Top 10 Tours in Chicago

Destination: Chicago.
Over the course of 90 minutes, explore some of the newest buildings around the Chicago Architecture Center, focusing on construction elements and their impact on the city’s built environment. What's New looks at some of the most recent additions to the built environment surrounding the Chicago Architecture Center. This walking tour focuses on each building's height, structure, materials, ornament and its impact on the environment, the neighborhood and the city's economy. The tour showcases several recently completed buildings, including 462 N. Park and the St. Regis, and compares them to each other in order to observe emerging patterns. These new additions are also contrasted with some of the older buildings downtown as a way to highlight developments. As a certified nonprofit, all CAC ticket purchases directly support our education efforts and community engagement projects.
Known For: Chicago City Tours, Chicago Seasonal, Chicago Architecture Tours, Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago Virtual Experiences, Chicago Walking Tours.
Duration: Around 1 hour and a half.

Destination: Chicago.
Enjoy a private two-hour sailing experience for up to six people along Chicago’s beautiful lakefront. Kick back, relax, and let the US Coast Guard licensed captain treat you to stunning views of Chicago’s spectacular skyline. Make the experience your own. The flexibility of a private charter allows customization of virtually any aspect of the sailing adventure from guest list to music selection to sailing route. Three departure times offered daily. This experience is not meant to be an in-depth guided tour; however, our captain is always happy to point out interesting sights with anecdotes and historical information. Just ask you captain. Looking for a sunset sail, see our other product listing "Come Sailing with us at Navy Pier - Sunset Sail on Lake Michigan". Looking to watch the Navy Pier Fireworks from a private sailing charter, see our other product listing "Come Sailing with us at Navy Pier - Saturday Fireworks Sail". All charters are NON-SMOKING experiences.
Known For: Chicago Private Sightseeing Tours, Chicago Likely to Sell Out, Chicago Day Cruises, Chicago Sailing, Chicago Water Tours, Chicago Sightseeing Cruises, Chicago Full-day Tours, Chicago Likely To Sell Out.
Duration: Around 2 hours.

Destination: Chicago.
This tour is the perfect way to experience the shoreline of Chicago in a new and exciting way! Our tour vessel is a former military Williard Marine, which provides a unique and interesting touch to the normal tour experience. Being both sturdy in the water, and fast! Reaching up to speeds of 35 Knots! We work hard to provide historical context for our great city, as well as provide an exhilarating experience through the use of high speed runs and spins!
Known For: Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago Excellent Quality, Chicago Extreme Sports, Chicago Adventure Tours, Chicago Water Tours, Chicago Small Group, Chicago Zombie, Chicago Jet Boat Rentals, Chicago Zombie Slice, Chicago Speed Boat Rentals.
Duration: Around 1 hour and a half.

Destination: Chicago.
Nightly Spirits’ Haunts and Hooligans Tour will illustrate Chicago’s haunted history of secret parlors, underground tunnels, murderous movie theaters and supernatural speakeasies. Whether you’re a recent transplant to Chicago or have lived among the Windy City’s ‘others’ for years, you’re about to get a haunted history that may leave you with more memories than you dare to retain.   Tours begin at the haunted Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse in downtown Chicago. A costumed guide will lead tour goers on a walking journey exploring the creepy past of one of Chicago’s most famous bootleggers, offering glimpses into the past and revealing the stories of long-dead phantoms and specters who still call Chicago home.
Known For: Chicago Ghost Tours, Chicago Small Group, Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago Excellent Quality, Chicago Food & Drink, Chicago Walking Tours.
Duration: Around 1 hour and a half.

Destination: Chicago.
This lively overview of Chicago architecture explores iconic buildings from the 1890s to present. We'll compare and contrast a wide range of buildings with varying architectural styles and see how older structures connect to new skyline additions. On this tour, we'll make seven stops in downtown Chicago where we can compare the histories and styles of buildings located within sight of each other. The tour features 19th-Century Commercial, Beaux-Arts, Mid-Century Modern and Postmodern buildings, as well as the latest in architecture from Frank Gehry, Renzo Piano and Adrian Smith. At each stop, we’ll look at the connections between the past and present and discover what inspires design today. The tour culminates with a visit to Millennium Park, where world-class art and architecture combine, creating a unique urban fabric. As a certified nonprofit, all CAC ticket purchases directly support our education efforts and community engagement projects.
Known For: Chicago Architecture Tours, Chicago Walking Tours, Chicago City Tours, Chicago Excellent Quality, Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago Seasonal.
Duration: Around 2 hours.

