3 Best Boat Tours and Cruises in Chicago

The Chicago River is one of the most important elements in the identity of this beautiful American city. In fact, many of the things to see and do in Chicago revolve around this body of water that divides the city centre between north and south, east and west.

I invite you to read about the best alternatives available to you if you are planning a tour on some of the Chicago River cruises that offer you a short but fun enough trip to remember for the rest of your life.

The area that is crossed by the Chicago River has one of the most significant concentrations of skyscrapers per square kilometre on the planet. The Tribune Tower with its neo-Gothic architecture, the Ellis Tower with its simple and iconic modernist style and the Wrigley Building with its combination of neoclassical and Renaissance patterns are just a few of the area's architectural treasures.

For this reason, it makes sense that an entertainment-oriented Chicago River cruise that seeks to highlight the architectural beauty of the area is one of the best itineraries if you're looking for a guided tour of the waters of this body of water.

Keep in mind that the entire length of this section of the river is spanned by a myriad of bridges that connect the city's avenues to the north and south of Chicago's financial and tourist district. You will also have the opportunity to admire the marvel of modern engineering of some of these bridges, such as the one at Michigan Avenue or the one on Dearborn Street, right in front of the iconic skyscrapers of the Marina City Goldberg Complex.

As for the route, it starts on the banks of the Riverwalk in the area closest to Navy Pier and usually stretches west along the river. It then heads north to Goose Island and then turns south towards the section of the Loop where Chicago Union Station and the Willis Tower are located.

So on a river tour as comprehensive as this, you'll enjoy the commentary provided by the guide on board the boat about some 40 of Chicago's downtown landmarks. All this while also recounting details about the engineering work that changed the course of the river so that it flows in the direction of the Mississippi River in order to avoid polluting the waters of Lake Michigan.

Details of interest

• Prices: A tour of this nature usually costs around 48-50 euros per adult, but keep in mind that rates for children between the ages of 12 and 3 are usually half that amount. Children under 3 years of age almost always get free access to the boat, and be aware that this fee includes payment for the guide and the river tour, but is not taken into account for any consumption of drinks and meals on the boat. It is therefore recommended that you take part in one of Chicago' s best food tours when you leave this tour if you feel that this is something your companions would enjoy.
• Duration: Cruises that focus on the architectural history of the area along the Chicago River usually last about an hour and a half. Keep in mind that there are boat departures every 15 minutes from mid-morning to late afternoon and early evening.
• Conditions: You can choose the starting point of the boat, as both Navy Pier and the Riverwalk section of Michigan Avenue are designated ports for these Chicago River tour companies. As for the boat, you should know that it is large enough to hold approximately 100 people and also that its structure is quite flat so you don't have to wait for the city's drawbridges to be raised like other types of boats do.
• Advantages: with a river tour like this one you can appreciate many of the sites that are visited with the best tour buses in Chicago from a different perspective. Also, you should appreciate the fact that these fares are quite convenient considering that this is a river tour in a city as touristy and expensive as this one. There is also the fact that you can bring your own food and that it is a disabled-accessible boat.
• Disadvantages: having a guide talk about the city's architecture throughout the tour can be tiring if you are not interested in this subject at all.

Double the fun for the price of a single event is always a good decision. So it makes sense to know that cruises that combine a tour of the Chicago River with a tour of the shores of Lake Michigan are one of the best ways to get to know either of the two places. Which are so important for tourism in this city that they are considered a must-see by most locals.

Keep in mind that the Lake Michigan shoreline is quite attractive for local tourism in the state of Illinois and offers you a complete perspective of the skyline of the second most skyscraper city in the United States.

Depending on the time of year you visit, you may find a winter panorama where the freezing point is quite close to the lake's waters or a beautiful summer scene. Which is so seductive that hundreds of thousands of people flock to the beaches that have been artificially created on the edge of the lake. Such as the 12th Street Beach or the well-known Oak Street Beach.

Not to be overlooked is the fact that these tours take place on a boat with other physical and mechanical characteristics. This is because a boat that is destined to navigate a very predictable body of water such as the river is not the same as one that goes out into the bay to have to deal with a swell that is conditioned by the speed of the winds and that will cover a much larger area.

So you can be sure that this is a more intimate tour where there are not as many passengers on board the boat. This will allow you to enjoy Chicago's Lake Michigan style cruises without having to stay overnight on the boat or visit other nearby ports.

