Chicago Tour: Bus and River Cruise Combo
4.0
51 Ratings

Explore Chicago’s iconic architecture by bus and river. Create your own itinerary with a 48-hour hop-on, hop-off ticket and 75-minute river cruise.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Red Route: Hop-on Hop-off (Route)

Operating Schedule: The Red Route offers a 2-hour loop, allowing guests to hop on or off at any stop to explore the city. Tickets are valid for 2 days. The first bus departs at 10 AM and the last bus at 4 PM.
1. 98 E Wacker Dr
Stop 1 - Chicago Riverwalk
2. 319 W Jackson Blvd
Stop 2 - Skydeck…

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What's Included
  • 48-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Ticket with unlimited access
  • Open-top double decker bus
  • Big Bus Tours app (ticket storage, live tracking and ticket activation)
  • Save 20% off retail when you bundle these two experiences!
  • 75-minute Chicago River Architecture Cruise
  • Professional Digital Commentary on bus tour with souvenir earbuds
  • Expert architecture…
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What's Not Included
  • Food & Drinks
  • Pick-up & Drop-off
Additional Information

Enjoy a 20% discount when you combine two legendary Chicago adventures!
Explore Chicago by land and water with a 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Ticket and Shoreline Architecture Cruise package! This offer includes a 48-hour pass for the hop-on, hop-off Chicago sightseeing bus tour, along with admission to Shoreline Sightseeing’s essential 75-minute Architecture…

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.0
(51 Ratings)
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Jen_f
Aug 15, 2026
Best way to see the city! - 100% the BEST way to see the city and learn about it's history! The docent Jeremy was engaging and fun and made the experience feel like a VIP tour! I loved that there was a little "intermission" so we could enjoy the bar and not miss anything! 20 out of 10 experience!
Review provided by Viator
Judy_v
Aug 8, 2026
The boat tour was... - The boat tour was wonderful. Our guide was very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions. The architecture of Chicago is very impressive!
Review provided by Viator
Kayla_b
Jul 9, 2026
Best guide on the Chicago River - Our guide was the best guide I’ve ever had and gave us awesome information along the Chicago River. It was very hot, but there was some shade that we were able to get and some breeze when we were moving.
Review provided by Viator
Rebecca_a
Jun 21, 2026
Views on views - Architecture tour was amazing. Our guide was energetic and kept it upbeat. Other than trying to figure out where the pick up dock actually was (not clearly mentioned in booking) the rest of the experience was great.
Review provided by Viator
Ewoh13
Jun 17, 2026
A Must-Do for Visitors - If you're new to Chicago, this activity is a must-do. My family of 4 (2 kids under 12) had a blast riding around town. We did the entire tour and also jumped off at a few places. It was fun actually being "touristy." Shout out to Candace for a great narration of the city! We actually got on the bus a 2nd day just to ride because the weather was great. The architecture cruise was also great. Such a different, beautiful view. Claire was a great docent! Well worth the money and we'd actually do it again next time we're in town!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joanne
May 27, 2026
Chicago's best! - We chose the 48 hour tour and easily took our time and was able to see all the stops and more. Memorial weekend, busy streets, stop #2 was close on 1st day, public parking available 3 blocks from meet up. We were able to see stop #2 the second day, more shopping, and sightseeing. The bus is just so convenient to get from one place to the other. For the river cruise, I walked towards the counter and was greeted right away by staff. Through my Big Bus app she reserved and claimed the ticket I didn't do in the morning. We walked up at 2:35 and got on for 2:45 cruise. The cruise was the highlight for us, we love chicago architecture and the stories behind them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eon_g
May 24, 2026
Chicago Visit - The hop on hop off bus tour was excellent. The driver Felisha did a great job. However I was not sure which river tour operator to approach with this booking.
Review provided by Viator
Geoffrey_h
Aug 15, 2026
Very mixed experience - No communication or information on river cruise. Finally found the company and found out we had been booked on a 10am cruise (at 12pm). That company was amazing and rescheduled and provided directions on where to go, best times etc. 5 stars Big Bus tour… first driver was good, provided commentary and interesting facts/info.. Then busses stopped coming, waited over an hour at a stop. The bus that finally showed up and that driver had no interest in providing a tour. Driving aggressively, getting honked at, etc. Went thru several “stops” without even stopping so finally had to demand to get off at a stoplight several blocks past the stop we wanted to visit. Took Ubers after that. 1 star, not worth the money.
Review provided by Viator
Alyssacq9620hp
Aug 17, 2026
Unreliable service, hidden stop skips, and inaccurate schedules! - Our big bus tour experience in Chicago was incredibly frustrating due to poor communication and unreliable operations. On August 15 (our first day), we boarded at the first stop around noon. Everything seemed fine until we reached stop #4, where the driver suddenly announced that stops #5 and #6 were being skipped. We were given zero prior notice when we got on at stop #1, and absolutely no explanation. To make matters worse, there was nothing on their website about these skipped stops. Because we specifically wanted to visit the Adler Planetarium at stop #5 (which is why we bought the Go City Pass), we made sure to ask the driver before getting on the bus on August 16 if they would be stopping at #5 and #6. The driver assured us they would, and we were also told buses run every 20-30 minutes. Unfortunately, that wasn't the reality. On August 16 at 4:10 PM, we waited at stop #5 for more than an hour. Using their tracking app while waiting, I watched as two buses stopped at stop #4 and then completely skipped stops #5 and #6, heading straight to #7. If you are going to skip stops or run them on an entirely different schedule than advertised, you need to be honest with your customers so we aren't left stranded waiting for hours. Cannot recommend based on this lack of transparency and reliability.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N8496ldnancya
Aug 1, 2026
Nothing to review as the water cruise was canceled due to high water levels. - The trip was canceled due to high water levels. How do I get a refund for this?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $99
From $99
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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