Shoreline Sightseeing
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Sam S was a great tour guide! Awesome tour! Great info, lovely views! The boat was large, comfy, onboard restrooms and bar.
Absolutely spectacular! We went to this location for the accessibility and no stairs. Walked right onto a ramp that led us to the boat. The views were amazing, our tour guide was very knowledgeable and knew a ton of history of all the buildings. The only downside is there was no shade on most of the seating so being in the direct sun was rough. But regardless we learned a lot and really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend doing it at least once!
We did the 7:30 architecture cruise. Our tour guide Lia was so funny and had so much great energy! The cruise went up north and south branch of the Chicago river and ended near the navy pier. On the boat they have a bar and and bathroom, they also have a nice awning on the boat. I enjoyed learning about the buildings but I also just simply enjoyed chilling on the boat and watching all the other boats and kayaks go by.
Loved it! This boat tour was my favorite part of our trip!! The boat had plenty of room. Some seating was protected from the sun with an overhang and a bar. It also had an open area with bench seats that had a good amount of lean, so that you can see the highest points. The guide was awesome. I learned a lot about Chicago's history and architecture trends over the years. A lot of the buildings "front" side faces the river, so the view is very different from the boat. The boat ride was smooth with great views. I highly recommend!!!
Spent the day cruising Lake Michigan on the shoreline cruise. The staff was very friendly, the tickets were affordable, and I had a blast with my family. It was very clean and very peaceful if you're looking for something to do that that's a little different. Definitely check this out 10 out of 10.
We took this tour early in the morning and it was not very crowded. Walked up and got our tickets shortly before sailing. We left from near the Navy Pier and then up one branch of the rivers while the guide gave us a humorous teching of the different building and history of the area. This included designs and the purpose of them, challenges with the river and train lines, and just fun facts with a lot of dad jokes. Highly recommend! Also, if you buy the tickets you can get a discount on the lake tour which is good for a few days (does not have to be the same day).
My work friends and I took the Chicago River architecture cruise which nothing short of amazing. It was a warm breezy night with fantastic views of the city at a level below ground. Katherine, the tour guide, provided some really interesting facts about the city's history and background on the designs of so many iconic buildings I highly recommend taking this cruise if you're ever in the Windy City.
OMG--best tour I've ever taken! I tried to get on this tour three different times, and this year I finally made it aboard. It was absolutely worth the wait. The staff were amazing, both on deck and throughout the boat. We had Spencer as our guide, and he was incredibly knowledgeable and engaging. His dad jokes might need a little work, but he more than made up for it with the great information and experience he provided. If you have the chance to take a tour with him, I highly recommend it--and don't forget to leave him a tip after docking! Anna was our bartender during the 75-minute tour and did a fantastic job. She offered a variety of options including draft beer, bottled beverages, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks. Card payments are accepted, which made everything easy and convenient. Highly recommend this tour to anyone considering it!
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. These photos had auto-captions - enjoy!
Visited Chicago three times and I've done the Architecture Boat Cruise twice. If you are visiting Chicago, this is MUST to be added to your itinerary. To give some details and not spoil the whole experience, the tour guide describes the different architectural facts that surround the Chicago river. It was truly the experience that markets Chicago as a great city.
Took the Shoreline Sightseeing architecture tour at noon on a clear, sunny day. The boat was comfortable with plenty of seating and good views no matter where you sat. Cruising along the river with the sun out made the city feel alive, and the skyline looked even better from the water. The guide Mary Rose was knowledgeable and mixed history with fun details about the buildings, which kept it engaging without feeling like a lecture. The tour moved at a relaxed pace, long enough to take everything in without dragging. Being out on the water in perfect weather made it even better. The tour itself was about 1 hour 15 minutes. If you're visiting Chicago, this is one of the best ways to see the city and get a sense of its architecture. Highly highly recommend.
