Urban Kayaks Reviews

The river was kinda busy but that s understandable for a Sunday afternoon. But the experience was amazing!

Only 4 starts cause no matter how good I never give 5 stars. With that being said , our group have a great time. Check in was fast , instructor was understandable , and the trip down the river was cool. Would I do again , yes. Would I recommend , yes ...

First time kayaking, had a great time. Jim and staff very professional, will definitely come back.

What a great trip! Sunset is a special time to be on the water. I paddle a lot on the SF Bay Area and this outing was truly special. Our guide Mike paddled the entire time backwards so he could regale us on the history and sights on the river. My wife was particularly impressed and was comfortable the entire time. Thanks for the experience, I highly recommend it.

We had a super time. It was easy to get registered, and get right on the water. Matt was a great guide - friendly, gregarious without needing an audience at all times, knowledgeable on many hard facts but also with interesting and fun stories on the soft stuff. Safety was a priority, and I very much appreciated that as well. Matt is quite an asset to Urban Kayaks. Thank you to all who made our afternoon so much fun!

The St. Paddy's Day paddle exceeded my expectations. In short, it was awesome being on the green river in our green kayaks. This was my second time paddling with Urban Kayaks and it won't be my last.

Awesome time on the river at night... It's beautiful.

Absolutely great experience, what a wonderful way to explore the city, strongly recommend

Helpful and friendly staff. Very nice time out on the lake!

Booked a tour on a whim one night while a friend was in town and am so glad I did. The tour guide gave just enough info to keep things exciting but wasn t constantly stopping us or overwhelming us with info. It was a great tour for locals and visitors alike. It was about a 5k kayak ride through the river at 10am but you can kayak at different locations and different times. I m glad i went on the tour and didn t just rent the kayaks so that we knew the rules and had someone knowledgable nearby Incase we capsized the water can get choppy.

This experience was hands down the highlight of our trip to Chicago. Being on the lake paddling through the Chicago river and looking up at the skyscrapers was incredible. Our tour guide Connor was fab. We felt safe and the information given about the buildings and history was fascinating. Will definitely be recommending this adventure to everyone!!

Thanks for a brilliant time!

Such a great experience even for a Chicago native! Lots of cool history. Adam was a fantastic guide!

We took the sunset tour and we enjoyed it. Trevor was our guide and was great at it. We throughly enjoyed being first timers as we were scared in the beginning but as the tour went along we become more comfortable and relaxed and really enjoyed the experience of kayaking. Highly Recommended to all.

I will start by saying prior to embarking on this tour that I was very much afraid of getting into a kayak. I decided the 2hour tour sounded like a lot of fun and I love history.

I sat in on the instructional lecture where they explain what parts of the river are busy, what to look out for and expect while we are out there. We then went into a paddling demonstration and all of the paddle strokes were explained.

We lined up and getting in the Kayak is very easy, then you slide into the water and you re off! I found that Chris s direction was very clear and we even chatted while we were on the water between announcements.

What I found was as long as you are able to stay balanced and keep your core straight you will be fine!

The history portion of the tour was very informative and had some humor thrown in also. I would highly recommend this 2hour tour if you are interested in seeing the architectural sights from a new angle and learning more about the history of the city.

My wife and I went on their historical kayak tour, and it was wonderful. Our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour itself lasted about 2 hours and gave a great "ducks eye view" of the city and its architecture. If you're interested in the city's rich history, you can't go wrong witch this tour.

Urban Kayaks on the river is such a fun and unique city experience. We prefer the lake front location because it s a little more relaxing but both experiences are a MUST do in Chicago! The company is extremely friendly and very clean - especially during the pandemic. They clean every life jacket and boat in between rides. Also this is a great dog-friendly activity! On the lake you can rent paddle board or kayaks, on the river just kayaks. Overall one of the best Chicago activity options out there!

great tour with friendly guide. would definitely do it again! very fun to kayak on such an urban river.

A fun way to tour the river! Our guide was friendly and encouraging. The staff seem to work well as a team which contributed to an enjoyable experience. We took a 7pm evening tour... instruction was on land, so the 90 minutes on water was well spent paddling the river and taking short breaks to hear a bit of Chicago history from our guide. Thanks for a great Chicago experience!

