If you’re looking for a fun, safe, and memorable way to explore the city with your family, our boat tours offer the perfect mix of adventure and relaxation for all ages. Whether deciding to cruise along the Chicago River or Lake Michigan, your kids will stay entertained while you soak in what the city has to offer! With family amenities, engaging guides, and flexibility of tour options, we’re here to help you plan your day of sightseeing with our Architecture River Tour and Skyline Lake Cruise!
Parent-Approved Features
Each of our tour boats on the lake and river has restrooms on board available at all times. Along with restrooms aboard, the tours also have a bar onboard selling drinks and light snacks available for purchase!
Customer safety is something we prioritize. Therefore, all of our vessels are U.S Coast Guard inspected at the beginning of our season and sometimes have random check-ins during the season. We follow all of the U.S. Coast Guard rules and regulations to ensure not only the crews safety but also our guests. Crew are CPR certified and go through routinely drills in the morning frequently.
Chicago Summer can get warm and humid, our tours on the water offer a great breeze especially on Lake Michigan. For those who would like extra sun protection, we do have spots throughout the boat that offer shade.
For those bringing along strollers, we ask that strollers are not brought on board as they can pose as a safety and or fire hazard by blocking aisles. With that being said, we do have a designated area off the boat where strollers can be left.
Kid-Friendly Rides
Our Architecture River Tour is led by a tour guide telling the story of Chicago, its architecture, fun facts, and more. The tour guide tells their tour in a way that is catered for both the adults on board and also the younger ones. With an easy to follow tour along with the stunning views, guests remain engaged during the ride! On the lake and river, you will pass by historical landmarks, architectural highlights, fun facts, and walkaway knowing more than what you already had known coming in!
Aside from our rides, our tours depart from Navy Pier and Michigan Avenue. Navy Pier has new and reoccurring activations for kids. Both of these areas have even more kid-friendly activities to do before or after your tour that the kids would most definitely want to explore! From the Centennial Wheel, Flyover, The Museum of Ice Cream, great dining options, and more!
What to Bring on Your Tour
Chicago and its weather can be known to be ever-changing. One day can be sunny and 85 degrees when the next can be cloudy and 70 degrees. We highly advise you to please look at the weather before coming down for your tour and planning ahead. Whether that’s making sure to bring a light sweater, a rain coat, sunglasses, a cap, sunscreen, etc.
Flexible Schedules
Bringing the family around, we understand mornings might be a little longer, unexpected traffic may arise, or you already have other things planned throughout the day and can only visit us at a certain time. All of our tours run frequently that way you can easily find a time that works for you with plenty of time frames to choose from.
Take advantage of our tour upgrade! If you and the family have purchased tickets Architecture Tour tickets, you are able to upgrade for a Skyline Lake Cruise for only $6 and the Taxi Day Pass for $12! Save your Architecture ticket and present them to our ticket booth and they will help you book a time from all of our available tour times for you to see what the lake has in store!
Book your kid-friendly and parent-approved tour today!