This was an awesome architecture tour suggested to me by my niece, and she also accompanied me. We arrived around 12:20 for the 12:30 tour. I'd recommend getting there early to get a covered spot. My niece and I were in full sunlight on a 75 degree day. Initially I felt like u was going to melt into a puddle, but cooled off considerably once we got moving - things for sweaty people to keep in mind, lol. The tour was awesome and I learned so much about architecture in general, but Chicago specifically. Idk they had so much art deco. The tour guide was great, had good personality and energy and even handled some overexuberant children very well. Highly recommend this tour!
During our sunset cruise on night one(different company), we saw a smaller boat and noted the name of the company. That company was Shoreline. As it turns out, before we left we were checking and our Citypass still had entry to one place left. One of those places was a Shoreline cruise so we booked our time and started off walking to the area. Our Shoreline cruise was an architecture cruise. It was hot on this day so we ended up on the lower deck to hide from the sun. I caught most of the tour guides voice, stories, and dad jokes but this was more of a relaxing sail on the river. I did like that we got to see the river/buildings west of the main downtown area. Much like the Riverwalk, if you can squeeze in more than one cruise... definitely do one during the day and one during the evening. The bar is also downstairs and we needed some water. I assumed the prices would be higher. I was surprised that water and drinks were priced reasonably. Shoreline is worth your time whether you're looking to learn something or just cruise along.
What a great tour! It was very educational, informative, and interesting. And such a fun way to see everything, by boat. It wasn't difficult, didn't seem too crowded, even though it was a filled boat, it just was a very nice way to spend 90 minutes while learning so much more about this beautiful town of Chicago! read more
This tour was such a treat. We covered sevwral branches of the river and got reay beautiful views of the skyline. Our docent's humor was delightfully corny, while being informative. He painted vivid images of.the city's development.through skilled storytelling. I have been on far less enjoyable toues for more money in other places. A great value, for sure. read more
First time trying Shoreline, after doing Wendella's at least 10 times. We had family from straight outta Iloilo come and visit and we decided to give them a try. You board on the Northside of the river bank, a little East of Michigan Avenue. The tour was very similar to Wendella's, however it seemed like Wendella's was a tad longer. You do go up and down the river and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. He had the tone and cadence of a smooth jazz radio station DJ, although I wasn't about to fall asleep because it was like zero degrees on deck. The boat does exit the lock and goes out into Lake Michigan, just like Wendella's. I would do this again for a river tour. read more
2 years ago
Great tour guide, wonderful information, was truly a beautiful ride. Would highly recommend as it isn't a long tour and can be a quick afternoon item. Had a bar and snacks in the back and can bring your own food and drinks aboard which made it a nice way to eat our lunch. read more
Brought my family here for a day trip. Spent part of the day at the pier and booked a boat tour. It was a little colder than we thought it would be however it was still a good experience. The prices were fair, about $30 per person for a 30 min tour. The view was everything. Along the way was a pre recorded guide of all the sites we pass. There was a cash bar and seating was spacious with an upper and lower deck. Family friendly and good for all ages. read more
It's EXTREMELY cold and very windy. You can't survive on the deck for more than 20 minutes. Two tickets for this architecture tour costs over $100 with one ticket of $47, and a hour trip on the water. It's indeed eye opening to understand the history of this skyscraper city. The green water is dyed on St Patrick's day. You can find a small bar on the boat too, we recommend you get a hot coco there. read more
6 months ago
Purchased the Chicago CityPass prior to our trip and chose this architectural river cruise as one of the activities. Kiosk is a bit hard to find as it doesn't stand out so make sure if you choose this activity to look for the address (401 in big numbers on the building and you will see the kiosk to your left). Since we purchased the "CityPass" we were able to go straight to the line and bypass the ticket booth although we did cause there is no signage as to where to go. As for the 75 min cruise itself, it was informative and the guide was ok, not very exciting nor comical to keep everyone engaged or excited; however, it was very relaxing and can be a tad overwhelming looking at all of the skyscrapers. I would say it is worth it especially being a first timer to Chicago but another option is to take the water taxi for 6 bucks if you don't care to have a guided tour nor the history on some of the buildings. read more
