Wateriders
Wateriders
4.5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
12:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Friday
12:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
8:15 PM - 8:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Full view
About
Wateriders is seasonally closed until April of 2019. As the pioneers of kayaking on the Chicago River, Wateriders has been hosting kayak tours for 21 years. Guests get an unbeatable view of the city's beautiful interior skyline as they paddle through the architectural canyon of downtown Chicago. Both guided tours and open rentals are available. Located on the riverwalk behind the East Bank Club in the River North neighborhood, Wateriders is ideally situated for making the most out of one's adventure, and is easily accessible by all means of transportation. Discounted garage parking available less than 2 blocks away,
Chicago, United States
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingSimilar Experiences
Travelers talk about
Contribute
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
281 reviews
Excellent
225
Very good
33
Average
12
Poor
3
Terrible
8
Raheeq
1 contribution
Aug 2022
I've done two kayaking adventures with Wateriders in the past couple of months. The first was as a school trip but I also recently did the sunset tour with two of my other friends and we all loved it! We live in Chicago but thought kayaking on the Chicago river would be exciting and it definitely was. It's a unique experience that I'd recommend to anyone from out of town or anyone who just likes kayaking in general. It's great for beginners as well because the guides are super helpful and did a good job explaining how to navigate the river. They also were really knowledgable on the history of the city and had some cool stories they shared. Overall, I'd definitely go back again and 100% would recommend (:
Written August 15, 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.
nightstrike04
Hubbard, OH5 contributions
May 2021
This is a cool place to go kayaking. I went on the sunset kayak adventure and these guys went over how to kayak and offered tips for those who are new to kayaking and for those who have some experience. The guides look out for you while you're on the river to make sure everyone is safe and having a good time. And you're treated with quite a view of Chicago as it transitions into night. Definitely enjoy my experience and would be interested coming back next time I'm in Chicago.
Written May 16, 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.
DenverTravelinFool
Denver16 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
Chicago has a side she shows only to her river traffic - and kayaking is a spectacular way to experience the heart of this beautiful city. Our riverfront reservation time was about to be rained out and they thoughtfully called us in advance to invite us to come down later in the day. We enjoyed a band performing on the river deck of the Merchandise Mart, listened to tidbits from other boat tours, saw wildlife, impressive barges, and easily cooled 15 degrees on the scorching day. A bit challenging on the south branch with all the tour boat traffic but the north branch was lovely. The equipment was well maintained, the staff helpful, and the location an easy walk from our hotel.
Written July 30, 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.
Heather R
1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Couples
I did the Sunset kayak tour to see the beautiful city with my boyfriend. It wasn’t as amazing as I’d hoped it’d be because we barely did any touring, and our instructor almost let us get hit by a boat. It was a nice way of doing something recreational in a big city with someone you love, but I would’ve preferred a boat tour over this. We found needles floating in the water which disturbed me even more. It was fun with my partner while it lasted though. Definitely wouldn’t recommend doing it alone as you’d be bored and it was greatly overhyped online. Nice people, little patience for beginners.
Written September 20, 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.
Daniela P
2 contributions
Sep 2021
Yikes. I'd stay far away from this place.
We booked two kayaks in advance. Unfortunately, the day of our planned excursion, we were notified by a company in which we had taken a small tour with earlier in the week, that two people from that tour had tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution for the staff at Waterriders (and another excursion we had booked that same day), we decided to cancel both and start our quarantine, despite being vaccinated.
Waterriders refuses to give us a full refund, unlike the other company we booked with that day, as "per their cancellation policy". If your cancellation policy basically promotes people going forward with a reservation in order to not lose their money for something out of their control, that is selfish & unnecessary.
The only message we should have received was a, "Thank you for letting us know, and we're sorry to hear this. We appreciate you keeping our team safe by staying home. We have processed a full refund for you, and we hope you stay safe and healthy." Instead, I received sarcastic replies from the general manager, Aaron.
Every business that I've seen has notices that say to stay home, if you don't feel well or have been exposed. How is this not the case for Wateriders, especially for simply booking two kayaks? We didn't book a tour or cause any tour guides to lose out on money. They didn't even offer to rebook us for a later date for the same price. These are greedy & selfish people, and you can tell the quality of a business with the way they treat people during circumstances like this.
There are a ton of kayak places nearby. Go somewhere else.
We booked two kayaks in advance. Unfortunately, the day of our planned excursion, we were notified by a company in which we had taken a small tour with earlier in the week, that two people from that tour had tested positive for COVID-19. Out of an abundance of caution for the staff at Waterriders (and another excursion we had booked that same day), we decided to cancel both and start our quarantine, despite being vaccinated.
