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    Shoreline Sightseeing

    4.5 (147 reviews)
    Open 9:30 am - 9:15 pm

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    Benedict C.

    I got a ticket for Shoreline Sightseeing River Architecture tour via Chicago CityPass. It was easy to book a timeslot through the CityPass app but I'm sure it's not too difficult to secure tickets in other ways. The instructions state to show up at least 15 minutes prior to the time on your ticket and I took that pretty literally. My tour was booked for 5:00PM and showed up at 4:45PM. By the time I got there the line was SUPER long. There's enough seating for everyone but if you want your pick of what seat to sit in you should definitely show up earlier. I ended up sitting on a bench on the side of the boat but I didn't mind at all, it made for good views. Eric, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable and he presented the information in a fun and entertaining way. I went towards the end of May and it was a bit chilly so definitely keep an eye on the weather and pack a jacket if it's appropriate. I guess they don't call it "The Windy City" for nothing. There is a bar on the lower deck that serves alcohol and sells some snacks but my girlfriend and I didn't partake. Nice to know it's there as an option though. I'd definitely suggest you go on the tour if you're visiting Chicago. Maybe it'd be fun even for locals that have never done it before. Very enjoyable experience!

    Chicago skyline
    Amy F.

    Such a great Chicago experience! The ride last 75 mins it's and the guide was so informative - sharing trails about the Chicago skyline. Highly recommend!

    Contextualism
    Anmol L.

    We had a blast at the architecture tour. As someone with limited knowledge about architecture, it was great hearing and learning so much about Chicago's history and the intention behind the buildings and city planning. It was so inspiring hearing the story and life's work of Daniel Burnham! He came up with a plan on how to effectly build a city for and set an example with Chicago. It's amazing to see how they implemented his ideas and how beneficial they have been comparing it to other major cities. We learned about the resilience of the people bouncing back from the fire and the meaning behind Chicago flag. It was great hearing from someone that was knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. It is worth spending you time here as a tourist early on your trip so you can witness your lessons while you tour around!

    View from the boat at the beginning
    Aimee A.

    This is the second time I have done an architecture cruise in Chicago. Different company, but just as great. Took family this time. Our tour guide, Joe, was outstanding. Covered a lot of history and explained the relevance of the architecture. Would go again with this company. Took the 10:45am tour - great views and good weather. Utilized the tickets through the C3 pass.

    Eddie R.

    Very impressive and unexpected. We were at a ball game when someone told us about this tour. This was our first time in Chicago and they highly recommended this tour. I looked it up immediately and found this one. I booked it for the next day. The confirmation was easy to follow and find the meeting point. We took the 1030 tour. It was full but not packed. We had Sadie for our guide. She is a local and was super knowledgeable. Her description of every building on the river was super impressive and very informative. She gave us historical information. She gave us information on building codes from past and present, fun facts, and she made it fun. We learned more about Chicago in 1 1/2 hours than i could have learned from a book or a class. Like what the locals did for me, I will tell you, this is a must. This was worth the cost and time we had during our trip. Make the time and take the tour. You will not be disappointed.

    Brian H.

    Excellent tour of Chicago on the river. Good narrator and plenty places to take beautiful photos and videos. There is a bar downstairs in case you want to grab a ginger ale or brewski. 5 stars!

    Dominique W.

    Architecture tour was a beautiful way to see the Chicago skyline and learn the history. I loved the evening/nighttime tour. Seeing all the buildings lit up was awesome. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. They did have a bar so I enjoyed having a cocktail as we sailed !

    Tony H.

    Their ticket booth is location on Michigan Ave. near where that Apple Store is on the north part of the river pass. I did the 75 minute architecture tour hosted by Jeremy, it was absolutely worth it. Shoreline Sightseeing is also part of City Pass so you can get a discount on your ticket with that. The "boats" have bars and food options downstairs, the tour guide gives a lot of history about Chicago and the architecture, there's also a lot of great skyline views during the ride. With all the things you can do in Chicago I would put this tour on the must/you have to try on your first visit here.

    Donna K.

