Urban Kayaks on the Chicago River

You go with a large group down the river on river walk. It’s very easy to kayak and your with multiple guides. From the website it said you have to have kayaking experience however there was a lot of people in our group who had 0 experience. The farther you go is based on your group and how well people can keep up. There was too many people to really enjoy it, they were crashing into you or just in the way. The guides were fantastic and it is very beautiful to see the city. I did have better views however from the a tour boat and it was less money! Fun to do once tho and I’m glad we did it at least once. Also it’s super easy to get in and out of the kayak from the launching area, that was great! They do give you “lessons” on how to kayak prior to leaving. Maybe a better experience for beginners.

Such an unforgettable experience! Kayaking on the Chicago River was already magical, with the city lights reflecting on the water and the stunning architecture all around. But the highlight was definitely watching the fireworks from the kayak—it felt so special and unique, like a private show above the river. The tour was well-organized, and the guides made sure everyone felt safe and comfortable. A perfect mix of adventure and beauty—highly recommend if you're looking for something different to do in Chicago!

We joined a Saturday fireworks tour and take enjoyed it. The guide led us in a very professional and safe way, which was important because the river is crowded with boats coming to see the fireworks. People wanting a more relaxed experience may want to choose a daytime tour, but it's you're set on the fireworks, Urban Kayaks is the way to go. No clown show about it.

Incredibly fun activity. Cannot recommend this enough. The most fun thing I've done in Chicago. Far more enjoyable than the architecture boat tour. A little intimidating being close to the big boats but the boat is very easy to control

Recently moved to the area and as a long time, avid kayak guy was looking for not only easy access to the river and lake, but great ‘non-tourist focused’ services, membership vs 1 time pricing and gear. Urban Kayaks over-delivered with not only an amazing staff each and every time I get on the water, but allow me to use a more suitable boat, have river and lake options, and the in / out pier set up is fantastic. Huge fan, get the membership — so worth it!

The fireworks tour was great! We got on the water right around sunset and our guide, Rory, was so sweet and made us feel safe on a high traffic night on the holiday weekend. We had 2 hours on the water and have to say the fireworks were kind of lackluster, but that’s not the tour’s fault. We would definitely come back again, maybe with swimsuits on because we did get hit with a big wave on the way back in.

Great view of the city (twilight tour)! Fun and informative, easy to do and the photos you can take are amazing. I didn’t even get my phone wet.

Incredible experience with an exceptional staff. The guides are very patient, respectful and you can tell that they enjoy what they do. Also, one of my party members had to cancel the night before and they were able to give me a full refund. I highly recommend. The best things to do in Chicago 100%

Very friendly and helpful staff! Great experience and beginner friendly and would definitely recommend them!!

We are new kayakers and this team made it feel safe, fun and informative. Mendi & Tom were friendly and great guides.

My niece and I had a great time! It was so fun to kayak around the harbor. We were able to hear the cheers of Lolla while bobbing around on the lake. Everyone who worked there- Elias, Scott, Tommy (sp?) and the grad student who helped us made us feel safe and cared for. I'd definitely use Urban Kayaks again!

The instructors were incredibly helpful in explanations and making us feel safe while kayaking in the busy river. It was a super fun experience!

Had such a fun time kayaking on the Chicago River! It was such a cool and unique experience to be so low in the water and surrounded by these towering historic buildings and boats. We had seen Urban Kayaks online while planning our trip and thought it looked like fun. After seeing it in action on a day that we were doing an architecture tour, we were a little hesitant because of the busy waters, but we decided to do it early morning on a weekday, and we were just about the only ones out on the river. Seriously, only two tour boats passed us the entire time! We went out for about an hour at 9:30am, which seemed to be the perfect time for calm waters. They have an informational video you watch before heading out that does a great job educating you on the safety of the river, and where you can go for the time you're planning. An hour went by super quick, and we were paddling most of the time, so if you want to relax and take in the scenery a little bit more, you may want to allocate more time for this!

The guide was knowledgeable of the businesses involved in the river. As well as Chicago history. I would recommend getting a room if you dont stay close because you will get wet

Beautiful twilight cruise. Josh made it fun with excellent training tips and Cole was great also would highly recommend and hope to do it again.

