an awesome boat cruise! We took the architectural cruise on the river through the city! The docent was incredible sharing her knowledge of all the fabulous and diverse buildings along with city history! I thought sitting on the top that it would be too warm (in August) but it was really nice with the shady spots you get going under all the bridges and at times shadows casted from the buildings. It truly was a beautiful way to see the city, a different perspective you'll never get from the streets! We highly recommend this for all ages! This has to be hands down one of the best tours we've been on ever! read more

We went on this river cruise on our last day in Chicago. The cost is $49 per person for 90 mins river cruise. I thought was worth it. I learned a lot about many buildings and background about Chicago. It was very educational. I wish I went on this cruise on my first day! May be it would have been even more fun having the knowledge exploring downtown. read more

Do yourself a favor and only book these guys! I did one of these river tours before with another company but I learned so much from our docent " Leslie " she is full of knowledge I learned so much from her. It's one and a half hours long they start letting you on 15 mins before your time of your. Bathrooms on board and hot drinks and a bar too !! If you are going later in the year when it's getting chilly I strongly recommend that you wear warm clothes and wrap up as it gets chilly out on the river I saw quite a few people shivering! Chicago has a great history and with Leslie being so knowledgeable about everything it was a treat to learn so much ! It's easy to find too. We booked on their website then ticket master handles the booking I cannot recommend this company more this is the only one to book their docents are great and they will not accept tips either. read more

My girlfriend and I did this tour on a semi-over cast day after a bit of rain, but it was perfect. If you're not into architecture, this tour will make you appreciate every detail and beauty of it!!! We were both so amazed how knowledgeable our liaison was... there was a lot of information in a short amount of time, but the interesting points will definitely get to your mind and make you wonder. I definitely recommend this tour if you haven't done it already. read more

This was a great tour. There are great views of the city and our tour guide Shelby was amazing. I would highly recommend this for anyone. Seriously, Chicago has one of the most beautiful skylines ever and this tour gave us lots of opportunities for pictures!!! read more

what a way to explore chicago! went on this CAF tour...there are a few other touring companies but this one is the 'official' CAF boat. the tour lasted about 1.5 hours and was $28...seats were up top...white plastic lawn chairs....and this being a very sunny day i came back with some 'color' (so, bring sunscreen). our docent was quite knowledgeable...but i mostly just took in the views. a nice way to spend the afternoon. read more

So, I live in Chicago and have had a hard time finding someone to go on this tour with me, and I finally had family in from out of town to join me. I really enjoyed this tour, and my cousins both loved it. My only complaint would be the prices (a little steep) and the staff didn't blow me away with their friendliness. The volunteers doing the tour were really friendly and into it, but everyone else just didn't look too thrilled to be there. It wasn't enough to ruin the experience, just knock it down to 4 stars. After all, who WANTS to be at work on a Saturday? Definitely recommended, to both Chicagoans and tourists alike. read more

Thoroughly knowledgeable docent and of course, gorgeous architecture lining the river.

I have also done another boat tour, and this was truly superior. Our guide, Dick Clark (!), was personable and knowledgeable, and the boat comfortably appointed. This is a slightly premium-priced tour, but (ex post) was certainly worth it. read more

Get in line 15-20 minutes before departure time to get a good seat (up top, next to the sides of the boat). This was a nice, relaxing way to see Chicago, I would definitely do it again. read more

I never thought I'd get much from a tour of a city that I grew up in and worked in for many years, but the CAF river tour shone new light and gave a grrr-eat perspective to many of my favorite buildings. Tom was a super tour guide, giving details about all the major design phases of the city, its architects, and which buildings were designed by whom. While it is a bit expensive for what it is, it's worth it if you have any interest in the city and its buildings. be aware, it doesn't cover the buildings int the South Loop, as this is a river tour. Additionally, It is colder on the river than in the city. So wear a sweatshirt, jacket, scarf, hat, mittens - or any combination thereof. read more

Excellent tour that was recommended to me by chicagoans and former tourists alike. I found the tour to be fascinating and educational. Don't hesitate to take this tour!! read more

What a great way to see Chicago, the tour guide was extremely knowledgable and we learned so much about the City. Make sure that you take the tour with the Chicago Architecture Foundation volunteer, there are plenty of other choices, but this is the best one for the money. Make sure you bring a bottle of water, it gets hot. read more

Our tour guide, a volunteer from a local preservation and historical organization was quite charming and so well-versed in the architecture and city's history. It's a 90 minute ride on the river which costs $40. They have a bar on the main deck, which also offers refuge from a hot Chicago day, if needed. To locals this might be a touristy thing to do but everyone should do it once. There is not better way to see the city than on a river tour. read more

Based on a trip to Chicago last Oct.... The tour guide was very knowledgable of the architecture of all the buildings. Best part is going under the bridges. Every seat on the boat gat an awesome view of the river. I would totally go again. Love the views of the skyline.... Bucket list item.... Love Chicago!!! read more

The bar was understaffed and it was impossible to get a drink. The docent seemed knowledgeable but the line for drinks was so long that I missed half the tour while waiting for a drink. read more

