Took the taxi several times during my trip! Affordable at $10 per one way ride. Covers a long ground. Nice, quick ride to Chinatown with ample seating available. Honestly a great alternative to the architecture tour, which I did also and didn't enjoy due to crowdedness. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I found out about the Chicago water taxi on TikTok. It was $10 one way, $20 for round trip. I got picked up on Michigan Ave to go to Chinatown. It was quite unorganized and the young people working there at the podium's were cackling & playing around, which was a little annoying. I was told that there was no guarantee I would get a ride if the boat was full, but I could get in line and see if there was room. I was able to board & pay on the boat with ease. It was pretty easy to get tickets on board by the cashier. The ride there was smooth with no issues, I sat down below. That boat had AC which was nice on such a hot day. We docked and I walked to Chinatown. I was only there for about half an hour before having to return to the city. The second boat was not air conditioned but there was a breeze. Overall I had a nice experience. I'd definitely recommend taking the water taxi to get across town. It's affordable yet scenic if you don't want to do the traditional architectural boat tour. The only thing I'd recommend is having a few more time slots. read more

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FERRY - The Chicago Water taxi was a fun way to get from downtown to Chinatown. We took it on a beautiful summer afternoon and got too see the beautiful architecture along the river. My highlights were the Opera House and the Willis Tower. Highly recommended for a beautiful day. read more

Super friendly employees make this a fantastic and economical option to go to Chinatown. Every employee we met was friendly with a genuine greeting and making sure we got on and off safely. I always love when companies/organizations give discounts to our active duty military! Five star all the way read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Cheap and nice way to get to and from Chinatown. Military rides free! Can't beat that. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Chicago Water Taxi is a great and affordable option to enjoy a scenic boat ride down the Chicago River from Michigan Avenue to Chinatown while taking in the beautiful architecture of the buildings along the river! Highly recommend! read more

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A great way to see the city and go visit Chinatown. We had a great time and will definitely ride again. read more

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Born and raised in Chicago and have never taking a ride on the Chicago Water Taxi. Admission is $10.00 one way per person. The ride to China was just an enjoyable experience. Great views of the city and relaxing. I enjoyed the cool breeze and watching the calm waves in the water. read more

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The Chicago Water Taxi is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the views of the city! Back when I commuted to work, I would use the Water Taxi as my main mode of transportation to and from Ogilvie and Michigan Avenue. It's been years since my commuting days and I was delighted when my sister and I rode it from Michigan Avenue to Chinatown for a day of adventure. I appreciate the convenience, affordability, the kindness of staff, the timeliness and punctuality of the craft's departure/arrival, and the reliability as a means of transportation. Not to mention, the views of the city from the river are so heart-openingly beautiful and stunning!! Whether you're a commuter or just visiting the city, I HIGHLY recommend riding the water taxi, most especially from Michigan Ave to Chinatown! read more

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A perfect way to head to Chinatown! The double decker taxi is the best boat. They offer incredible views on the way and back. Easily the cheapest option to Chinatown if you are not on a time frame. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Chinatown heading into the city - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We bought tickets in advance, waited in line for over an hour and still didn't get on the taxi. No refund policy. Waiting room is extremely hot in the summer. Ultimately, had to Lyft. Don't recommend if you have a group or have reservations. read more

Make sure to check the schedule online. The employees at the kiosks will not volunteer to tell you times. Untrained and vague in information. When we asked about a ride to China Town we were misled on times. Which caused us a 2 hr wait. The young man was unapologetic and sassy. read more

Always a pleasant ride, March through December. When we have company in town, March through December, we take the 8min walk from Chicago's historic Chinatown, north of Cermak and west on 19th, to the Ping Tom Park water-taxi stop for a pleasant $10 scenic cruise downtown. In September 2024 loaded up our cellphones with architecture for some self-guided sight-seeing, and picked a stop near our next touristing plans. This time we stopped near Michigan Av on the north shore of the Chicago River, where there's an elevator up a few steps to street level, for an espresso and some strolling and shopping on Magnificent Mile. If you look closely at the ChicagoWaterTaxi website, you can find a senior, military, disabled, or under-3 discount for the ride :-), and a map of the stops. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - The Chicago skyline! You'll be in amidst it in another few miles :-) - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