Signed up for this with my GF while here in Chicago. Definitely a must do upon your visit. They cover everything related to architecture while on the tour. The narrator of the tour, Ricki provides a very interesting history of Chicago, the river all of its architecture in the general vicinity. Ricki himself was very animated and an excellent story teller. read more
3 years ago
Yes yes yes yes yes! This was probably our favorite experience on our Chicago trip. I would 100% recommend the architecture tour. It was amazing. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. They serve drink on the boat which is always a plus. The tickets are very reasonably priced and the tour is the perfect length. Add this to your Chicago to do list! read more
3 years ago
Our tour this morning was a blast! The whole crew was amazingly friendly and our guide, Antonio, was a wealth of information and cheesy jokes. If you go on another tour they offer steep discounts when you show your used tickets. read more
3 years ago
This was probably the best and most informative tourist thing that we did while here in Chicago. Our tour guide, Joe, was very knowledgeable and provided a plethora of information on the buildings in town while making it fun. I learned some great things about the architecture and design of the buildings. The ride itself was very smooth. They do have a bar and bathroom downstairs (on the boat we were on). Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who wants to explore Chicago. read more
Everyone told me that the architectural cruise was the top thing to do in Chicago, and it did not disappoint! Our tour guide Jim was amazing! Before we left the dock, he came around to all the passengers to say hi and make the entire experience very entertaining. He incorporated lots of architectural history with stories and trivia about Chicago. It started to rain a bit during our tour, so I moved to the bottom, but I recommend sitting on the top deck for the best views of the city. I would highly recommend this sightseeing cruise if you're ever in Chicago! read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
My 14 yr old nephew and I (from the UK), had the pleasure of taking the Architecture Boat Ride on 14.08 during the evening/sunset. We had Gill give us a thoroughly educational and informative insight into the Chicago Skyline. The stories behind some of the buildings and bridges were really interesting - Gill knew her stuff. She was extremely charismatic and I would highly recommend the experience. The sunset ride gives you the best of both - daylight/dusk conditions for an evening to remember. My nephew did say the experience elevated his stay and enjoyment of Chicago! I couldn't agree more. Thanks Mohson (UK). read more
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Thank you so much for your kind words and for choosing Shoreline…
Aug 4 Friday: rsvp tour at 10am. Again, part of the City Pass. This is a must do when in Chicago. The tour guide was awesome, funny, and descriptive of the Architectural buildings. If it gets too hot to sit on n the top deck, go down as it is shaded and a small snack bar and bathrooms are located down there. Views on the buildings are unique . Check them out.. awesome 75 minute boat tour! Happy sightseeing! read more
Truly enjoyed the experience. The staff fixed a ticketing mixup with grace, our guide Antonio was fun and knowledgeable, the architecture memorable and we lucked out with perfect weather to boot. 100% recommended. Plenty of great photo opportunities and just a nice way to play tourist. I've been to Chicago plenty of times for business but this was my first trip solely for pleasure. A great way to experience part of the city. read more
3 years ago
Came with my girlfriend on the Shoreline Sightseeing tour as part of the City Pass and had Brooke narrating the evening! Luckily, there weren't many people on our tour so we were able to get a lot of great photos and information without there being distractions. Although it was late at night and not many people, Brooke still showed her enthusiasm despite there being none from the audience. She doesn't let that take her down and she continues with the tour. Brooke is very informative and also has a comedic side which made the tour that much more enjoyable. I couldn't' imagine listening to a monotone person just reading things out. Also, she was just blurting things out from her head and memorizing everything! A great source of Chicago skyscraper and architectural knowledge. She also allowed for breaks during the tour so she just wasn't constantly talking. Overall a great tour and would recommend people's first time to Chicago to take the tour and hopefully you get Brooke! read more
