Urban Kayaks Review

Great experience. Fantastic tour guide. Wonderful workout!

First time in a kayak! Instructor was great and able to help you out of a jam if you got turned around. We felt reassured that if we fell out (none of us did thankfully) that we'd be safely recovered from the water. With that worry out of the way, we all had a great time!

This is a great experience. We did the intro tour. All the You dont need to be in shape to do it but its is a legit arm workout! Dont expect to be dry. Aa you paddle the water from the Oar drips on your legs and in your seat, but it's worth it. Make friends awkwardly crashing into other kayaks (everyone does it. Dont worry about tipping over they are sturdy)

Our instructor STEVE (I kept calling him Keith because I'm a fool) was the Man! He was very fun and a great instructor.

Oh, they do a little teaching session before hand so you can be an absolute beginner and have a great time.

Was our first time and we had such a great time! Matt and Ian were great instructors! They made us felt confident and at ease! Would definitely recommend.

First time kayaking! Had a great experience the instructors were really helpful and friendly. Someone ended up flipping over from our group and they all immediately rushed to assist and got her back on the kayakak. Would do it again!

Amazing experience... Every time. One of kind views of the city and great customer service! Check out their classes as the instructors really break it down for you in a fun method!

Very simple to rent a kayak for an hour or so and just go out, enjoy the lake and get a little exercise! Super nice and helpful staff.

The 4th of July tour was great! We ve done a few architecture tours in the past that were a lot of fun but this was a totally different way to experience the Chicago River and buildings in the downtown area. The fireworks at the end were a lot of fun! We would definitely do this again.

Great place to visit, the perfect way to see the city and what an amazing enhancement to the Chicago River Walk!

The guys were so much fun! Very safe Kayaks and enjoyed every bit of my adventure!

Had a really wonderful time on my morning Kayak tour! Thank you!

instructions were clear which makes you safe and sound. cool staff with cool things to do

Great experience for our family! All our teenagers had a great time! Hard to find an activity they all enjoy and this was a perfect fit!

Always have a fun time kayaking down the river.
They're always pleasant. I've done the architectural tour in past as well. Hit groupon for it.

Our guide Connor was excellent! He was funny and informative and kept us all safe. Even his bad ghost story was fun (specially because he got himself really wet when telling it!). The boats are comfortable and clean and the route is very do-able. My son and I have been bay kayaking a few times and found the route pleasant without being exhausting. Will absolutley use Urban Kayak again when we return to Chicago.

Rained the day of, still went out and had a great time. Guides were upbeat no matter the circumstance and were a pleasure to be with.

Amazing experience!! Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly Will definitely do it again next time I m in Chicago!

Fun way to spend an hour or two on the river. Kayaks and vests were sanitized after use during the pandemic. Plenty of vests and lockers were available. Single and tandem kayaks were available to rent. Our guide took is through the basic strokes, basic rules of the waterway, and kept an eye out for us while boats launched and passed by. Crew on jet skis were around to keep people safe. Will have to go back before the season changes.

We had a blast! Matt was a great tour guide. We were concerned due to cold weather/rain but the experience was amazing. So much fun and our tour guide further educated us about the history of Chicago. We would definitely recommend doing this to anyone who is adventurous and wants a different perspective of the city.

Great tour by Connor. Interesting stories about buildings and life along the river in days past while kayaking about 3 miles.

Had a great time on the Chicago River. Connor was a great guide, can only recommend booking a tour here!

Felt more relaxed after Kayak tour than I have in a week!

My teen daughter and I had a wonderful time on our 1 hour intro to kayaking cruise.. It was really fun and the guide was informative. Beautiful views of the city from the river. I highly recommend this!

Very friendly, knowledgeable staff. My wife and I had a great time and would highly suggest going here!

Urban kayaks is a simple and easy way to get out on the river and enjoy a day of kayaking!

Great place to go when in Chicago. The guides were great and very knowledgeable and the views are the top notch. I went on a sunset guided tour at the Riverwalk location and was very pleased. First they'll launch you out onto the water and once everyone in your group has launched they'll tell you where to kayak to and then talk about all the history of the city. It's an awesome experience essentially dodging all the boat traffic. I will say that in the group tours there are a lot of people so it can get a little crowded. The place is a little confusing to get to since on their website they say to not use Google maps. I found that if you navigate on foot to the corner of Columbus and E. Whacker drive and just find the nearest stairs you'll be able to find it fairly easily. This is a must do activity when visiting and it's even something that you can do more than once and not be bored! Highly recommend.

