Everything about this was great from start to finish. All of the employees were super friendly and fun to talk with. I did the intro tour as I wanted to keep it easy since I was taking a 10 year old with me. The guide was super helpful and friendly. Luckily we just had one other couple in our group. We stayed close together and all talked to each other. Would love to do one of the longer tours next time.

Superb event! Super fun kayaking around, enjoying the sights, and loving the conversation. Joe, our guide, was super knowledgeable and shared some great information and random tidbits that were both fun and hilarious.Got to enjoy a wonderful light show before looping back to enjoy the fireworks. Always loved gazing at all the beautiful skyscrapersThoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommended!

Great tours with enthusiastic guides. Also, just super great customer service in general. They are quick to reply to emails and are really accommodating. The first tour i did was supposed to have fireworks but the city pushed the time back last minute so we weren’t able to see the fireworks. They gave me a voucher to come back and the process of rebooking was seamless and I can’t say enough good things about the staff here! I’ve done a tour with Joe 2x now and he’s awesome. The fireworks one is super fun although the groups are so big it can be frustrating when people are constantly running in to you with their boats, so I’d be interested to see how a daytime tour is if the groups are any smaller. Such a fun place! Would recommend for both visitors and locals. I’m local to Chicago but these tours have been one of my favorite things to do when I have friend visiting from out of town! Would recommend.

Scott was an amazing instructor. He clearly explained how to paddle and informed our group of all safety tips. The kayak was easy to navigate as a result! Scott’s fun tour facts and signing were a cherry on top. Went at 3pm at the end of September. The weather was a mild 73 but perfect to be on the water. Will definitely come again, looking forward to doing the fireworks tour next year.

Booked a solo kayaking excursion with some hesitancy and once on the tour I realized it was an incredible decision. Matt was a super knowledgeable and helpful guide, with help from other instructors we made it all the way down the river during a beautiful sunset. This was easily the coolest thing I did during my stay in Chicago and probably in the top 5 coolest things I’ve done in my life. Can’t recommend enough.

Historical Tour was an easy paddle and informative. Scott was an engaging guide and added lots of fun facts along the way. Maybe a few less kayakers in the group might have been better but doesnt change the 5 stars or my recommendation.

I went spur of the moment and was able to squeeze into their last session on my birthday. It was AWESOME!!! I had an incredible time and the knowledge I learned about the city was so fun. The views were breathtaking and I got to experience Chicago in a tremendously different light. I would recommend 100%. The staff was so amazing. I will absolutely do it again the next time I’m in Chicago and I’m scheduled to visit Urban Kayak in NYC later this week.

Very nice experience as this is the first time I did kayaking. The instructor was so clear and encouraging. I am thankful for him and for the whole service

My sister and I went to Chicago for the first time and we HIGHLY recommend this kayak tour to see the city!! Our tour guide Nate was super funny and we even made friends with kayak tour goers like ourselves and hung out afterwards for a bite to eat. Thanks Urban Kayaks for the awesome memories!!

This is hands down number one must do experience when visiting Chicago. Adventure, physical exertion, architecture and sheer joy are the results of booking a kayak here. The staff are friendly and professional, the whole booking process seamless, the prices are fair, and the experience of kayaking down the canyon of skyscrapers and under the city’s bridges is genuinely overwhelming and beyond thrilling. You can rent small lockers to store your stuff so if you want to bring a change of clothes that’s easy, and a small changing room to boot! Do yourself a favor and book the earliest possible rental time in the morning, you will have the whole river to yourself and the feeling is simply magical.

Wow! What a great experience! The Chicago architecture had us intrigued...we changed our flights for this experience!Our guide, Nate, was amazing. Our group had been kayaking before, but we chose Intro to Kayaking (1 hour) because this was a new area for us. Totally the way to go, even if you know what you are doing. Nate gave us all the tips about kayaking and cool facts about the buildings we went past. He even told us about the best photo spots. We went early in the morning at opening on a Tuesday in July and it was too perfect! I suggest at least buying a waterproof phone pouch so you take pictures easily. There are locker rentals of $3 for other items as well.I will definitely come back for the fireworks show paddle!

