Chicago's First Lady Cruises offers visitors the city's most engaging architectural tour experience. All of our tours are given by experienced, volunteer docents who receive hundreds of hours …
Chicago's First Lady Cruises offers visitors the city's most engaging architectural tour experience. All of our tours are given by experienced, volunteer docents who receive hundreds of hours of training from the Chicago Architecture Center before guiding the river cruise tour. We offer several types of tours at various times of the day. Our fleet of cruise vessels is also available to rent for private events.
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5.0/5 · 7,771 reviews
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Dec 5, 2024
We took our 4month old on this tour and it was great! We sat outside and were bundled up cause it did get a little chilly outside but there was also seating inside if needed. There is a bar and a was… Full review by A-L-G787
Nov 22, 2024
Absolutely fantastic boat tour and informative architectural information along the Chicago River. Had a wonderful time and learned a lot about the city's architecture and history. Full review by cooksforGwen
Jul 1, 2024
I had the pleasure of touring the Chicago River on June 30 2024 via Chicago's First Lady Cruise. Patricia, the tour guide on the boat did a fantastic job describing the buildings, architectures, engi… Full review by Hua L
How far in advance of our tour should we get in line to get a seat on the top level on a Saturday in mid October (warm day predicted).
A:
We usually recommend arriving at our dock 30 minutes in advance of your scheduled departure time. Depending on the boat you will ride on, there are usually enough seats for …
We usually recommend arriving at our dock 30 minutes in advance of your scheduled departure time. Depending on the boat you will ride on, there are usually enough seats for everyone to sit on the top level, weather permitting. Thank you and we hope you enjoy your cruise!
Has anyone done this tour in October? How cold/windy is it on that boat?
A:
We’ve done this tour in October; the weather can be very variable during the fall- warm and summery one day, cool & cloudy/rainy the next. There is a lower, enclosed level on …
We’ve done this tour in October; the weather can be very variable during the fall- warm and summery one day, cool & cloudy/rainy the next. There is a lower, enclosed level on the boat and you can hear the docent down there as well. We’ve never gone below though, so I can’t comment on the visibility and view from there. Sometimes I’ve brought gloves & a scarf - just in case- but have never needed them, even in October.
We have a group of 5 coming to Chicago October 10th. How far in advance do we need to book the twilight cruise that day? Or can we buy tickets that day?
A:
I suggest buying tickets in advance. We were glad we did because there was a long line at the ticket counter and none at Will Call. But that was a day tour. Not sure about the …
I suggest buying tickets in advance. We were glad we did because there was a long line at the ticket counter and none at Will Call. But that was a day tour. Not sure about the Twilght one.
Hi - I am coming from out of town and interested in your cruise. Can you confirm whether your boats have air conditioning?
A:
As CVTravelers stated, my twin brother and I sat outside the whole time and were very comfortable on a sunny day. We’d still recommend bringing sunglasses and wearing sunscreen …
As CVTravelers stated, my twin brother and I sat outside the whole time and were very comfortable on a sunny day. We’d still recommend bringing sunglasses and wearing sunscreen in that type of weather, but the boat ride was nice and you shouldn’t have any issues as far as comfortability. It’s highly recommended to do this tour. When would you be coming to Chicago to visit?
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