Five ways up, one by water
A Chicago skyline tour from above can mean five different things, and only one of them leaves the ground. There is one helicopter flight, at $130 for 7 to 20 minutes. There are two observation decks, Skydeck on floor 103 of Willis Tower and 360 CHICAGO on floor 94. And there is Flyover at Navy Pier, which is a theatre with a giant screen, not a flight. This page puts them side by side, with the lake cruise for the view from the water.
Quick answer
The short answer. For a Chicago skyline tour in the air, book the helicopter: $130 per person, 7 to 20 minutes, from Vertiport Chicago. It is our top pick and the only real flight here. For the highest view, Skydeck and The Ledge on floor 103 cost $47. For the lowest price, 360 CHICAGO on floor 94 costs $27.
What you are choosing
Most people who search for a Chicago skyline tour picture the city spread out below them. There are three ways to get that picture, and they are not the same thing.
In the air. The helicopter is the one option that actually flies. It leaves Vertiport Chicago and, in the listing’s words, flies alongside Lake Michigan, with large panoramic windows and an FAA-certified pilot. You see the towers from the side and from above, with the lake beside you.
High up, standing still. Two towers have observation decks. Skydeck is on floor 103 of Willis Tower. 360 CHICAGO is on floor 94 of 875 N. Michigan Avenue, about 1,000 feet up. You stay as long as your ticket allows and look out over the skyline from inside it.
On a screen. Flyover at Navy Pier is a theatre: motion seats, a 52-foot spherical screen, wind, mist and scents. Its listing promises the feeling of true flight. Your seat stays on the ground.
Six ways to see it
Figures below are the live listing figures. Every price is per person.
Floor 94, about 1,000 feet above the Magnificent Mile, and the elevator gets you there in 40 seconds. The listing promises lake views and close-up vistas of the skyscrapers around you. 3,824 reviews at 4.5. The lowest price on this page.
An immersive flying theatre: motion seating, a giant spherical screen and sensory effects. It is a film you feel, not a trip into the sky. 969 reviews at 4.9, the highest rating here.
The same deck on floor 94, with a drink from the Sip menu and a full 360-degree view. A slower way to watch the skyline. 421 reviews at 4.6.
The skyline from the water rather than above it: the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, through the Chicago Lock. 2,234 reviews at 4.7.
Floor 103 of Willis Tower, which its listing calls the highest observation deck in the U.S., with views up to four states and 50 miles away. Then The Ledge, a glass box with views straight down to the street. 5,125 reviews at 4.6.
The only real flight among the six. From Vertiport Chicago along the lake, over Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Grant Park, Soldier Field and the Magnificent Mile. 233 reviews at 4.4.
Every way up, current price
Six listings, read off the live pages. The helicopter is the one that flies; the rest stay in a tower, a theatre or a boat.
| Tour | What it is | Length | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago: Downtown Chicago Skyline Helicopter TourDeparts Vertiport Chicago, along Lake Michigan | A real helicopter flight | 7 - 20 min | $130 | 4.4 · 233 |
| Chicago: Willis Tower Skydeck and The Ledge TicketWillis Tower, with The Ledge glass box | Observation deck, floor 103 | 45 min | $47 | 4.6 · 5,125 |
| Chicago: 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck Ticket1,000 feet up, lake and skyscraper views | Observation deck, floor 94 | 30 min | $27 | 4.5 · 3,824 |
| Chicago: 360 Chicago Observation Deck Sip and View TicketOne drink from the Sip menu | Floor 94 with a drink | 90 min | $44 | 4.6 · 421 |
| Chicago: Flyover Flying Theatre ExperienceSpherical screen and motion seats, Navy Pier | A theatre on the ground | 30 min | $28 | 4.9 · 969 |
| Chicago: 1.5-Hour Lake and River Architecture CruiseChicago River and Lake Michigan, through the lock | A boat on the lake | 90 min | $45 | 4.7 · 2,234 |
Skydeck or 360
The two decks have the most reviews of the five ways to do a Chicago skyline tour from above, and they answer different wishes.
Skydeck is about height. Floor 103, the highest observation deck in the U.S. by its listing, and The Ledge: glass balconies that reach 4.3 feet out from the building, so you look straight down at the street. $47, 45 minutes, 5,125 reviews at 4.6.
360 CHICAGO is about the lake. Floor 94, about 1,000 feet up, with lake views and close-up vistas of the towers around it. Thirty minutes is the length of the tour 360 CHICAGO lists for its standard ticket, at $27. For $44 you get 90 minutes and a drink instead.
Pick Skydeck if you want the highest floor and the glass box. Pick 360 CHICAGO if you want the lake in the frame and the lowest price on this page.
The one real flight
One helicopter listing, and it is our top pick for a Chicago skyline tour that actually leaves the ground.
The Chicago helicopter tour skyline route, as its listing names it, takes in Navy Pier, Millennium Park, Grant Park, Soldier Field and the Magnificent Mile, flying alongside Lake Michigan.