Kayaking here was one of the top highlights of our trip, if not THE best kayaking experience we’ve ever had. The water and city view were pristine.This is a must-do summer activity.

We took the Historical Tour and had a really great experience! The crew was well organized and the equipment was in good shape. The paddle itself was not too hard and we learned lots of nice tidbits about the city. Our tour guide was alot of fun and kept everybody safe. We like to kayak all over the place and this was definitely a unique experience!

Had a great time on the sunset tour of the Chicago River! Our guide, Joe, was energetic and informative and did a great job keeping the group safe despite the crazy holiday weekend boat traffic.

Extremely good kayak introduction to learn and extremely safe being in the busy river walk section of Chicago on a sunday. Appreciate the help and guidance of the crew to make it an unforgettable experience.

Well done fun and easy-going experience. I definitely would recommend if you are not doing the architectural tour. You don’t get the facts, but you get all the sights.

What a great experience and well worth it! Nate and his crew were professional and had a good sense of humor. We felt safe the whole time, and really enjoyed learning more about our city, with such amazing views!

Our instructor Morgan was awesome! Taught us how to paddle and then getting on the river was just too much fun.

Super dog friendly. My pups love going and getting Ion the lake. Staff is super nice!

I took my family on the Chicago Historic Tour and it was fantastic! I would highly recommend. We had Scott and he shared excellent details, fun facts, and cool stories with us.

Had such a beautiful experience at Urban Kayak!! surprised my husband for his birthday and he enjoyed it!! thank you Mathew for being an amazing teacher!! Will definitely be coming back!

Friendly and efficient staff, they had good pandemic measures in place. It is a lot of fun kayaking the Chicago river, the architecture takes on a whole new look from the water, and you can see most of downtown in about a two hour paddle. Would definitely recommend!

I liked the idea of doing the kayaking on the river during the fireworks . It was my bday so that made it special. We took an Uber to the address listed in the email and took an elevator in a hotel down to the river. We thought we were running late but they didn’t start putting people in the water until 15 mins after it was supposed to start. I thought that we would be continuously kayaking while the fireworks were going off. Instead it’s only the last couple of minutes . I didn’t really like going in a group this big because we were very crowded. I was whacked a couple times on the head by people mishandling their paddles . And rammed into the sides of walls, parked boats, and other kayakers .

Its was amazing and the staff was super helpful when we couldnt reach on time because its hard to find parking. Insta: atiqa_x3

Loved it. Ive been to Chicago so many times but this was an awesome way to see the city from a new perspective and Scott was a fun tour guide!

I wanted to share this experience with my 5-year old son since he was too small for the 1st attempt and we ended up paddle boating instead. I grew up camping and canoeing so this felt similar to me… everything was made so simple. Our instructor was great! Our group was a lot of fun and my son had a really great time. We stayed downtown at the Sheraton to make it an entire trip; the next morning he woke up asking can we go again! Thank you for helping to create this memory. We will be back!

Worth. Every. Penny. Guides were amazing, the experience was unique. Best thing we did the whole trip.

We had so much fun doing the History Tour! Our guide, Nate, was hilarious and just generally excellent. Safe trip, not very strenuous, a really beautiful way to experience the city.

We did the 11am kayak city tour. The woman who checked us in was very good and friendly. That said, the tour guide was simply outstanding. I didnt get his name, but he clearly loved doing the guided tours. He was friendly, easy going and supportive. He conversed easily with all. We talked briefly with him afterwards and he told us how much he liked doing the tours. I dont say this often, but hes a real keeper.