This place is awesome!! Other businesses surrounding urban kayaks.. take notes! This is what you call customer service and exhibiting great hospitality!

My instructor Frank was great. He was very patient with my initial fears. After the hour I felt very comfortable. I look forward to my next Kayak experience.

Awesome experience! Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable!

Best time kayaking ever. Awesome people here to help you. Use this place.

Good time and you learn about the city s history along the way

My mom and I had a wonderful riverwalk kayak 1 hour rental in late August. Check in was quick with an informative safety video and all staff were following the city covid guidelines. Then we were on our way and had beautiful views of the city from the water! It was so nice to be able to do a fun, low-risk activity on a beautiful day. Will be coming back with my friends!

Guide was attentive and helpful, made sure we were safe and had a good time. Was fun to see the city from water level, and boat waves were not too bad considering all the traffic on the river. While listed as an architectural tour, we learned more Chicago history than architecture. Bull horn on guide's kayak made him easy to understand, even when I was in the back of the group.

LOVED seeing Chicago from the water level with Urban Kayaks. It most definitely a must do!

We had never been kayaking, so appreciated Mike's lesson and his expert guidance along the way. There was a lot to pay attention to as it was busy on the River, but he was patient and calm. The two brothers have done a great job of developing a quality and fun outing in a fabulous setting.

Such a fun time, had friends in from out of town and the owners and workers were so helpful and friendly

First timer. Absolutely by far the best way to get some light exercise and see the amazing architecture along the river. Our guide Andy was great at telling us the history! If you have a hat I'd suggest wearing it. No shade unless you're passing under the bridge!

We had Mike as our tour guide. I am a novice kayaker and I had a great time. He told good stories about Chicago history and gave great advice about places to eat. I hit a Mexican restaurant he suggested and it did not disappoint. I was a solo traveler and had a ton of fun. Thank you!!

Had a great time kayaking and learned a lot of interesting history and architecture facts. Would highly recommend.

I was unable to reserve a tandem for the historic Chinatown tour online, but after contacting Urban Kayaks via email, they were able to reserve one tandem, which was great. We got to the location (Ping Tom Memorial Boathouse) on Sunday, August 30th, well in advance of the scheduled 1pm departure time. We registered and were given two free granola bars (which are sold for $2). With one iPad, it took approximately 20-30 minutes to ensure everyone was registered and signed the electronic waiver. The tour finally departed around 1:35pm and instead of being a historic tour of Chinatown, as was advertised, we headed north towards the Madison Street bridge. While the tour guide was helpful, he provided little insight into any of the buildings along the tour. For $130.80 you are better off taking one of the boat tours of the river as I feel their guides are more knowledgeable to the architecture of Chicago. Or, if you are looking to kayak/canoe, head up to the Skokie Lagoons for a more reasonable priced experience.

Great service, nice people, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves

I always enjoy combining activities and this is one of the best in Chicago. You get a tour and workout at the same time.

Ever since my now wife moved to Chicago she told me this was something she wanted to do. One night I surprised her after I bought tickets from one of those coupon websites and we had a blast. We saw views of the city from angles we had never seen before and we weren't rushed through on a boat.

When you get there they ask if you want a single or a double kayak and being the adventurists we are we took the singles. This was fun for us as we like to workout but if you've never kayaked before I recommend the double. The river can get a bit choppy and especially if you get in the wake of a boat.

I'd recommend this for anyone interested in about Chicago. You learn about history and architecture important to the area.

It was a good paddle. Good kayaks.

The guide could use a speaker on the back of his kayak so the people following him can hear anything important without the guide having to turn around.

Such a great time, our guide was friendly, helpful and took our picture for us. My wife a little nervous but he stuck by her until she got the hang of it and felt confident. Great time, we are ready to go kayaking again.

I had a great time kayaking and couldn t ask for a better staff. The reason why I didn t give 5 stars is due to the tour guide we paid for. He as a very nice guy, but offered no commentary. There really was no point for him to be out there with us, and we might as well just purchased the rent option which we considered doing. If I was set on having an actual tour guide I also would have given a much lower rating.

Really bad service. Unfriendly, bad attitude and rude.

The team was great, the kayaks were top notch, and man, you cannot beat the view! Can't wait to go again!

Such a great experience and unique way of seeing the Downtown skyline. The Tour guides were awesome and friendly. I would highly recommend this to anyone going to Chicago.

So much fun! Plus our guide John was friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go again! One of Chicago's many wonderful attractions that offer a view of the city while having a great time with friends

Absolutely love urban kayaks and everyone who works there. Having never kayaked on my own on the or a river before, they made it painless and enjoyable. I've signed up for a season pass and it is worth every dollar and minute! They've transformed this summer and I am so grateful!