What a great afternoon activity!! It's really easy to purchase tickets online! And a more affordable way to get a ride on the river. We do love the Architecture tour, but have done it plenty of times. My daughter and I have taken the taxi from Chinatown to Michigan Ave a few times. She really enjoys it. The staff is really nice and helpful. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Taking the water taxi to Chinatown is a super pleasant experience! The inside is heated for cold days. It's both speedy and a really pretty view read more

This water taxi was a fantastic find for exploring the Chicago River. At only $6 a ride (or $10 for an all-day pass!), it's way cheaper than those overpriced architectural tours ($40, yikes!). Plus, you get the same amazing views of the city skyline without the cheesy narration Here's the deal: Stops: Currently operates at 3 stops: Michigan Ave, Ogilvie/Union Station, and Chinatown. Price: $6 per ride or $10 for an all-day pass (super worth it if you're planning on hitting multiple spots). Payment: They only take credit cards, but you can buy tickets online, on the boat, or at the stations. Schedule: Boats run about every 35 minutes during the day (check their website for the exact schedule). No night cruises though. Highly recommend this for anyone visiting Chicago! read more

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Most economical way to experience a boat ride in Chicago! I took the water taxi from OTC to Chinatown for $10 and it was a fun experience. The ride was smooth. Staff were friendly. Sure there's no architectural narrative, but nice change of pace from taking the CTA. read more

I took the architecture boat tour on my last visit so this time I decided to take the water taxi to Chinatown. It was perfect! For $10 you get to be out on the water for 30-40 min! In the downtown area there is a lot of shade from the buildings. As you get closer to Chinatown you're exposed to full sun so be prepared or go downstairs. The dock in Chinatown is close to the area with restaurants and shops. It's also very easy to take the red line back up to the Loop. Highly recommend!!! I had a little bit of a hard time finding it. Take the stairs down near Wendella docks 3 and 4. read more

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I rode the water taxi for the first time this summer and wow!! First off, the views that you get on your ride alone are unmatched. Plus the ride was smooth and a steady pace. I wanted to explore Chinatown for my birthday and I couldn't have picked a better form of transportation. It took us from the riverwalk to Chinatown for only $10, steal of a deal! Can't wait to ride again! read more

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This was a super cool way to go from Chicago to Chinatown! Took about 30 mins. Day passes for the water taxi are 20$ per person You meet by trump tower. The ride was smooth, workers on the ferry boat were pleasant Definitely recommend read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Crappy waiting area, workers who don't communicate updates clearly, multiple lines for different destinations are not clear, gross bathrooms, etc. These people don't give a shit. read more

This place was about a 10 min walk from our hotel; it was an easy inexpensive way in our opinion to get to Chinatown & see a little bit of the area. A good amount of seating inside and outside. Snacks for sale. It gets hot up top, but I was able to go down and get some shade, our wait was not long, I think they run pretty regular we didn't feel our wait in line was long at all. Some bought their tickets online, we purchased ours onboard going & coming. This option of transportation isn't bad if you want to go over for some food, treats, a little shopping for trinkets, skincare, ice cream, candy etc... in addition to all the restaurants. read more

My mom's group booked a tour with this water taxi company. It was a really nice experience being able to go on the water tour of downtown Chicago. It was right around sunset, so I was able to get some great pictures of the sunset's colors reflecting off of the building. The tour guide did a great job going through the history of the downtown areas and pointed out popular buildings. I would definitely do this tour again. read more

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Easily located and the view of the river and architecture was amazing. Easy way to china town.

A very enjoyable and fun way to move through the city. Conveniently located near both train stations, it was a great way to get to Michigan Avenue. read more

100% recommend paying the $10 bucks for a water taxi. Takes you through the (West loop) went to Chinatown.

