Was lucky to have booked with an extra offer deal (Groupon lol). Regardless of a good deal used it is worth the full price. Loved our guide on how he explained the history and architecture of the buildings as well as how he handled a situation with a loud (drunk) tourist. He handled it so smooth the individual being addressed didn't even fuss about it. The cruise was smooth and was blessed with a beautiful day. You will be looking up a lot bc those buildings are so tall. Stunning views and history. A few times I thought the guide would hit his head on some of the bridges, but his has been doing this for so many years he knew which bridges he had to dunk and the timing without even turning around to double check. If I go back I would do this tour again. Team was amazing. read more

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This was a great architectural boat tour! Our host was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. He talked almost non stop! You could see that he loved what he was doing. My friend recommended that an architectural boat tour was something we must do when we visit Chicago. So we bought a Groupon for an 90 minute boat tour. The check-in process was well organized. We showed up half hour early, got signed in and waited to file onto the boat. We picked the side benches on the right. You should pick the middle seats if possible, then you aren't craning your neck to view the buildings on the right. I loved learning about the Chicago buildings, history and architecture. I finally understand what Art Deco means! I really appreciated the building that was inspired by French and Spanish architecture. And the V-shaped building that has more weight supported on the V. And the Corn cob buildings. I loved the building with the faceless statue. And the building with the map of Chicago and a 'You are here'. There are so many amazing buildings and so much information to learn from them. I wish we had a little notebook because there was so much information to absorb. I would definitely recommend this tour. read more

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Full disclaimer this was not the boat tour I meant to book but I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend this boat tour! Unfortunately, the boarding location isn't right on the Riverwalk which we wanted to book a tour near our hotel just for convenience but we took the line and walked to their location without too much fuss. There is a nice big parking lot there if you had a car and wanted to drive as well. We booked the first morning session (10?) and took advantage of their open snack bar with nachos and cocktails (breakfast of champions obviously) which were priced as you would expect. Our tour guide was funny and easy to listen to on the tour without it seeming like a list of architectural/historical facts! It was a nice calm tour/boat ride without it feeling like it was rushed to get to their next tour! read more

Chicago Lakefront Cruises - Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I recently visited Chicago and had a wonderful time. The City Pass is the way to go. Also the CTA pass was really easy to get around.

I would recommend the middle seats and not the benches along the side for the best views! We enjoyed this tour and even the locals we were with learned a few things. read more

Wonderful cruise was an option on the Go Chicago Card. We chose the first cruise of the day. We had a perfect day...and in July of all times we had under 80 degree temps. We started on the top and ended up downstairs. No crowd and Bloody Mary...WIN! The guide was super informative and highly recommend. read more

I've been on multiple architecture tours with different companies throughout the years. Daytime, sunset, fall, spring, summer etc But this was by far the best! I thought I heard it all, but I learned interesting new things about the buildings and city. Billy was awesome an tour guide/docent!! Fun entertaining informative The tour was fun and chill from start to finish. Even with an early morning start, he was engaging and you can tell he enjoys and takes pride in talking about the city. Another plus for me.... Has its own parking lot and easy access to the dock. read more

I am a lover of architecture especially buildings and structures unique to the City I'm visiting. When I was in Chicago for a wedding, this tour came highly recommended to us. I am so grateful took the tour, as it was such a unique and wonderful way to see the City. The price was a little high but 8thought well worth it for what we got. Even though it was September, it was an extremely hot and humid day to be outdoors on the water. I recommend stopping at a Duane Reade and picking up some waters to bring on the boat. Although they do sell waters on here. Our tour guide was a knowledgeable gentleman. Definitely 5 stars to him. I probably wouldn't take it a second time (no need) but I enjoyed this experience very much. read more

At first I was a little skeptical when I arrived for the tour due to the meeting point. There are no clear signs on where to wait or that the tour was even there. I showed up to the River City Marina 45 minutes before departure, per the ticket instructions (don't show up that early! 5-10 minutiae before is good). About 20 minutes before the departure time staff came out to direct to line up by the adjacent parking lot. They eventually started to scan the eventbrite tickets. I think some people could've just easily bypassed showing a ticket because there was no systematic approach to it. Eventually two lines formed and the staff didn't even pay attention to who they already scanned. Despite the disorganization of the staff and check in process I enjoyed the tour. The previous year I went on the river tour with a different company and wasn't as pleased with the experience. The tour guide with Lakefront Cruises was funny and very knowledgeable. For those who don't want to deal with the wind and cold weather you can sit below the top deck where it's warm with access to the restrooms and refreshments. read more