This is a super fun exciting thing to do in Chicago. Of course, it costs quite a bit but it is a novelty. My cousin came in to town, she does a lot of kayaking so I was comfortable being with her on the water. It is a little scary because the river is so busy, so hang on. Boat and equipment was clean and in good condition.

Such a wonderful experience. The staff is full of life and down to earth. Which made the experience even more amazing!

My (almost) four year old loved her first kayaking experience thanks to UK. She actually tripped (as most toddler do) walking to get a life jacket and one of the owners noticed and came over and did his best to distract her by letting her know that she was about to watch a cool video with talking dogs! (The safety video is narrated by two friendly pooch s)

The water is so clean due to covid. I highly recommend this activity and loved launching in the thick of the downtown skyline.

Urban Kayaks service was wonderful! Frank our instructor, took his time telling us about Chicago, he listened to us and was very supportive for teaching us how to kayak!! Everyone was very attentive, smiled, friendly, welcoming and absolutely amazing! We will definitely do this again the next time we are visiting Chicago!

Great experience. Grew up in Chicago and visited downtown dozens of times, but never had an experience quite like this. Andy was a great instructor: patient, experienced and informative. Would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a unique way to enjoy the city.

My sister and I signed up for the sunset architecture tour for a Friday night. The instructors were experienced kayakers and the equipment was in excellent shape. Watching the sunset over the city from the perspective of the river was well worth it. Unfortunately, there is no way to hear the guide the way they have the megaphone strapped unidirectionally on the top of the guide's kayak. If you happen to be right in front of the bullhorn, and there are no boats passing by and you're not in front of a restaurant blaring music, then *maybe* you can here. None of which is possible on a busy Friday night. I would suggest that they use in ear pieces rather than a bullhorn. So if it's architecture your interested in, this isn't the tour for you. If a lovely night on the water is your goal, you will have a great time.

Did the sunset paddle , so relaxing and fun and such a great way to see the river! Totally worth every penny

We did the Saturday evening fireworks tour. Fun and amazing! Highly recommend even for first timers.

This was a super fun experience for me and my collegues. I was tasked with finding a group activity for my sales team and thank Google I found Urban Kayaks. Everyone had a great time and, despite most of us being from the City, this was a totally new and unique adventure. We're definitely coming back with a larger group!

The most amazing way to explore Chicago. We had such a wonderful experience. Our guide was super awesome and kind, definitely worth every penny!

Great staff and good tour. I did the fireworks+architecture tour. It seemed a little expensive, but it was worth the price. Definitely a unique way to see the city. It was a sunny day but not super warm and I kept my jacket on thinking it would be chilly on the water, this was a mistake, rowing kept me plenty warm to the point of getting pretty sweaty. If you barely need a jacket on land, leave it behind.

We went on the river tour in a tandem and a solo. We had a great time, learned some new Chicago tid-bits, and the kayaking was pretty easy. Our guide Conor did a great job! We will be back.

Knowledgeable guide who was also very pleasant. He gave helpful rowing and safety tips that made the experience more successful. I didn t get soaking wet after following his paddling directions. Loved my trip! Very relaxing. Much cooler at night. I highly recommend the sunset tour for this reason alone.

Amazing experience! I will be recommending to friends.

Great place to rent kayaks. Prices were reasonable and folks are friendly.

Fabulous kayak experience - You MUST try this!
I was terrified in my little kayak for the first 10-minutes but then I became a little more comfortable. It's rather surreal to be in the Chicago river looking up at the amazing architecture.
Easy walk-up service (although I do not like how they kept my ID (driver's license) in a little flimsy folder on their counter...dangerous).
I think you can also reserve online. Single and double kayaks are available.
Do it! I'm glad I did.

I'm a local and I go on Urban Kayak tours as often as I can. This is my fifth tour and I can't wait to go again. I highly recommend Urban Kayaks to anyone visiting or just enjoying this beautiful city - the kayak gives you an incredible perspective of downtown and the staff is hands-down the best!

Beautiful nighttime skyline views and a nice, friendly crew. An excellent experience!

Would rate 10 stars if I could! Checkout process was easy, tour was great, guide was great, guide's information and stories were cool and informative, views were outstanding. The only thing I'd tell people is to give yourselves AT LEAST 15 extra minutes to get down there, find parking, and get to the Riverwalk check-in to ensure you're there on time (and by on-time, I mean 10-15 minutes early). If you're not from the city and are unfamiliar with the area, it can be difficult navigating the Wackers and finding your way down to the Riverwalk. Thankfully we made our tour but it was close! All the staff are so nice and knowledgeable. Will definitely be back, totally worth it.