I just had kayak trip with my son, it was great experience. We enjoyed it a lot. Thank you very much

Had the best time exploring this very unique view of the city. The instructors were great and the kayaks were very easy to launch. Best way to spend a beautiful day in Chicago!

Great experience, fantastic tour guide. Bring your energy bc it kinda gets tiring at the end. Awesome experience overall however.

URBAN KAYAKS has a friendly, efficient, and knowledgable staff. This was a low key and fun way to take in parts of the air show with the children.

Great experience! Would recommend the morning tour - Less boat traffic and smaller groups! Equipment was clean, in good working order AND Instagrammable . Tour guide was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable (Thanks Chris!) and the whole experience was smooth and fun. This was an awesome way to get outside, keep active, and see the city.

Love love love this tour!! So fun and a good workout :)

I kayaked on the Fourth of July tour with Urban Kayaks and it was an incredible experience. The night ended with priceless seating for the Navy Pier fireworks. Not only did I make an incredible memory but I also learned a lot about Chicago's history. Our guide, Trevor, was really friendly and very knowledgable. The guide used a megaphone so everyone could hear. I am not an experienced kayaker, but the staff still made me feel welcome. However, I do not suggest renting a tandem if you and whomever you're with are inexperienced (unless they're a child). It's easier to learn how to move around in the water in a single. This is an experience that's definitely worth the price.

Instructer was really awesome and very helpful in terms of guiding us in water

Amazing experience !! Everyone should do it at least once in their life !!

Had a great time, Mathew our guide was friendly a very informative. Had ramp to easily get in and out of kayaks. I ve been to downtown many times and this was by far my favorite way to see Chicago.

The people are nice and very informative on keeping you safe during your kayak fun. The Chicago River has a plethora of beautiful architecture and sites to see. This is a definite try it out and find out how much you love Kayaking on the Chicago River. Plan your visit today. Tell em Mr. Brown sent cha. Have fun.

The staff were nice, the kayaks were good quality, the location is great. Unfortunately you need experience in kayaks to rent, otherwise you need to do the beginners tour. The short lesson was nice, but once we were on the water we were basically being babysat by the guide. That's probably nice for families, but my friend and I had canoeing experience and just wanted some tips to get started kayaking, not someone holding our hands.

I'm still giving 4 stars because now that I've done the beginner's tour I can rent without a guide.

Even better and more fun than we imagined! Our guide shared great stories about the buildings and people and history of Chicago along the way. We would highly recommend this adventure to anyone who wants to experience the Chicago River in a fun and unique way!!

The bottom line for me is that it's a one-time thing because it's a unique experience in Chicago and a fun thing to do when visiting or when a local has friends in town. It's not something to do regularly. It's pricy, especially after inexpensive kayaking in Central America, but a it's a cool way to see the city. We went on a summer sunset tour. You go pretty slowly, don't go for long, and don't get that far, so it's not much of a workout. You don't go quickly because lots of people on the tour don't know how to kayak, or even which way to hold the paddle. You'd need to have some basic physical ability, but you don't need to have kayaking experience or massive endurance or anything, and you could always go in a double. The staff is nice, and they tell a few interesting Chicago stories. You get some cool pictures looking way up into the Chicago skyline. To find the place, look down for the bright green shipping containers pretty far east along the river.

I had a lot of fun kayaking in the Chicago river and my guide was very helpful and friendly!

Great tour, perfect organization and a fun and knowledgeable tour guide! Would do a tour with them again when being in Chicago!

I had a great time on a trip lead by Connor! The paddling was pretty easy, the boats are very steady and the traffic on the river is easy to navigate. Connor did an awesome job, teaching us about some of the architecture and telling entertaining stories. Highly recommend this!

Awesome experience, the Kayak tour was safe and guide was also funny.

I cannot recommend this enough. Whether you're a seasoned kayaker or a beginner, Urban has an option for you.

Staff members are friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable. They are very accommodating and will help you select the best option in person.

Beginning around the Northeast part of the river that flows into Lake Michigan, the cheapest, $30 experience will take you as far as you can go in an hour (about where the river begins to bend southbound). There are other options as well that cost more yet offer more, and a few offer lake viewing for fireworks!

The reservation system is easy and online, and they provide a waiver for signing beforehand. The cancellation policy is fair (within 24hrs amounts to a future credit but no refund).

Loved it!

Everything was great and the tour guide was super friendly and knowledgeable. The only down part is that our lower backs were hurting after about 30 minutes on the kayaks. Other than that, it was enjoyable.

