Paddle the Chicago River at your own pace and choose your path through the steel and concrete canyons of this beautiful city!
Launching from our dock under the Kinzie St. bridge, Wateriders is wonderfully close to the heart of downtown Chicago and just a few minutes paddling from the main attractions. We are proud to offer the best urban kayaking experience in the city, at the best rates. Single and double (tandem) kayaks are available.
Don’t waste time and energy paddling from far away to where the highlights are! We are right in the middle of the action. Close to the most scenic areas. Close to the El. Close to the Metra. Renting a kayak with us is the easiest way to experience the beautiful Chicago River.
We provide everyone a lesson before you get in the boat on how to correctly paddle, as well as a quick tutorial on how to stay safe on the Chicago River. Then we set you up comfortably in your boat for your ride! All the hard work is taken care of for you by our guides.
Reserve a time or feel free to drop in (call ahead for availability). However, we strongly suggest reservations – especially on weekends – to ensure you will get out on the water at the time you want.
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WhenSchedule and Current Availability
Rentals will reopen in May 2019. The exact date will be determined by what the weather allows.
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Price (first hour)Weekdays - $25 per person
Weekends - $30 per person
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DurationMinimum 1 hour rental. All rentals are pro-rated $5 per 15 minutes per person after the first hour
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ReservationsTimeslots available every half hour
Reservations take priority over walk-ups
Note: Reservations are for seats, not for a single or double kayak. We do our best to allow you a choice of single(s) vs. double(s), but there do exist circumstances when this is not possible.
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Walk-UpsIt is a good idea to call ahead for availability!
We do not reserve all of our seats in advance - we save some flexibility for walk-up rentals. However, these are subject to availability, and we will make a first-come, first-served waiting list if we do not have boats available at the time.
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Group SizeThere is a maximum of 6 total boats per group without a guide.
If you have a larger group, check out our Group Paddles page!
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KayaksSingle and double kayaks available
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Weight LimitsSingle kayak - 275 lbs (approx.); Double kayak - 450 lbs (approx.)
