Chicago Walking Tours

You’re going to learn a lot on our tours, but you can also receive City of Chicago information by going to the Chicago Visitor’s Center, located at the Cultural Center on Michigan Avenue and Randolph Street, where some of our walking tours begin.

YES! Chicago has consistently ranked as one of the top Cities in the country for biking and walking. It’s flat, attractions and neighborhoods are very close in proximity, and Chicago has extensive network of bike lanes, paths, and sidewalks to enjoy. Chicago boasts a 20 mile Lakefront Bike Trail, as well, that hugs Lake Michigan and connects all the major attractions to parks, beaches and Chicago’s top neighborhoods.

Barrack Obama – Kenwood, Chicago

Barrack Obama has a house on the Southside of Chicago in Kenwood (just north of Hyde Park). Unfortunately, our Chicago tours don’t take participants past Barrack Obama’s home, but we provide bike renters a wonderful map to find his house and the Lakefront Trail takes you right to his beautiful neighborhood.

If you’re looking for a tour that will get you close – try our Southside Chicago Gangster Tour

Oprah – Streeterville, Chicago

Oprah has moved out of Chicago but her presence in Chicago is still felt to this day. Her old Streeterville penthouse is on our Lakefront Neighborhoods Tour route.

Chicago is called the City of Neighborhoods as it boasts a wide variety of distinct and diverse cultures represented from around the globe. While we could easily write a book a mile long on how many wonderful neighborhoods there are, we wanted to just list a few of our favorites here.
The Loop – Chicago’s business district and home to the highest concentration of Chicago attractions including the Chicago Riverwalk, Willis Tower, Millennium Park, State Street, Daley Plaza, and the Chicago Theatre.
Gold Coast / Streeterville – Chicago’s premier neighborhoods bordering the Lakefront, home to the most expensive properties in the entire City. This is where you’ll find the original Playboy Mansion, Oprah’s old Chicago condo, and countless other Chicago celebrities. It’s also where you’ll find the iconic Rush Street entertainment district.
Old Town / Lincoln Park – The quiet streets of Old town will have you believing you are a world away from the City, even though you’re right in the heart. The entire neighborhood is on the national historic register and streets are designed so that there is very little automobile through traffic. Many of our tours go through Old Town because it’s so nice to ride through. Lincoln Park is another upscale neighborhood with amazing boutique shopping along Armitage and adjacent park and zoo with same name.
Wrigleyville / Lakeview – Home to the Chicago Cubs. You can litteraly ride your bike to Wrigley Field as the Lakefront Trail connects downtown to the stadium, which sits just a couple blocks from the path. Wrigleyville is home to a number of bars and can be quite energized on game day. The surrounding neighborhood is Lakeview, home to a wide variety of eclectic enclaves including Boystown.
Andersonville is on the far north side and is Chicago’s original Swedish neighborhood. You can still see many of the original Swedish restaurants and shops today.
Wicker Park / Bucktown – Hipster central with great local shopping as well as trendy world-class boutiques. The epicenter of this cool neighborhood is North Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue. Worth a trip for sure.
Fulton Market / Greektown – Food, Food & more food define this area west of downtown that has quickly turned from Chicago’s old warehouse district into one of the hottest places to live and eat. Now home to Google and McDonalds Corporate Headquarters, this area is seeing some of the fastest growth among Chicago neighborhoods.
Pilsen – Chicago’s Mexican neighborhood where you can get some wonderful food, authentic flavor, and see beautiful art and architecture.
Chinatown – Chicago’s original Chinese community where you can witness all of the regions of China on full display with amazing food, colorful local shops, and an amazing street scene. Cermak and Wentworth is the epicenter of Chinatown.
Ukrainian Village – One of Chicago’s fastest growing real estate markets that mixes young Chicago families with old school Ukrainian and Eastern European traditions.
Bridgeport is home to Chicago’s hard working Irish and Italian families that have been the lifeline of Chicago politics and have helped build Chicago since the beginning. If you want to learn about old school Chicago, Bridgeport is your neighborhood. It’s also home to the Chicago White Sox.
Bronzeville is a beautiful African American neighborhood just south of downtown that has an amazing art and culture scene.
Hyde Park / Kenwood is Chicago’s established neighborhoods on the far Southside of the City and home to the University of Chicago and many old historic mansions, including Barrack Obama’s home.