I have been on the boat tours more than once when friends and family want to take it. This was my first visit on Shoreline, that I recall. $42 is a bit pricey for an over hour tour, but you forget the price when viewing the beauty of Chicago from the water. The tour guide was good but not great, honestly. So many movies filmed in Chicago, as I was trying to show my guest. Only to hear them list SOME movies and as we sailed by the building Ferris' dad supposedly worked in, no nod to it. My God. That's an iconic movie. They mentioned Ferris as a Chicago movie but literally we were in front of the building. I like the boats with side benches vs. having to sit in the folding chairs. The side benches are the best seats, IMHO. Regardless of the tour guide, I mean he was fine, but I've seen far more engaging, I would consider Shoreline again. Only the boats with the benches, though. Enjoy some of my photos from a crystal-clear day. read more
A great way to learn about Chicago's architectural history! It is interesting how the war and economics played a role in the buildings shape and size. I love hearing about old company's that are no longer in business and how the were the pioneer of the city's skyline. If you find a certain building of your interests you can follow up with you own visit to the building to get a closer look. The tour boat has its own bar, restrooms and seating to make you feel comfortable during the trip. read more
Had a great time on the phone and resources in all structures of Chicago off the river! Had a great time, and Antonio, we truly excellent experience! I would love your help years and drink on the phone, and it was very pleasurable! I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to do this, and I'm not about to Chicago structures! read more
1 year ago
Such a fun nighttime architectural boat tour!! Our docent, Sam was informative, funny, and genuinely friendly. Would take this tour again in a heartbeat! read more
3 years ago
We did the sightseeing in Chicago and learn about their history. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide. Which went through step by step on a lot of Chicago's historic buildings read more
2 years ago
We loved our experience on the agricultural tour! It was informative and our guide, Jeremy, was pleasant and engaging. We learned a lot, enjoyed seeing the different types of buildings, hear about height compared to other skyscrapers, hear the cost of living in riverside cottages, and get some fantastic photos as we cruised peacefully along the cruise. I loved the history lesson; I felt like I was back in one of my favorite college professor's courses learning about the history of art and design in cities over time. Chicago is a beautiful city with lots of great things to see. Shoreline was easy to work with and book reservations through our City Pass. read more
I did the Architecture river cruise. It was a lot of people. I wished I had got to the line earlier in order to get a bench in the shade. The benches were uncomfortable on the boat that picked up from Navy Pier. They had a slight lean. Nice excursion to pass time. read more
3 years ago
Excellent experience with Shoreline Sightseeing. We had a lot of fun a learned a lot about the city! It's a different perspective and vantage point that is so unique. Jack was an excellent host and made the experience so enjoyable. Our group has lived in and around the city our whole lives but never experienced this - tried it on a whim and we are so glad we did! read more
This is a MUST for us each time we come to Chicago. We've done the day time cruise and the night one as well. Both are fantastic! The boat has bar service and a bathroom on board. The guide always has some cheesy jokes, but a ton of great information. I learn something new every time. read more
5 years ago
I can't say I'm not a sucker for an Architecture boat ride. This seems like the type of activity I like to do almost every time I come to Chicago. It never gets old, it's just so beautiful. It had slipped my mind that another company (cough cough, Wendella) does free rides for runners of the marathon on marathon day. Well that little memory loss cost us over $40 bucks. Oh well! Shoreline was giving $5 discounts on Monday with your medal so we did it. Rides are $43 a person. The weather wasn't ideal it had begun to rain just as we departed but the tour was as lovely as always. If you've never done one, I highly recommend it!! I thought it'd also be a great idea to rest my legs, while sitting down to enjoy the view but I ended up standing up the entire time. Anyways, go book yourself a riverboat tour. Every time I do this it makes me think of the movie the Break Up with Vince Vaughn for some reason. Fun times! Fun City! Gorgeous Architecture, and very informative tour. read more
