The Art of a City, Downtown Chicago Guided Walking Tour — Private
About this activity
Explore Chicago’s public art and architecture with a guide dedicated to your group on a 2.5-hour private walking tour. See Cloud Gate, Picasso’s sculpture, the Chicago Theatre, Willis Tower and Buckingham Fountain.
Highlights
- See Chicago's iconic Cloud Gate "The Bean" sculpture
- Marvel at the Picasso masterpiece in Daley Plaza
- Discover the legendary Chicago Theatre façade
- Explore Chagall's Four Seasons mosaic mural
- View the Willis Tower and historic Rookery Building
Full description
Enjoy a 2.5-hour private guided walk through downtown Chicago’s outdoor art and architectural landmarks. Your guide introduces Cloud Gate, the Chicago Theatre, Picasso’s Daley Plaza sculpture, Chagall’s Four Seasons mosaic, The Rookery, Willis Tower exterior and Buckingham Fountain.
Explore Chicago’s public art and architecture with a guide dedicated to your party. Begin at the Art Institute’s South Michigan Avenue entrance, then walk through Millennium Park to Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain. Highlights generally include the Chicago Cultural Center, the Chicago Theatre marquee, Picasso’s sculpture at Daley Plaza, Miró’s sculpture and Chagall’s Four Seasons mosaic. Discover The Rookery, Willis Tower exterior, the Board of Trade, Calder’s Flamingo and Grant Park before ending at Buckingham Fountain. The route may vary. This is a 2.5-hour walking tour; admission tickets, food, drinks, hotel transport, gratuities and luggage storage are not included.
Included / Excluded
- Expert private local guide
- Curated walking tour of major art & architecture sites
- Exclusive experience for your group only
- Hotel pickup or drop-off
- Food, drinks, or gratuities
- Admission tickets (not required for listed sites)
Itinerary
Art Institute of Chicago — left lion meeting point
Meet your guide by the left lion when facing the Art Institute main entrance at 111 S Michigan Ave. Arrive 10 minutes early. The walk begins outside the museum; entry is not included.
Millennium Park: Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain
See Cloud Gate (the Bean) and Crown Fountain in Millennium Park.
Meeting point
Start Location
Art Institute of Chicago — left lion meeting point
The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603, USA
Meet 10 minutes before the tour by the left lion statue when facing the main entrance.
Get directions →Important information
Know before you book
- Tour operates exclusively for your private group (max 12 adults).
- The private tour is wheelchair accessible. Contact us in advance if you need an adapted route.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes.
- Dress for Chicago weather—tours run rain or shine.
- Bring an ID or a photo of an ID showing your age.
- Meet 10 minutes early by the left lion statue at 111 S Michigan Ave.
- Public parking is available nearby; plan for city traffic.
Cancellation policy
Up to 24 hours before the beginning of the activity: full refund Less than 24 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: no refund
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
Reviews
We booked this tour to get as much as possible out of our time at The Met. What we didn’t know we were getting was a personalized experience full of captivating stories about the artists' lives and the people who brought the art to the museum. Robin was a wealth of knowledge and a highlight of our trip to New York!
Spent a great day with Charlie he was very engaging and shared lots of information and entertaining stories with us. He took great care of us and we would recommend him for any future tours.
Mark, tour guide for the Metropolitan Museum is an outstanding teacher: engaging; entertaining; professional; personable; experienced and deeply knowledgeable as a result of a lifelong passion and relationship with the Met. He loves what he does and cares deeply about sharing his knowledge and insight to spark curiosity and inspire his clients--his students--to understand context and meaning of each piece or work of art reviewed. My wife, a retired professor emeritas and myself both left thoroughly impressed and grateful to have been taught by best and most captivating guides we have had the privilege of meeting on one of our many travels and adventures. Hire the best. Hire Mark. Worth every penny and every minute of your time you can afford at the Met. Like us, you will look forward to coming back for another teaching session from Mark. In my case, hopefully we will be back on my birthday next year! (Thanks again Mark!)