Overall a pleasant experience. Lost 2 stars only because of 1 rude staff member. They have plenty of kayaks for rental so we did not need to worry that they would run out. Our group has had experience kayaking before, so we opted for the rentals and not the guide. Before going out on the river, they had us watch an informational video which was very helpful in understanding how to navigate the river. Then, we were instructed to "pass" one of their male staff member's "test" in order to allow us to go to the river without the guide. They made us sit on these benches and the staff member asked us to demonstrate how to go front, turn right, etc with the paddle. Now kayaking is not rocket science, but this staff member was SO RUDE AND CONDESCENDING FOR NO REASON! We knew how to do the strokes but he kept grilling us and making us feel bad. I listened to their other female staff members conduct this test in other sessions and they were so sweet and helpful but not this man. He completely soured the beginning of our kayaking experience. Thankfully, he allowed us to go without a guide. Honestly felt like a total upsell to try and get us to purchase a guide even though we felt confident to kayak on our own. When we actually got on the river, it was very peaceful, fun, safe experience.

Fun way to see all the buildings and sites of Chicago riverwalk. Would def recommend it for out of town. Go at your own pace.

Really fun place to kayak and see the city! Went with my friend and we really communicated to eachother well while kayaking! I think coming here for a first date wouldn't be a good idea since it requires a lot of trust I recommended this place even to native chicagoans

Perfect customer service, very knowledgeable staff and wonderful experience overall. It was a really pretty day too, perfect for kayaking

My first kayaking experience was great! Everyone in my group were inexperienced and Ashlynn was so patient with us! She gave a thorough safety and paddling training and continued instructing while we were on the water. I felt safe in her hands!

The group that was managing the kayaks our day was terrific. They were quick and efficient and very personable. They gave us the rules of the road on the video which is very helpful. We have kayaked in many areas but never in a VERY busy river with many large boats coming and going. The video is critical to a great experience so don't ignore it or skip it. There are BTW some very large fish in the river so be prepared to meet them as they jump up to greet you!

I rented a Kayak for a self-guided one-hour tour on 7/19/2025. A truly fantastic experience. I would highly recommend doing the earliest time available due to the boat traffic on the river. I think only three or four tour boats passed me on the three mile round trip. While in Chicago, I did the architectural boat tour and walking tour, however, this one was the best way to see the river. The customer service of the staff was excellent and accomodated my length by giving me a larger kayak.

Fun activity, but the guides were hard to hear and people not directly beside him (Mende) could not hear. The other one spent most of the time talking about crass jokes and yawning (Tyler) can't recommmend esp with these guides

My fiancé, and I, and his brother, kayaked on the Fourth of July weekend. Such a fun time, worth the money!

Excellent customer service. Great experience. Would definitely use this company again and will recommend it to our family and friends!

Went last night (Saturday) and not great. They had like 8 tours going in at one time. So crowded. Guides would get mad if you tried to go around all the kayaks even thought we were packed sardines along the wall. I've kayaking a few times, even guiding ones like this and have never had just a bad experience. I couldn't wait to get off the kayak during the chaos.

Drew was a great guide! Not my first Chicago tour but he still taught me many new and fun things. Staff were all nice and made sure everyone was safe.

Amazing time on the water seeing Chicago from another perspective. Our tour guide was wonderful and informative, all while keeping us safe on the busy river. So much fun and would do another one of their tours next time I am in town.

I was disappointed in the sunset tour we did on 7/24/25. My wife and I dutifully showed up, as we were instructed, 15 minutes prior to the seven o'clock start time to receive a tutorial on kayaking and how the tour would proceed. This didn't start until seven and our guide led us through a few simple instructions and introductions that meant we weren't on the water until 7:20. Our guide, Liam, led us up the river giving us interesting tidbits on the history and architecture along the river, unfortunately he was talking through a megaphone so at times it was difficult to hear him. He was enthusiastic and personable which was definitely a plus. As we neared the dock it was 8:45, granted the days are getting shorter so it was getting dark but might an earlier start time be in order rather than cutting short the whole tour? As it was we were only on the water for an hour and a half, much less than the two hours advertised. This was definitely not a $140 value. If you're interested in the architecture along the river perhaps take the boat tour, which is excellent, and do a solo kayak venture later.