Destination: Chicago.
Mobsters and Movies takes you through the real haunts of Capone, Dillinger, and The Outfit—then shows you how the very same streets turned into movie magic. Walk the same corners seen in 'The Untouchables' and 'Public Enemies,' and hear how Chicago wrote the script for American gangster history. This isn’t just another sightseeing tour—it’s a front-row seat to crime, cinema, and the city that made them both. Your guides aren’t just storytellers—they’re trained true crime historians, film buffs, and Chicago insiders who bring every scene to life. Step inside exclusive interiors where real mobsters plotted and Hollywood crews once brought the Windy City to the Silver Screen. We take you deeper into the story than any other tour can. Expect vivid tales, insider trivia, and behind-the-scenes stories that make Chicago’s gangster past feel as real as the movies it inspired.
Known For: Chicago Excellent Quality, Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago New Product, Chicago Cultural Tours, Chicago Crime Tours, Chicago Walking Tours.
Duration: Around 1 hour and a half.

Destination: Chicago.
Walk in the footsteps of Al Capone, John Dillinger, and real life ghost stories while hearing tales of Chicago's haunted past. Visit Prohibition Era speakeasy bars, sites of real life mob shootouts, and haunted tragedies that shape the city's legacy. This walking tour blends ghost stories, true crime history, and architectural landmarks to reveal the beauty and horror from one of America's most famous time periods, right where it happened. You'll gain special access to architectural interiors tied to famous history, as you are led by a trained historian tour guide through these famous sites. Learn where Chicago's history still whispers after dark!
Known For: Chicago Ghost Tours, Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago Best Conversion, Chicago Walking Tours, Chicago Crime Tours.
Duration: Around 1 hour and a half.

Destination: Chicago.
We’ll begin our photo walk in Millennium Park with portraits at Cloud Gate (The Bean) — one of Chicago’s most iconic landmarks. During our time together, we’ll visit a rooftop spot for skyline views, cross the scenic DuSable Bridge, and stop by the elegant Wrigley Building — all perfect for beautiful photos. Along the way, I’ll guide you with natural poses and creative ideas, helping you feel relaxed and confident. By the end of this walk, you’ll not only have a beautiful photo gallery — you’ll have also visited many of the MUST-SEE places in downtown Chicago.
Known For: Chicago Small Group, Chicago Excellent Quality, Chicago Walking Tours.
Duration: Around 1 hour.

Destination: Chicago.
This is the only tour in Chicago that explores the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" from the perspective of art. It's also the only walking tour that immerses you in the actual artwork featured in the 1986 American teen film. Over the course of the tour, you'll visit 3 floors of the museum, see 16 pieces of art, and leave with an appreciation of the works, their relationship to characters, and their placement in the camera's frame. ⚠️ NOTE: Admission to the Art Institute of Chicago is NOT included in the public walking tour. The tour starts under the stairs in the *Modern Wing* of the Art Institute, Griffin Court. Guests must digitally sign a general waiver of liability. Guardians must sign waivers for children under the age of 18.
Known For: Chicago Likely to Sell Out, Chicago Small Group, Chicago Likely To Sell Out, Chicago Art Tours, Chicago Cultural Tours, Chicago Seasonal, Chicago Walking Tours, Chicago Movie Tours.
Duration: Around 1 hour and a half.

Destination: Chicago.
Take a tour of Chicago's Pedway system (a network of underground tunnels that allows pedestrians to pass from one end of the Loop to the other) and enjoy seasonal holiday decorations and sights along the way. Our tour begins in the lobby of the Swissotel where we descend into the Pedway. After a tour of the Chicago Cultural Center and its famous Tiffany Dome, we return to the Pedway for a short walk to Macy's department store. There, we'll view the famous Tiffany ceiling, the "Great Tree" in the Walnut Room and the store’s decorated holiday windows. We return to the Pedway and follow it to Civic Center Plaza for a visit to the Christkindlmarket, an authentic European holiday market. We return to the Pedway for a visit to City Hall followed by a short walk to a nearby L station. A quick train ride takes us to the origin/terminus of Route 66, the Art Institute’s lion statues, and Millennium Park to view the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, aka, The Bean and the city's holiday tree .
Known For: Chicago Christmas, Chicago Walking Tours, Chicago Small Group, Chicago Likely To Sell Out, Chicago Half-day Tours, Chicago Historical Tours, Chicago Likely to Sell Out, Chicago Seasonal, Chicago Cultural Tours, Chicago Excellent Quality.
Duration: Around 3 hours.