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 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!

We bought tickets for a Sunday morning cruise (depart 10am) online and when we departed the boat…read morewas half full on the top level. We were blessed with perfect sunny skies and temps around 68-70 degrees the whole time. Our small group took up the one back corner of the boat and had a great time. The boat took us out through the lock into the harbor and then out around the breakwater into the open lake, around the lighthouse and then back through the lock (about an hour) to a nice cruise down river (30 mins). We turned around where the main branches come together at a Y. Along the way we learned about the history of the City, the great fire, why the lock exists, some local neighborhood history, reverse flow/pollution of the river, lots of building info/architecture new and old and about the lake. The lock and lake part of the trip was fun for the kids. I would recommend this type of tour if you have children so it keeps them a little entertained instead of hearing about buildings for 90 mins. The bathroom on board was clean. The bar area downstairs looked good, but we didn't drink or buy snacks. We walked from our hotel so I can't help you with parking. It's a couple flights of steps down to get to the loading area for the boat and the same steps back up to street level when you leave the boat. Last thing, when we got off our boat the lines for all the boat companies were long. If you hate lines, get the boat tour done early!! Thanks guys!

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!

This tour was on the top 10 list of our things to do in Chicago. I researched all the boat…read morecompanies that offered the Chicago architecture boat cruises and Shoreline Sightseeing came out hands down #1 for us in tour length, type of cruises, accessibility and in price for what you got. Best deal. Our tour guide was happy, energetic, and very knowledgeable about Chicago because he was born and raised there. We chose the 75 minute, 4pm Chicago River tour and it covered a lot! We never lost interest and learned about Chicago's history. It is well worth it! Our Architecture River Tour boat departed from the dock at Navy Pier. We learned that their boats are the most accessible at this location. Their boats can accommodate wheelchairs up to 30-inches wide. Your wheelchair must be able to navigate a ramp with a 2-inch step at one end. I needed one that was kind to my knees. Best to call them for more details. They were very helpful whenever we called them. Their boats are both double-decker and single-level boats, and there is generally no protection from the sun, rain, or wind. There is a small bar on the main level. Restrooms are located on the lower deck, which is accessible only via stairs from the upper deck. Enjoy! It's amazing!

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!

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.

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!

What a fantastic way to experience Chicago! We just finished the 90-minute First Lady boat tour,…read moreand it was absolutely wonderful. Our guide, Bob P., was a wealth of knowledge, sharing fascinating stories about the city's architecture and history in such an engaging and entertaining way that the 90 minutes flew by! The views were spectacular, the experience was seamless, and the full bar onboard (including coffee!) was a lovely bonus. We enjoyed every minute and will absolutely be making this a tradition whenever we're back in Chicago. Highly recommend!

Just about everyone recommended to go on the architecture tour when they found out I was going to…read moreChicago and First Lady was the top recommendation. Chris P was a great tour guide/volunteer and an amazing storyteller. Lots of interesting tidbits on all the buildings along the river. Highly recommend to figure out the best time for a sunset tour, it was so beautiful to take photos of the Chicago skyline. Highlight of my trip!

Captain Paul and team was AMAZING! We had a post graduation cruise for my daughter and best friend,…read morecruising into the sunset. The most memorable trip for my daughter, friends and family. Captain Paul was extremely flexible in making the most beautiful experience. We cruised on both the river, and saw the sunset on Lake Michigan. The experience of a private yacht for my daughter's celebration was priceless. Thank you Captain Paul for your hospitality!

I found this boat charter on Yelp! Spoke with Paul and the process to book was so seamless! He…read moreanswered all my questions promptly when wondering how to tip and if we needed to bring coolers. They supplied ice for our trip which was great! At the end of our time we were already trying to book with them again! With the new adjustment we were able to have 30 with proof of vaccines! Highly recommend them!

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!

We did the Extreme seadog boat cruise. It was an absolute blast. Our first mate had a fantastic dry…read morehumor to him. The captain was funny. We just had a great time. Highly recommend.

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!