Waterriders refuses to give us a full refund, unlike the other company we booked with that day, as "per their cancellation policy". If your cancellation policy basically promotes people going forward with a reservation in order to not lose their money for something out of their control, that is selfish & unnecessary.
The only message we should have received was a, "Thank you for letting us know, and we're sorry to hear this. We appreciate you keeping our team safe by staying home. We have processed a full refund for you, and we hope you stay safe and healthy." Instead, I received sarcastic replies from the general manager, Aaron.
Every business that I've seen has notices that say to stay home, if you don't feel well or have been exposed. How is this not the case for Wateriders, especially for simply booking two kayaks? We didn't book a tour or cause any tour guides to lose out on money. They didn't even offer to rebook us for a later date for the same price. These are greedy & selfish people, and you can tell the quality of a business with the way they treat people during circumstances like this.
There are a ton of kayak places nearby. Go somewhere else.
Written September 2, 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.
algxcskier
Evanston, IL185 contributions
Aug 2020
I rented from Waterriders Northwest - Rockwell on the River and had a great experience the people were nice and helpful plus the kayaking was great. The rental was for two hours which was the perfect amount of time. They offered me a lamented sheet to identify wildlife! I highly recommend renting from this group’
Written August 28, 2020
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.
Moji D
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Friends
Philip was an awesome tour guide. He provided interesting historical information about the city, despite the microphone frequently shorting out. He was great at keeping the group safe while navigating the boat traffic on the Chicago River. The tour provided a different view of the city from the water.
Written July 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.
Jami
7 contributions
May 2021 • Family
Great time with a great guide Darin. He was very entertaining and the whole crew for loading and checking in was great. There’s a lot of boat traffic on the river, but they made it safe and were especially helpful for less experienced kayakers. The history was entertaining and enlightening. Really enjoyed this experience.
Written May 23, 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.
MrMackelroy
1 contribution
Jul 2023
This was fantastic! As a first-time kayaker, I was incredibly nervous about getting out on the river, especially for the twilight paddle. The Wateriders staff immediately put everyone at ease, and clearly explained what to do, how to keep safe, and described the entire route to us move-for-move in advance so we knew exactly what we were doing. Their patience and good nature made this trip a real treat.
Written July 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.
Joey M
1 contribution
Jun 2023 • Friends
I brought my friends from KY to Chicago for the first time and kayaking was the perfect way to get a glimpse of the entire city from the water. The river was easy to navigate and the staff were very helpful with directions. It was also nice to have the option to not do a tour and do our own thing.
Written July 4, 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.
I have a family of four...My wife and two kids ages 3 and 6. How would this work? Could each child ride with me and my wife in a single kayak?
Written June 27, 2019
Wateriders Chicago River Kayak Tours
Chicago, Illinois
That's correct! We have doubles that one adult and one child can fit in.
Written June 28, 2019
Hi! I'm a soon to be first-time kayaker getting a tour for my boyfriend and I for his birthday. I can't decide between doing the architecture day tour or the gangster night tour. Both options seem to have such beautiful city views. I might be more nervous during the night tour because of the dark water but I'd be willing to do either. Any thoughts?
Written May 1, 2017
Wateriders Chicago River Kayak Tours
Chicago, Illinois
Hi Heather!
Thanks for reaching out. It is indeed a tough choice, and at the end of the day, it comes down to what is more comfortable for you. Both tours offer great views of the city - during the day you see the buildings in all their detail in the sunlight, and at night, the dark sky is lit up by all of the buildings and the water reflects much of the light, which has a really nice effect.
I definitely understand the nervousness around dark water - many people experience that feeling. If you think that will make you so nervous that when you arrive, you would not want to go, or it will ruin your experience because you are on edge the whole time, then I would not suggest that tour. However, there is significantly less boat traffic at night, which may cut down on the amount of wake on the river. Some people are also uncomfortable with choppier water and boat traffic.
If it makes you feel better, the water is not very clear during the day, either, and there are no dangerous creatures that live in the river. You would be wearing a jacket. Our boats are very stable, especially doubles - and only 10 boats flipped last year (less than 1 in 700). It is very unlikely you would end up in the water.
I personally think the nighttime tours are a more unique experience, and they focus on gangsters instead of architecture and the developmental history of the city, which can be more entertaining to some.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Thanks,
Adam
Written May 2, 2017
Showing results 1-2 of 2