This is an amazing and inexpensive way to explore Chicago. If you buy an all day ticket, you can hop on and hop off at the various stops. During the fall, they had fewer main stops. However, during the warmer months, I believe they have a few more stops throughout Chicago. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to explore Chicago by the river! Would definitely do again! read more

I absolutely loved taking the water taxi! They run on the weekends along the river from Michigan Ave to Chinatown with a few stops inbetween & the tickets are so cheap! $6 for a one way or $10 for an all-day pass with unlimited rides. The vessel accounts for different types of weather too! Even though it was sunny for most of the day, there were moments of rain and the indoor section of the boat fit everyone inside. I even made fabulous friends who were visiting Chicago too! It was a beautiful time. So peaceful, I honestly can't even begin to describe. You HAVE to experience it for yourself. Dedicate a day along their route and I guarantee you a good time. Their website has all the tickets and schedule times. Easy to use, easy to follow. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - On the way to Michigan Ave - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Five stars for the Chicago Water Taxi! A great and fun (and certainly seasonal) way of getting around some of the most popular and touristy areas of the city. It goes to Chinatown, Michigan Ave (Mag Mile) and the loop on Madison Street (Olgilvie Transportation Center and the Union Station). I'd recommend if you're going to any of these areas in the summertime in a visit to the city. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Inside of the bottom of the water taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We were only staying in Chicago a couple of days and on our last day we walked to navy pier. We were about to walk back when we saw these water taxis. They go between the pier, Michigan avenue (by the Apple Store), and the sears tower. It was $10 for a one way ticket. We rode this back to Michigan avenue. They run every 15 minutes and it's a pleasant short little scenic ride. We didn't get to do any boat tours while we were there so this fit the bill in the short time we had and we didn't have to walk all the way back. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - View on ride - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I bought four tickets to take the water taxi over a holiday weekend with family from out of town. We saw the published water taxi schedule and planned our day and activities around that. The website does say that tickets are nonrefundable but what they don't tell you is that being able to ride the taxi is not guaranteed. Some people ride the water taxi all day and don't get off. When that happens - no new passengers can get on. We waited for an hour and four boats came and went. We weren't able to redeem our rides that we paid for and our plans for a 3 year old looking forward to riding the water taxi ended in tears. read more

Taxi ride was nice to China town but I have to mention what a Jerk one of the employees was. I did not get a name but the older gentleman with a earring in his ear was very vey Rude and a know it all. I wish I would have gotten a name. People like that can ruin a business read more

ALL of the attendants were incredibly attentive to helping understand the routes and making sure we got on the taxi. It was clear that they enjoyed their jobs and working with each other. read more

Was told by a local that this taxi was only $10 Per person roundtrip (all day pass) from Michigan Ave to China Town. Other cruise/boat companies charged $25-40 per person for the same ride, but with a narrator. Had several stops on the river and the staff were pros. The water taxi have restrooms on them. Highly recommend to save a few bucks to tour the Chicago River. read more

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Super fun to ride for a cheaper do-it-yourself option to the architecture boat tour! Haha. Actually, I've already been on the boat tour (fantastic by the way), so I didn't need commentary again but wanted to ride on the river again, so this was a great alternative. It also goes further down the river, all the way to Chinatown, so it was fun to get off there and stroll into Chinatown for some dessert. There is a small bar on board, so you can also buy drinks. I think it's $6 per ride or $10 for a 24-hour pass. You can pay in cash or use the app on your phone to pay via credit card. Some boats have an outdoor deck on top, but some do not. I liked how it was light when we made our trip out, and then we got to see the city lights at night as it was already dark when we came back. read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love it and highly recommended to both locals and tourists alike. Commuting from downtown to Chinatown, this is the best way to do it. You have to get on at the Ogilvie/Union Station stop to go south to Chinatown. The trip is $4 on a weekday, $5 on a weekend. You can buy an all day access pass for $8 or $10 depending on if its the weekend. With the all day access pass you can go between the other locations too - North Avenue/Goose Island, Magnificent Mile and LaSalle/Clark. It's a relaxing ride with great views of the city. Sit outside and let the wind blow in your hair & the sun hit your skin. read more