Details of interest

• Prices: Prices for these cruises that combine a tour of the Lake Michigan shoreline with the most important section of the Chicago River are usually around 45 euros for adults and around 18 euros for children between 5 and 15 years of age. Children under the age of 5 usually board the boat for free, but there is often no space for prams and you should be aware of this so you don't get a surprise at the boarding area.
• Duration: despite the fact that two completely different areas are combined within the same itinerary, the number of hours you have to spend on the boat is not doubled. In other words, a tour like this one usually lasts about an hour and a half, just like the ones that focus exclusively on the Chicago River. This is quite convenient, as many people find the idea of spending 3 or 4 hours on a boat continuously inconvenient or distressing.
• Conditions: Included in the entrance fee are guides who offer frequent commentary on the city's architecture and on the importance of the Great Lakes region's water resources to the entire Midwestern United States. However, it should be noted that this is a tour package that is less focused on the opinions or stories of the guide and much more on the appreciation of the city's scenery. It should also be noted that access does not include food and drink, but you are not prohibited from bringing your own if you wish.
• Advantages: As this tour is less focused on the historical details of the city and the architectural beauty that defines it, it is much more suitable for young children. This is due to the fact that it allows the family to talk and entertain themselves independently and without interrupting the guide's speech. In fact, it is one of those excellent things to see or do in Chicago with children if you consider that they are at an appropriate age to enjoy a river tour.
• Disadvantages: combining two bodies of travel in one itinerary may be too much for those who only wish to spend a short time on the water due to the fact that they suffer from a tendency to seasickness and nausea on boats.

A third alternative among Chicago's best river cruises are those that take you overnight on the waters of the beautiful waterway that runs east-west and north-south through the city as well as along the shores of Lake Michigan. You'll see the entire shoreline of the lake from the southern end where the Adler Planetarium and Field Museum are located to the North Avenue Beach area where Lincoln Park is located.

The itinerary is basically the same as in the previous proposal, but the big difference is that all this takes place under the moonlight and surrounded by an infinity of artificial lights in a sea of buildings that generates one of the most emblematic nighttime panoramas of the great modern American cities.

During the Christmas season, this walk is a real spectacle because you can also appreciate the Christmas decorations that take place in coastal points of the city such as the Navy Pier and the entire Riverwalk area along the Chicago River. It therefore qualifies as one of those plans to see or do in Chicago at Christmas without spending so much money or so much time.

Clearly, this is one of the best things to do in Chicago at night, as it is an entertaining and comprehensive activity that can appeal to all types of travellers. That is, from those who come to the city in search of partying and adult fun to those family groups on a more moderate itinerary.

Details of interest

• Pricing: F ares for Chicago River cruises that operate nighttime itineraries are basically the same as those for daytime tours. Adults therefore usually pay around 45 euros per admission ticket, while children almost always pay 20 euros, as long as they are between 5 and 15 years old. Children do not pay admission on these tours either, which makes it a cost-saving experience for families with babies and toddlers.
• Duration: An hour and a half is usually more than enough for a fairly complete tour of the waters of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan during a night when there will probably not be as much congestion of boats on the waterway, let alone on the shores of the lake.
• Conditions: On Chicago River cruises with night cruises, outside food and beverages are also allowed, as long as they are snacks suitable for consumption on a shared boat and are not alcoholic. Keep in mind that like the other options, this is a comfortable and modern boat in which there are all the favourable conditions to give access to disabled people or people with reduced mobility.
• Advantages: during the nights you have access to a quite privileged scenery of the city that is not experienced when travelling along the river canal during the day. Chicago is a city with a very marked nocturnal identity, just like other large metropolises such as New York, London or Paris. However, if you want to see all this nightlife from above, there are also the best helicopter tours of Chicago that can complete your night so that you've seen the city by sky, land and sea in one trip.
• Disadvantages: Nighttime can be an inconvenient time for those who are sensitive to cold, especially on those autumn and early and late autumn nights when it's still possible to navigate the lack of ice on the river and bay.

The best way to book Chicago river cruises, regardless of whether it is a day or night tour, will always be through digital means. With an online booking you receive an immediate confirmation of your purchase, you can check which dates and times are available for booking and you can also understand all the details of the payment and refund policies for cancellation of the booking.

There is also the possibility of going to some of the points where these tours usually depart from, such as the Riverwalk or Navy Pier. But there is no guarantee that the instant purchase prices will be as favourable as the ones I have mentioned, and there is no guarantee that you will get tickets for all of your companions by that time.

The first piece of advice I can give you to fully enjoy Chicago River cruises is to be willing to listen to what the guide has to say if you are interested in the history of your surroundings. If this is not the case, then I recommend that you position yourself at the other end of the boat so that you don't have to feel that you have to limit your volume when talking to your companions and so that you can experience the experience on your own terms.

Choice of attire is another issue you can't afford to overlook when taking a tour on one of these river cruises. Chicago is a city that is known for having some pretty harsh autumns and winters that require several layers of clothing to cope with. That's while the inclement summer sun can become your greatest enemy if you don't have the right sun protection for your skin or fabrics that are breathable and cool.

As you may have noticed, these river tours are quite inexpensive and offer you the opportunity to get to know the financial and historical heart of the city without the need to spend too much time walking or spending a lot of money on personalised guides.

That financial saving can be very interesting for you if you are planning to visit other iconic places in the city. So by paying for an attraction like this that is relatively inexpensive you can have money left over to buy tickets to the Field Museum for an afternoon of natural history or to buy tickets to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago if you decide to go for a more abstract, modernist approach.