We recently visited Chicago and had a fantastic time, but certainly one of the highlights was our architectural 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! read more

Chicago skyline... 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! read more

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Nice ride! Got tickets off of Groupon. Definitely a bit farther out than the other architecture tours, but has the most reviews. Our guide had mic issues early on, but luckily was able to fix it quickly. We were also worried we weren't going to get there on time with all the traffic blockages that morning, but luckily, they don't take off until actual time, which is nice. read more

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Yes, its legit, worth it and very enjoyable! We had David as our tour lead and he was awesome, dad jokes and all. Once you get pass the cumbersome buy on groupon, book one their eventbrite and pay an additional fee per person to schedule, then its seamless. The check in was smooth and the tour started and ended on time. I dont think 45mins early is necessary but def 15 mins. We were able to see the architecture along the river north to south and then some. Amazing views and really cool details about the architecture and history shared by the tour lead. Shout out to the whole crew though who got us around safely and timely. read more

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Great tour focused on architecture and history. David was great and knowledgeable. Covers a large portion of the city. Plus the boats are named from seinfeld read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our tour guide Heath did a great job of mixing education with comedy. I also much appreciated the lack of tolerance for screaming kids (that's right, parents, not all of us think your kid is the center of the world and we don't want to hear them over the person we paid to hear). The only bad part was that we had to sour the mood talking about a building with a notorious abuser on it. Gross. Perhaps the tours could start mentioning not only that his building is the second tallest, but that he also was found liable for dumping toxic waste into the Chicago River for years. read more

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The tour guide was very engaging, knowledgeable and upbeat. The boat ran well and the weather was perfect. There was a bar and a bathroom on the boat but I didn't have a need for either this ride. Very cool and the architecture is beautiful on the water. Next time I'll be sure to grab a sunset tour. I took the train and walked roughly 10mins to the pick up location but believe they have on site parking also. read more

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Bought tickets from Groupon and it was not exactly a smooth transition unfortunately. Our family was visiting from CA and we purchased 5 tickets for the 2pm tour. When we arrived, we were told 1 of the 5 was for a later tour. Well that doesn't work. The ticket guy was trying to work out the error and another employee stepped in and was rude. He was stern and said, "it's sold out either part of your party goes and the other party can catch the next tour or you go on a wait list. We had tickets for 4 out of 5 people. I understand sellouts but we were there at 130pm and we were confused about what had happened. Well, the ticket person was nice and let my nephew go with the group. I thought the second person was rude. I'm glad the ticket person understood what happened and accommodated us. The tour was great, our guide was awesome. His name escapes me now and I am good about remembering! He was so knowledgeable! I would say they should consider the age because we had little kids who were not managed well by their parents and also a couple next to us talked the entire time. Our guide was polite but did say something to them but they kept talking. I would say the boat rules should be posted or something for folks to be quiet! Highly recommend it but if you do Groupon, it refers you to tours & boats website to book so triple check your tickets. read more

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David was the BEST! I was a bit worried about how I might like a narrated tour but he was funny, informative, and had a great cadence. Not information overload and also not boring. I would recommend this to literally anyone visiting Chicago! I learned so much and appreciate his expertise and dad jokes! 10/10 read more

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What a great tour with Bill! So many gorgeous buildings that I had no idea the history of. Love the too deck and going right under since low low bridges. read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Loved my time on this architecture boat tour of downtown Chicago. The tour guide was a great storyteller and incredibly knowledgeable about Chicago history. The boat also has a bar with soft drinks, cocktails, water, and a variety of quick snacks, like chips, hot dogs, and candies. The seating on the top deck is completely open with full sun exposure so pack your sunscreen and a hat! The lower seating inside has port hole windows you can look out of and a small seating bench at the boats bow. The boarding process is quick and the vessel maintains a timely 90 min schedule. Only complaint would be maybe be enforcing an age limit. There was a large amount of kids, fussing infants, and hyper active toddlers which frequently interrupted the tour guide, along with their guardians. Nonetheless, the entire experience was highly educational and any architecture enthusiast or design professional would enjoy themselves! read more

