Best sightseeing deal in town!!!! Board at Navy Pier and take it all the way to Union Station and you'll see Chicago from a spectacular vantage point. For only $7, it really beats all those "architecture tours" which cost $40+ and you take the exact same route. Unless you really want someone with a microphone telling you boring facts about the buildings and cracking corny jokes. Best kept scenic secret in Chicago!!! read more

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If you are into architecture, definitely worth going through the river architecture tour, but if you are going in the summer, be prepared to be out in the sun for 75 minutes. It can get quite hot with the sun directly shining at you. You get a good view of all the buildings that is different from just looking at them at the streets. The night tours may be better for you if you are not good with heat and the sun. It was a good tour but not sure if it was worth 38 dollars. read more

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Best decision/option to learn about Chicago and sightseeing at the same time. Architecture tour done right! read more

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Tom provided a clear and concise preview/tour of Chicago through the "Y" shaped river. The beautiful Chicago in a beautiful day! I recommend their Tour. read more

Rachel, our tour guide was great. Knowledgeable, succinct and in love with Chicago. The boat was clean and smaller than the others we saw, providing a comfortable experience. The microphone worked well, not too loud. Overall a great experience. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Recently, I needed to get to Union Station from the River North area during the evening rush hour. My choices? A crowded CTA express bus on Lower Wacker; a 30-minute walk dodging all the summer tourists and their slooooow kids; or a relaxing, not crowded 15 minute boat ride on the Chicago River. Chicagoans, use the Shoreline Water Taxi! I will be experimenting with the other water taxi lines in the coming weeks, but Shoreline has their route down pat. Commuters ride for free in the mornings from Union to the Michigan Avenue bridge and in the evening it's only $2! If you plan to use the service regularly, you can even buy a 10-ride pass to save money. Sure, a few tourists will hop on, but for the most part, it's super easy to score a seat at the front of the boat or inside the covered area. The boats leave every 15 minutes for Union and you are dropped off right next to the train station. It's a pretty sweet deal! For first timers, the dock is on the NORTHEAST corner of Michigan & Wacker. There are several boat tour lines at that bridge, so be sure you head for the right dock. One star down bc this service doesn't run all year, but it's a nice way to unwind after work and catch Chicago from a different perspective. read more

I had a great time on the Shoreline Water Taxi tour of Chicago. Our guide was super knowledgeable about all the buildings and had a great sense of humor. There are a lot of water taxis on the river and I am sure they are great too but I would highly recommend Shoreline. To make things even better, there is a bar downstairs with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Snacks too! read more

I absolutely loooooooooove the Shoreline Water Taxi but.................the cost for it is going thru the roof. It is now a whopping $10.00 for each leg. So let's say you want to take it from Union Station to Navy Pier that will cost you $10.00, then from Navy Pier to the Museum Campus another $10.00 and if you wish to return the same way it is $40.00 for JUST ONE PERSON. Also no Senior Discount available. If money is no object it is a great way to travel seeing some of the sights Chicago has to offer. read more

I am not sure what would constitute a 5 star river boat tour, as this was my first, but I can say that this was amazing. We took the evening architecture and fireworks river tour leaving from 401 Michigan ave (at Dusable bridge), $30 per person and we'll worth every penny. Our tour guide Victor was amazing. He had a background as an architectural design student, a deep passion for architecture, and a downright charming sense of humor. The tour was lively, quick paced, and informative. Yet relaxing and comfortable (it was 57 degrees on the river this July 1st, burrr, so dressing for the weather was a must must). The boat moved smoothly and safely through the Chicago river with very little chop. And was clean and well maintained. There was a bar and restroom on the lower deck, but I was too enthralled with the tour to partake. Over all our tour lasted approximately 90 minutes from boarding to departure. We traveled west from Michigan ave, and down along the south branch to china town. After a quick about face the captain stopped the boat and turned sidelong for a few moments to allow for an awesome photo opp of the downtown skyline. Proceeding north and east to the lake, we once again turned sidelong to view the Wednesday fireworks at navy pier, and back to Michigan ave at a fast pace. Honestly my only complaint would be that the boat had a steel frame (for a cover of some sort I presume) that kinda got in the way a bit. I would highly recommend this to and and all adults, especially those with an attention span sufficient to watch an entire episode of (insert name of 60 min TV show here). So far as children are concerned, its just a ride on a boat. I do not have any children myself, but I did note that the younger children seemed to be either sleeping or needing a potty break by the half way point. The tweens and teens however seemed very excited to put their smartphone cameras to use! (Though they had some trouble sitting still once they realized that there was no rule that they had to 'remain seated' throughout the tour) All the best to Victor, our wonderful tour guide! read more

Becky was the greatest guide! Her enthusiasm for architecture, love for Chicago, and comedic timing made our tour an absolute delight! She was insightful and knowledgeable and left me with the gift of new eyes for architecture, and a challenge to greet the city around me with a curious mind. What a beautiful tour guide, a fabulous city, and neutral-smelling River!!! I wish I could ride it all day. read more

