Chicago Food, History & Architecture Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Chicago's historic neighborhoods
- Taste iconic deep-dish pizza
- Visit Millennium Park's Cloud Gate
- Learn about Chicago's architectural history
- Enjoy a comprehensive city overview
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Guided walking tour of Chicago's historic neighborhoods
- Tasting of iconic Chicago-style deep-dish pizza
- Visit to Millennium Park and the Cloud Gate sculpture
- Transportation to and from the meeting point
Itinerary
We begin under the dazzling Chicago Theater marquee, famous from movies, before diving into the lively streets of the city.
Weather permitting, we'll explore the Chicago Pedway, a network of underground tunnels used daily by locals and commuters, especially in winter.
Feel like a local as you walk past iconic buildings, enjoy stunning skyline views, and share in the daily commute along Chicago’s main artery.
Pass by: Next, we’ll pass the Wrigley Building on the Magnificent Mile, built between 1920 and 1924 to house the Wrigley Company's headquarters.
Pass by: Then, we’ll pass the Tribune Tower, a 463-foot, 36-story neo-Gothic skyscraper at 435 North Michigan Avenue.
Pass by: Next, we’ll visit picturesque Millennium Park, home to the iconic Bean sculpture. Your guide will then offer recommendations for more sights, lunch spots, or drinks.
Pass by: We'll pass the Cloud Gate sculpture, also known as 'The Bean,' the centerpiece of Millennium Park;
Pass by: At the end, stroll through the main streets near the Loop, where museums, restaurants, bars, historic landmarks, and modern architecture blend together.
Meeting point
Start Location
The Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601, USA
Important information
Know before you book
- This tour involves approximately 6 hours of walking; consider your comfort with this duration
- Food and beverage purchases beyond the included tastings are at your own expense
- The tour operates rain or shine; check the weather forecast and dress accordingly
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather
- Bring a camera to capture the city's iconic landmarks
- Arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes early to ensure a timely departure
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Stroller Accessible
- Service Animals Allowed
- Easy Public Transport
Good to know
- Is this tour child-friendly? Yes! This tour is suitable for families. Children under 4 years old can join free of charge. A reduced child price applies for children aged 4 to 11.
- Will food options or portion sizes very? Food offerings and portion sizes may vary depending on the season and the stops visited on the day of the tour. However, the total amount of food included is always designed to equal a full meal.
- Is this tour suitable for all ages and fitness levels? Yes! This tour is suitable for guests of all ages and fitness levels. Please note that it includes approximately 4.8 to 6.4 km (3-4 miles) of walking. at a relaxed pace with regular stops.
- Can dietary requirements be accommodated? Vegetarian options are available. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate other food allergies or dietary preferences. Please let us know in advance if you require a vegetarian option so we can plan accordingly.
- What happens if the weather isn’t great? Experiences run rain, shine, or snow, so please dress appropriately for the weather on the day of your tour.
Reviews
We booked this walking tour on our second day in Boston, and am so glad we did. Travelling from Ireland, we were aware of the connections to Boston, but never really appreciated the deep history and importance of Boston. Our tour guide - Bob - was amazing. He is a true font of knowledge on everything from the background to the American revolution, its key players like Samual Adams and Paul Revere, the City as a centre of trade and commerce, and how it became a home for so many immigrants who transformed the City’s commerce, culture and politics. Best of all we learned all of this while strolling around the best parts of Boston and enjoying the most amazing food. Bob delivered with humour and fun. He was engaging and helpful, and has so much passion and deep historic knowledge which came across at every opportunity. The food aspects were incredible. We spent much of the time in the North End, - little Italy - and were introduced to several amazing multi generational family food businesses that we would never have found otherwise - bakeries, coffee shops and delis - with lots of wonderful food to sample. It was a fantastic tour. Genuinely, it completely enriched my knowledge and perspective on the City and was enjoyable from start to finish. There are lots of tours of the city - bus tours. Duck tours, ghoul tours, walking tours etc and some look a bit gimmicky with tour guides dressed is period costumes. If that’s your thing then fine, but you will miss on a tour like this one which so authentic, educational, fun and engaging. Travelling around the city with a guide with such knowledge and history as a guide like Bob, turned out to be a great privilege. I highly recommend this trip. I doubt you could find a better way to four or five hours in this most fascinating city,
Wow!! We would have given this tour 6 stars if we could. Our tour guide, Dave, was so knowledgeable and spun the stories to weave Chicago's history so clearly for these East Coast visitors. Loved the mixture of interior and street landmarks. We learned so much and will be sure to recommend this tour to others. A true highlight activity of our visit to Chicago.
Laura was awesome and really informative. She answered all our questions and had a lot to say about the city. Loved it!
Traveler reviews
Great tour to start a visit to Chicago with!
Our guide was great! He covered a lot of ground on this walking tour. I was very happy with the tour as we saw many sites that were on my list of places to visit. He also planned the day well having the food part of the tour during the second half. I enjoyed tasting the foods that Chicago is famous for.
It was worth!
Chad is a very nice guy. He likes to talk, and you get answers to almost everything, just ask. Also, some funny local stories.
Knowing Chicago
Chad had great knowledge of the city and it was great having a guide for the red line and where to grab the best food
Best of Chicago
Chad was an amazing tour guide. Lots of great history of Chicago and ate all the yummy Chicago classics food wise.
Chad was great!
Chad was a great tour guide-well balanced tour