RIVER & CANAL CRUISES
Reviewed, compared and ranked by the people aboard.
The 13 most popular chicago cruises, compared side by side. What you see from the water, how long you are aboard, what it costs and which operator to book, so you can pick your boat in a couple of minutes.
See Chicago’s iconic skyline from the Chicago River on a guided architecture cruise with live commentary, pet-friendly boarding, and great value.
Most Popular“The host of the tour was great! He was very informative and knowledgeable about the city's history. Also, we had great views of the buildings and were able appreciate the beauty of the architecture.”
A 90-minute Chicago River architecture cruise aboard First Lady with live docent commentary, big skyline views, and easy Riverwalk access.
“Dress warm due to shade when weather is colder. The distance isn’t as far as I hoped. Plenty of seats were available”
Skip the ticket line for a Chicago River architecture cruise with live narration of 40 buildings across all 3 branches and a cash bar.
“It was an eye opening cruise to appreciate the city. The guide was smart and fun. Lovely experience!”
45-minute Chicago River architecture cruise with live family-friendly narration, indoor/outdoor decks, and a local cash bar for $28.
“Alyssa was a great and funny guide. I would definitely do it again when I’m back in Chicago.”
A 90-minute Chicago River architecture cruise with live docent stories, 50+ landmarks, and free soft drinks—plus big views if you pick the right deck.
“Tyler was very informative and entertaining tour guide. I would definitely take another guided tour with him.”
Chicago architecture minibus tour with optional 75-minute River cruise. Fast overview of downtown, Lincoln Park views, and iconic buildings.
“Great tour that was beyond what the walking tours could do. Avery was a great and knowledgeable guide. Comfortable bus.”
A small-group, half-day Chicago drive with a narrated architecture river cruise and skyline time from the Sky Deck/Adler viewpoints.
“Tony was amazing and full of information.We had an awesome time and Tony kept us laughing throughout the tour.”
City Cruises Chicago brings you a 2-hour glass-enclosed dining cruise with a 3-course meal, riverfront views, and narration or DJ.
“The best good and service on a lunch cruise. The European style river craft was great! Views all around and up!!!”
City Cruises Chicago river cruise with brunch, lunch, or dinner plus architecture narration, glass-enclosed dining, and a 3-course meal.
“This was a company outing and overall all the members were happy with the service, food and the scenic cruise. Thank you!”
Night views from Skydeck at Willis Tower, a narrated small-group drive, then a Chicago shoreline cruise with Cloud Gate in the mix.
“Organisation désastreuse. Visite prévue de la rivière chicago annulée car le guide s est trompé. Remplace par 1 visite sur le lac non programmé fait en dernier minute et sur 1 créneau horaire en dehors du créneau horaire prévu. Des allés retours pour pallier cette incompétence et cette désorganisation qui nous ont fait perdre notre…”
Chicago Architecture Center docent-led river cruise with 360° views, 50+ building stories, and discounted Chicago Architecture Center admission.
“The foreign language audio guide has not been available for several years. The guide speaks very, very quickly in American English: impossible to understand more than 5 words of 90 minutes of explanations”
A 4-hour small-group Chicago architecture day with hotel pickup, the Shoreline cruise, the Bean, Adler views, and Buckingham Fountain.
“Danny really helped me understand and learn how beautiful and fascinating the City is/are, a lot of fun facts too. For someone who likes to travel olone its definetely a safe and fun one. Thank you!”
Chicago in 3.5 hours: a guided downtown minibus tour plus a Chicago River architecture cruise with stops for Cloud Gate and skyline views.
“Great tour, great value for the cost. Wish the bus ride longer than the boat ride. Bout ride heavy focus on architecture. Bus ride spoke on the history of Chicago, much more engaging!”
Pick a canal city, a famous river, or the kind of cruise you want to be on.
