My wife and I recently visited Chicago for the first time in late April, 2009 and took the 1 1/2 hour joint river/lake tour with Wendella. Note that the architectural society (whatever they are called) tours did not start until May so we could take that tour even if we wanted to. I'll also caveat the review by saying we... more

This tour isn't terrible, but not nearly as good as the Chicago Architecture Foundation tours. The two are often mistaken for one in the same, but they are very different. With the Architecture Foundation tour, your money goes toward a nonprofit organization that funds preservation projects around the city, not to a corporation. more

My 21 year old daughter and I finished a great trip to Chicago by taking the 60 minute architectural tour with Wendella. I was surprised when my daughter requested this and very pleased with the tour. I had 2 for 1 (Monday-Thursday) only coupons that I had downloaded from a Chicago Visitor's coupon site (sorry, I don't remember which one)... more

I just returned from a trip to Chicago & I along with my parents and husband decided to take a tour on Wendella after all the good reviews on Tripadvisor. Overall the boat ride was very relaxing and informative & the crew was very friendly and knowledgeable. We enjoyed being on the river, traveling through the lock and then onto... more

The whole tone of the trip was set when the boat for our cruise had an enclosed area, and all of the outside seats were full when we boarded. It's pretty hard to see much of the buildings from the inside of the boat -- not to mention that ALL of the building descriptions were 'off to the right' when... more

I wasn't sure I'd like this, but my husband & I went and it ended up being phenomenal! Our guide, Angie, was extremely knowledgeable and kept our interest throughout the tour (about 45 min.). I would definitely put it on the list of things you MUST do while in Chicago! more

I purchased the 60 minute River Architecture Tour. I thought the duration was a bit short compared to the 90 minute advertised trips by the Chicago Architecture Foundation (even then, the tour started at 11:05 and ended at 11:55... lost 10 minutes!), but it was an okay amount of time for my wife who wasn't an architecture buff. For a... more

This tour was very fun and informative. One of if not the oldest boat tour company in Chicago. No reservation was required, we just walked up to the booth. And they offer tours later in the day than most other companies. more

I don't think you can come to Chicago and not do this. We bought our tickets a day in advance because the line that I saw was crazy and I was afriad it would sell out. I went with my wife and two kids (4&7) and it is all they are talking about now that we are home. We took... more