Kayak Chicago

We did the fireworks kayak tour, and it was a truly incredible experience. Our guide Antonio was an enthusiastic, quirky, knowledgeable, and thoroughly attentive guide who enhanced the experience far beyond our expectations. All the guides there are so so friendly and so happy to assist with anything, chat about anything, and ensure you have a great time. I cannot recommend this experience enough. Thank you to all the staff at Kayak Chicago for creating such a beautifully transformative evening. Bring a towel, or water proof pants, or a change of clothes. -Andrés and Francesca

Awesome experience on an 18 person canoe to see the Chicago River turn green right before our eyes. Very windy of course and great tour guides! 🛶🍀

Fun! Our guide, Matt, was so knowledgeable about the history of the area, the architecture, and the plants and animals. It was delightful! And fairly easy.

The kayaks were clean and safe, we were given adequate instructions before our session at Lake Michigan. The water was a bit choppy and my son and I couldn’t do more than 20 minutes. The staff were generous enough to offer us not to charge anything. However we insisted to pay. Really impressed by the hospitality of the staff!

This was such a great tour! Our tour guide made it so much fun. He was a great story tellerans would let us know ahead of time when there would be a great photo opportunity. Booking the tour was also a breeze. I originally booked it for an earlier time that ended up conflicting with something else we had planned, but changing the time was easy to do and convenient.

We went on the First Lady boat for a 90 minute tour with guide, Mary. She was incredibly knowledgeable and funny too! She welcomed guests on board and asked where people lived. It was informative and a great learning experience! I highly recommend it!!

Great daytime activity in Chicago. Perfect hour long kayak course around Goose Island in a wake free zone where you're able to avoid the bigger boats that are in the Chicago River (but also welcome to venture into the busier area of the Chicago River if you so desire!). The instructors were super accommodating and explained everything really well. Will be back and will definitely recommend to friends. Easy free parking close to the dock. There is also a great two-seater electric boat option that my dad was able to ride.

Went kayaking for the first time, w/Kayak Chicago. Got flipped over in my kayak, dumped into the water, completely submerged, by 2 (strangers) men from Urban Kayak. Was soaked for hours until I finally got home. Lost my phone during the flip. I wanted a police report, but it's been weeks & Kayak Chicago never got back to me about that, or a refund. I talked to a couple friends about what happened, & both said I should get a refund. Had on a life jacket, but was definitely under the water when flipped. I know how to swim, but everybody knows you can still drown even this way. Didn't get to see the fireworks, everything was cut short. I wanted to get to land & home as soon as possible, since I didn't have a change of clothes. Was devastating losing my phone & getting targeted & flipped. Before they flipped me, one of them made a prejudice comment. I did this activity by myself, meaning I came alone, so if Kayak Chicago doesn't care, then I simply get no justice, but it was a awful experience & even 1 bystander said they knew I was dumped in the water on purpose. Kayak Chicago should refund me, plain & simple, but soon as I said that, Dave, the owner, stopped corresponding. So unprofessional, incredibly sad that I was treated this way. Them feigning care, but really don't. Do not recommend either Kayak Chicago or Urban Kayak

We booked a private group tour because we had family coming in from out of town and wanted to show them the city in a different way. Because of a mistake on my part, we were late and I was super stressed thinking we weren't going to get much of a tour or they would be annoyed with us. Instead, they were super understanding and Mark gave us the best tour ever. He quickly learned all of our names and interacted with everyone. He was especially great and encouraging with my 6 year old nephew who was working his butt off to help his dad kayak the river. I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon and will be recommending this to everyone.

Really loved Kayak Chicago. We had super helpful staff and we had a great time! The Kayak's were really nice!

Cub Scout Pack 114: West Loop has done a group tour with Kayak Chicago for several years now. They always do a phenomenal job, are fairly priced, and logistically easy to work with. Their guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, point out wildlife along the way, give little tidbits and pointers, and make this a very safe experience for our group through their instruction and guiding (Kindergarten to adults). Their location on LeMoyne makes parking a breeze.

A great experience but exhausting. We signed up for the fireworks tour on a Saturday night and it was excellent. Essentially, you paddle your way to Navy Pier area, watch the fireworks, and then paddle all the way back. The distance covered is around 6 miles and can be exhausting. Anyone can do this but I would not attempt it if you're not at least a physically active person. Overall, the experience was fantastic and the entire staff was very accommodating. Highly recommend if you're an active person and want an unbelievable experience on the Chicago River.