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A great tour - and very well explained! My wife and I had a blast, and felt we received a great window into the history of Chicago through its architecture and exploring the river. We were the first boat tour of the season for the tour guide Hillary, who did a great job of keeping things super fun and educational. We found this tour on Groupon and couldn't be happier with the value or the experience. This was probably our favorite thing we got to do in our brief tour of Chicago. read more

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Heath, our tour guide, was great during our tour. He made things funny but informative. It was like 90 minutes of architecture comedy. The best part was we were there during the 2026 Pokémon GO fest and I could sit, listen to architecture comedy, and catch all the Pokémon I wanted while the boat moved. read more

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Heath was our tour guide and he was so funny and informative! The boat ride was very comfortable- there is food, drinks (alcohol included), and ponchos sold on board! There is indoor, climate control seating on the bottom, as well as seating on the bottom that is covered. The best seat is definitely being on top of the boat if it's not too hot or cold so that you can get full pictures of the skyline and see exactly where the tour guide is pointing. read more

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We came for a trip and wanted to learn more about the architecture in Chicago. David was our tour guide and he was super knowledgeable! The tour was wealthy of engineering information. We left on time and came back as timed. It was great value for our group of 5 read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good tour of Chicago building / architecture from the water. The guide Dave was funny and informative, and the duration of tour was just right. Only complaint is I wish there was more selection when booking the tour time. It feels like they only open up ONE time slot at a time, and open another when fill up the previous. We wanted to go in the afternoon but none was offered. But after we took our tour there was another group waiting to board in the afternoon. read more

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We purchased Groupon tickets for the Architecture Boat Tour and was linked to Tours & Boats and we had a blast! Our tour guide was phenomenal! I didn't catch her name since we were sitting farther back, but she brought the energy and enthusiasm the entire 90 minutes that we were on the boat! Her knowledge of architecture and bridges were fascinating and you could tell she was really passionate about it which in turn made us excited to learn more. We went in the middle of July so it was HOT! Be sure to wear a hat and sunscreen and bring lots of water. They also have a bar on the deck level which also has A/C inside, but it takes forever to order something as the line is always long. There are bathrooms on the boat also. Be sure to arrive 15-30 min before docking as they will not wait for you. All in all, we had a fantastic time. It was a great way to spend an afternoon in Chicago and to learn more about the history behind this cool city. Would definitely do it again! read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Keith and captain Joe were a delight. Good entertainment with good history of the city. Highly recommend. read more

Tours & Boats - City view on 90 minute tour. - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice tour on Sunday, August 16th with Heath as our guide. He was a great wealth of knowledge on Chicago history and kept us entertained with fascinating stories. Captain Joe was a delight too! Thank you for a wonderful experience! read more

Tours & Boats - Going under the Lake Shore bridge. - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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David did a great job leading this tour! I left with a newfound love of architecture and the city that surrounds me. Highly recommend the architecture tou, ( and the cocktails !! ) read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When setting up my trip for Chicago- I knew I wanted to do a boat tour in the river. I came across this option via Groupon. It has very clear instructions and good parking. I was happy that it actually was close to where we were staying. The boat boarded on time. We started with some mimosas that we purchased at the bar on the boat. The bartender made them good which is mostly champagne with a splash of orange juice. We headed back upstairs and our tour began. Our guide David was amazing! He was so knowledgeable but he was also very funny. It was a beautiful day to be out on the river. We saw so much history and beautiful architecture. I would recommend 11/10! I wouldn't mind going back if in town again! read more

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Heath was most amazing and full of knowledge and presented a most memorable presentation. We loved the tour with so many facts about the river and seeing the buildings closed up was awesome! Highly recommend this tour! read more

