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A
3 years ago

My experience at Wendella Tours & Cruises was exce...

My experience at Wendella Tours & Cruises was exceptional! Tickets were very easy to book online and safety measures were taken for the safest trip possible. I booked the 45 minute architecture tour. Our tour guide, Alex, was phenomenal and gave a wonderful tour of Chicago s architecture! You will learn many new and interesting facts while on this tour, guaranteed. The views were incredible, especially when you go at night. I highly highly recommend Wendella Tours & Cruises if you are looking for something to do in Chicago!

J
3 years ago

If you can get yourself on a boat with Joe as your...

If you can get yourself on a boat with Joe as your tour guide, you won't regret the effort. The architectural tour is a fantastic way to view the city, celebrate the beauty of the skyline, and learn a surprising amount of local color and history. This is a wonderful way to spend 90 minutes. Different guides point out different things and tell different stories, so it's not really true that if you've done it once you never need to do it again. Great family activity!

E
3 years ago

Amazing guide. We learned so much, and he was very...

Amazing guide. We learned so much, and he was very entertaining.v Great views of the city from the water. I've been on several of these tours, and Wendella's was my favorite. The adults and kids in our party loved it!

A
4 years ago

A very informative and amazing tour of the archite...

A very informative and amazing tour of the architectures of Chicago. We did the 45 min boat tour. Easy booking online and arrive before your time. Boat is pretty spacious and we had a full party. There are plenty of seats since you're going to be listening to a tour guide the entire time.

Our tour guide, Jack was very engaging and humorous. We learned so much about the history behind all the buildings we saw during the tour. That day in particular was a bit cold but we got a bit of sunshine to keep us warm.

The daytime tour was a great view. Next time when I'm back, I would like to get a sunset view and the night view. Highly recommend to try one of these boat tour to get an exclusively view of the city on the water. FYI - they also have a 90 min tour which I will definitely try next time.

I
4 years ago

It was very informative. We took the 90 minutes to...

It was very informative. We took the 90 minutes tour and loved it. The tour guide is an interesting fellow with a wealth of information about city history, architecture, architects and residents of some buildings. We didn t take our gloves with us which we wished we would have because it was a chilly day. We arrived 1 minute late for our tour and saw the cruise already leaving. They were kind enough to adjust our tickets for another time. Keep in mind to arrive there earlier than 20 minutes so that you can find parking on the road. Otherwise the parking garage is like $40 for 2 hours. Taking one star away because I feel all these touristy places should have free parking systems. It s like buying an extra ticket!!

M
4 years ago

Jc, Was amazing, you got to love the bartender tha...

Jc, Was amazing, you got to love the bartender that reads the crowd. The hostess I will come to your open mic night every day. Your an sweetheart . Captain your smooth sailing made things so much easier. The locations and the picture taken was from this crew making sure we enjoy the scenery with the knowledge of it all.
Just so you know I would brave the cold again just to have another sit down with this crew

S
4 years ago

It's my second time doing a tour with Wendella tou...

It's my second time doing a tour with Wendella tours. I love the architectural tour. I recommend reserving the one after sunset. The city at night is the best time to view it from the water! :))

J
4 years ago

We took the 90 minute boat tour this evening, and ...

We took the 90 minute boat tour this evening, and booked this morning. Booking was simple. We were impressed with the coordination and safety precautions taken on board, the view of the Chicago skyline at sunset, and most importantly with our tour guide, Sarah, and her knowledge. The tour was informative and interesting, but also filled with small fun facts that I m sure we will remember for a long time to come. I always thought this was a touristy activity but I d highly recommend it, even on a chilly day.

About Wendella Boat Tours

Wendella Boat Tours: The Ultimate Chicago Experience

If you're looking for a unique and unforgettable way to experience the Windy City, look no further than Wendella Boat Tours. Family-owned and operated since 1935, Wendella is Chicago's Original Architecture Tour, offering the greatest variety of tours and cruises on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

With a commitment to providing exceptional customer service and an unparalleled experience, Wendella has become a beloved institution in Chicago. Whether you're a local or a visitor to the city, there's no better way to see all that Chicago has to offer than from the water.

The History of Wendella Boat Tours

Wendella Boat Tours was founded in 1935 by Albert Borgstrom, who had immigrated to America from Sweden just two years earlier. Borgstrom had worked as a sailor on cargo ships before settling in Chicago and starting his own business.

Initially, Borgstrom's business consisted of renting out rowboats on Lake Michigan. However, he soon realized that there was demand for guided boat tours of the city's architecture. He purchased his first tour boat in 1938 and began offering architecture tours shortly thereafter.

Over the years, Wendella has expanded its offerings beyond architecture tours to include everything from sunset cruises to fireworks displays. Today, it remains family-owned and operated by Borgstrom's descendants.

The Variety of Tours Offered by Wendella

One of the things that sets Wendella apart from other tour companies is its wide range of offerings. Whether you're interested in learning about Chicago's history or simply want to enjoy a relaxing cruise on Lake Michigan with friends or family members, there's something for everyone at Wendella.

Architecture Tours: As mentioned earlier, architecture tours are what put Wendella on the map back in 1938. Today, they remain one of its most popular offerings. These tours take visitors along both branches of the Chicago River while highlighting some of the city's most iconic buildings such as Willis Tower (formerly known as Sears Tower), Tribune Tower and Wrigley Building among others.

Chicago River Experience: This tour takes visitors along both branches of the river but focuses more broadly on exploring different neighborhoods throughout downtown such as Chinatown or Little Italy while also highlighting some lesser-known architectural gems.

Lakefront Fireworks Cruises: During summer months (Memorial Day through Labor Day), visitors can enjoy spectacular fireworks displays over Navy Pier every Wednesday & Saturday night aboard one-of-a-kind boats designed specifically for this purpose.

Sunset Cruises: For those looking for something more romantic or relaxing during summer evenings can opt-in Sunset Cruise which offers stunning views over Lake Michigan while enjoying drinks & snacks onboard.

Brew Cruise: Beer lovers will appreciate this unique tour which combines beer tasting with sightseeing around downtown area including stops at local breweries like Goose Island Brewery among others.

Chicago Cubs Game Day Cruises: Baseball fans can combine their love for America’s favorite pastime with sightseeing aboard specially designed boats that take them directly across street from Wrigley Field where they can watch Cubs games live while enjoying food & drinks onboard

Private Charters: If you have something special planned like corporate events or weddings then private charters are available too where guests can customize their own itinerary according to their preferences.


Why Choose Wendella?

There are many reasons why people choose Wendellla when visiting Chicago:

1) Unmatched Customer Service - From booking your tickets online ahead time till end-to-end support provided during your trip; customer service is top-notch at every step ensuring hassle-free experience throughout your journey

2) Experienced Guides - All guides employed by company are knowledgeable about history & culture behind each landmark visited during any given tour making sure guests get full value out their visit

3) Unique Boats - Each boat used by company is custom-designed specifically for type-of-tour offered ensuring maximum comfort & enjoyment regardless if it’s an open-air vessel perfect sunny days or enclosed cabin ideal rainy days

4) Commitment To Sustainability - Company takes pride being eco-friendly using only clean-burning biodiesel fuel made locally reducing carbon footprint significantly compared traditional diesel engines used elsewhere


Conclusion

In conclusion,Wendellla Boat Tours offers an unparalleled opportunity explore all that makes up beautiful city called "Chicago". With variety-of-tours available catering different interests combined with unmatched customer service provided throughout entire journey; it’s easy see why so many people choose this company when visiting Windy City!

Wendella Boat Tours

Wendella Boat Tours

4.9