We were horribly late and Mark, our guide, was wonderful and told us not to worry. He was funny and personable to our 10 person crew. The trip was fun and he was full of very cool facts about Chicago. He was very safety minded and kept everyone in order and safe but in a kind way. Highly recommend. Great way to see Chicago!

We did the firework kayaking. EXPERIENCE: They warn you to bring water and/or food because it's a long ride, and they aren't kidding. We got there at 7:30pm and we got back to our car at like 11:30 pm. My poor boyfriend did a shoulder workout earlier in the day and we definitely recommend against that since it's definitely a workout. It's very long and tiring. They give you training before you take off. It didn't feel rushed, so I wasn't nervous and I had never kayaked before. The views are fantastic. Be prepared for your phone to get wet because the paddles splash water into the kayak (they warn you about this when you sign up as well). I wished I had an action camera, but I was still able to take decent pics. KAYAKS: They have lights that go on the front and the back of the kayaks so it's easy to see. The lights kept going out for my time slot, but they said it was a brand new box that they just opened. So they didn't know it was going to do that, so I am not holding that against them. They have different types of kayaks and have some for folks that have a wider stature. CREW: The crew are very helpful, lively, and friendly. Some of them also do the tour guides so they are also very knowledgeable and were telling me about the history. There was a concert near where we were departing, so the crew texted us ahead of time to warn us to get there early to park and offered to help us find parking. They also let us know where the free parking was and yelled at people trying to charge for parking when they shouldn't be. I found them extremely helpful in terms of parking. When you are kayaking, they don't rush you if you are in the back of the pack. They go at your pace. They wear head lights so it's easy to see where/who they are. OVERALL: The pictures we got from the experience were great. I had a lot of people asking me how they could do it and what company I used. I definitely wish I had a DJI Action 4 (like a go pro, but better for low light scenarios). Just be prepared for a workout!

I've kayaked all over the world, but never through a canyon of steel and glass. With only a couple of days left of summer, I'm trying to squeeze in every single drop of it before cold weather comes to Chicago. Combining architecture, history, exercise, adventure, and only $69, this was an ideal activity for me. I'm very athletic. I exercise 7 days a week, including power lifting 3 days a week. It didn't feel like a workout at all yesterday, but by 3am, my biceps, triceps, and shoulders were actually sore enough to wake me up. While it is an activity for every skill level, it is a 6.5 mile journey, so how much you enjoy it might depend on what kind of shape you're in. The Chicago River has a lot of traffic during the summer. -A lot of party boats, large architectural boat tours, water taxis, speedboats, and jet skis. Being in a humble kayak while navigating all of that traffic can be a bit stressful, but our tour guides were excellent at instructing us how to stay safe while we share the water. They offer architectural tours, sunset tours, and a city lights tour. I'd love to squeeze in a city lights tour before the season ends. Chicago is the most beautiful city in America and ranked 2nd most beautiful in the world. Get a view of it from the river and you'll easily understand why.

Kayak Chicago is such a great time! Great value too. My girlfriend and I took the City Lights Night Paddle tour. We were the only 2 people on the tour with the guide. It felt a little awkward as it was such a small private tour but Mike ("Magic Mike") gave us a tour we'll never forget! He was very knowledgeable about the city buildings, history of the Chicago river, goose island area and everything in between. We got to see the blue river cranes as Mike pointed them out. What a great experience :)

Great experience! Staff was super helpful and informative. Highly recommend. I went with 2 friends and we did the single kayak option. We had a little beginners orientation class in the beginning, which was very nice.

Thé site says 'some athletic ability is recommended' for their fireworks tour. It says generally that I should come out on the river and relax. This is ridiculous. This was an all out effort to the fireworks and back with no break outside the fireworks if you don't keep up. Relaxing? Hardly. When they leader tells you you have to dig deep on the way back ? I'm writing this at 3:30am because my shoulders hurt too badly to sleep. I worked on my form for hours but still got drenched and used my shoulders too much. This is not a great trip for you if you don't have experience. I recommend the tandem if you have a partner so you can share the work. The wake from other boats and the 20-25 inexperienced people you're going with makes this an extremely difficult paddle. People cutting me off and ruining any momentum I managed to create made this really stressful. The jets and current from the walls of the river added to the difficulty. There are companies closer to the lake with shorter tours that you should consider if you're a novice. This one was stressful and we didn't enjoy it at all.

