- ExplorerAll-Inclusive
- Family-friendly
- Outdoors
Up to an hour
Skyline Lake Tour
Up to an hour
Shoreline's Skyline Lake Tour is one of the best experiences in Chicago. Hop on a boat at Navy Pier and explore Chicago from a totally new vantage point.
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What visitors are saying
4.3Lovely views, relaxing time.
Sep 30, 2025Treat it like a beautiful break from a long walk on the pier.
Jun 21, 2026) The bathrooms were decent, the staff friendly, the ride length fitting for my ADHD brain.
Jun 21, 2026- Explore Chicago with Go City®Your Chicago pass includes dozens of other top attractions, all for one money-saving price
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Overview
You’ll enjoy panoramic skyline views and picture-perfect backdrops on this 40-minute Skyline Lake Tour. Keep an ear out for the guided narration if you want insights into the views and local knowledge of the area.
Your tour will take you out onto Lake Michigan, heading both north and south on the lake, spotting many of Chicago’s famous landmarks and the classic skyline vista as you go. See the Willis Tower, Museum Campus, Navy Pier, and more. Through the guided commentary, you'll learn fantastic facts about the buildings you pass, what lies beneath Lake Michigan, and the historical significance of Navy Pier.
Don't forget your camera as you'll enjoy some of the best views of the city from this unique vantage point.
Skyline Lake Tour highlights
Navy Pier
875 N. Michigan
Shedd Aquarium
Adler Planetarium
Field Museum of Natural History
Streeter Ville
Grant Park
Buckingham Fountain
Facts
The very first skyscraper was built in Chicago in 1885 and, at 10 stories high, towered over the surrounding buildings. Nowadays though, the city is home to the second-largest Skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Willis Building really does tower over its neighbors at 110 stories.
Chicago is home to an astounding 56 museums, including the famous Art Institute of Chicago and Museum of Contemporary Art.
This is one for the comic book lovers - Batman’s very own Gotham City was based on Chicago.
What's included
Enjoy a relaxed 45-minute (30-minutes during between early November and early April) lake tour
Professional pre-recorded narration
Stops at the Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain, and Navy Pier
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View all attractionsWhere you'll be
Navy Pier, 600 East Grand Avenue, Chicago, USHow to get there
Accessible via stop 8 on the Big Bus Hop-On and Hop-Off Tour (also available on Go City Chicago)
Standard opening hours
Hours change depending on the time of the year. On the day of your tour, please visit Skyline Lake Tour to view the most up-to-date tour schedule.
Great tour
FirthAfter doing this and the arcitechture tour, this wasn’ t our fave but it was still really good. We did it at night time which I would recommend
Bueno
MarceloBuenas vistas desde el lago, dando una idea muy clara del perfil de la ciudad
Nice
MariaSlow nice views from lake. Do recommend to go later at night or sun set to get nice views
Great experience, that lasted less than adv.
GabeViews, safety, customer services, and ambiance were great. However, the trip lasted 30min, not 45 as advertised. Departure was scheduled at 7.45pm but we left the dock at 7.58pm. Seemed like the captain was waiting to get more customers on board and that delaying departure was a good idea.
Great Sights
MistyIt was a great boat tour with good commentary and great views. I would definitely do it again.
Amazing tour
IsaLAmazing boat tour. You get the best views and so relaxing. I think I would prefer this over the river tour (even though everyone says quite the opposite). Printed picture package is less expensive and much better value than in other tours.
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