Im not sure how they have 4.8*. seriously.. we prepaid, got there at 7:15pm, like they said we need to. at 7:40, the guy goes... we are expecting 14 people, so we will wait for them... hmmm excuse me, but tours should not be waiting for anyone. then the guy goes.. out of the 12 tours today, none was on time.... lol lol lol.. then we get in the water... nothing is guided.. he didnt even know what direction is East. they are around... but they dont guide you.. so waste of money to buy the guided tour

I rarely leave reviews but really want to acknowledge Urban Kayak’s intro tour on the river walk. I was *brand new* and easily the slowest in our group. Our instructor, Ian was great at helping me through some anxiety I had and made sure the entire group had a great time. Once it clicked and my anxiety lessened a bit, I did much better and was able to keep up with the group! Just putting this here in case someone had similar fears of being unable to keep up:) I felt safe/accounted for the entire time and definitely want to keep building up this skill:)

Mom and I loved this experience! We’re first time Chicago visitors and kayaking through the river was something we didn’t know was possible, and it was amazing. We took the firework tour and had so much fun with Joe and the team. We were a big group and they are great at keeping everyone safe from the larger boats on the river. The stops along the tour were perfect for pictures and resting. 100% recommend this to anyone, they will take great care of you!

We had so much fun. Would recommend this to anyone. We did the sunset tour and got the best of both worlds. A hour of daylight and a hour of darkness. so cool

Urban Kayaks on the river is such a fun and unique city experience. We prefer the lake front location because it’s a little more relaxing but both experiences are a MUST do in Chicago! The company is extremely friendly and very clean - especially during the pandemic. They clean every life jacket and boat in between rides. Also this is a great dog-friendly activity! On the lake you can rent paddle board or kayaks, on the river just kayaks. Overall one of the best Chicago activity options out there!

Had a wonderful experience at urban kayak. The staff was friendly and helpful. Did the intro to paddle board and the staff explained and clarified any doubt I had. I have already booked my next tour with them and cannot wait!

We had fun at Urban Kayaks.

My husband and I booked the historic Chicago tour on a recent trip and could not recommend it more to anyone visiting the area. Urban kayaks was very communicative, focused on safety while having fun, and our guide Scott was the icing on top of the cake. He made the tour fun while also making sure to point out and provide the history of different buildings, areas, people who helped shape modern day Chicago while paying homage to the past. Thanks for a great informational and FUN trip!

Adam was the best tour guide! We did the sunset tour and had the most incredible time. This was my first time kayaking and I felt totally safe and comfortable the entire time. The sights were impeccable and it was such an amazing way to see the city.

Would rate 10 stars if I could! Checkout process was easy, tour was great, guide was great, guides information and stories were cool and informative, views were outstanding. The only thing Id tell people is to give yourselves AT LEAST 15 extra minutes to get down there, find parking, and get to the Riverwalk check-in to ensure youre there on time (and by on-time, I mean 10-15 minutes early). If youre not from the city and are unfamiliar with the area, it can be difficult navigating the Wackers and finding your way down to the Riverwalk. Thankfully we made our tour but it was close! All the staff are so nice and knowledgeable. Will definitely be back, totally worth it.

Such a fun way to experience the city! I booked the 1hr intro class for two different occasions and loved it both times! 1hr was the perfect amount of time, and Laura and Steve were great instructors! Would highly recommend and would book again and again 😊

It would have been great expect we were forced to keep up with the group the entire time which was difficult considering I am a beginner at kayaking. Rather than having an enjoyable experience peacefully kayaking down the river, it felt like I was in a race having to constantly push myself without experiencing the beauty around me. I was told in the experience we would be allowed to go slower or faster than the main guides, so I thought I could enjoymy time. However, they constantly made me keep up and I felt rushed. Do not recommend at all, wish I could have just taken my own kayak

Fun time, friendly guides!! Great new way to see the city.

I forgot the guy name but he did say that if we didnt like the whole tour that his name was penelope which was funny. It was a great tour fairly easy for non experienced kayakers. Definitely recommended they are awesome.

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE LAKE FRONT LOCATION.Dont miss this great opportunity to kayak or paddle board on Lake Michigan. Its significantly less congested than the Chicago River. And the air much cleaner. No diesel fumes! In short the Lakefront location has all the elements for a great experience mornings or afternoons! Did I say the Urban Kayaks staff is great?