Excellent crew really great lead guide - Matt. Equipment set up and orientation was thorough and help ease our concerns as first timers. So why 4 stars? Well you start around Goose Island which is NOT close to downtown. So you do a LOT of paddling just to get the Nuveen building. We turned around before the Marina Towers meaning we never got passed the Michigan ave and missed a lot of buildings and views. We also did not venture south of the river pass the nuveen building to see the civic opera or by the Sears tower. I almost get that because it would have been physically too much. Which goes back to the location issue and the distance just to get there.

If you are nervous about going kayaking for your very first time - this is definitely the place to do it. After you fill out your waivers and your group arrives, you are fitted to the proper boat and ensured that you understand the basic instructions. The route that you will take starts to be explained and then you head off to the water! At the water, initially getting in your kayak can be kind of scary, but once you're in, YOURE IN! There are workers that are around to help you in for your initial boarding because it will be a little shaky. After everyone is in you spend some time getting used to how you steer your boat, then everyone takes off! The sights are so dope to see from the River. We did the a tour on the Chicago River that went into the early evening hours and were able to learn so much on our architecture tour. The guides were very knowledgeable and the two that we had were sure to stay along helping everyone, since there were different levels of experience. It was definitely a workout but absolutely something I will be doing again with this company!

we rented a small electric Boat to tour the river and we could not have had a better time. So much fun. The man helping us was very friendly.

Evan was the best! So funny and knowledgeable. He made sure everyone had a great time! Highly recommend this business!

Both the man working and his son were very friendly and helpful. The electric boat was perfect for my mom and I, we were able to slowly cruise the river while taking pictures and admiring the cityscape. We had a great time and would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to do a river excursion.

We booked the 3 hour fireworks paddle, and when my husband suggested that the tandem kayak might be fun, I should have listened to him. It would have been a lot less work. My thinking was that this would be a fairly leisurely paddle and we'd have time to travel side by side and enjoy the trip together. What I failed to do was to really look at a map to see this outpost's location, which is up near Clybourn Corridor. It's a long way to Lake Michigan, about an hour and 20 minutes of fairly rigorous paddling. After a helpful orientation, which some didn't really listen to (more on that later), we started our guided tour through the calm waters but ho hum scenery of the North Branch. There were 3 guides on our trip, and they did a lot of coaching and cheering us on, making sure we were all doing our best to keep up. Once we made it to the downtown section we stopped so our lead guide could instruct us on how to deal with the wakes created by larger vessels and the currents we'd be encountering. He also made sure we were traveling in a tighter pack, as now we'd have to stay to the right to avoid the many boats on the river. This is when our ride turned into a game of bumper kayaks, with inexperienced paddlers and those who hadn't learned to use their oar as a rudder (orientation? What orientation?) bumping into me pretty much constantly. In their defense, it was a windy night, which makes a difference with something as light as a kayak, and made for some choppy conditions. And we were too large a group; in these waters, 20 is too many. Often, when the guide stopped to instruct us, I couldn't hear him at all, as we were too spread out, and, a couple of times, I hadn't made it up to the lead pack to hear everything. People were also stopping to take pictures, which I don't fault them for, but pileups are inevitable whenever anyone in the front stops. This isn't a dangerous situation, but it was annoying, and there wasn't any attempt by the guides to make it better, until I got vocal about my frustration. We made it to the lake for 15 minutes of fireworks, then it was a long hour and 20 minutes back. More info on their website would be helpful. Their only caveat for participation is that you should have "some athletic ability", which I do, but I still struggled with the length of this trip and the almost constant paddling. I think if they were honest about the length and difficulty of this tour, less people would sign up, and they know that. There are kayak rentals and tours much closer to the city, and the ones we saw had less people. They looked like they were having fun, even letting us go ahead, as their guide explained to them that we had a lot further to go than they did. Yup.

