Chicago Tour: Bus and River Cruise Combo

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: Single loop journey on the red loop is 2 hours. Guests may enter or exit at any stop to explore the city. Pass is valid for 2 days.
1. Chicago Riverwalk
98 E. Wacker Drive (across the bridge from Trump Tower)
2. Willis Tower
Skydeck Chicago - 319 W. Jackson Blvd (opposite…

What's Included
  • Open-top double decker bus
  • Live Guide on River Cruise
  • 48-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Ticket
  • 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
  • Four self-guided digital walking tours to explore more of the city
Additional Information

Enjoy a 20% discount when you combine these two classic Chicago adventures!
Experience 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 a ticket for the essential 75-minute Architecture River Cruise…

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.1
(38 Ratings)
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Julius_j
Sep 22, 2025
River tour - Guide was very informative about the history behind each of the buildings and their cultural significance to the city
Review provided by Viator
Annid1313
Sep 18, 2025
Hop on Hop off bus+Architectural boat Cruise - Both the Hop on Hop off bus and the Shoreline River Cruise were great! The bus was very easy. The first day we (6 women) did the entire loop to get our bearings and learn about the city. We bought a 48 hour pass and used a couple times each day we were there. The architectural boat cruise was fantastic. The guide made the tour enjoyable with not only his knowledge but humor. Would highly recommend both.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharon
Sep 14, 2025
You Have To Hop On Hop Off - Great value for money, and a great way to see the city. We purchased the 48 hour pass with the architectural tour included. We started out on Stop 9 the first day and rode to Stop 1 where we did the Architectural Tour. A fabulous way to appreciate Chicago’s skyline. Afterwards we ride the bus to Millennium Park and enjoyed the Bean while we also picked up our free backpacks. The next day we decided to start over and ride the loop around. The layout of the city was more familiar to us and we could notice the things we missed. We also had a great bus driver, Felicia, who told us about the sights as we passed by. We finished at the Harry Potter store on Michigan Avenue where we enjoyed our free butter beer ice cream. There was a lot packed into a single ticket price and we saw things we wouldn’t have noticed without the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Flurryoftravel
Aug 30, 2025
Architecture Cruise was Excellent! Thank you, Eric! - The river cruise was interesting, informative and an excellent way to see the city. Eric was an excellent guide...personable, funny, knowledgeable and willing to mix-n-meet with us on the boat, during his breaks to answer questions. He's a good singer, too!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marta_f
Aug 17, 2025
Excellent tour - The tour guide was very knowledgable and lead a great tour!! The hop on hop off tour very informative and a great way to see the city.
Review provided by Viator
Carlton_c
Sep 22, 2025
I had trouble finding the... - I had trouble finding the actual tour location because there was a lack of signage. Nevertheless it was a good day and great architecture River tour
Review provided by Viator
Laurent_l
Sep 20, 2025
Nice boat tour - Nice boat tour going along the river. Nice insights into the history of Chicago. Only slight downside was volume of speakers onboard the boat which was too low and difficult to hear the comments at time.
Review provided by Viator
Debmey11
Sep 29, 2025
Boat yes; Bus no - We loved the Architecture Boat Tour. It was outstanding. We learned so much and completely enjoyed our docent. In contrast, the bus tour is no with a live docent and the recording was not fun or entertaining. We listened to music that was piped in more than interesting information about Chicago - and there had to be more to learn! The bus part was disappointing- but the boat was GREAT!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jane_b
Sep 15, 2025
Wanted to recommend but.. - On day of experience after several messages, there was no response. Was difficult to find the place to pick up the voucher and the person who printed them had no information about the architecture tour vouchers and where to pick those up. You are better off find the tickets on your own or purchasing at the venue.
Review provided by Viator
Edith_m
Sep 14, 2025
Unclear instructions to redeem tickets - It’s better to buy tickets with the venues directly! We used Viator for a combo experience Big bus + boat ride. We spent 45 minutes trying to find the place to redeem tickets. There were other Viator customers trying to find the venue as well. The instructions Viator provided were confusing and not clear. Boat ride was ok, big bus was great.
Review provided by Viator
From $99
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).