Wanted to take my fiancée on a visit through the riverwalk, but didn't have too much time to do the architecture tour. So instead, we opted for a 1hr rental at Urban Kayaks. Getting here does require about 10-15min minimum of walking pretty much regardless of where you park so plan accordingly. Once you get there though, there are a few safety checks you need to do. Afterwards they direct you to an area to watch a video regarding kayak rules specifically on the river walk. The staff I felt like weren't really paying attention and we ended up sitting for a while just waiting before someone asked and we were told we had to start the video ourselves. A bit annoying to waste some time, but thankfully they don't start you for the hour rental until you're actually on the water which is nice. The kayaking itself is nice. It can be slightly chaotic with all the big and small boats. Waters can be a bit gross, too. But the views of the city while kayaking are second to none. Since we didn't do a tour, we were able to pretty leisurely go around the riverwalk. I've lived here for almost my entire life and have been on the river walk many, many times. But this was the first time I've ever seen it from this angle and I'm really glad I tried it! Definitely would consider this a pretty quintessential activity for summertime Chicago. Though if you're really balling out, probably opt to rent one of those small boats lol.

Great activity! Everyone should experience the river on a kayak at least once, whether you live in the city or are just visiting! The company was easy to work with. We made an online reservation and completed all forms online. We watched a safety video and showed up at our reserved time. We were given life vests, briefly practiced rowing techniques, and got to it! We reserved an hour in the morning, which was perfect because there were barely any boats. At the point where the river splits, you choose which way to go. You can also do guided tours with stops throughout the river.

Had a wonderful experience kayaking with Urban kayak! The staff treated us so nicely and our instructor, Mac, taught us and guided us throughout our session. she was a such an amazing person. Thanks to Urban Kayak and Mac for making this a memorable experience for us!

Really cool tour but couldn't hear a word our guide said. He was great I'm sure. We just couldn't hear him. Group size too big.

Was visiting Chicago for the first time and my friend really wanted to go kayaking on the Chicago River. We stumbled across Urban Kayaks while exploring the Riverwalk and found that it was the only place to rent kayaks. They offer various packages from single to tandem kayaks during different times of the day. For normal hours, they charge $35/person/hour for experienced kayakers and $45/person/hour for beginners. Service: (5/5) The manager, Matthew, was extremely kind and helpful with assisting us during the rental process. He was very patient and guided us throughout the whole process. After payment, I was given a card to hold onto to check in/check out the kayak on the dock (this card can later be presented to receive 10% off food and drinks at the next door taqueria). We were instructed to watch a brief safety video that explained the rules of the river and how to safely navigate it. We were also given a practice demonstration and recap on how to kayak before we proceeded. Both the safety video and practice demonstration were very helpful and informative. I am very grateful that they provide both of these as this is the first time I've kayaked in this type of environment. Urban Kayaks has a nearby restroom and offers locker rentals for $3 which was extremely convenient. We put on our life vests and proceeded onto the river. Ambiance/Experience/Overall: (5/5) All in all, I had an amazing experience kayaking on the Chicago River. This was definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am glad we set out the time to do this while visiting Chicago. It was great being able to take in the amazing city views while being on the river. My only wish was to be able to kayak to Chinatown ourselves and return the kayaks there to save time. Huge shoutout to Matthew and all the Urban Kayak staff members for being so kind and helpful throughout the whole process! Would definitely reccommend this to anyone visiting the windy city!

I was a little apprehensive, at first, kayaking on the Chicago River but I really wanted to try. Laura was a wonderful guide; patient, kind, safe. We had a little review session before climbing into our kayaks. Which was a great idea. I brought friends from out of town. They loved it too.

Sasha was so much fun!!! Best jokes! Highly recommend the sunset tour. Great for all skill levels.