Fun kayaking destination with options for 1 hr routes or longer. We did the 1 hr route. The first half is scenic so get your pictures in here! The second half after turning at the bend is all industrial factories and junkyard. $40 for an hour in a tandem feels a bit high but overall good experience

I went with a group of ladies from Chicago and we all had varying levels of experience with kayaking (some had no experience, some kayak a lot) and we all really enjoyed the trip. The staff was incredibly helpful and walked us through the entire process. The route was easy to maneuver and it made for a really fun activity for us. I'd never kayaked before and it was such a good time that I was thinking about getting a ten hour punch card to use for the summer.

I took my gf and I to this place and did the Sunset Tour. We enjoyed it but we're gonna try the Fireworks tour next. We gave it five stars becuase the orientation was short and the staff was super friendly and funny (well 5th grade teacher funny - LOL). I liked how they were patience with us, especially sinced we never kayaked before and the views were amazing. Only thing bad is water smells nasty like a hamster cage.

We booked the architecture kayak tour for 2 through Groupon, which came out to be about $50/person for 3 hours, including a short lesson and getting on/off the water. Tl;dr: it was lots of fun and I'd highly recommend checking out this company, whether you're a tourist briefly visiting the city or a local who's never been on an architecture tour here. Some deets: the tours will happen rain or shine, unless there is potentially dangerous weather (i.e. lightning/thunder). Weather calls are made at the time that the tour starts, so I'd recommend showing up regardless of what the fickle weather report says. When we showed up for our 10am start time, it was starting to rain with a few flashes of lightning, so we couldn't go out onto the water and were feeling pretty disappointed. The staff were quite accommodating though, and we chose to wait it out a bit and see if the lightning died out. 45 minutes later, the rain had ended and they started the tour, yay! Our guide (sorry I forgot your name) inserted several dad jokes and interesting stories into the tour, including one about Dave Matthews and "Poopgate". Not sure if the boat architecture tours would be as entertaining haha. Plus, what's the fun in just sitting on a boat and passively listening for the duration of the tour? Might as well get in some good exercise - and then reward yourself afterwards with some of Chicago's deeelicious food! Also, if you're worried about the river water cleanliness, it's no chlorinated pool water, but the city has been cleaning up and beautifying the area recently and it's no longer as contaminated as it used to be. Just don't drink the water directly and wash your hands before eating! Last tips on things to bring: + A bottle of water to put behind your kayak seat! The tour goes at an easy pace, but it's still an arm/core workout + Phone or small camera to take lots of cool pics! They have Ziploc bags and waterproof boxes to store your phone while paddling + A change of clothes if you'd like; you'll probably splash a little bit of river water onto your legs and arms during the 3 hours + Leave everything else you don't need in one of the cubbies in the office, unless you don't care about it getting wet + Your excitement and sense of adventure! :) Have fun!

The Montrose outpost is disinterested in just about everything except...let's see...hmmmm....sitting without being bothered. Luckily, when you're just renting paddles, you don't really need a ton of shmoozing, but a little goes a long way, sirs. Renting stuff was easy enough. Was surprised to see a tip option at the end, given the above, as I'd imagine just a bit more effort by anyone flashing me a screen at the end of a sale that then asks me to put a price on their service. There didn't really seem to be any cleaning in between those that were dropping their stuff off after just being out and those just coming in, like life vests, which I'm pretty used to at rental places in other cities, so just something to note.

We had a great time with Kayak Chicago. Evan was a fun guide. Very knowledgeable about Chicago architecture. It was a beautiful morning in Chicago. Wonderful experience. Thank you. Janet and Wally Johns

At the last minute our family decided to go kayaking near downtown. It was our first time and I have to say it was a positive exciting , experience.. everywhere was booked but we found this spot. The price is right too! The staff was so helpful and there's plenty of free parking. I am exhausted from the trip. But, after 20 minutes I finally started to relax. I would recommend this business to anyone the front staff was nice when we checked out.

What a fun day! I actually used Kayak Chicago through a Shedd Aquarium Outreach Program (I highly recommend this too, btw). Located across the North Ave bridge (we got off the Clyburn redline and just walked) , the equipment is in great condition, the amenities are definitely substantial and of course, this is such a fun out door activity! Depending on your level of skill, you for sure don't need to be in a wetsuit, but having clothes you don't mind getting wet are a must. There are tandem as well as single kayaks. There are quarter access lockers (they are small, but enough to fit a small bag for sure) and you get a key for said lockers. There is a porta-potty and a sink for washing your hands. We picked THE perfect day to come - low winds, sunshine, a solid 80 degrees - you really couldn't ask for a more perfect day. There are hourly rental rates and I would for sure not hesitate to come here again. Thank you!