First time kayaking and they were great instructors. Tour guide was great and the view was amazing!

Matt was awesome! Very laid back, knowledgeable and fun! Can t wait to take another tour with him next summer

One of my friends fell into the water while kayaking and they were really positive about the whole incident and helped him get out of the water. The people working there are really sweet and helpful.

Signed up for the sunset tour schedule for 1 hour. We are back on shore after 30 minutes, I was quite disappointed that we do not even get the full hour. Everything else was fine, but phone a dirty mask in the life vest pocket.

The Historic Chicago Kayak tour was a really unique way to see Chicago and learn about history of sites along the river. I had a really good time on this kayak tour. My only feedback would be to limit the group size as it was a bit stressful having to maneuver amongst dozens of kayaks, along with all of the boats out on the river! I would definitely do this tour again though.

I had a wonderful time kayaking through Urban Kayaks. It was a very fun time.

I have done 3 tours with Urban Kayaks most recently an intro to paddling tour. Each tour has been a great time. The staff are kind, knowledgeable and helpful and the intro to paddling guide, Danny was very patient and kind especially with those who were kayaking for the first time. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday! Also a great way to experience the city.

Great Experience!! A bit pricey but that's what you get in Chicago!! The employees were all SO nice!

It was the perfect date, such a great idea. Loved the company, great bunch of guys, very professional and knowledgeable. I'd highly recommend the fireworks tour. Asher was the best guide I've ever had, make sure to ask for him.

It was a great time. The tours they offer are a great way to learn about the city while also being out on the river and active. I would recommend doing this if you are visiting the city.

We went on 3rd of July so river was very crowded for the holiday weekend. That was tolerable but the real problem was the size of the group. There were 20+ kayaks in our group and many of them had zero experience and would run in to you multiple times. The other thing is I heard about 20% of what the tour guide said because unless you are at the front of the group you can't hear. The guide seemed knowledgeable but the megaphone could not overcome the people talking/boat noise/road noise and make it to the back of the group. There were 2 extra helpers on the tour but they were only there for making sure there were no straglers. Maybe if they had megaphones on theirs too it would be better. Can't say I can recommend for the money.

Great way to appreciate the city at its finest! We had a wonderful evening on the river. Our guide Matt was extremely knowledgeable and we learned quite a bit about our city's history. Highly recommend this tour! Appropriate for all skill levels.

I went for the sunset architectural tour and it was amazing. The instructor was very helpful as it was my first time kayaking. I will definitely do it again.

If you like to kayak, then you'll love this attraction. I, however, did not enjoy any part of it.

We purchased a tandem kayak tour on YouSwoop and thought that the certificate covered all the costs. We were wrong. Urban Kayaks asked us to pay them taxes on our purchase price when we arrived. Not cool. This wasn't mentioned anywhere (in print or on the phone).

Despite that surprise, we were really looking forward to this experience. We received five minutes of training on land and then were launched into a super busy section of the Chicago River. I was terrified! I had never kayaked before and had a very hard time trying to balance and maneuver the kayak. I was so busy trying not to get run/flipped over by large boats and ships that I couldn't even enjoy the tour. And just when I started to get the hang of it, one of the leaders stopped us to talk to us about Chicago's history. Seriously? I probably would've enjoyed it more if we didn't stop. I suggest that Urban Kayaks invest in tour group headsets, so guests can listen while they row. Stopping and starting on a super busy/choppy Chicago River is not fun!

Oh...and wear a swim suit! I called to see if I should wear a swim suit and the rep said, "No, just wear something lightweight that you would work out in in case you get wet." We got wet alright. We were absolutely soaked.

This is an experience I could've done without. I will never do this again, but that doesn't mean that some one else might not like it.

Did this for the first time and loved it. Quite a few people in the group so some of the maneuvering was difficult without running in to others at times. Overall a blast and now I'm trying to convince the wife to allow me to get a kayak when I get back home.

Super Fun! Nate was very friendly. Will definitely be doing it again!

First time going Kayaking, and let me tell you this has got to be the best way to do it. I can't think of anywhere with a nicer scenery to do it then the beautiful rivers of Chicago. I've been a resident of a Illinois for all my life and never have I ever gotten the chance to experience something like this, highly recommend for the entire family!

Great experience. Connor was an awesome guide. It was fun, safe, and gave the opportunity to learn some of Chicago's history. Highly recommended.

Our group of 6 had a ball! We range in age from 29-60 and most of us were novice kayakers. This was fun and informative and a great way to see Chicago.