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Kayak Chicago

4.1 (218 reviews)
Open 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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Cassie E.

We did the firework kayaking. EXPERIENCE: They warn you to bring water and/or food because it's a long ride, and they aren't kidding. We got there at 7:30pm and we got back to our car at like 11:30 pm. My poor boyfriend did a shoulder workout earlier in the day and we definitely recommend against that since it's definitely a workout. It's very long and tiring. They give you training before you take off. It didn't feel rushed, so I wasn't nervous and I had never kayaked before. The views are fantastic. Be prepared for your phone to get wet because the paddles splash water into the kayak (they warn you about this when you sign up as well). I wished I had an action camera, but I was still able to take decent pics. KAYAKS: They have lights that go on the front and the back of the kayaks so it's easy to see. The lights kept going out for my time slot, but they said it was a brand new box that they just opened. So they didn't know it was going to do that, so I am not holding that against them. They have different types of kayaks and have some for folks that have a wider stature. CREW: The crew are very helpful, lively, and friendly. Some of them also do the tour guides so they are also very knowledgeable and were telling me about the history. There was a concert near where we were departing, so the crew texted us ahead of time to warn us to get there early to park and offered to help us find parking. They also let us know where the free parking was and yelled at people trying to charge for parking when they shouldn't be. I found them extremely helpful in terms of parking. When you are kayaking, they don't rush you if you are in the back of the pack. They go at your pace. They wear head lights so it's easy to see where/who they are. OVERALL: The pictures we got from the experience were great. I had a lot of people asking me how they could do it and what company I used. I definitely wish I had a DJI Action 4 (like a go pro, but better for low light scenarios). Just be prepared for a workout!

Kayak Chicago
Ernie H.

Excellent crew really great lead guide - Matt. Equipment set up and orientation was thorough and help ease our concerns as first timers. So why 4 stars? Well you start around Goose Island which is NOT close to downtown. So you do a LOT of paddling just to get the Nuveen building. We turned around before the Marina Towers meaning we never got passed the Michigan ave and missed a lot of buildings and views. We also did not venture south of the river pass the nuveen building to see the civic opera or by the Sears tower. I almost get that because it would have been physically too much. Which goes back to the location issue and the distance just to get there.

Kayaking at night
Jim R.

Kayak Chicago is such a great time! Great value too. My girlfriend and I took the City Lights Night Paddle tour. We were the only 2 people on the tour with the guide. It felt a little awkward as it was such a small private tour but Mike ("Magic Mike") gave us a tour we'll never forget! He was very knowledgeable about the city buildings, history of the Chicago river, goose island area and everything in between. We got to see the blue river cranes as Mike pointed them out. What a great experience :)

Kayak across the city on the Chicago River during this energizing adventure tour
Sabrina C.

If you are nervous about going kayaking for your very first time - this is definitely the place to do it. After you fill out your waivers and your group arrives, you are fitted to the proper boat and ensured that you understand the basic instructions. The route that you will take starts to be explained and then you head off to the water! At the water, initially getting in your kayak can be kind of scary, but once you're in, YOURE IN! There are workers that are around to help you in for your initial boarding because it will be a little shaky. After everyone is in you spend some time getting used to how you steer your boat, then everyone takes off! The sights are so dope to see from the River. We did the a tour on the Chicago River that went into the early evening hours and were able to learn so much on our architecture tour. The guides were very knowledgeable and the two that we had were sure to stay along helping everyone, since there were different levels of experience. It was definitely a workout but absolutely something I will be doing again with this company!

Kayak across the city on the Chicago River during this energizing adventure tour
Julie L.

Evan was the best! So funny and knowledgeable. He made sure everyone had a great time! Highly recommend this business!

Starting/ending spot, with Wrigley research building in the back and our awesome tour guide in the front!
Ivonnie S.

