Chicago Night Tour Prices, and What the Fare Leaves Out

Most chicago night boat tours cost between $28 and $50 a person, and the fare is close to the whole bill. What it leaves out is small but adds up: drinks, tips, and on the flight, the longer routes. This guide goes through each option. It shows what the fare covers and what you pay on top, and what a family of four spends in the end.

How much does a Chicago night cruise cost?

Between $28 to $50 a person. The 45-minute tour is the cheapest at $28. The sunset cruise costs $45, the storytelling cruise $46, and the By Night cruise $50.

The bus costs $55, and the helicopter $129.99 a seat. Here is what each fare buys and what it does not.

Fares are per person, the lowest the listing offers.

Which cruise gives you the most for the fare?

Measured by the minute, the 90-minute cruises. The sunset cruise works out at $0.50 a minute, the storytelling cruise $0.51 and the By Night cruise $0.56. The 45-minute tour costs $0.62 a minute, and the flight $18.57.

The By Night and sunset cruises also give you the lock and the skyline from the water, which the river cruises do not. If you only buy one fare, that is where your money goes furthest.

Is the same cruise cheaper under its other title?

No. First Lady's By Night cruise is sold under two titles, both at $50, and its storytelling cruise under two, both at $46. Pick whichever shows the date and the boarding option you want.

What does the fare include?

On a cruise, the fare is the seat, the commentary and the restroom on board. First Lady's By Night fare adds all taxes, fees and handling charges, and Wendella's sunset fare includes all fees and taxes. There is no gate and no entry ticket behind it.

On the bus, the fare covers the guide, the historic film footage, a mini mob museum, a souvenir brochure and a crime quiz. On the flight it is your seat and the pilot.

Are drinks included?

No. Every boat has a bar selling beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks, and Wendella's takes cards only. You may not bring your own alcohol on board.

On First Lady's By Night cruise you may bring your own snacks. The crime bus allows no food or drink at all, so eat before you board.

How much should you tip?

The crime bus suggests about $5 a person, in cash or by Venmo. That is the only figure any operator here gives.

The cruises leave gratuities out of the fare and name no amount. Tip what you think the guide or storyteller earned, and have a card ready on Wendella boats.

Do children pay?

Under-4s ride free on both cruise lines, but First Lady still asks you to get them a ticket. On Wendella's own fares for the 45-minute tour, adults pay $28 and children aged 4 to 12 pay $14.

First Lady charges a lower child rate for ages 4 to 12 as well. The fares shown here are adult fares, so check the child price for your date when you book.

Is priority boarding worth it?

First Lady's cruises offer general or priority boarding when you book. Priority boarding starts 20 minutes before departure, five minutes ahead of general boarding.

Those five minutes get you first pick of the top deck, which fills first. First Lady says every seat has a view, so pay for it on a crowded summer night and skip it in November.

The option shows its own fare when you book. Compare it with the general fare for your date before you choose.

What does a helicopter seat cost?

The 10-mile flight costs $129.99 a seat, which works out at $13.00 a mile. It lasts about seven minutes, counting take-off and landing. The longer 16- and 30-mile flights cost more.

Two things can cost you extra. Arriving more than 10 minutes late brings a $25 late fee, and the booked time is your check-in time, not the take-off. Groups of more than three may be split between aircraft.

What does the crime bus cost on top?

Very little. The Night Crimes bus costs $55, and the only extra is the suggested $5 tip. The mini mob museum at the first stop is in the fare.

There is nothing to buy on the bus, because there is no eating or drinking on board. There is no restroom break during the tour either.

Can you cancel?

Yes. Everything here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. If the operator calls off a cruise for bad weather, you are offered a new date or a full refund. If the forecast looks bad, you can wait until two days before, then cancel ahead of the 24-hour mark if you need to.

A missed boat is different. First Lady does not refund a passenger who misses the sailing, so arrive 30 minutes early.

What does a free evening cost?

Nothing, if you walk. The river walk, the projections on the Mart, the fountain in season and Navy Pier are all free to enter. You pay only for a deck, a cruise, the bus or the flight.

A good split for a tight budget is a free walk on one evening and one paid cruise on the next. Our guide to what is open late has the hours.

Is the museum ticket an evening option?

No. The timed museum entry costs $25.95, the cheapest fare here, but the museum opens only from 9:30am to 4pm. It is a ticket for the day before your night out.

The U-505 submarine and the Coal Mine tour cost extra on top. If you add one, enter the museum an hour before it starts.

Do you need to pay for parking?

Only if you drive, and only in a public garage. First Lady points drivers to the garage at 111 E. Wacker Dr, with a validation at its ticket office. Wendella has no parking of its own.

The rates change, so check them at the garage, or walk or take a cab to the docks.

What does an evening for two cost?

It depends far more on what you book than on the extras. At the fares shown here, for two people:

• The 45-minute tour: $56, plus drinks if you want them.
• The sunset cruise: $90, and the bar takes cards only.
• The crime bus: $110, plus about $10 in suggested tips.
• The 10-mile flight: $259.98, with no extras to buy.

The free parts of the evening, the river walk and the projections, cost nothing either way. A paid deck to finish is the one extra most couples add.

What does a family of four spend?

At the adult fares shown here, four seats on the By Night cruise cost $200, and four on the sunset cruise $180. Four on the 45-minute tour cost $112.

With two children aged 4 to 12, Wendella's own fares for the 45-minute tour come to $84. Add drinks from the bar and a tip. The crime bus is recommended for ages 10 and up, so it suits older children only.

For two adults, the By Night cruise comes to $100 before drinks and a tip, and the sunset cruise to $90. For the cruise itself, compare the night boat tours side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Tours from the cheapest seat to the dearest

Chicago River 45-Minute Architecture Tour from Magnificent Mile

Forty-five minutes on the river with a live guide from 400 N Michigan, on an open top deck or in a sheltered lounge. It runs by day, and its last departures reach dusk.

From $28 per person

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Lake Michigan Sunset Cruise in Chicago

Ninety minutes from 400 N Michigan, timed to the sunset: the river first, then the lake as the lights come on. Light narration from the crew, not a guide; the bar takes cards only.

From $45 per person

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Chicago: Downtown Chicago Skyline Helicopter Tour

About seven minutes over the skyline on the 10-mile flight, from the vertiport at 1339 S. Wood St; longer flights cost more. Fly Heli sells sunset and evening slots.

From $129 per person

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