Incredible and such a value. Heath was our tour 'guide' and made the cruise both educational and fun. We chose this tour over ones that left from Navy Pier and are glad we did! Highly recommend. read more

Tours & Boats - Sears Tower - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Heath our tour guide on the 90 min architecture boat tour was very informative and also very funny! My girlfriends and I had such a good time learning about all the unique architecture Chicago has. This boat tour also departs in South Loop so we got to view the future site of The 78 which will house a soccer arena. I highly recommend this tour! read more

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Chicago River 90-Minute Architecture Boat Tour There is no shortage of boat tours along the Chicago River. You can easily book one online with many of the boat and cruise companies. We booked online five days in advance and glad we did because it was fully booked on day of tour. I thought the meeting place was at the Riverwalk but turned out it was somewhere 2 miles away from the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Ours was located in the River City Marina. There is a paid venue parking available which we reserved through ParkWhiz. This guided boat tour was enjoyable and very informative. It took us on the Chicago River covering all 3 branches of the river with our tour guide. Departure time was at 8:00p, make sure you arrive 30 min before. The boat picks up and drops off guests at the same location. I love Chicago's magnificent architecture. Our professional tour guide shared insights on well-known structures as we sailed down the Chicago River - the Marina City, Willis Tower, Wrigley Building, Aqua Tower, Trump Tower, Boeing and United Airlines Buildings... he even showed us the former national headquarters for Montgomery Wards which are now a mixed-use space with different businesses and residences and once home to Groupon's global headquarters (they are now on W Wacker Drive). The old Montgomery Ward building is a large historic complex that was once the mail-order and department store HQ. Remember those big catalogs you find in your mailbox? LoL! We witnessed a beautiful sunset when our tour boat reached this area. I lost count while sailing underneath the many bridges in Chicago but I did notice the different bridge houses that are located near a moveable bridge. Chicago has the most movable bridges of any city in the world. This was one of the best tours we've experienced in a relaxed pace of the boat gliding by Chicago's famous architecture. Recommended! Review #3830 read more

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Hillary was awesome!!! Hillary did a great job explaining the architecture and history of the city. She was very knowledgeable on everything. read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The 6pm-7:30pm tour was spectacular! Our tour guide, David Bagger, was personable, friendly, attentive, funny, informative, and deeply committed and passionate about sharing his wealth of knowledge in a measured, cogent, sequential, meaningful, and thoughtful manner. You could feel how genuine he was in his delivery and that this was more than a job but an opportunity to share his love for the city in a unique and multiplying way. I recommend the nighttime tour! The nighttime views were so amazing, and the boat paused at a number of spots for us all to take photos. We went under a number of bridges, some of which you had to duck for--we got that close, yes! The only real downside is that the chairs were uncomfy folding chairs arranged close together and in tight rows to fit as many people as possible. The pickup point was easy to find, the wait in line to board was brief, we left on time, we were given ample time with breaks to walk around and there was a bar. Also, I read the 1-star reviews, which sadly reflect user error--people not understanding how Groupon works or how to read fine print or not being able to commit to the date and time they've purchased and presumptuously assuming they can get refunds or discounts. For a small business, it's not cool how little ownership and accountability buyers take and retaliate with an unjustified review. read more

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Do NOT buy from these scammers. They will sell you tickets online saying there's availability, but when you go to schedule the tour there is magically nothing available. Just had that happen to me, and the next tour isn't until the evening of the following day, AFTER I leave town and the "customer service" person basically told me that sucks, thanks for your money. I NEVER should have tried to save money with these people and should have just booked through the Chicago Architecture Institute instead. Easily, and I mean EASILY the low point of my vacation and I will never recommend anybody to book with this company. read more

We loved our boat tour!! Our tour guide, David, was awesome! His deep knowledge and enthusiasm about the area, the architecture and stories of Chicago, really made our trip so much fun!! We took our teenage kids - they too loved it! So glad we found this boat tour! read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had multiple Chicagoans tell us this was the thing to do. Our guide Billy killed it! if you're a Chicagoan or visiting, this was worth it! read more