    The Thursday night we were in town we took an architectural cruise down the Chicago River with Shoreline Sightseeing. We all boarded the Evening Star and got settled. You could sit in folding chairs facing forward or on the benches on the side. All were comfortable and because the boat was open you had a great view no matter where you sat. We had a wonderful tour guide named Victor. Not only was he knowledgable but hilarious. He kept it light and entertaining while giving us lots of information. I won't pretend to know all the technical terms or to even be able to explain all that we saw. I do know that I saw buildings in a different way than I had before. I had never seen or heard anyone so passionate about architecture, but you could tell Victor was totally in it. He made me want to understand it. The buildings really were beautiful. We also learned about the bridges and the history behind the architects and builders. Victor also went into detail about future projects along the riverside. I was fascinated by the parks and small patches of tranquility along the river within the tall buildings If you are looking for a unique experience, this is it. They do more than architectural tours. They also offer Lake Tours, Fireworks Tours, and Water Taxis.

    Risto K.

    Hands down most amazing sightseeing tour I have done in Chicago. I did not know what to expect, but this 75 minute tour was awesome! Our guide Victor knew in and out about every building development, uniqueness, history, architectural styles, pros cons and just a plain history of it! Must do for visitors and locals alike!

    Betty H.

    We took this 90-minute Architecture River Cruise as part of the City Pass, and we loved it. Learning about the architecture, landmarks, history, and stories of Chicago was amazing as first-time visitors in Chicago. We departed from their Michigan Ave. location, which is right by the Apple Store along the water. As you enter the boat, a picture is taken (if you choose to) and will be available for purchase at the end (we paid $25 it includes 1-5"X7" & 2-3"X5"). We checked the weather ahead of time, so we prepared with a coat because it was chilly. They have all type of beverages available for purchase, such as cocktails, soda, coffee, and tea. Restrooms were clean during our tour. Shout out to our tour guide 'Jim', who was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, welcoming, and simply amazing! Overall, we had an informative, excellent experience with Shoreline and are so glad we chose this tour. It did not disappoint.

    Mike M.

    Upon buying a Go Chicago pass for 4 attractions, Shoreline was the option to do a river architecture tour and it turned out to be a nice experience that I would recommend if the weather is accommodating. The tour left promptly as advertised from the Michigan Ave location which was easy to find and get to. The boat was a double decker with an open top deck and a covered lower deck with clear plastic tarps to protect from wind and rain. Also there was an open bar and restrooms. Each tour has a narrator and ours was Keegan who did an excellent job providing interesting information about all of the buildings we passed by and also interjecting humor in his dialogue. The tall buildings that we drove by were very unique and attractive. The trip was very comfortable as the Chicago River is very docile. One interesting observation I had was that we passed under at least a dozen bridges going out and then repeated that after turning around and coming back. Most of the bridges are used for automobile traffic downtown and as we passed underneath I noticed that they had open grating so that I could look up and see them passing over. So I wondered what happens when a rock or something else (sludge, rainwater, etc) falls off a passing vehicle above how it must fall on us top deck spectators passing underneath at the same time. Fortunately I did not observe this happen. Oh well.... Come on this tour and you won't be disappointed. Many nice photo ops.

    Gorgeous view of Trump Tower and the new buildings going up downtown.

    Shoreline cruises was a great way to experience the beautiful Chicago Skyline from the water at an affordable price. Beautiful breezes and history of the city made this a wonderful experience.

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    10 days ago

    This was one of the cheaper tour options, so my expectations were low - but Josh did an outstanding job! Very informative and entertaining.

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    1 year ago

    Docent Don was the bomb. I enjoyed the river and it was beautiful weather. Thank you to Shoreline

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

    Fantastic tours, highly recommended. Arch tour is the best. Must do when in Chicago. I loved it.

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    10 months ago

    Even in the rain, it was still a great tour. Tour guide knew their stuff and everyone else on deck was friendly and helpful.

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    Shoreline Sightseeing Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Shoreline Sightseeing

    How long does the journey between Navy Pier to Willis Tower usually take?

    The water taxi trip takes about 15-20 minutes.

    Will the water taxi take me from the Navy Pier to Grant Park to the Taste festival on Sunday ??? What much time will this taxi and how off does it run??? how much?

    Thank you for your question. Our water taxi's operate from Navy Pier to Museum Campus(Shedd Aquarium). We will not be operating to Grant Park that weekend due to our tour schedule.

    View All 3 Questions

    Review Highlights - Shoreline Sightseeing

    The architecture tour with Sarah was very entertaining and relaxing after a long day of traveling and walking.

    Mentioned in 14 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Shoreline Sightseeing - architecturaltours - Updated May 2026

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