Nice experience other than getting lost twice trying to find their setup. The address listed is not correct. Ask for specific directions to avoid walking around and missing your reservation. Staff was helpful and the guide was great!

Staff were great and very safety conscious. Lockers and toilets on site. We did 90 minute trip and was well worth it

We love Urban Kayaks! You can rent single or tandem kayaks as you paddle thought downtown Chicago. I personally prefer the lake location as you have the option of renting paddle boards and the lake is much cleaner than the river. The staff is incredibly friendly and they do a great job ensuring the equipment is cleaned after each customer. Also, the views of Chicago are unbelievable. AND you can bring your pup on the water with you; just make sure you bring a life jacket for your pup!

We had a great time with Urban Kayaks. You get a great perspective of the city from the river and our guide Nick was fantastic.

We called to ask if we could launch our own kayaks here and we were given the best service. A gentleman gave us directions over the phone on how to arrive to the location helped us arrive to the launch location and even helped us figure out where to park our vehicle. Absolutely great service for a place we didnt even rent kayaks from.

Such a fun experience! Scott was a wonderful tour guide. Would definitely recommend this tour if youre in Chicago!

So much fun and definitely a great experience

We went to intro to paddle. Worth your bucks. Must try if you’re at the riverwalk. The view is worth it

Really enjoyed going with Urban Kayaks for the Historic Tour. Great info and a really good time. I would definitely recommend for anyone to go on the tour!I think one issue that could be addressed in the future is the group size. The group we were in was just too big and as a result, when in the river, it was sometimes hard to hear over the kayaks bumping into each other or just the distance between ourselves and the tour guide.

My sunset tour was led by Adam and Cisco, both of which were great! Adam was extremely knowledgeable and gave great and enthusiastic stories at each sight seeing stop about architecture, history, and even some haunted ones. I never once feared for my safety and felt I was adequately prepared given their instructions even as a first time kayaker!The length of the tour was about two hours and I felt we got some great pictures and time to rest and talk. I recommend going on a tandem if its your first time and youre going with someone so that you have an easier time sharing the experience!

This was an awesome experience. It was my first time kayaking and it was tandem. After buying the tickets, theres a paddle lesson, then you are told to put on a life jacket. A safety video is played afterwards and then you can proceed to kayak. The Chicago river is pretty peaceful with occasional Rapids but youd have to watch out for the boats. It was pretty cool overall.

Never Kayakd before, or even boated per say. Loved it, easier than you think. Even for a heavy guy like me. Was a blast.

I have to say that these guys were pretty good! It was pretty easy the book two Tandem kayaks on the spot and each adult took out one small child. If you are inexperienced there are some training options for a fee and there are practice kayaks setup that you can sit on by yourself to get the feel for it. Of course there is nothing like actually being on the water, and I will say, you dont need a tremendous amount of experience to kayak. No steep leaning and you are not going to tip even if there is a little bit of a wake. The staff were all very friendly and prices are $70 per tandem kayak, which in my experience is expensive, but you are in downtown Chicago. There is no going into Lake Michigan or past a certain point on the river. Paddle down on one side, cross over the river, paddle back on the other side. There is about a five minute safety video that everybody must watch in advance. This was definitely worth the experience and I recommend checking it out.

Tour was great, tour guide was even better! I forget her name but she just moved here from Detroit. Great attention to detail and inexperienced kayakers, very knowledgeable, super friendly, great teacher, and funny. Will be back

We chose a perfect day to do the historic tour. Our tour guide Zack was amazing. 10/10 recommend for a good time and a little work out too!

Had a great time kayaking on the Chicago River. The leader Joe was very informative and entertaining. The activity was quite a workout but well worth the exhaustion. I would definitely recommend this activity for anyone looking for a little adventure in this beautiful city.

Joe was amazing!! We did the sunset tour and the views were incredible. Joe was engaged, enthusiastic, knowledgeable! 10/10 would recommend to a friend!!

Highly recommend Urban Kayaks especially the Twilight Paddle along the Chicago River. It was such a memorable experience and all of the staff was amazing and keeping us safe from other boats in the area.

