9 Best Tours in Chicago

Chicago is one of the most important cities in the United States, as well as a tourist hub due to its culture, cuisine and entertainment activities. If you travel there, you will be enchanted by its beauty and find a great number of things to see and do in Chicago. It is no surprise that it has received the "Best Big City" award in the United States for five consecutive years.

Whether you want to learn about its architecture, art, cuisine and mysteries, or if you prefer to discover Chicago's musical shows and nightlife, this article provides a guide to the best tours of the city to help you organise the ideal itinerary for you.

Chicago is a city that stands out for its varied international cuisine and also for being the birthplace of some typical American dishes that its inhabitants are proud of.

Being a very cosmopolitan city, the typical cuisine of this region is characterised by its roots in different cultures. Traditional dishes are inspired by areas as far afield as Europe and Asia, making Chicago's food rich in both ingredients and flavours.

What you can try on these tours

On Chicago 's food tours, you can discover the city's iconic culinary creations, such as the Chicago-style hot dog, which is much more than just a sausage in a bun and is a complete meal that will satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.

On Chicago's food tours, you will also get to try its famous pizza. I should warn you that it's quite different from the pizza you eat in Europe, and I must admit that I was hesitant to try it at first, but after doing so, I really liked it.

Chicago-style pizza, or deep dish pizza, is characterised by its thick crust and dish-like shape, which is filled with different ingredients (sauce, cheese, salami, etc.), making it more like a stuffed pizza than a traditional Italian-style pizza.

Chicago's craft beer is also renowned for its quality and unmistakable flavour. You can also try it on these comprehensive food tours of the city.

Finally, if you want to try a local dessert, doughnuts are the city's most representative treat.

Details of interest

• Price: from approximately £35 per person.

• Duration: between 2 and 4 hours depending on the tour you choose.

• Means of transport: most are on foot, but there are also food tours by bicycle.

If you enjoy riding a Segway, you can easily explore the city of Chicago this way, as there are companies that specialise in offering visitors tours on this increasingly popular mode of transport.

Segway tours have become popular in several cities around the world thanks to their practicality and affordability.

This type of vehicle allows you to cover more kilometres and its size also allows you to avoid traffic congestion in larger cities, enabling you to optimise your time during the tours.

Segway tours of Chicago are an ideal way to get to know the city without having to walk too much.

The guides on these tours have the certifications required by city law, which gives you greater peace of mind.

You can choose between daytime tours, visiting the city's most famous landmarks such as Grant Park or Soldier Field, or a night-time tour of the city's mysterious and haunted places.

Details of interest

• Price: from £73 per person.

• Duration: approximately 2 hours.

• Means of transport: Segway.

Whenever I visit a new city, I spend the first day exploring it on a tourist bus to get an overview and then delve deeper into the places that interest me most.

Chicago's tourist buses pass by all the city's attractions and can also be used as a quick means of transport from one place to another.

Tourist bus tickets offer very good value for money when you consider that you can hop on and off at any stop and travel as often as you like during the validity period of your chosen pass.

They also offer audio guides so you don't miss any of the details of the tour. These are available in several languages, including Spanish, and are an excellent way to learn interesting facts about the city's main attractions, which will help you choose which ones are worth visiting later when you have more time.

Interesting details

• Price: from £45 per person.

• Duration: the entire tour lasts 2 hours, but you can use it as many times as you like during the validity period of the ticket.

• Means of transport: bus.

If you enjoy sailing and want to see the city from a different perspective, you can take a cruise in Chicago. On these tours, you can sail on Lake Michigan, one of the five largest lakes in the world, and enjoy the views from the water.

You will have the option of choosing between sailing during the day or at night. If you are travelling as a couple and want to have a romantic evening, you can opt for a night cruise with dinner included. You won't regret it; the views of the city are wonderful and the food is very good.

Sailing on Lake Michigan is something you can't miss. It is an incredible experience because the characteristics of this lake are totally different from any other you may know.

In addition to its enormous size, it can have quite large waves at certain times of the year, especially in winter and autumn, making it feel like you are sailing on the open sea.

Details of interest

• Price: between £28 and £185 (option with dinner included) per person, depending on the duration and whether or not dinner is included.

• Duration: between 40 minutes and 2.5 hours.

• Means of transport: boat.

Another excellent way to get to know the city is by bicycle. Cycling enthusiasts are in luck with the wide range of bike tours available in Chicago.

As you pedal, you can see several important sights such as the skyscrapers in Streetville or Lincoln Park and its surroundings by bike.

You can also take a gastronomic bike tour of Chicago, so you can eat and burn off the excess calories immediately.