Kayak Chicago is absolutely amazing! It's a brilliant way to experience so much of the city in a really beautiful, fun and unique way. Charlie, our guide, was the best! Our flight was delayed from Atlanta, and he patiently waited for us to arrive to begin the tour. He was super knowledgeable, fun, and the most entertaining! Highly recommend Kayak Chicago!!

My experience was fantastic, partially, I'm sure, since I was the only person on the tour Excellent covid precautions, kayak use and safety training and a history lesson on Chicago architecture Couldn't have enjoyed the tour or the guide more You really cannot appreciate Chicago architecture like this from land

Friends in town? This is probably a good way to show off the city. I came about this Groupon when I was researching for fun things to do while exploring the city. I got this for about $49 a person, which is a fair price considering that it was a 3 hour tour. We decided to go for the Sunset tour to get enough photos during the day and night! They have other tours such as the night time or earlier in the day. The meeting place was somewhere in this kind of gravel/hidden area of a small street. However, it was easily identified when we saw the colorful kayaks laying around. We got there and were promptly met by the workers. We signed waivers and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. They provided us these windbreakers and vest for safety. There was a orientation before we all got in the river. They taught us useful techniques and oriented us with the route and what we might see etc. (Pay attention to the orientation, definitely important to use these techniques) After everyone was situated, we finally got ourselves in the water with the kayaks. There was two tour guides, one in the front and one in the back. If you are a beginner Kayak-er like myself, it can be very tiring! I constantly found myself behind or stuck on the side. But don't worry, the tour guides will either guide you out or come get you. It can definitely be a little frightening at first especially when there is traffic in the water such as big boats or pontoons. But the tour guides do a good job at warning everyone and when to cue people to the right side! Just don't give up and keep paddling! The view is definitely breath taking. Especially when you get closer to the loop! The tour guides will allow time to stop and take some good pictures. The city was so beautiful at night and day time. I'm also glad we decided on the sunset tour because towards the end of the tour, I got a little anxious because it got so dark and I sometimes fell a little behind with the group. It is smart to bring some water on this tour because you'll need it. My arms were definitely in so much pain that night, I had a hard time sleeping. Maybe it was because I was a beginner but this tour definitely isn't anything relaxing. I would definitely do this again! Oh both tour guides were awesome!

I had a great experience on my tour. I went on the fireworks tour and I was impressed with the organization and safety of the group I was with compared to other kayak tours we passed on the river. They were down to earth and laid back, but nobody was left behind. I had misplaced my AirPods and they had them for me to pick up when I called two days later on my way out of town. The only negative I had was that I was in the second group, so it felt a little rushed with water traffic to get to the fireworks on time and not much down time before the long trek back. Not worth giving less than five stars though! Highly recommend this company over others I witnessed while on the river. Thank you!

We had a great experience! the staff was friendly and helpful. the architecture tour was interesting and our tour guide Mark was funny and engaging. safety is definitely their main priority. the guides were always making sure the group was together and they were really helpful. it's a long tour and a lot of paddling but worth it!

Really not impressed with this company. The staff was fairly accommodating all around, however, they did miss the most important question of all when we returned which was a simple "how was your experience". When we returned our Kayaks, we mentioned to the guy on the pier that the backrest on the seats never really stayed in place. This lead to a really uncomfortable ride all the way down and up the river because our backs were basically leaning on a jagged piece of plastic. When we mentioned this upon return, the only answer we got was "oh...mention that to the guy when you check out". Like seriously? Take some accountability here. I've just told you I wasn't happy with something, now it's your turn to take some action. It's the lack of empathy here that will earn you poor reviews online. Outside of that, some word of caution is that the location here (just off North Avenue) is really not great at all if you primarily want to see downtown. It will take you a good 30-45 minutes to paddle all the way down the side of Goose Island until you get to the start of the real downtown area etc. If you don't mind that ride, then no issues, but it's absolutely worth noting that the start and end of your ride will be rather non-scenic and have you paddling through the littered / smelly waters of the North Branch. Better Kayak experience both due to location and customer service was definitely with Urban Kayaks Chicago.