Chicago Lakefront Cruises - The waiting line is to the left of this area - Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Staff and bartender were great. Had to get temperature taken before getting aboard and face mask were required. They had cocktail tables and seating on the top deck that allowed for social distancing. Had a beautiful night and the views from the river and lake were awesome! read more

Chicago Lakefront Cruises - View from top deck - Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely ridiculous policy for using a debit card at the bar. They have a 10 dollar minimum. Thus means an individual passenger is unable to use a debit card to purchase one drink. This policy discriminated against solo customers. The attitude of the bar staff is abysmal. There are better boat companies that treat all customers. I would stick to the wendella boats at Michigan Avenue. read more

I held my wedding reception on board the Summer of George a few nights ago. Guests haven't stopped raving about how great of a time they had! The ship is under new management since mid 2013, so I would ignore the older reviews. Lisa and Captain Rick, the new owners of the boat are awesome and easy to work with! Captain Rick went out of his way to show us a lot more of the river and lakefront and stayed out longer than the 4 hours we had booked for, just to make sure we caught fireworks at Navy Pier. Lisa promptly responded to my emails and answered my questions thoroughly and she helped out a lot on the night even though she had a sore throat! The first mate Ralph was very friendly and helpful, throughout the night, as was bartender Rick. The DJ, also a Rick, played all the songs on my list, even the Indian songs I provided and was still able to accommodate a lot of guest requests. I went with my own catering choice, for which Lisa provided Chafers and Sternos. Lisa ordered floor length table cloth while I picked custom table runners and chair covers. I ordered my own silverware, plates and glasses and I also hired 2 helpers to setup linen, tableware, manage buffet and cleanup. I arrived early to post some signs from the parking lot across the street which is $2 till midnight to where the Summer of George was docked and we decorated the boat an hour and a half before the event. The ship was clean and ran smooth, Nature cooperated, and most importantly the guests had a great time. I highly recommend this business. Keep in mind that if you hold an event on a ship, your experience will only be as good as your preparation. read more

We used Chicago Lakefront Cruises to take a private boat cruise for our wedding rehearsal dinner on the Summer of George. The dock is a little hidden, but once aboard the service was flawless. The food was surprisingly good, the drinks were flowing all night, and they allowed us to play our own music on the boat. We went on a Friday night, departing at 8pm, so we went all the way down the river (watch your head on the bridges!), through the locks, and out by Navy Pier. Very cool experience - a great way to kick off our wedding weekend - and reasonably priced! read more

There was a bit of confusion in the beginning with the tickets and dates of availability for the boat cruise aboard the Summer of George boat.... However,this is a new company that is running the ship and they deserve a little time to iron out the glitches. All in all, everything went smoothly in the end and I would recommend this company in the future. I had a great time and would come back again. We loved the boat and the 3 hour party on the lake! It was so much fun! Good luck! read more

The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. Lisa and Rick were very accommodating and helpful. Lisa made sure we had everything in order before we arrived, and Rick gave us a tour and some background of the boat. The MC was very funny and knowledgable of Chicago history. The entire experience was extremely enjoyable, and I would recommend everyone to visit this family run business. We were able to catch it on the Navy Pier firework night which was an added bonus. The "adult" juiceboxes were amazing as well. Be sure to stop down in the bar. read more

Great tour! Guide was fantastic. So knowledgeable. We learned a lot and had the best time.

My husband and I went on this tour on July 29th, in the morning. Purchasing the tickets in advance made it easy for us to board. Any way, it was a very beautiful, breezy day. This was a very relaxing tour. We went down the river, and the guide, who listed his academic credentials (master's in history) and professional credentials (teacher, among others) was very well spoken and knowledgeable. It was a 90 minute tour and there are a lot of buildings to discuss. I think he did a great job blending both architectural knowledge and historical knowledge into the tour. It was just nice to sit on the boat as it glided under bridges and up and down the various branches of the Chicago river and hear more about the city area in which I grew up. Overall, we had a great time. The only annoying, tacky thing was at the end, the speaker, who I actually enjoyed listening to, and respected, actually had the audacity to ask for tips! He ASKED his audience for tips...who DOES that? Just leave a jar out or something, don't ask into the mic! Ohhhh, that burned me a bit. BUT that was the only negative with the tour. Needless to say, I didn't leave a tip. But we did enjoy the cruise. read more