So much fun! Did the historical river tour. Loved the kayaking and the guide kept it both interesting and safe. A good option for inexperienced kayakers who are wary of kayaking on the Chicago River by themselves join one of these tours and the guide will keep you right. The content of the tour itself was pretty good for getting a sense of some interesting events in Chicago's history. It's more based around anecdotes and famous historical figures, rather than giving you a sense of the arc of Chicago's history. Not a big complaint from me. One tip: Make sure you give yourself plenty of time before the tour starts to get from the subway or from the roadside down the steps to the riverwalk.

Highly recommend Urban Kayaks especially the Twilight Paddle along the Chicago River. It was such a memorable experience and all of the staff was amazing and keeping us safe from other boats in the area.

Friendly and helpful staff. Small group expeditions.

Perfect day out on Lake Michigan! Enjoyed this relaxing kayak outing with my family before the kids headed back to school.

Highly, highly recommend going on one of Urban Kayaks' tours! What a great way to experience the city from a different perspective! Our guide, Connor was great with his narratives and making sure our group stayed together and kept us out of harms way by communicating with the other larger boats travelling along the river to ensure our safe passage. I would definitely go back and do it again!

Our experience was pretty terrible. The staff was incredibly disorganized and some even pretty rude. Was almost funny at a point because I d never experienced customer service that absurdly awful. So confused how they have a nearly 5 star rating, maybe our experience was a rarity? Not sure.

Super friendly and helpful staff. With they opened at 8 am.

Friendly helpful staff, fun way to socially distance and visit. Great views of the skyline. Would have been harrowing under normal levels of party/sightseeing boat traffic.

Phenomenal experience on Urban Kayaks Sunset Tour! Joe was an excellent tour guide who offered the perfect blend of humor and Chicago history all while keeping the group safe throughout the tour. Very unique and enjoyable way to experience and take in the beautiful Chicago architecture, even during a pandemic! Would highly recommend to tourists and locals alike.

Enjoyed the sunset tour very much. The temperature had cooled down and the boat traffic had died down. The guides made us feel safe and were informative. The length of the tour was right. It was challenging enough but not overly challenging. The views were fantastic on this cloudless day.

It is a great way to see the city and enjoy some of the stories about the area, I would def go again and recommend for other folks who like to be active and do new things.

Our group of 4, moms and dads taking a parenting break, had a blast! We saw sights we didn't realize existed and learned so much about Chicago. Next trip we plan to bring our kiddos back and take them to all the spots on the bike tour :) This trip we participated in the Chicago's Greatest Hits tour and would recommend it to everyone!

It was a great time and an unforgettable experience! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and loved his job, which made it all the more wonderful. A great way to experience the city of Chicago!

great experience for me and my friend! The coach takes good care of everyone!

I had a great experience with them. We took a double Kayak for two adults and even were able to sit my 5 y.o. son in the middle. Company provided us with the comfy little sit for him. And guess what? They didn't charge for it. So for sure, 100% recommended.

The staff are friendly and Glo was very knowledgeable and really took care of 6 of us. We are in different level and some of us don't even know how to swim. I did not give 5 star was because there is not enough lockers for us to rent to lock our bags.

It was a different/nice perspective of the city.

The river is a bit congested.

The guides were nice but we had a bunch of people on our tour ... so unable to hear details of the history tidbits that were being given.

Idea...photo opts available for sale

Fun and safe! Guided tours are available for single and tandem kayaks. An expert helps you navigate through boat traffic. The tour takes you along the river and the guide is nice enough to wait for all your selfies.

Wonderful experience. Aaron was an awesome instructor. I would highly recommend Urban Kayak.

Great experience!! The historic Chicago tour was a lot of fun. We learned a lot of new interesting facts about the city that we didn t know before. Love being a tourist in our hometown, and this was such a great way to explore more of the city.

As a slow kayaker I was impressed that the staff stayed with me the whole time to make sure I was with the group at all times .

Process was simple and straightforward. Prices were reasonable and the reduced price parking made it perfect.

We had an amazing time! The weather was perfect and our guide was awesome!