I have been a member of Urban Kayaks for about 5 years now. I love it. I kayak both the River and Lake locations depending on the day. The joy of our great city is brought to life with a bit of great exercise and outdoor time! The River from a boat is so different and the lake and its views are special. It is great knowing I can sign in, reserve and have a kayak, paddle and life jacket all set. Well one thing is as great, the people who work here add so much to the experience. I thank Urban Kayaks and its people for making summers so great and highly recommend them to visitors and residents alike!

Loved this experience. Would do it again for sure. Next time I would do the sunset or firework tour.

We rented kayaks while visiting CHI. I have also taken a tour with Water Riders and both are great companies. The staff here was very friendly and we had a place to store our luggage too. It was easy to get on a kayak and return toboats, their dock. It does get a little dicey crossing the river and dodging the tour boats but once across stay near the edge of the river and you will be fine. This is a fantastic way to see downtown CHI.

Best time to go kayaking is as early as you can; the sun is not too hot, the wind is comforting and the waters are calm. DO wear sunscreen, bring a hat, some water and sunglasses. Dress comfortable and expect to get a bit wet from water dripping off the paddles. Nelly, my guide was the bomb dot com. Very skillful, talented and patient. She started me out with a paddle lesson to test my comfort level and asked questions to check my fear level. No fear here. So far, this is the BEST thing I have done all summer. Anyone interested in kayaking, please try it. The views from the water are amazing. Being in the water is amazing. Working the paddles to navigate your ride is an amazing upper body work out. Lol.

Definitely worth it! AJ gave us a 5 star tour. We had a wonderful day! Also, if you have gloves, bring them.

i booked the architecture tour as a person with no kayaking experience so my review it partly biased to my own limitations. it was advertised as beginner friendly but it is definitely NOT. If you have never kayaked before, they have single lessons that you can still enjoy just being in the river that is cheaper than the tour. But in a group setting, you will get left behind. There was not enough time in the water before starting to move to truly practice. I missed out on half of the information because of the pace the guide was moving. Also, kayaking 3 miles for a beginner is kind of wild. Besides that, friendly staff but can do a better job managing guests in the water under tense situations as a newbie.

I had not planned on kayaking, but as I was awaiting slow walking friends, I began chatting with Dana. A shared interest in weight-lifting, kayaking, photography, and travel, along with a nudge to go for it created the "What the heck - why not?" shove I needed. After a quick video on river safety, I was paddling across the river for my hour long sojourn. What made this excursion worth it was that Dana offered to join me on my trip up river, great conversation regarding his studies and work (a true academic with a PHd). The negatives: Sign said solo ride was $35. I was charged $40. Disinterested female staff behind counter. Lockers available to store your belongings.

Took a river kayak intro tour with my friend for a birthday. Absolutely loved our guide Sasha - so full of energy and very kayak-savvy with an impressive handle on river safety. He also took photos and sent them to us FOR FREE! Note - the intro tour is short and designed to be for beginners ... so not a huge focus on sightseeing. Would choose self guided or the longer tours to get more of that, which Urban Kayaks also offers. Crazy up charge on water bottles so bring your own. Overall definitely recommend this activity as a fun thing to do in downtown Chicago. Get out there asap before it gets too cold. Also - lots of very affordable parking spots nearby on SpotHero

No, thank you! The experience was quite sad. It all started with that girl at check in who was quite rude and unprofessional. We were there, a huge group of us, asking questions, trying to figure out the plan with kayaking, while she basically kicked us out of the line and demanded to leave. Which we did, we eventually left and we are never coming back.

So ive been kayaking many times before in the back bay in newport beach, CA and never needed any training or life vests or anything so was confused at first when they made us watch a video and did a paddle assessment. I very quickly understood why they had to the moment we got on the water. My partner and i ended up capsizing and were freaking out. Urban kayaks were AMAZING with helping us and taking care of after. They got us out immediately and made sure we were ok. Not only did they apologize for not picking us up sooner- but also provided us with free tshirts!