The sunset kayak tour was the biggest disappointment. For starters, the sun had completely set by the time we got in the water, over an hour after the time we were told to arrive. If we wanted to do a nighttime tour, we would have booked that. The only time we saw the sunset was in the parking lot waiting around for them to start the instructions, which didn't happen until almost 40 minutes later than was specified in the email. The groups were way too large, even by pre-Covid standards, causing all the kayaks to get bunched up in the water multiple times. Additionally, the life vests we were given were soaking wet. Do yourself a favor and skip the tour, and just rent a kayak somewhere else.

Matt, our tour guide with Kayak Chicago, was fantastic! My hubby surprised me with the architecture tour on kayaks and it was the best way to spend a Sunday. Gorgeous views, funny + informative stories about the city and an all around great time. Highly recommend!

Such amazing and friendly staff! They were all super welcoming and helped out any instance they could. They were super informative on what to see as well as where we could or couldn't go. For almost 3 hours of kayaking, we were given a great price! Another plus, is there is an adorable pup there just hanging out! I totally recommend this company for kayaking the river!

Booked a 3-hour architectural tour on a Saturday afternoon. I've been on one of the boat tours and thought this would be more interactive! There was a bit of waiting and the staff were very thorough about getting started. One thing I really regretted was not going in just my bathing suit because everyone else was so covered up. The less you wear the better, because the river water is pretty gross! I'd also bring a water bottle and keep everything else back at the site. Expect to see beautiful architecture and scenic views, but also dead fish, dead rats, and disintegrating condoms floating in the water while you're rowing. This is a 3-hour tour with no bathroom or snack breaks. If you get tired easily, you may want to think about booking a shorter tour--you really do row for the full 3 hours! They provide Ziploc bags for you to put your phone and other items in if you're trying to bring them on the kayak. If your phone isn't waterproof I'd put it in the bag, otherwise there's a pocket in the life jacket you can stuff it in. This activity is a little pricey so pictures are a must! Kasha (at the counter/register) is super great and reassuring! She kindly put my bag in the back and didn't charge me or make me get a locker, and talked me through my first time kayaking alone. I'd ask her for recommendations and advice if it's your first time.

Bubba was very knowledgeable about all the buildings on the architectural tour. He made a lot of really funny jokes and was very personal with everyone in the group. He made it seem as if we had known each other for years! I will definitely be coming back to this location to take a different tour. I work for another kayaking company in Naperville, but I loved this location just as much.

Decided to come out for my birthday to try kayaking for the first time. Our instructor Bubba was very personable, funny, and patient. I underestimated the weather thinking it would be cooler near the water, I was so wrong lol. Wear summer clothes as you will sweat. It was definitely a good workout. I would go again.

Let me preface by saying this was a very enjoyable experience. We made online reservations and kayaked for an hour and a half. The kayaks were all very clean and the staff was friendly. The "checking out" process was absolutely absurd. We timed our kayak trip to get back to the dock with enough time to get to our dinner reservations. When we got off the kayaks, we stood in line for over 30 mins to "check out" and after expressing several times the line had not moved at all and we needed to be somewhere, they finally got the owner who checked people out in less than a minute. Nobody knows what was taking so long before but once we got checked out, all that was asked was "how many and how long did you go for?" Didn't have to sign anything and they already had our card on file. The ending really killed the whole experience as it was completely unnecessary and a waste of time.

Three of us girls went for an unbelievably exciting group kayak ride through downtown Chicago on the river. David, our group leader, provided us with safe passage, while our story teller Kretsch (Brian) provided us with exemplary architectural knowledge, with some humor along the way. While the tour boats coasted by, we never felt as though we were put in any danger. Great 3 hour tour for the money! And tip your waiters! They deserve the extra dough. Only drawback was the difficulty in taking photos. But this was in no way due to Kayak Chicago.

Went to the downtown location. Site has free parking on the street. You don't need to make a reservation so I just showed up. The first thing you do is sign a waiver and get checked in. I showed up with my 45lb dog and they were very welcoming. My dog was allowed to be off-leash on the property while we did our safety orientation. They gave us a single with a large opening so we both fit. From the launch site to the end of the river in downtown Chicago and back is about 6 miles, prepare for a 3 hour kayak trip. I should also mention that you should be pretty fit to do this as it is a lot of paddling. By the time you reach downtown you could be tired, and that's where most of the traffic is. Kayaking downtown towards navy pier youre right next to the river walk. People LOVED seeing my dog sitting in the kayak. I had a couple of nice conversations with people walking next to me. You pay at the end of your rental.

