Chicago’s architectural river cruise named most popular tour in America

Long regarded as the best way to take in the Windy City’s world renowned collection of famous buildings, the architectural boat cruise on the Chicago River has earned national recognition as the country’s top tour. According to the travel site TripAdvisor, the Chicago attraction tops a list comprised of the most popular tours with the greatest amount of traveler interest between March 2016 and March 2017.

While Chicagoist notes that the recently-released ranking specifically singled-out operator Shoreline Sightseeing, the blog also mentions that similar tours offered by groups such as the Chicago Architecture Foundation are equally deserving. Edging out famous attractions like the Grand Canyon and the Statue of Liberty, the nation’s most popular tour is among distinguished company:

1. Chicago Architecture River Cruise, Chicago, Illinois

2. Grand Canyon West Rim and Hoover Dam Day Tour, Las Vegas, Nevada

3. Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour, Las Vegas, Nevada

4. Muir Woods, Giant Redwoods and Sausalito Half-Day Trip, San Francisco, California

5. Napa and Sonoma Wine Country Tour, San Francisco, California

6. Big Apple Helicopter Tour, New York City

7. Big Bus New York Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

8. Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour, New York City, New York

9. San Francisco Hop-on Hop-off Tour

10. Las Vegas Helicopter Night Flight, Las Vegas, Nevada

Last year, Chicago was named Condé Nast Traveler’s number two US city to visit and set a new tourism record by attracting more than 54 million visitors. With the city on track to add more than 2,100 new hotel rooms this year, Chicago’s hospitality industry is riding high and optimistic about the future.

• TripAdvisor Reveals America's 10 Most Popular Tours [TripAdvisor]
• Chicago Is Home To The Most Popular Tour In America [Chicagoist]