Used it last night to get from Michigan Ave to Navy Pier ...great way to travel on a beautiful summer night in Chicago! Cheap at $3 per person, and a much better than a death ride in a taxi. I recommend it! I second Sarah B. The attitude of the staff is questionable. The employee at Michigan Ave said the boats stop running around 9:55 to Navy Pier. Regardless, we walked down to the taxi around 9:20. As soon as we bought our tickets and we were making our way down this long walk-way, we hear them screaming from the boat "HURRY! LAST TAXI TO NAVY PIER". My pregnant sister and I had to run down this path to catch this taxi. A little decency would have been nice, especially since we still had 35 more minutes! read more

My son and I were both glad we took the architectural tour. 75 minutes of interesting tidbits along a beautiful stretch of river. Felt it was worth the money. read more

Friends came into town to visit us! So we W took the tour and was blown away by the information shared on the trip. Our tour guide was funny and also informative. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time learning about who built what, why and when. The stories behind some of the buildings was amazing. Truly enjoy it and highly recommend it! Gotta love Chicago. read more

I tried to use their new service from River North's Erie Street dock this week. Their published schedule said they were going from there to Union Station at 7:10 each morning. So I walked over there only to be told by their crew that they're going to Michigan at 7:10am. So I took a cab to work and emailed them to ask about what was going on. They never replied. no apology, no explanation, nothing. So as far as I'm concerned: Never again. If they can't even get their schedule right, can't apologize when either their schedule or their crew is wrong, and ignore customer inquiries then they can rot for all I care. Dumb crew, piss-poor customer service - who needs that? I don't. EDIT: Follow-up, they sent me a card via mail, not to apologize, but to say, "Thank you for the emails." Emails in which I listed my complaints and specifically requested an apology. So, here's a company that actually spends money to NOT apologize and poke potential customers. If that's the kind of company you like to support, go ahead and travel with these jerks. Second EDIT: The President sent me an apology. I'm bumping them to three stars. read more

My mom and aunt were visiting me recently and after spending five hours at the Shedd and the Field we were tired. When I spotted the water taxi about to take off I ran to buy tickets. I don't think three people have ever enjoyed riding in a boat so much. It was a beautiful day. The incredible skyline was laid out in front of us. This was the most fun my legs had that entire weekend. For all the planning I did before they came it was this last minute idea that was everyone's favorite. Best $23 dollars I ever spent. read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I use the commuter service from Erie Park most mornings and am astonished how few people use this service (approx a dozen per trip which constitutes a busy day). What could be better than a cool breeze, the open air, lots of space, America's best urban skyline and a leisurely 12 minute cruise down the river. There is virtually no interaction with the crew so any complaints about service are totally spurious. Anyone who doesn't think that this is $2 well spent should be thrown overboard! For those of us who like our space let's keep hoping Shoreline never hire a marketing intern. read more

Blake was awesome and def worth doing if your interested in the history of Chicago! I loved it. It would also be a great date spot. I'm looking forward to going back to Chicago and may even do the river boat ride again! read more

Choppy days are fun! when your weary legs fail you Navy Pier to Shedd read more

Wonderful tour of the architectural history of the buildings on the Chicago history. Heather was awesome! Besides being very knowledgeable about the beautiful (and weird) structures she was very comedic during the entire tour, holding our attention for the full 75 minutes! read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Beautiful architectural tour - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Visiting Chicago with friends, we decided to just take the shoreline water taxi instead of a longer guided architecture tour. So we had no guide, but it was great just to see all the different buildings and get the view of the city from the river. The taxi came on time and felt very clean and steady. We took it from the N Michigan Apple Store to Willis Tower. What really made our day was the exceptional service provided by the crew. In addition to being professional and friendly, the captain (I think) took the initiative to help get our strollers up and down the stairs at both the boarding and departure areas (there were no ramps). When we departed, I offered a tip, but he refused and cheerfully wished us a good day. read more

Fun, easy way to get to point A to point B in the city...Way better than sitting in dreaded traffic and safer than possibly getting run over by a speeding honking car.... Bring a sweater or jacket, it gets chilly on the water....And what better way to see the city but on a boat? Score! read more

NICK! Nick's vocabulary made an architectural tour into a 75 minute DELIGHT. Awesome job, Nick. Loved your presentation! read more

Loved it! This is something that I had wanted to do for a while. If you are interested in the architecture, then this is especially for you (at least the architectural tour that I went on). In the future I would take one not focused on architecture, but thats just me. The tour guide was a well spoken guy who seemed interested in interacting with the riders and making the trip fun. He was also able to answer questions that people had rather well. A great way to learn more about the city that you are visiting or live in. Also a good thing to do on a nice day in the summer. read more

A nice peaceful ride, not too expensive. We rode from near the pier over to the willits tower stop. I liked being able to enjoy the buildings and skyscrapers, the bridges, and watch other people and boats out on the water. For example, I didn't know that there was a Chicago River museum (we passed this on our ride, next time...), and there were people kayaking on the river. Cool beans. And and and, it's always just a little bit cooler on the water, so that was a plus when it was humid and uncomfortably hot out. read more