We booked the architecture kayak tour for 2 through Groupon, which came out to be about $50/person for 3 hours, including a short lesson and getting on/off the water. Tl;dr: it was lots of fun and I'd highly recommend checking out this company, whether you're a tourist briefly visiting the city or a local who's never been on an architecture tour here. Some deets: the tours will happen rain or shine, unless there is potentially dangerous weather (i.e. lightning/thunder). Weather calls are made at the time that the tour starts, so I'd recommend showing up regardless of what the fickle weather report says. When we showed up for our 10am start time, it was starting to rain with a few flashes of lightning, so we couldn't go out onto the water and were feeling pretty disappointed. The staff were quite accommodating though, and we chose to wait it out a bit and see if the lightning died out. 45 minutes later, the rain had ended and they started the tour, yay! Our guide (sorry I forgot your name) inserted several dad jokes and interesting stories into the tour, including one about Dave Matthews and "Poopgate". Not sure if the boat architecture tours would be as entertaining haha. Plus, what's the fun in just sitting on a boat and passively listening for the duration of the tour? Might as well get in some good exercise - and then reward yourself afterwards with some of Chicago's deeelicious food! Also, if you're worried about the river water cleanliness, it's no chlorinated pool water, but the city has been cleaning up and beautifying the area recently and it's no longer as contaminated as it used to be. Just don't drink the water directly and wash your hands before eating! Last tips on things to bring: + A bottle of water to put behind your kayak seat! The tour goes at an easy pace, but it's still an arm/core workout + Phone or small camera to take lots of cool pics! They have Ziploc bags and waterproof boxes to store your phone while paddling + A change of clothes if you'd like; you'll probably splash a little bit of river water onto your legs and arms during the 3 hours + Leave everything else you don't need in one of the cubbies in the office, unless you don't care about it getting wet + Your excitement and sense of adventure! :) Have fun!

By the riverwalk
Peter T.

I took my gf and I to this place and did the Sunset Tour. We enjoyed it but we're gonna try the Fireworks tour next. We gave it five stars becuase the orientation was short and the staff was super friendly and funny (well 5th grade teacher funny - LOL). I liked how they were patience with us, especially sinced we never kayaked before and the views were amazing. Only thing bad is water smells nasty like a hamster cage.

Geese
Molly A.

I went with a group of ladies from Chicago and we all had varying levels of experience with kayaking (some had no experience, some kayak a lot) and we all really enjoyed the trip. The staff was incredibly helpful and walked us through the entire process. The route was easy to maneuver and it made for a really fun activity for us. I'd never kayaked before and it was such a good time that I was thinking about getting a ten hour punch card to use for the summer.

Beautiful day in Chicago to kayak ...

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Great kayaking tour group. It's a gentle paddle, though, so don't expect a strenuous workout.

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Is there free parking?

yes along moyne theres plenty, please be cautious since there have been some breakins

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Review Highlights - Kayak Chicago

My hubby surprised me with the architecture tour on kayaks and it was the best way to spend a Sunday.

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Vermillion River Rafting

Vermillion River Rafting

2.3
(44 reviews)
83.3 mi

The water level and rapids was perfect today for my first time experiencing whitewater rafting…read more We arrived a little after 9am, we made reservations ahead of time and there was a couple of big groups checking in ahead of us. The process was quick, check in, sign waiver forms, get your paddle, life vest and helmet and you're ready to go. Before we got in the water we got some instructions how to go down the main rapids: Wildcat Falls, Lone Star Dam and the Narrows. The Wildcat falls, go towards the right of the river, aim center of the two giant boulders and go down left. Most people went way right down it and got stuck at the bottom boulder and some fell in the water. We manage to go down successfully after watching a few rafters. The Lone Star Dam, stay close to the right side to go down it. The rest of the dam has a under tow that can be really dangerous and can pin you down specially if you go down sideways. The Narrows, make sure to hit it straight on and just ride the rapids. That was my favorite section. Yes, this can be dangerous. Just follow the instructions, ask a lot of questions and know your ability. Their is no guide on the raft with you. Tips before going. -Make sure to watch the safety video first, link provided on their website. -Make sure to check the water level and speed at the US coastguard link provided on their website as well. -Lastly know your ability or skills/experience paddling/kayaking/rafting. -I also watched a few YouTube videos to have an idea of the areas mentioned above. -They only accept cash or check. Today, 6/8/19, the water level was 8 feet deep and flowrate of 1500. Classified as Class 3. There was a huge group of boys scouts out the same time we did it and everyone got through it safely and had fun.