Bicycle tours of Chicago include the rental of all necessary equipment for the tour (bicycle and helmet) in the price.

Keep in mind that with this type of tour, as with those that can be done on a Segway, you have the advantage of covering greater distances and also avoiding traffic problems.

Details of interest

• Price: from approximately £45 per person.

• Duration: 2 to 3 hours depending on the route.

• Means of transport: bicycle.

Chicago's buildings are impressive, and it is not for nothing that it is known as "the city of architecture". The city is home to both old and art deco buildings alongside huge skyscrapers, giving the different neighbourhoods a very special appeal that does not go unnoticed by architecture enthusiasts or the general public.

There are several tour options that take you to the most important places from an architectural point of view and are an excellent opportunity to get to know the city through the history told by its buildings.

On guided tours of the best of Chicago's architecture, you will learn why the city's architectural features are so famous.

From modern skyscrapers to Art Deco buildings, Chicago is home to true architectural gems that make this city a highly sought-after destination for architects and architecture students from around the world.

Details of interest

• Price: from £27 per person.
• Duration: approximately one and a half hours.
• Transport: options include walking and boat tours.

Another thing that made Chicago famous was its gangsters, such as Al Capone and John Dillinger, who carried out their criminal activities in this city and were immortalised in TV series and films.

If you want to learn about the history of the mafia and the city's famous criminals, you can do so on specialised tours on these topics, with guides who will tell you the whole story and take you to places linked to the most famous gangsters.

Some of these tours take place at night. If you are looking for things to do at night in Chicago, you will find that there are several interesting options in the city.

Details of interest

• Price: from approximately £27 per person.
• Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.

If you like mystery and ghosts don't scare you, you can take advantage of your stay in the city to take a ghost tour of Chicago. There are some very interesting tour options that address these topics and satisfy the expectations of visitors who are eager for mystery.

These tours are usually conducted at night to further enhance the atmosphere of suspense and cover the most important places in the city, known for being "haunted".

There are even tours led by true professionals and scholars of paranormal phenomena such as Ursula Bielski, a true expert on supernatural topics.

Keep in mind that these types of tours are not suitable for minors or people who are easily frightened. Therefore, if you are travelling with children, do not choose this type of tour; instead, opt for one of these activities to do with children in Chicago.

Details of interest

• Price: from approximately £36 per person.
• Duration: 2.5 hours.
• Transportation: bus.

When you're travelling, to really get to know a city, you have to explore it at night. Chicago is no exception. You can choose from a wide variety of night tours according to your preferences.

In Chicago, there are night tours on foot, by bicycle, by bus or even by car if you choose one of the private tours. There are also themed night tour options such as mystery, ghosts, architecture or gastronomy.

There are options for all tastes and budgets, so there's no excuse not to explore Chicago at night. If you want to sail and see the city lights from the lake, you can do that too.

Details of interest

• Price: prices vary depending on the type of tour and the means of transport chosen, but you can find night tours from around £35.
• Duration: from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the option chosen.
• Means of transport: on foot, Segway, bicycle, bus, car or boat.

There are many tours on offer in Chicago. Considering that we are talking about a large city with a lot to say about its architecture, history and culture, you will be able to choose from a wide range of themed tours which, thanks to the explanations of a specialist guide, will give you a better understanding of everything this incredible American metropolis has to offer. Below is a list of some other tours that may interest you:

• Tour of Chicago's Art Deco skyscrapers from £25, a 90-minute tour of the imposing skyscrapers to understand their strong Art Deco influence.
• Chicago street art tour of the urban art of Wicker Park or Logan Square. Chicago awaits you on this route through the coolest works of the street community. Approximately £28.
• Private car tour of Chicago: this exclusive 3-4 hour car tour is for discerning travellers who want to explore the city in comfort with a local guide who will take them privately to all the city's places of interest. Around £480 with transport from your hotel and driver.
• Graffiti workshop in Chicago: if you are interestedin urban art and want to learn how to do graffiti, this workshop will allow you to unleash your creative side. It is not a tour as such, but it is a highly recommended activity to do in Chicago. It costs around £35.

The different tours of the city of Chicago can be booked online through companies specialising in the sale of tourist packages, tours and experiences, such as our website Hellotickets.

By booking this way, you can ensure the availability of the tours you want to do on your chosen dates.

It is advisable to book your tours in advance and not wait until the last minute, as they sell out quickly.

One of the great advantages of booking tours online is that you can compare prices and pay by credit or debit card.

You will also have the opportunity to see other tour options, find out if there are any offers available and learn about the benefits of Chicago tourist passes.