CHICAGO · ARCHITECTURE TOURS
The ones worth booking.
The 15 chicago architecture tours that earn their place, the ones that leave travellers looking up long after. What each one shows you, who leads it, and what it costs.
Pet-friendly Chicago River architecture cruise with live guide commentary, skyline views, and big-building stories for $39.
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 cruise with indoor and outdoor seating, trained narration, and up-close views of famous landmarks.
“So cold in winterX dont suggested and please make it in summer time, i cant enjoy it at all because my fingers and toes felt nothing and i went to the indoor lower deck after one hour on the upper outdoor upper deck”
90-minute Chicago River architecture cruise with expert guides, indoor comfort or open deck, and local drinks plus Garrett’s Popcorn.
Chicago Architecture Center River Cruise aboard First Lady: 90-minute docent-led tour of river landmarks like Willis Tower, Navy Pier, Marina City.
“Dress for elements. Cynthia was an excellent tour guide. She was very knowledgeable and her presentation was engaging.”
Chicago architecture river cruise with skip-the-ticket line access, live docent narration of 40 landmarks, and cash bar drinks.
45-minute Chicago River architecture cruise with live guide, iconic landmarks, and indoor seating near Michigan Ave. $28.
“It was a nice ride, beautiful views the tour guide explained the history of the buildings and it was about a 45 minute ride”
Ride Wendella’s Chicago River and Lake Michigan cruise for live architecture storytelling, skyline photos, and landmark spotting in 90 minutes.
“This was a great tour if you are wanting to many of the buildings and the skyline from the lake. The guide was knowledgeable with the history and construction of the buildings”
A 45-minute, family-friendly Chicago River architecture cruise with live narration, indoor/outdoor decks, and an onboard cash bar.
“The amount of people who book should equal the sits. Not paying for a ride and scrambling for seats which I think it’s ridiculous”
90-minute Chicago river and Lake Michigan architecture cruise with expert guide, Chicago Lock pass, deck or indoor seating, and cash bar.
““Where’s access? FCS! Franklin Clark State!” Still have that jongle in my head.. other than that it was awesome! No, out tourguide was great! Learned a lot, was my first time in Chicago, hope to come and visit again in the future. Great views of the city.”
A 90-minute Chicago River architecture cruise with live narration, three river branches, and comfy indoor seating plus open-deck views.
“We literally did this tour on this first snow of the season BUT IT WAS WELL WORTH IT. The 90 minute 3:00 pm tour turned out be the sunset tour due to it being november so we got amazing pictures! Heath was entertaining and informative!”
Two-hour Loop walking tour of art deco lobbies and public interiors, led by local guides, with the Board of Trade ticket included.
“We learned so much about the architecture and evolution of some famous Chicago buildings, and will look at buildings in other cities with some new knowledge. Heath was an excellent guide. Highly recommended!”
A 4.5-hour small-group walk through Chicago’s best food and architecture, with stops at the Pedway, Riverfront, and Millennium Park’s Bean.
“Informative; our guide Dave was passionate and knowledgeable. It was great to try Chicago’s iconic foods too!”
Chicago River architecture by boat with a small-boat upgrade option. See the skyline, Navy Pier, and Cloud Gate with expert guides.
“We had a party of 8. One of us in a wheelchair. The crew was very accommodating and nice. The tour was interesting and informative. Great job.”
90-minute Chicago River architectural cruise with docent stories, 50+ landmarks, Neoclassical to Art Deco views, and free coffee and lemonade.
“Our tour guide was great! He was a local Chicagoan, and you can tell how much he really loves his city. I was engaged the entire time!”
A small-group minibus tour that strings together Chicago’s top skyline moments, Frank Lloyd Wright stops, and an optional 75-minute architecture river cruise.
“My family and I had the best time! Rick did such a fantastic job in showing us around Chicago and learning about the history of such a marvellous city! A 10/10 tour will definitely be coming back to do again”
Every great skyline, in every city we cover.