I love it when a plan comes together. Some time ago I bookmarked the fireworks paddle on Goldstar as something I wanted to do. I have no idea how long ago it was, but when tickets came up, it was a nice surprise. I didn't look into the details other than when to arrive and the dress code suggestions. This paddle isn't for the delicate. The route is long (6 miles and 3.5-4 hours) and the water is filthy.* It will definitely challenge you, but if you're up for it, it's a good time. Do it regularly and you could have arms like Michele Obama. We were split into two groups at the beginning. If I had to guess there were 40 of us total in a mix of solos and tandems. We opted for solo kayaks, we've done the two-person raft and we don't paddle well as a team. I recommend the tandem if sticking with your partner is important. During orientation, they review proper fastening of your life jacket and paddling techniques. They starting point has bottles of water for sale, plastic bags for your phones, bug spray and lockers (4 quarters) if you want to leave stuff back at the site - definitely take them up on the bags and bug spray. We stopped a few times along the way. I've seen others note the stops aren't scenic; it's true, but I don' think they're meant to be. Stops are more functional than anything; we stopped to regroup before crossing a segments of the river. There were 4 guides per group making sure everyone was safe. Once we hit The Loop and headed east, we merged into one group to see the fireworks. The view is great, you pull up pretty close to where they launch the fireworks. At that point you'll also welcome the rest. The way back is every paddler for herself with guides spread out along the way to make sure everyone is safe. While you won't get soaked on the paddle, you will get a little wet and as a result disgusting. When you're done with your paddle, do not pass go, do not collect $200 - just go and scrub the river scum off your body. If you're looking for a good time and don't mind some serious paddling - check it out. * The water gets better the further south you go, but closer to the launch you can expect to see condoms, dead fish, bottles, trash and other stuff.

I was back in Chicago for a week after moving away, and a few days before leaving again I was asked to go on Firework paddle. I can't believe I'd never done it before! The experience was uniquely Chicago. You're active, you're interacting with peers, and you're seeing the city from such a unique perspective. And mid-way through the paddle, you get to stop and watch the fireworks at Navy Pier! There's nothing like it and I think it's something that should be experienced regularly. This is NOT a one and done. Rather than taking your friends from out of town for pizza - take them on the water. I mean, the river is NAMED Chicago! The pizza is generic deep dish. The hot dogs on the other hand... After the paddle, you're in such a convenient location to stop at a bar or restaurant for a beer and some food. And trust me, you'll need it. It's not easy. But it's also not difficult. You need NO EXPERIENCE to do this. The instructors clearly love being on the water and introducing new people to the sport. You'll have a great time no matter the experience and/or fitness level.

I booked a kayak architecture tour, and it was great! Beautiful views, exercise, and quite the lesson on Chicago history! We were the only group, so it ended being a private tour. Our tour guide (I'm totally blanking on his name, possibly Adam?) was great, very knowledgeable and a great story teller. We will definitely be back next time we're in town for a night tour!

Super fun night during doing the fireworks paddle with my roommates! The trip down the river at night gives you a wicked gorgeous view of the city from the water...count it as your workout for the day too because this one takes a little while. This was my second time doing this kayak tour and both times, the crew was amazing (except for one girl with red hair wearing a black Loyola long sleeve shirt who kept calling me out for smiling and laughing - watch out for her because she's totally bad news ). 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a new way to see the city at night!

This is the worst kayaking experience I have ever had in the city of Chicago. We made a reservation the day before for 3pm, per the email, we arrived at 2:45 for check in and an orientation so that we could be on the water at 3 to make reservations we had nearby for 4:30pm. When we arrived, we were told to go check in at the hut. When we got to the hut, a very rude man told us we needed to fill out waivers. We did as he said, and then were told to just "find someone in a blue shirt for orientation." There was a tour kicking off at the time we arrived (not advertised when we made the reservations) so everyone in a blue shirt that we spoke to said they were going to find someone for us. Finally a very nice man who seemed like he actually knew what he was doing told us what to do and where to go. Upon getting our life jackets we found out there were not enough paddles or kayaks for our group. At this point we questioned why we even made reservations. Again the man that actually knew what he was doing magically found paddles and kayaks for us to use. Eventually we made it onto the water (at 3:20, so 40 minutes of waiting for the company to figure out what was going on). I would not recommend this company for kayaking in Chicago (especially with how many the city has to offer). The only reason they're getting two stars is because of how much fun my family had when we finally got on the water.