Great experience. Very friendly service. Our guide, Adam, was fun, knowledgeable, and easy-going. Gorgeous views.

Great experience. The historic tour has great guides who know some great facts about downtown Chicago. Its also more fun to kayak around than going on a boat tour imo.

Urban kayak was a friendly & safe environment. They make sure you are informed and feel comfortable. Very knowledgeable, we will be back again

The customer service is great, very helpful, and answer all your questions. The safety video is entertaining and they have areas for you to change if you need to. It was east to get in and out of the kayak and they do help you. Kayaking the river was so much fun, the river is beautiful. They offer lockers for $2 and they have free sunscreen.

We’re tourists and the this tour was extremely helpful in showing us the city of Chicago. We had Nate as a tour guide and there was quite a big group of us. He did great! Thank y’all for making us feel safe and putting on a great tour.

Had an amazing night time firework river kayaking tour with our guide Joe. He was extremely knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend if you’re in Chicago!

RUDE AND IMPATIENT INSTRUCTORS! We signed up for the intro to kayak tour. Our instructor, Brian, said he’d hang back with those who were having trouble. Instead he left us in the back as we obviously struggled. He then came came back and said we were a safety hazard and took my sister’s paddle away. He kept barking instructions at us so I asked if we could leave early. He got very defensive at this point and told his coworker I “refused” to listen to him as we were guided back to the dock.This place should not offer BEGINNER lessons if their instructors don’t have the patience to teach. A woman who was also on the tour was more concerned and offered more guidance to us than our “instructor”, what a joke. For $40 per person you’re better off finding a different activity around the city.

Tour guide was good but the girl at the check-in counter definitely needs to “check” her manners (was rude - don’t write your customers off) and truly understand instructions when providing them, instead of just sounding off a repetitive script. If your customer is having difficulty, help them. Girl needs to be taught some soft skills - you have a job in customer service! Also concerning is that they do not clean their life vests in between each customer use. Sweat, bacteria or mildew buildup from water can cause contact dermatitis or worse skin infection (like I got).

Always have a fun time kayaking down the river.Theyre always pleasant. Ive done the architectural tour in past as well. Hit groupon for it.

A great experience on the sunset tour, extremely fun and not too physically difficult. You load into and out of the kayak on a raised platform that keeps the kayak stable. We paddled down to Wolf Point where the river splits, then back out just past Lakeshore Drive to watch the fireworks. Along the way the guides discussed Chicago architecture and history. It was about 55 degrees and I was very comfortable wearing running shoes (which didnt get wet), a swimsuit (which got slightly wet) and a sweatshirt and raincoat (the forearms of which got very wet).

The east branch of the Chicago river is very congested and choppy. I would recommend north or south braches for a more pleasant experience.It was rather annoying to have to do the entire check in process on our phone. The person working there watched us while we booked. I would expect they could do that for us as walk ups .

My wife and I did the historic tour on the chicago river and we had a good time. You get a great view of the city from the river. The guide and the other staff members were friendly and did a nice job of giving instruction and keeping us safe. The one negative side is that it was actually hard to hear the tour guide. There was a lot of noise on the river (from other boats), and because our group was big we couldnt get really close to the tour guide, so most of the time we couldnt hear what he was saying.

We had a great experience. It was my first time, and they had us watch tutorials as well as practice before getting on the kayak. There were people on the lake also asking if further assistance was needed from them. Overall, a really good and helpful group to make this a memorable experience.

We did the night kayak trip. It was amazingly beautiful and was the perfect amount of time. The guides were nice but didnt talk too much, allowing us to focus on the scenary.

If you want to have a relaxing day out in the river Urban Kayaks is the way to go! They were nice and patient with everyone and Kayak Joe kept the tour fun and entertaining!!

Terrible. Would give negative zero stars if I could. Terribly located and gives sh!t directions and completely unaccommodating. Will never even try here again.

Pretty good!Note for couples: Go for individual kayaks since tandem is difficult to control for the first timers.