Such a unique experience and a great view of Chicago architecture! I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to do something different with their Chicago visit!

Today was my first time kayaking amazing I loved it . The nice instructor was helping all the time and we love that since it was the first time we where really scared. I totally recommend

Spectacular. Took the two hour architectural tour, and it was both entertaining and very educational. Love how the guide interjected personal anecdotes to some of the stories and the assistant herded the crowd with calm instruction. As far as the views go, seeing downtown Chicago from literally inches off the water is a singular experience. I agree with other reviewers on the variety in paddling ability, but that's not the company's fault. The day I went was extremely busy, with people literally hot seating the kayaks as they came off the water. I would definitely go again and rent for the exercise...and view!

The adventure of Kayking on the Chicago River in downtown Chicago was awesome. The guide kept us safe from all other water traffic and was informative, which was worth the extra money rather than just renting a kayak. They run a very smooth and efficient business. My only complaints: 1) The staff was very open and helpful when you approached them and asked a question, but they were not welcoming. I felt like an intruder in their space. 2) I am eternally grateful that the portable toilets were available; however, they require some serious attention.

The outfit is professional and well-organized. Our guide, Frank, was a fantastic host. He clearly loves the city and sharing it with others. It was easy and age to keep up, and it s just a great way to experience the heart of one of the most exceptional urban environments in the world!

Really nice staff - got rained out second hour and they refunded the balance - the water was not the cleanest but it was great exercise and fun

I highly recommend doing the sunset tour. Very cool watching the buildings light up in front of your eyes!

Urban Kayaks was very organized and made me feel completely safe. Adam our guide was a ton of fun and was very knowledgeable about Chicago history and architecture! Would definitely do this again!

Excellent excursion in Chicago!! highly recommend regardless if visiting or local!

Well organized, friendly staff and equipment in good condition. Our tour guide was friendly, funny and thoughtful. It would be a nice touch to offer a complimentary bottle of water before or after the trip. It's a cheap investment that would would go a long way.

The folks at Urban Kayaks seem really friendly, helpful and they want to make sure we understand the safety issue associated with kayak in a busy water ways. Follow the rule and you won't get into trouble or hurting yourself. If you can walk, talk and chew gum at the same time you should be able to do this activity. But know your own abilities and limits.

What a fun way to discover Chicago, you get a light workout while seeing the city from the water level. This is the view most tourists don't get to see, the building seems more impressive, you get lots of photo ops.

Just yesterday on Sunday I decided to go on the 3:00pm tour, it was awesome time kayaking in the Chicago river. The tour guide Jim was able to give a lot of cool history of Chicago. Overall I would recommend this to anyone who likes kayaking or anyone who hasn't gone kayaking before, Urban Kayaks will give you the best experience you could wish for! -Chris Rotondo (Concierge Fairfield inn & Suites Chicago River North)

One of the best activities in Chicago. The riverwalk location is exciting being right in the heart of the city, and the Harbor location is exhilarating given how wide-open and panoramic the view is. Either way, these guys are well worth the investment!

Highly recommend seeing and learning about Chicago history from the river with this company! I wouldn't want to paddle on my own with all of the boats, but felt perfectly safe with our guide.

My group had a great time on the Historic Chicago Tour! Jim was an excellent guide and the scenery is amazing.

My girlfriends and I had a great time kayaking on the Chicago River. So beautiful!

It was such an amazing experience. We had so much fun, beautiful view. My only but are the restrooms, they are dirty and in bad condition

We had a very enjoyable time on the introduction course. Our guide Connor was very friendly and helpful. It was a great way to spend an hour or two taking in the sights. Would highly reccommend. Five stars!!

Had a wonderful time with Urban Kayaks!! The tour was informative. The guides were knowledgeable and the tour was organized! The pace was good and everyone in the group was friendly. We had an amazing time and I highly recommend!!

My sunset tour was led by Adam and Cisco, both of which were great! Adam was extremely knowledgeable and gave great and enthusiastic stories at each sight seeing stop about architecture, history, and even some haunted ones. I never once feared for my safety and felt I was adequately prepared given their instructions even as a first time kayaker!
The length of the tour was about two hours and I felt we got some great pictures and time to rest and talk. I recommend going on a tandem if it's your first time and you're going with someone so that you have an easier time sharing the experience!