Kayak Chicago
Kayak Chicago
4.5
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
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About
Chicago, United States
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
326 reviews
Excellent
264
Very good
34
Average
9
Poor
12
Terrible
7
Amber M
1 contribution
Oct 2024 • Couples
As a first time kayaker, I was excited but trepidatious when we booked this tour. When we arrived and met Matt, I immediately knew there was nothing to worry about. He was approachable, funny, and genuine while walking us through the basics and safety measures. My husband and I were excited as soon as we hit the water and realized this would be no stuffy architecture tour, but a fun look into the heart of Chicago's past, present and future. I highly, highly recommend taking this tour as it is the coolest way to get to know a city and the buildings that shape it.
Written October 27, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annewP1387BQ
4 contributions
Aug 2023
We did the fireworks tour (6:30-10:45) on a wednesday night! Having previous kayaking experience should be recommended for this tour. It was LONG 7 mile stretch! The Chicago wind is brutal and makes it difficult at times to paddle against the current. All of the workers are FANTASTIC. Really friendly and are extremely good at what they do! One person on our tour fell overboard and they did an awesome job guiding them back into their kayak and keeping the group safe from other boats on the river. It was a great tour, but it was EXHAUSTING! If you are a first timer, I would recommend a shorter tour.
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tony L
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Family
We were looking for something new to do for one of our family trips downtown. Having done the typical boat ride architecture tour we thought why not add a kayak to the experience? So happy we did, Evan our tour guide did an exceptional job making sure the whole group was kayak ready and then also had insightful architect information as well. We stopped four times to discuss the history of Chicago and the architecture styles in different areas. Great exercise as well! Highly recommend Kayak Chicago and Evan if he's available as a tour guide. Parking available on site which is really helpful. Start of tour eases you into paddling before you approach other boats towards middle of trip. Plenty of food options in the area after, Capri Pizza has fantastic salads.
Written July 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexis Waldo
Guanajuato, Mexico5 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
The staff is very nice but the owners should not offer the minimum rental for only 1 hour, the minimum cost should be for at least 3 hours. With 1 hour you can't reach the city, which is the point to take a kayak on the Chicago river.
I recommend looking for a provider closer to downtown, there are several that charge the same.
I recommend looking for a provider closer to downtown, there are several that charge the same.
Written July 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jen f
3 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
My husband and I took our two teenage sons kayaking with Kayak Chicago last week. We went on the Fireworks evening kayak and it was wonderful. Oscar was our guide and he did a great job of explaining, teaching, and coaching the entire group. It's a beautiful experience and the team at Kayak Chicago keeps you safe while having a beautiful experience.
It's a full evening of kayaking. We arrived at 6:45pm and walked out of the parking lot at 10:30pm. We kayaked the river as the sun went down and watched the fireworks from our kayaks in Lake Michigan. Of all my travel experiences this one ranks up there among the best.
I highly recommend Kayak Chicago, the team, and particularly the fireworks kayak.
Special shout out to the team who looked through all the lifevests for my sunglasses that I safely zipped up the night before.
It's a full evening of kayaking. We arrived at 6:45pm and walked out of the parking lot at 10:30pm. We kayaked the river as the sun went down and watched the fireworks from our kayaks in Lake Michigan. Of all my travel experiences this one ranks up there among the best.
I highly recommend Kayak Chicago, the team, and particularly the fireworks kayak.
Special shout out to the team who looked through all the lifevests for my sunglasses that I safely zipped up the night before.
Written July 31, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joshua L
Chicago, IL10 contributions
Aug 2022
I enjoyed my experience with Kayak Chicago. I rented a paddle board at Montrose Beach for one hour right at opening (10am) and found the process to be mostly efficient. I waited a few minutes on the beach before the staff arrived with the board, but once he arrived he asked about my proficiency and gave quick instructions.
The venue sells pouches for cell phones for $20, but I brought a ziploc bag that they said would be just as good. In retrospect, I actually wish I would've bought the pouch! Definitely would've been a more secure option, but thankfully my phone survived the hour on the water. Ideally, I wouldn't have had my phone with me at all but I wouldn't have had any other way of telling time to make sure I returned the board in time.
The staff is very friendly and personable.
The venue sells pouches for cell phones for $20, but I brought a ziploc bag that they said would be just as good. In retrospect, I actually wish I would've bought the pouch! Definitely would've been a more secure option, but thankfully my phone survived the hour on the water. Ideally, I wouldn't have had my phone with me at all but I wouldn't have had any other way of telling time to make sure I returned the board in time.
The staff is very friendly and personable.
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adnan S
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Family
Very nice kayaking tour ... Our guide (Hootie) was fun and funny. The outfit is incredibly welcoming and friendly, particularly Adam at the front desk. No experience required. It's a little off the beaten path so it's not as crowded and you get to spend more time on the river. You do paddle right into the heart of downtown. There's free parking at the site. They even gave us cold bottled water without charge. We went for the 10 am tour so I'd recommend putting on some sunscreen and wearing a hat or cap. Be prepared to get a little wet from the drippage from the paddles. Next time, I'll probably elect to take the twilight or nighttime tour cuz I'm sure the city lights at night are amazing.
Written June 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chicagomel2
Chicago, IL7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We had a great time! Our small family group of four ranged from a first time paddler to an experienced one. And everyone enjoyed it. The “valley of lights” was amazing - that’s when you’re on the stretch between the buildings on either side. View of fireworks also really good and it’s very fun to see from the water. The guides were fantastic - totally on top of it, had great energy, and kept the large flotilla of kayaks moving smoothly along. Highly recommend this company and this paddle.
Written August 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
weiszguy
Chicago, IL38 contributions
Jul 2022
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.
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.
Written July 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer K
Deerfield, IL3 contributions
Jun 2021
The guys working here are incredible and clearly love their job. Right when I walked up I knew it was going to be a low key and enjoyable time. We showed up 15 minutes late and they weren't even phased and were incredibly welcoming. You can park near where this all takes place, but we parked in the garage by Lululemon and walked (we used Spot Hero to pay for parking cheap). I put my phone and sunscreen in a zip lock bag and highly recommend doing this on the kayak.
Written June 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi is this attraction available at night time?
Written September 6, 2018
I know they do some evening trips but you’ll have to check their website for specifics.
Written September 7, 2018
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