7 to 20 minutes, as the listing gives it. A short time in the air, so it is the view itself you pay for.
$130 per person, the highest price on this page and the price this site starts from.
Vertiport Chicago, with an FAA-certified pilot and large panoramic windows.
“Seeing the skyline, the lake, and the city grid from above felt surreal…” — Ayu, United States, who added: “I wish we had a little more time in the sky”.
Not a flight
Flyover is on this page because its listing promises the feeling of true flight, and it is built around the city seen from above, on screen. The facts: you sit in motion seats in front of a 52-foot spherical screen, with wind, mist and scents, for 30 minutes at $28. It is a show on the ground at Navy Pier.
It is also the highest rated listing here, 4.9 across 969 reviews. Travellers write about how real it feels: “So unbelievably real”, says Larry from the United States. Book it as a fun half hour, not as a view of the real skyline.
From the water
Some of the best views of the towers are from below and from a distance, on the water. For a skyline lake tour Chicago’s 90-minute lake and river cruise is the one to book: $45, through the Chicago Lock and out onto Lake Michigan, then along the river. Its listing calls it the only architecture cruise on both. 2,234 reviews at 4.7, with open deck or climate-controlled seating.
“We loved the view from the lake. It really gave us a sense of how large Chicago is”, writes Paul from the United States. For the city lit up after dark, the night river and lake cruise is $50 for 90 minutes.
Book direct
Live prices and ratings. The first card is the one real flight; the last is the view from the lake.
★ 4.4 · 233 reviews
★ 4.6 · 5,125 reviews
★ 4.5 · 3,824 reviews
★ 4.6 · 421 reviews
★ 4.9 · 969 reviews
★ 4.7 · 2,234 reviews
What travellers say
Quoted from reviews on the listings, shortened where marked.
“Great views and ledge experience. It was a clear day & not very busy.” — Janet, United Kingdom.
“…360 impressed me even slightly better with its views and overall atmosphere.” — Andrea, Slovakia, who visited both decks.
“Easy to find a seat near the window and not rushed to move on.” — Helena, United Kingdom.
“Thoroughly enjoyed by entire family, ages 8 to 80 !” — Linda A, United States.
Verdict
Book the helicopter at $130 if you want to fly. It is the one real flight and our top pick for a Chicago skyline tour: Navy Pier, Grant Park, Soldier Field and the lake from the air in 7 to 20 minutes.
Book Skydeck at $47 for the highest floor and The Ledge. Book 360 CHICAGO at $27 for the lake view at the lowest price. Flyover, at $28, is a theatre show for the family, not a real view.
Before you book
Small details decide the day up there, so check these four first.
The helicopter lists 7 to 20 minutes; the 360 CHICAGO standard ticket lists 30, Skydeck 45.
One traveller notes a “90 second time limit to take photos on the sky deck”. Plan your shot before your turn.
The $44 360 CHICAGO ticket includes one, from the Sip menu. The $27 standard ticket lists no drink.
Every listing on this page carries Free cancellation, so booking ahead is easy to undo.
Set on the flight? Departure point, time in the air and what you see, on its own page.
The helicopter flight→Common questions
Skydeck is higher: floor 103 of Willis Tower, with The Ledge glass box, for $47. 360 CHICAGO is on floor 94, faces the lake and costs $27. One traveller who did both found 360 slightly better for its views and atmosphere.
From the air, on the $130 helicopter flight along Lake Michigan. From a building, Skydeck on floor 103 is the highest. From the water, the lake and river cruise at $45 shows the skyline from Lake Michigan.
The helicopter flight is 7 to 20 minutes. 360 CHICAGO lists 30 minutes, Skydeck 45, Flyover 30. The 360 ticket with a drink and the lake and river cruise each list 90 minutes.
The helicopter flight is $130 per person. The observation decks cost $27 at 360 CHICAGO and $47 at Skydeck, Flyover $28, and the lake and river cruise $45.
The helicopter listing does not describe night departures. Travellers write about evening visits to both decks, and the night river and lake cruise, $50 for 90 minutes, passes the lit-up skyline and the Buckingham Fountain light display.
The listings here do not state a minimum age, so check before you book. Flyover gets warm family reviews: one family enjoyed it at “ages 8 to 80”. A reviewer also took a nine-year-old grandson on the helicopter flight.
Go deeper
What the Chicago helicopter tour includes: where it departs, how long you are in the air, what you see and what it costs.
Architecture boat toursThe Chicago architecture river cruises compared: 45 minutes or 90, river only or river and lake.
Boat tours and night cruisesEvery Chicago boat tour on this site, from the family cruise to the night river and lake cruise.
Chicago River toursWhich Chicago River tour covers all three branches, which goes out through the lock onto Lake Michigan, and how long each takes.
Chicago: Downtown Chicago Skyline Helicopter Tour
★ 4.4 · 233 reviews · 7 - 20 minutes