It was a incredible experience, they’re thorough professionals.I’ve never kayaked before, it was my first time, I was skeptical but they took care of me.Views to the safety measures, everything is amazing.Highly recommend.

Great kayak rental experience. Reserve and waiver online, safety video, there to help you in and out of the water. Be careful around the large boats, but otherwise is outstanding!

Good tour and narrator, but the tour guide should be somewhere in the middle so that everyone can hear not in the upfront. Thanks

My mom and I had a wonderful riverwalk kayak 1 hour rental in late August. Check in was quick with an informative safety video and all staff were following the city covid guidelines. Then we were on our way and had beautiful views of the city from the water! It was so nice to be able to do a fun, low-risk activity on a beautiful day. Will be coming back with my friends!

GREAT time on the river. Checkin was quick and easy, kayak in great shape, paddling on the river was wonderful. I went in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds and big tour boats; left just after 10am.Highly recommend.

Fabulous experience for my family of 4 with me at very basic skills. You could hear the tour guide and we felt safe.

The people are nice and very informative on keeping you safe during your kayak fun. The Chicago River has a plethora of beautiful architecture and sites to see. This is a definite try it out and find out how much you love Kayaking on the Chicago River. Plan your visit today. Tell em Mr. Brown sent cha. Have fun.

Friendly staff and very helpful. The kayaks are in good condition and kayaking along the Chicago River is a highly enjoyable experience. Can do tours or rent to go on your own. I recommend doing the tour first.

Staff was friendly and helpful, didnt leave anyone behind. The views were beautifulllllllll...from the sky setting its colors to the buildings twinkling. Definitely a work out for your arms LOL but overall fun experience!

Was the most fun we had on our recent trip to Chicago. Friendly staff, quality equipment. Great activity for everyone

I took my 2 daughters with me.You are talked to about safety and how to use the paddle.We had a lot of fun,once I stopped going into the wall I finally got the hang of it and felt like a pro. Im definitely going again,bring a change of clothes because your going to get wet.

Great guide, clean gear, streamlined process. Would recommend to anyone looking for a tour of Chicago via the river.

Me and wife went along with another couple that were there. Elias was a very nice young man that did a great job at keeping a inexperienced couple from going off the path along with great instruction in how to paddle. Me and my wife went ahead as the couple learned. We waited under a bridge for boats as Elias shared his knowledge of the surrounding architecture and shared his favorite view. Cruising back was a pleasure to converse with Elias and learn a few pointers. The couple that struggled at the beginning found their rhythm with Elias instructions and were smooth riding by end of tour..I will do again but without guide and others if possible, just because i got the hang of it. Thanks for great experience.

Had such an awesome time kayaking the Chicago river. Matt was an amazing guide with some good stories and history of the city.

First timer. Absolutely by far the best way to get some light exercise and see the amazing architecture along the river. Our guide Andy was great at telling us the history! If you have a hat Id suggest wearing it. No shade unless youre passing under the bridge!

Kayaking on the river was a very fun experience. I love to do this again on a more sunny day.

Great experience! Would recommend the morning tour - Less boat traffic and smaller groups! Equipment was clean, in good working order AND Instagrammable 😉. Tour guide was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable (Thanks Chris!) and the whole experience was smooth and fun. This was an awesome way to get outside, keep active, and see the city.

Very fun way to experience the city. Would recommend for the novice (guided) to the more advanced paddler.

Great choice for a unique tour of Chicago! There are plenty of tours in Chicago, but not as cool from a kayaks view. I did this on a suggestion from a local and was so happy I did! It was a great way to get away from the crowds. Our 2 guides were fantastic and never once felt unsafe. I have kayak experience, but you dont need it. The guides will make sure youre having a good time. I highly recommend the evening tour ending with fireworks. Best seat to see the fireworks!

Renting was quick and easy, guides knew what they were doing. Fun activity for the afternoon.

I took the Intro Session and it was a blast! Scott, I think, and I am bad at names, did a great job of showing what to do and guiding us on a very business river. The whole Urban Kayaks team was very professional and service-oriented.