I went white water rafting yesterday and it is seriously beautiful! So much wildlife, nature and…read morethe path is very nice you can even see a waterfall at the end, it is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing or go alone but go in a group and research before you do this activity you will be fine. It is kind of sad that there is garbage every now and then left on land, people ruining the nature but still beautiful for the most part. As other reviews state, avoid the dam area , paddle to the right.

Photos
Look at all that nature!
Look at all that nature!
Wildcat falls, how we got through that day without a hitch. We aimed center where the water was running smooth.
Wildcat falls, how we got through that day without a hitch. We aimed center where the water was running smooth.
Wildcat Falls

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Wildcat Falls
Lincoln Park Boat Club

Lincoln Park Boat Club

4.8
(4 reviews)
1.7 mi

This is a wonderful crew team in the heart of Chicago. I had my best Masters Rowing experience…read morehere, and I love their emphasis on accessibility. They offer learn to row classes, and you can get scholarships to row in their competitive team.

The Lincoln Park Boat Club is completely member run by passionate folks who love boating -…read morespecifically rowing and paddling. I was into stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) so I was considered a paddler. SUP in Chicago can be hard. Lake Michigan is unfriendly to beginners so the lagoon used by the Lincoln Park Boat Club is perfect. The water is smooth, shallow and dirty enough to motivate you to keep your balance! The equipment at the LPBC is great too. There are a variety of SUP boards ranging from foam beasts that would never tip over to slender racing boards. Most of the storage was taken up by other boats. Some vessels were owned by members and others were owned by the club and could be used by anybody. Since the LPBC is completely run by volunteers, everybody has a lot of responsibility and autonomy. A lot of it is run on the honor system. For example, keeping the dock clean of goose poop and locking the garage was everyone's responsibility. To my knowledge, there was no cleaning or maintenance crew. There are no bells and whistles. The LPBC members I met were friendly. The SUP folks were competitive. It just wasn't my scene. I wanted a place to relax, skim across the water, and be outdoors. The other people I met were perfecting their techniques, getting stronger and racing. I ended up going only about four or five times, or about $100/visit. I'd remain a member if I could pay less than the competitive, more dedicated people. I asked if there could be a modified membership or a pay-per-visit deal but (as of this review) those aren't options.

Photos
Lagoon facing sign
Lagoon facing sign
Inside the boathouse
Inside the boathouse
Entrance

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Entrance
Kayak Starved Rock

Kayak Starved Rock

4.3
(111 reviews)
77.6 mi

It almost seemed like a dream. From the very start, cruising through a large patch of lotus plants,…read moreit felt otherworldly. Very peaceful, going at our own pace. Enjoyed the cliff walls of Buffalo Rock and the shallow waters of some side passages. We paddled for 5 hours, covering 8 miles total. After we were done we headed to charming, historic downtown Utica for drinks and dinner at Skoog's Pub & Grill in North Utica, IL. I was impressed with the logistics and operation of the kayaking experience, from the guide* to the equipment and online booking process. *Full disclosure, the guide was my twin sister, but I am being objective...seriously.

I have mixed feelings about this kayak tour company. I signed up because although I'm a very…read morecapable and seasoned kayaker, I didn't know this river and I like learning about the ecosystems and local wildlife. For this reason I like having tour guides. Going up the river was fine. Coming back went a bit sour. I went as slow as I was capable of paddling or not paddling, but apparently it was too fast for the preference of our tour guide. I was barely touching the water with my paddle. I have no idea how I could have gone any slower. It wasn't humanly possible. After shouting at me several times, he took to chasing me down and ramming my kayak so it'd spin in circles. Would I rent a kayak here and kayak the river alone? Yes. Would I personally use a tour guide here? No I wouldn't. Would I recommend? If you're a family with little kids or a drunk sorority house, absolutely. If you know what you're doing, just go it alone. You'll probably enjoy it more. Edit: If the tour guide had concerns for group safety, he could have said so. Although ramming my kayak with his seems to be a bit of a conflict as far as my safety goes. It was an unprofessional approach when he could have simply explained why he needed me to slow down

Photos
Kayak Starved Rock
Kayak Starved Rock
Kayak Starved Rock

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Kayak Chicago - boating - Updated July 2026

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