Great time, with great tour guides. Chicago has a great history, and it can be told from the river. Do the 905pm tour so you can see the Navy Pier Fireworks! read more

Shoreline Sightseeing - Architectural Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Right out of the gate let me exclaim that if you haven't done the Water Taxi thing then you have NEVER truly seen Chicago. I say this as a resident who has always intended to see the City from this unique and yet obvious vantage point but somehow never quite made it happen. Until recently. And I realized that I am not exactly an anomaly; most Chicagoans have not seen their city from the river. We are all so immersed in expediting the getting from point A to B that the street canyon route has been the default behavior. In this regard we are missing out on a very good thing, if not life itself. I took the Shoreline Water Taxi from the base of the Mag Mile to the Union Station/Sears Tower stop and back. A beautiful autumnal day in pre-autumn September (2009 has provided Chicago with truly memorable conditions to be out and about without suffering from the more typical sticky heat of summer). The cityscape simply stuns. It begs so many questions that the obvious next step would be to arrange to take the Chicago Architecture Foundation's guided tour from the same water-borne vantage point. That is next on my agenda. The round trip cost from Michigan Ave to Union Station is $6 per ($3 one-way). So, it is very much a value proposition and far lower in cost than a taxi and far more attractive circumstances. The short trip is simply an extraordinary vacation from one's otherwise hectic day and life. If you visit Chicago and leave your water-framed impression of the cityscape to a somewhat distant Navy Pier view, your impression will be severely lacking. If you are a Chicagoan and you haven't done the river view thing, then you have a gaping hole in your residential actualization. If you profess to imparting your sense of Chicago as an architecturally iconic city and you haven't done CAF's river tour, then you are simply sharing your ignorance with others. read more

This was a super convient way to get from the meseum campus to navy pier. $7/ person was a bit steep in my opinion, but the view and cool breeze made it worth it. Be sure to grab a taxi with roof seating if you want to catch some sun. read more

Always reliable and always on time. Great views, price just right! Only issue is that sometimes it gets sold out during peak times. Other than that, highly recommend! read more

This taxi was a fun alternative to getting from Navy Pier back to the museum campus. And really very reasonable in terms of price! We were able to get our stroller on board and enjoyed a calm ride back. My daughter zonked out on the ride back. read more

Great tour for a family of 5 with 3 kids under 10. Ben was an awesome and knowledgeable tour guide.

The water taxi was a convenient and fun way to get from one point to the other. We took it from the Sears tower to the Navy pier. Our captain was a big guy (not heavy set "big" but the kind you don't want to brawl with "big"). He was extremely friendly. The rest of the crew and staff were just as friendly. read more

Thanks Ben and crew! I appreciated your passion for architecture and the city of Chicago!

Highly recommend this tour, especially on a nice day in Chicago. Jim was a great tour guide. He knows the city really well and was able to educate everyone. He was very funny and friendly, going up to everyone on the boat for private conversations. Great way to learn about this city! read more

Took the architecture tour. Romantic afternoon boat tour with lots of fun and historic details of Chicago. Staff is knowledgeable. I definitely recommend to go if you're in Chicago visiting! read more

Did an afternoon tour while on my visit to Chicago. The boat was nice, has a bar, bathroom and a place to sit for everyone (I've been on tours where you have to stand for an hour). The tour was a little longer than 75 minutes which nice because it made us feel like we really got our money's worth. Lastly, our tour guide, Nick was super informative, well versed and funny. He really did a great job. Additionally, our bar tender Dave did a great job and was very kind. We had a great time and learned a lot. read more

After visiting Millenium Park on a gorgeous Monday morning, we craved sushi. The sushi place is a little far from Millenium Park, so we decided to take the water taxi off of Michigan Avenue. Shoreline was the first water taxi we saw and it dropped off near the sushi restaurant under the Sears Tower. There was a bit of a line, but nothing to worry about it. The staff was pleasant especially when we were interested in his Toughbook computer. Who doesn't want to tap a computer that's supposed to be all tough? The taxi ride was pleasant and uneventful. The water taxi got us from Point A to Point Sushi in no time flat. I've got no complaints and just a memory of a nice boat ride on a sunny Monday afternoon in Chicago. read more

I don't mind the water taxi. I've only taken it a couple of times, but the two times that I did, it definitely pulled through for me. The staff, in the summer, seemed to be the college kid types-so they were chatty, a little awkward but nice. read more

Great way to get from union station to Navy Pier with three young children. Kind of pricey. Cost $40 for three adults and three children. But worth it! Kids loved the ride! Everyone was very helpful. Especially Tyler who helped us get stroller onto the boat. read more

We took the Shorline Water Taxi to and from Navy Pier. It was a fun way to travel and see the city skyline from the river/lake view. I recommend it. It was nice and relaxing to be out of the traffic and saved us from walking even more. I wish I had known about the water taxis last spring since our hotel was across the street. It would have saved us a long walk to Willis Tower. read more

Amazing tour tremendous information. History on the building and city of Chicago. Big shout out to Jim for his knowledge!