Chicago River & Lakefront Boat Tours

Skip the big, impersonal riverboat cruises and definitely go with this veteran-owned, small, interesting fireboat. The tour was more personal and Cliff (the narrator) was excellent! Plus, you get to see the beautiful skyline from Lake Michigan as well as the architecture and history from the Chicago River. A must do if you are in Chicago! 🙌🏻

Fabulous tour!! Cliff was extremely knowledgeable about Chicago history, architecture, and about Busse!! Crew was great. We had a great time!! Thank you!!!😊

The best way to enjoy Chicago architecture with the bonus of seeing views of Chicago from Lake Michigan! What a fantastic experience. I have been on other architectural tours of Chicago. This one is the best one. First of all, the tour guide is excellent and the acoustics are good on the boat so we didn’t have to strain to hear the commentary which was informative yet entertaining! Not overwhelming. You are not in a group of hundreds so you can get up and walk around the boat which was great for grandchildren. Also because you are in a smaller boat you cruise out on Lake Michigan for more amazing views of Chicago. If you like history, you love the boat and the artifacts. Highly recommend

This was not only a fun spin on experiencing Chicago from the water But unique in the sense that you got a great view of the Chicago skyline from the lake, as well as along the river. Our guide, Cliff, was superb! The boat was just the right size to accommodate our big group, but also feel intimate. Plus, added bonus, we enjoyed a drink from the bar!

Super Tour, v.a. empfehlenswertmit kleinen Kindern! Wir konnten in Ruhe die Architektur genießen während unsere Kleinen mit einer Wasserpumpe vom Boot aus Wasser spritzen durften, die waren begeistert! Abgesehen davon, dass es natürlich etwas ganz besonderes ist auf einem Echten Feuerwehrboot mitzufahren. Tolles Erlebnis für Groß und Klein!

Top notch This was not only a fun spin on experiencing Chicago from the water But unique in the sense that you got a great view of the Chicago skyline from the lake, as well as along the river. Our guide, Cliff, was superb! The boat was just the right size to accommodate our big group, but also feel intimate. Plus, added bonus, we enjoyed a drink from the bar!

Fantastic tour! Capt. Cliff was knowledgeable and very passionate about Chicago history, architecture, & Busse Fireboat! A great experience!! Loved learning about the lock.

Totally recommend! Super friendly, clean and full of knowledge!

What an incredible experience! Erich and Ray are amazing hosts, Navy veterans who personally renovated this historic 1936 fireboat and brought it back to Chicago's waterways. Sailing down the Chicago River and into Lake Michigan as the sun set over the skyline was absolutely breathtaking. If you live in Chicago or are visiting, stop what you are doing and book a cruise. You will not regret it! 🚢🔥

A perfect historic afternoon! The Fireboat tour is the perfect history tour of Chicago on a historic vessel. Cliff is super knowledgeable and Manny is the man for a great drink while cruising Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. What a great way to spend the afternoon! Thank you!

Fireboat Architecture Tour is the best! We really enjoyed this tour and Wood recommended highly. Cliff was great. Knowledgeable and entertaining. Everyone who worked on the boat was super friendly and enjoyed a fantastic tour of Chicago, beautiful views, and we learned a lot!

Recommend Fireboat for Chicago River Tour There are many architectural boat tours offered in Chicago, but we are so glad we went with the Fred A Busse Fireboat tour. The staff/crew was exceptional, especially our tour guide, Cliff. One thing that made this preferable was the size of the boat. The smaller boat prevented us from having to share the experience with 100 other people that you would get from some of the other companies - making it more intimate and allowing for more interaction with the crew/guide. We also preferred was that the Fireboat ports at the lake front as opposed to the river walk. This way, you start and end with a panoramic view of the Chicago skyline. The tour was right around 2 hours, which was the perfect duration for our group of 4 adults and 2 young kids.

Awesome! We had an amazing time! Cliff and the rest of the crew were very kind, engaging & gave us a wonderful experience. I highly recommend THIS unique cruise on the Fred A. Busse!!!

Fantastic lake/river tour in Chicago I am so happy that my out of town visitor suggested a river boat tour and that we chose Chicago Fireboat Tours. It was the highlight of our time together. Our cruise lasted almost two hours (great value for money!) and took us along the magnificent Chicago lakefront and past some amazing riverfront architecture. Cliff, our guide, was full of facts and fun and could not have been more engaging. He and Manny made our day. Whether you're a native or a visitor, don't miss this tour!

Fantastic Tour! Cool boat, great bartender, and Cliff crushed it as a tour guide with a perfect mix of jokes and education. I wish I had done this tour on my first day visiting Chicago so I had a better understanding of what I was looking at walking around. Hard not to notice the different types of buildings afterward. Would 100% recommend this tour to anyone thinking about seeing the city from the river and lake, or looking to pick up a little history about the area.Well done crew!!

Amazing tour! The best trip in boat! Full of interesting data and friendly crew! The guide was super kind. It’s a must of Chicago!

A must do! We did this tour and had such a great time! Cliff, our guide, was funny and friendly and make the experience so great. It was so fun to learn all about the buildings in Chicago as well as other cool facts and the boat was awesome. Highly recommend!

Awesome It was absolutely amazing will be doing it again next time we visit