Boat Tour Chicago: five cruises, day and night

Most of the time these boats are on the Chicago River, between the towers. The river has three branches, and two listings say they cover all three: the 90-minute architecture cruise and the skip-the-line architecture cruise. The 45-minute family cruise does a shorter run; its listing points to the South branch and Willis Tower.

If you want a Chicago downtown boat tour, the river is where to be: the 90-minute cruise describes navigating through the heart of the city, with the buildings close on both sides.

Two boats leave the river. The lake and river cruise goes through the Chicago Lock onto Lake Michigan, and the night cruise passes the Chicago Harbor Lock on its way to the lakefront. Out there the skyline stands along the shore across open water, which is a different picture from the canyon of towers on the river.

All five have a guide or live commentary on board, and that is a large part of what you are paying for. It is why so many reviews of each boat tour Chicago lists name the guide rather than the view.

Of the five boats, one is sold for after dark: the night river and lake cruise at $50. As a Chicago night tour it covers the river and the lakefront in 90 minutes, with the skyscrapers lit up, Buckingham Fountain’s light display and a pass through the Chicago Harbor Lock, all with lively commentary.

It is also the Chicago River tour night owls are after, since it does the river and the lake in one trip. Pat from Ireland summed it up as «beautiful views on a beautiful night». Michael from the United States: «Got to experience the Chicago Locks when passing from the river into the lake and then on the return trip to port.»

Sunset is another matter. None of the five listings is sold as a Chicago sunset cruise tour, and none of them promises a sunset. Debora from the United States took the 8:00 pm departure: «we started in daylight and ended at night so we were able to enjoy the sights both ways.» Whether that happens on your date depends on when the sun goes down, so treat a Chicago sunset boat tour as luck rather than something you can book.

For a skyline boat tour Chicago’s two lake cruises have the edge. On the river the towers rise straight up on both sides of you; out on the lake they line up along the shore. Paul from the United States, on the lake and river cruise: «we loved the view from the lake. It really gave us a sense of how large Chicago is.»

Neither boat is a Chicago lake tour from start to finish. The lake and river cruise covers both the river and Lake Michigan in its 90 minutes, passing through the Chicago Lock, with expert local guides on board. The night cruise does the river and the lakefront after dark.

Book the 90-minute architecture cruise. At $45 it has 9,647 reviews at 4.8, a live guide and all three branches of the river. As a Chicago riverboat tour it is the one to beat. Lynne from the United States: «I highly recommend this to be one of the first things you do when coming to Chicago for the first time.»

Save $6 with the skip-the-line cruise if a slightly shorter trip suits you: the same three branches, about 40 landmark buildings, 4.8 on 4,716 reviews.

Pick the lake and river cruise for the skyline from Lake Michigan as well as the river, the night cruise for the city lit up, and the family cruise with children or 45 minutes to spare. Any boat tour Chicago lists here is rated 4.7 or higher.

A Chicago water tour is one way to see the city; the other is from above. Every boat tour Chicago lists on this site keeps you at water level, looking up. If the buildings are the point, see the architecture cruises compared, 45 minutes or 90. For which cruise covers which branch of the river, see the river cruises by route. For Skydeck, The Ledge, 360 CHICAGO and the Flyover theatre, see the skyline from above.