Patrick was our guide the day I took the tour. You can tell he takes great pride in his city and absolutely loves it. This is a must see. The city's architecture is breathtaking. I noticed it when I first arrived but to see it from the boat tour and get the stories behind it makes it that much better. We purchased the Go City Pass and this was one of the attractions we were able to select. Do the Go City it's worth the price. Our tour boat had about 40 of us so we were pretty spaced out. The only downfall for me is that it was a chilly day and I didn't dress appropriate for the weather. If you are visiting and it isn't a really warm day make sure to layer and possibly bring a hat. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed it. During the U-turn be sure you capture the beautiful shot of the skyline. read more
10 months ago
2 years ago
We did the architecture tour with Juan and it was really good. Just enough facts to be interesting and enough jokes to be entertaining as well. Boat was clean and well kept! read more
Got the Chicago explorer pass and was bummed to see I couldn't do the skyline tour and architecture tour the same day. So I went ahead and picked the architecture one since it was longer and goes through the river instead of the lake. A little confusing where to go, but all the employees I asked were willing to answer my questions. I found the right spot by the yellow umbrella and got all dialed in. Josh was great. He was knowledgeable, energetic, and happy to answer questions. I didn't expect to be interested in buildings tbh, but hearing about wind sway and the methods architects combatted it was wild. One little complaint: in the intro we were told there was a full bar in the back. I went to inquire about a White Russian and was denied my tasty after-dinner treat. They have the goods for a fruity cocktail with at least six different types of liquor, though. Cheers. read more
10 months ago
1 year ago
5 years ago
If you want a real deal Chicago tourist experience, then you should take the Sunset Chicago Architecture Tour. You'll board on the north side of the Chicago River, just east of Michigan Avenue. Then you'll head west, then south, then back east to Lake Michigan. Along the way, you'll learn some Chicago history. Some example are: * Marina City, the building Steve McQueen drove a car off of in "The Hunter," is an actual marina. Yes, boats dock there 365 days a year. The same architect designed a smaller building that also has a marina on the South leg of the river. * Merchandise Mart is owned by the Kennedy Family. Yes, that Kennedy family. * The post office had the foresight to leave a space for the Interstate, which was built until much later, to run (drive) though the building. * There is a friendly, not-so-friendly rivalry between Chicago and New York residents regarding whether the Willis (Sears) Tower is taller than the Freedom Tower. * Once per week, usually, the city raises its downtown bridges at the same time so larger boats and yachts can sail through. * Chicago engineers reversed the Chicago River's flow so it empties into Lake Michigan. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, engaging and entertaining. I'm glad she was there. The boat will stop a few times during the tour for photo moments, though you might have to be a little patient. Other passengers will be excited and might step in front of you to get their own photos. It's not a big deal and the boat captain is great about waiting until it looks like everybody has taken a few photos. Drinks, including adult beverages, are available before tour sets sail. The boat will also stop for a 10-15 minute break about halfway through the tour for refills. This was fun. I highly recommend. read more
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Ask the Community - Shoreline Sightseeing
Where did you all park?
Try ParkWhiz app to locate parking. There are a bunch of garages around.
Did any one have a hard time redeeming their Groupon for the date they picked at the dock the day of the tour? Did they charge additional fees?
I had no problem. They scan your barcode before you board. The Groupon was slightly cheaper than a regular ticket.
Someone's review said that this is narrated by a recording? That would SUCK. Is it true?
We did a tour a few weeks ago and had an awesome guide who narrated our tour. Definitely not a recording but I can't speak to all of their cruises. When in doubt, it would probably be a good idea to give them a call and check the specific cruise…
How long is the water taxi trip from navy pier to the museum campus?
The water taxi trip is about 15-20 minutes long.
Where does the boat tour depart from? It says 401 N. Michigan ave. Is there a landmark I can look for?
There is an Apple store and their booth right in front of it. If you go down the steps by the Apple store you will see where you can line up for the tour.
Is it necessary to buy tickets in advance or are there plenty of tickets available for walk up buyer?
We didnt need to buy in advanced. But it was in the morning on a week day.
For those in need of wheelchair accessibility, was shoreline a good fit?
There are accessible tours available. Contact them in advance for times.
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