Hillary was amazing! Super wonderful tour. I highly recommend the tour and adventure. read more

Tours & Boats - Chicago - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Had so much fun on the 90 minute architecture boat tour! Hillary was interactive, so well informed and full of jokes. Tour went by so far with how fun and informative it was!! read more

This is my second time doing a boat tour in Chicago. The tour was great up until our tour guide Billy rudely told my wife and 2 year old to go down at the bottom of the boat because they were distracting. Sorry Billy, my toddler was being a toddler and making noises. I apologize my toddler didn't allow you to do your job correctly. Maybe you need to learn how to public speak while there are others talking. And next time keep your facial expressions to your self when you rudely ask someone to go downstairs because they are "distracting". For anyone that wants a better experience experience boat tour, I HIGHLY recommend Wendella Tours & Cruises. It was a way better experience. Plus the start and end boat dock is at the heart of the loop and riverwalk. This Tours & Boats Architecture tours was more than halfway south going towards Chinatown. Also, if you buy this from groupon, you are not guaranteed a seat. You're on standby until closer to the departure time. read more

A fantastic tour with Hillary, did not feel like 90 minutes! so knowledgeable and fun, we had a great time.

Parking close at the dock - can also reserve on Spot Hero, Good tour discount for IL residents! Good for bringing visitors. read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My husband and I recently took a tour and had a wonderful time! The tour was interesting and we really appreciated how our guide, David, wove the history of Chicago into the present and future of the city. Truly a wonderful way to see the city, while learning and appreciating how far it has come. read more

I had purchased five tickets via a Groupon offer. The site did not allow me to purchase an offer for five people, so I purchased a 4-person bundle ticket and a 1-person ticket. Upon arrival, I showed the ticket agent my two QR codes for the two separate purchases. He said that I only showed one reservation for four people. As I tried to explain the purchases, he interrupted me and insinuated that I was stupid for not understanding that I did not purchase five tickets. He mocked me and then said I was slow for not understanding what he was saying. We spoke in English and Spanish about the tickets. I explained that I understood what he meant but disagreed with his assessment of the matter because I had a receipt for the purchased tickets. He raised his voice and insisted that the two QR codes were identical and that I was trying to pull a fast one. I again tried to explain how I had purchased the tickets but he interrupted me and refused to allow me to explain. He insisted that I show emails and said that the QR codes were no good. As I began reviewing emails, another ticket agent approached us. As I explained the situation, the previously mentioned agent complained about me and my group to him - insisting that we were wrong. The other agent asked for my name and found the two separate reservations for the five tickets. The previous agent asked the other agent to double check, insinuating that he did not believe us about our purchases. Once the agent allowed us to board the boat, the older man scowled and walked off. I expected an apology or some accountability taken regarding his rude and antagonistic exchanges with my group, but we got nothing. The tour itself was fantastic. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and offered a lot of humor. I nearly didn't get on the tour because of the ticketing agent, but I'm glad that the tour made up for the rude customer service. read more

Tours & Boats - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great tour!! Really nice to cruise up and down the river and really take a look at some of the most popular downtown buildings..Tour guide was really good. They offer about 3-4 breaks for you to regroup,grab a snack or just take a few photos. My only suggestion is maybe a speaker that can be heard on the lower level read more

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Hillary and the rest of the crew was awesome. Even my always having technology in his face 11 year old enjoyed the experience that Hillary did for the tour. read more

While in Chicago for a friend's birthday weekend we decided to do the boat tours. David was our tour guys. He was amazing and knowledgeable. You can tell he is passionate and knows alot about the architecture as well as the history. There is a bar on the boat so we got mimosas while on the boat tour. The boarding process was easy and the parking was close to the boat. read more

Tours & Boats - These Picard while on the boat. You have several area where you can get beautiful pictures of the skyline. - Boat Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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