We took two tours-- the north loop and the south loop. Friendly, knowledgeable guides, giving loads of information placed in historical and artistic perspective.

I found the Architecture Foundation boat tour to be enjoyable.
True, you're just looking at a lot high rises and converted warehouses, but hey this is not San Francisco! If you're not a fan of different styles of architecture then you might skip this tour, but if you're into style, building art and history then I recommend this tour. It is a different perspective of downtown Chicago. Also if you've enjoyed movies filmed in Chicago you might enjoy this tour as well. I also recommend the DVD on Chicago Filmakers on the River, which is a compilation of Chicago born and Chicago resident filmakers, both independent and large studio filmakers talking about the influence of Chicago on themselves and their art. I also recommend taking the elevator to the top of the Hancock Tower to get another perspective of Chicago, but I did enjoy the architecture boat tour more so than the view from the Hancock. Tip: Get there early enough to sit in front and around the wheelhouse on the port side of the boat for great snapshots.

The tour was fine. I had read all these reviews I was expecting more or better. The demeanor of the guide was not particularly friendly or professional. It was a little bit boring, as othe reviewers suggested. It is a great vantage point from which to look at buildings, very different. There are several other options though, including less expensive tours. And the water taxis provide the same for a lot less money. The constant narration on the Architectural Foundation Tour gets old quickly. You cannot chat or quietly converse with your friends when you are on this tour. Keep that in mind. It is not good for children either.

We did river cruise, Downtown Deco & Modern Skyscraper tours. Latter was a bit dull in places, but first 2 were terrific. We saw buildings (inside and out) that were not mentioned in guide books, and the guides gave us tips on seeing things (like the inside of the Trump tower) that we'd never otherwise have known about.