Glide along the Chicago River aboard a private charter while a certified architect-guide unpacks the greatest concentration of landmark buildings on Earth. The definitive Chicago experience, done properly.
What to expect
Your open-air vessel slides beneath iconic draw-bridges and past 50+ landmark buildings as your guide narrates the 1871 fire, the reversal of the river, and the birth of the skyscraper. Highlights include the Marina City 'corn cobs,' the Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, and the shimmering glass-and-steel giants of the New East Side. Questions are encouraged and the atmosphere is intimate — a genuine architectural seminar on water. The 90-minute public cruise is superb; the private two-hour charter is extraordinary.
Good to know
Public cruises run spring–fall; pre-book online as popular departure times sell out weeks ahead. Navy Pier departure is walking distance from the cruise dock. Private charters require advance inquiry via the CAC website. Arrive 20 minutes early for prime seating.