I took the fireworks tour with two friends. I was a little apprehensive at first (I'm not great around water and it was my first time kayaking). It's definitely a workout and I was the slowpoke at the end of the pack. But I had a blast. A big thanks to the entire group guiding us (there were a few, and shame on me for not getting names). Not easy to keep track of 86 people but they were outstanding. They gave us the necessary instruction before we got onto the water and if I had any other questions, I just asked one of them on the river (I need to use my core more when I row). And a special thanks to "Bear" for giving me a tow when I was lagging behind. The fireworks show was spectacular. I live here, so I've seen it before, but it's something special from the water. No, the Chicago River is not the cleanest. You get over that quick (at least I did). So happy I did this and thanks to Kayak Chicago for a memorable night :)

A 3 hour workout dodging floating trash, through smelly landfill air, passed dirty river raccoons, sore shoulders & a numb lower half... all this & I actually had a smile on my face?!? No I wasn't at a garbage dump, I was paddling along with Kayak Chicago. This tour allows you to see the city from a different perspective. You could hop on the architectual boat tour & essentially see the same sights, but you take much more in & appreciate the greatness of each building more so on the kayak. Although the trip was terribly exhausting for a first-time kayaker like myself, it was also very energizing. The staff was extremely friendly & helpful. They were quick to offer advice & were encouraging when I just wasn't understanding the "side sweep stroke". The fireworks are the same ones you can see any Wednesday night from Navy Pier but the show's much more enjoyable when you've worked so hard to get there. It's such a relaxing feeling when you're floating there, no screaming children or annoying crowds to deal with. For only $50, this experience is well worth the cost.

Great kayaking tour group. It's a gentle paddle, though, so don't expect a strenuous workout.

Went on the 10am Sunday architecture tour on opening weekend. It was INCREDIBLE!! I can't believe we have been living here and haven't done it sooner. Obviously the views were breathtaking, this is Chicago after all. So I will review the tour and crew rather than the sensational ducks-eye view we had during the tour. 1. David, Sam and Matt were our guides (if I am remembering correctly). David led the tour- he was funny without being cheesy and was thorough and knowledgable when it came to explaining the history of buildings. The other two gentlemen made sure we stragglers were safe and watched for water traffic while providing informative and fun conversation throughout. Delightful- A+ crew. *BRING SOME CASH TO TIP! We didn't even think about it but luckily had some on hand to be able to say thanks! 2. The tour was long enough to get to see everything and take it all in, but not so long that we couldn't paddle our way back. It was DEFINITELY a workout, do not book this thinking it will be like sitting on a Wendella boat taking a nap. That being said, I am by no means a super fit human with insane upper body strength and I survived. You feel a sense of accomplishment after kayaking 5 miles through Chicago! 3. Don't do a tandem kayak. I went with my boyfriend and we each had our own kayaks. We were able to explore how we wanted and at our own pace while still being together when we wanted. The tandem people seemed like they had a harder time navigating and they ran into me a few (dozen) times. Haha It's so serene and amazing being in your own little boat on the river, why ruin it fighting with your babe about whether or not you're paddling in sync? If you live in Chicago and haven't done this you're missing out. Not the typical tourist attraction. If you're a tourist in Chicago, do this instead of the big boat tourist attractions. Thanks again Kayak Chicago!

I highly recommend the sightseeing tour. It's about six miles of kayaking over three hours and it gives you a tremendous workout. It's interesting seeing the river from water level vs from the shore or from a big tour boat. The ideal temperature to do the ride would be about 70 since you'll have a life jacket on. When I went, it was about 80 and I was sweating. There were several people in our group that had never kayaked but they picked it up quickly. I had only kayaked once about 30 years ago but I kept up with the lead group. Give it a try. It's a great way to get a fun workout!