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Today on "Broke Dad Takes Daughter On Trip To Give Her The Childhood He Never Had..." There I was in Chicago with my eight year old when I thought to myself, "Hey, let's do one of those boat tours like in that Julia Roberts movie that this girl made me watch in high school." Then I saw the price and thought, "Hey, we can swim down the river, and it'll make for a much more interesting story when Child and Family Services gives me custody again." Then I saw one of those yellow taxi boats going in the same direction as the fancy pants architectural tour and my brokeness began speaking to me: "Back home in DC, those things are like twenty bucks! You could just get on one of those for half the price." So I googled and lo and behold...It was $5 per person or $8 all day!!! I almost died. We couldn't run down to the dock fast enough. I bought the tickets on my phone while we were in line. We got on the boat, sat in the back, and took pictures of the scenery. It was great! read more

Chicago Water Taxi - Boat Charters Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Today, I rode the water taxi the whole way from its northeast terminus at the Wrigley Building to its south terminus at the Chinatown Gateway. This is my review. From my time spent riding on the water taxi, I have come to the conclusion that the water taxi is more of a ride on the Chicago River than transportation. There are only four stops, and they start a couple of miles west of the Navy Pier. The water taxi does not go directly between the Wrigley Building and Chinatown. At Riverside Plaza, where the Madison Avenue bridge divides north and south Chicago, passengers must leave the boat and wait to get on the boat to Chinatown. We waited a good half hour on the way to Chinatown, and 15 minutes on the way to the Wrigley Building. For efficient transportation, I recommend the train. The Chicago River Water Taxi is suitable for taking in the skyline. Picture taking opportunities are abundant. They include the Willis Tower, Trump Tower, and John Hancock Building. What is really neat is that passengers get to see where the Chicago skyline ends. The Chicago water taxis are easy to spot. Just like land taxis they are painted yellow. The water taxi traveling between the Wrigley Building and Riverside Plaza is more comfortable than the boat traveling between Riverside Plaza and Chinatown. On the later you have to look at the person in front of you to take in the scenery. I felt kind of awkward doing that. On the former there are rows of indoor bench seats and some outdoor seating. The price for an all day pass is currently $7. For somebody that wants to spend time sightseeing the Chicago skyline from the Chicago River, this is a great deal. read more

What an experience. Chinatown Ping Tom Park and its "other" hidden secrets. Come on now, not many people I speak to ever know of Ping Tom, but what about the whole water taxi thing? I am impressed. For $7 you get an all day pass! The partner and I took the "water taxi" from Chinatown Ping Tom Park to Madison then transferred to another awaiting water taxi and that lead us closer to Navy Pier. Well once you get off on Rush and Illinois I believe, you walk up the ramp, walk 2 blocks north and there you get a free trolley to the pier. That is really a nice thing to have in Chicago. And how come I didn't know about this before. I do want to give props to the young guys on the 1st water taxi, seriously! He told us that we had to be back by 7 pm which is technically the last water taxi was going to leave the dock at 7. Well guess what? By the time our other water taxi was docking, our ride to Chinatown (our start point) was already leaving. Although they blew the horn they kept going, but the guys from the first Chinatown Taxi noticed us and came back. I have to really thank them for that because had they not returned, we would of had a long journey back to Chinatown. I think that everyone should check out the water taxi's because it gives you a totally different view of the city and its wonderful skyline. I am now a fan and will definitely return when I want to go to Navy Pier from Chinatown. Awesome! read more

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Seriously!!! if you're from Chicago or not! Take a ride on the Chicago Water Taxi! Goes all the way to China Town! Super cool! We had an all day pass and we rode the water taki throughout the downtown area and into China Town for lunch. Very cool. Very relaxed and worth the 10 or so bucks per person! read more