Fun trip. Get in line early....the top of the boat fills quick where the best viewing is. Definitely a fun way to get introduced to the city

I really loved this tour. I've lived in Chicago for two years and our wonderful tour guide pointed out buildings I'd never noticed before. This is great for when friends/family are in town, or if you're just bored on a lazy Saturday. read more

Our guide was an ex-school history teacher who is very proud of her son. During the tour we saw a beautiful building in which her son has an office. She was giving descriptions of the buildings by which were passing in a dry and boring way, unless it had to do something with her son. I am very sorry for her students. My wife and I were looking for an emergency exit 30 minutes after the tour began, but there was none. Were jealous a the boats that were passing by and their guides were much more interesting. For us because of this ex-history teacher guide, the tour was a waist of time and money. read more

The boat tour was just fine-just. I think if you're not really a architecture enthusiast, this tour may not necessary be the one for you. You can catch other faster and less expensive boats that go along the same route, that show the same scenery. In addition, I didn't appreciate The Architecture Foundation charging $23.00 for my 6 month old infant to take the tour-ridiculous! read more

The tour guide made the trip. The boat had the option to be inside which was warm however you would miss out on seeing the tops of the skyscrapers. I have no doubt the tour guide was more knowledgable than those from other companies as she is a member of the architect society. The tour is a bit more expensive than others at $40, but it is 90 minutes not 60 and I feel the extra 30 minutes are those really interesting facts and details. Added bonus is the tour guide and is a volunteer and doesn't want or solicit tips, so the $40 is an all in cost. read more

Outstanding tour with lots of interesting factoids. Definitely should be on the top three list for anyone visiting Chicago.

We bought tickets in advance through ticketmaster and showed up for the tour twenty minutes before our scheduled time to find they had sold our seats and we were bumped to a later hour. This happened to at least two other groups. They blamed a glitch but I think the only glitch is shady business practices. There are many other boat tour companies and I suggest using someone other than the first lady of f-ing over our customers. Yelp needs zero stars for crap company like this one. read more

Leslie is an incredible docent! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us on a lovely Sunday morning.

We loved this tour! I'm not huge into history but learning all of the history of Chicago and the architecture was so interesting!! I am so glad we picked the company we did. Our tour guide was so smart and really kept the crowd engaged!! read more

Absolutely "must take" architecture tour. The guide was knowledgeable and funny. Loved their route.

After researching through the boat tours available along the river, I settled for the First Lady because of location and the volunteer tour guides. Located on the southeast corner of Michigan and Wacker, it is walking distance to restaurants along the river and shopping on Michigan. The volunteer tour guides know their stuff, because it is their passions; they aren't paid, so they do it out of their own time, and it really shows the love what they are doing. The river cruise tour was very informative and at 90 minutes, was neither too long nor too short. read more

My wife and I were able to get away from our small children for a Saturday and planned ahead and purchased tickets for this tour; because of all the rave reviews, of course. I thought, from a purely scenic standpoint, you cannot get better views of the skyline and city from any other place in the city. I have been to Chicago a million times and for some reason, the city looked absolutely different from the perspective of the boat. That was definitely a treat. I was able to get some shots with my camera that I couldn't replicate from any other place in town. As for the actual tour, I cannot say that I actually learned anything new about the architecture of the city. The tour guide merely went through a laundry list of dates, addresses of the buildings, the occupants (companies, etc..), and a little history of the city. Yes, we've all heard Burnham's mantra: "Make NO small plans" and it was a little over used in her tour. Also, our tour guide NEVER stopped talking...the tour lasts about 1.5 hours and she talked from start to finish. Yes, we got our money's worth, but it would have been nice if she cut the mic for a couple minutes every once and a while so that I could talk with my wife about some of the things the tour guide left out about certain buildings or just converse about the scenery. I felt like there was no down-time on the tour. I would also avoid sitting next to the speaker (which we hadn't noticed) from the start...which is quite LOUD when you are sitting right next to it. Also, for the price you pay and the money that these tours rake in (millions every summer), you'd think they would provide better chairs and amenities. The chairs were the cheap plastic type that probably cost a dollar a piece from a wholesaler. Overall, not bad, but not especially good. I have lived in the Chicago area for over 35 years and the hype that was built up around this tour was absolutely underwhelming. If you want an architecture tour; buy a Chicago architecture book and give yourself your own walking tours. read more

Great way to learn about the city... Yes, I was dragged on this boat but I really enjoyed learning about the unique architecture of Chicago. The docent was a voluntary and very knowledgeable and funny. So enjoy.... I would recommend anytime other than around noon looking into the sun was a problem. read more

Really wonderful architectural tour of Chicago with CAF. Our guide was Dick Clark. He was so knowledgeable and interesting. Highly recommended! read more

Great Tour! I loved to hear about the history and design that goes into the architecture of Chicago.

Definitely a MUST for any tourist; the route was great, the bloody marys were great, and tour guide Lindy was GREAT. She was so knowledgable and funny and engaging...but not over the top like some tour guides can be. Very highly recommended!! read more