Wonderful experience! Took part of an Historic Chicago tour Father's Day weekend and it was fantastic. While I will say coming from the burbs, traffic going into Chicago can drive a sane man "Insane" . Once you're able to find parking and the commute to the site it's clear paddling. I guess I should mention the booking process was easy breezy online along with signing the waiver which you can also do at the site. The business grounds are well kept and organized with plenty of staff available for support. Check in was also a pretty smooth transition. They have lockers available, changing room, bathrooms next door at a local establishment, souvenirs, and of course mandatory life jackets to be worn while out. I believe my tour was fully booked so the group I went out with all seemed excited and happy. Laura, Laura, Laura!!! Tour guide Laura was super cool and very knowledgeable. Took a 15-20 minutes course on how to properly travel up and down the river, how to maneuver in your kayak, and most importantly the do's and don't. Once it was time to get going everyone walked down a ramp where support helped us get in our kayaks and on our way. 90 minutes out on the water had a little bit of everything to offer! Fun times bumping into another participate while pushing up the river. Lots of engagement and folks talking to each other which is better than complete silence on a tour helps! Laura did really awesome explaining several historical events, sites, landmarks and so forth. I will say sharing the river with big tourist boats is not much fun as they eat up most of the river and have the right away. All in all definitely would recommend giving it a go. Almost forgot, good chance you're going to get soaked. 5 out of 5 outing!!!

Kayaking the Chicago river is fun interesting and a nice photo op. You will find Urban Kayak at the far end of the RiverWalk just before the entrance to Lake Michigan. Due to Covid as of today you must buy tickets on line When you arrive you will leave a credit card and receive a time card. There is a video to watch to learn a out the rules of navigation . After that you select a snug life jacket and are ready to go. You will meet a staff person at the kayak ramp who will mark your start time on your card. You walk down a ramp and board your kayak receive your paddle and you are ready to launch. The launch ramp has rollers so you roll your kayak into the water pulling on handrails. There is a fair amount of Boat traffic between tour boats, work barges and pleasure craft. If you stay close to the river walk on either side, you will be fine. You can take your time on the river. There is A lot to see . If you are gone past your hour time, no problem. For every 15 minutes past your paid hour, you will be charged $7.

This was an amazing paddle! The staff was knowledgeable and friendly and they were aware of their surroundings. A relatively easy to Beginner stage effort. Don't forget your cameras and make you know how to take night pics/vid. The lights from the buildings are spectacular!!! I would 1,000% take the sunset or twilight tour (I forgot what it's called) purple sky's, built backgrounds. Enjoy!

Great way to explore the city in a true outdoorsy manner. We've done the other tours in the past and I wanted to try this. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to see the city from a different perspective.

Such a fun experience. We went on a sunny Friday and we're originally scheduled at 2pm. Last minute I asked if we could move to 3pm and they were very accommodating and allowed us to. The trip itself was fun and informative. I will say, it is somewhat of a workout. I had some blisters on my thumbs so I wouldn't recommend this for older individuals.

It took me a while to leave a review. We kayaked during the DNC and seeing machine gunners on the river was a trip. Quinten was our guide and what an exceptional young man. Told a little facts and stories of buildings and the river it's self. Gave us advice on how to paddle more efficiently. Kind and patient. Best time had in Chicago in a long time. Go for a paddle and ask for Quinten to take you!!!

We are from the Chicago area and have been downtown many times. This guided architectural tour was exceptional - such a unique way to view the city! We learned some new facts along the way as well from our terrific tour guide Laura. All of the tour guides collaborated in keeping us safe on the busy waterway. This was a great tour for all levels of kayak experience.

My visiting family members and I had a great time! Beautiful day, great tour, fun guide. We'll do it again.

Compared to other companies, their equipment seems to be old and beat up. We had a group of 10 for a fireworks cruise and we experienced an issue where their paddles, which are adjustable length paddles, leaked some type of oil or lubricant on to my shorts and shirt. The paddles are extendable and the joint where they can be extended was leaking fluid! Pretty upsetting and when I told them about it, they told me to go home and wash it all because it happens to them all the time and it usually comes out. I did and with no surprise it did not come out and my shorts are ruined. I called to request some sort of reimbursement for my shorts l and they claimed they don't do anything about getting 'wet or dirty'. Disappointing. Beware!

easy on line booking, friendly staff nice option to get some exercise and see downtown Chicago

We had a great time at Urban Kayaks with Syd as our guide. We were able go at our own pace (entry level) and enjoyed a memorable experience.