Most of Chicago’s top attractions can be found along the Lakefront and in the downtown section of the City. A good rule of thumb to know is that the Chicago River runs east west right through the heart of downtown. So if you’re anywhere around the Chicago River, then you’re right in the heart of Chicago with easy access to most Chicago attractions. Those attractions include Millennium Park, Navy Pier, John Hancock Center, Historic Water Tower, Chicago Theatre district, Wrigley Building, Chicago Riverwalk, Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, Chicago’s Lakefront, Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain, Daley Plaza, State Street, Oak Street Beach, Michigan Avenue. A little further north from downtown is Lincoln Park, the zoo, and North Avenue Beach, and Wrigley Field. A little further south of downtown is Museum Campus, Soldier Field, the Willis Tower, Union Station, and McCormick Place.

American Football – Chicago Bears play at Soldier Field
American Baseball – Chicago Cubs play at Wrigley Field (north side) / Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field (south side)
Basketball – Chicago Bulls play at the United Center
Soccer – Chicago Fire play at Toyota Park Stadium
Hockey – Chicago Blackhawks play at the United Center

The local train system is called the ‘L’ because most of it is elevated above street level. It is operated by the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority), which also operates the buses and maintains a universal fare system for easy transfers. The “Directions” feature on Google Maps has full support for public transit options in Chicago and is an ideal way to plan your route.
Paying: If you take the ‘L’, you must prepay by going to a station and going to the self-guided kiosk. A one way ticket costs roughly $2.25, and you can make two transfers for $0.25 each within two hours of paying a one-way fare. The bus costs the same as the ‘L’ and allows you to just hop on and pay cash, but cash riders have no access to transfers. The bus drivers won’t have change but they’re usually very helpful if you tell him that you need help getting to your location.
Metra is the fast rail line that takes you between the City and the rest of Chicagoland. The costs vary depending on how far you are going. It’s less expensive to buy your ticket at the station, but you can just hop on and someone will come around and charge you the fee. The Metra reminds us of a cattle truck but it is a fun way to get to and from anywhere outside the city. We recommend sitting on the second story for the best views.

Yes, absolutely. While we do have our issues with crime, the highest rates of crime are limited to just a few distinct neighborhoods far from the downtown visitor district. So while you might read about crime in Chicago, it’s not something you will or should ever come in contact with if you are staying in downtown or one of the connecting neighborhoods.

The 20 mile Lakefront Bike Trail is one of the best bike trails in the world. It’s 100% car-free and allows you to experience life as a local, while riding up to Chicago’s top attractions. The trail connects downtown to the adjacent neighborhoods, parks, and beaches giving you ample opportunity to explore. You can also bike into Chicago’s unique and diverse neighborhoods, including the 606 Bloomingdale Trail through Bucktown, Wicker Park, and Humboldt Park.

January, February
Weather: Coldest Months in Chicago. Temps can range from 10-40 degrees Fahrenheit

What to Wear: Dress in layers because stores and restaurants will likely keep things warm. Bring a warm coat, scarf, hat, gloves, and some good weather resistant shoes.

March, April
Weather: March is not as frigid as February, but you’ll still need a warm coat. March temps can range from 30-50 degrees Fahrenheit.
What to Wear: Layers.  Bring a weather resistant, warm coat and maybe gloves. It probably won’t snow, but it has been known to snow in April.

May, June
Weather: Spring usually means warmer temps and more sun, between 50-80 degree.
What to Wear:  Layers.  May and June can shift wildly in temps, depending on which way the wind is blowing.  In May, a light spring jacket is probably the heaviest thing you’ll need.

July, August
Weather: Summers in Chicago are the BEST!  Hot, but usually not too hot. On really hot days, the lake usually does a good job of keeping us mild.  Temps range from 70-95.
What to Wear: Wear light clothing: natural fibers are best, especially cotton and linen.  But you might need a sweater at night.

September, October
Weather: Fall in Chicago is quite nice as well.   September gets a lot of sun, just not as hot as the summer.  Temps range from 65 to 85 degrees.  October gets a little cooler, especially at night.  Temps in October range from 55 to 80 degrees.

What to Wear: Layers!  Notice a trend?  Days and nights can vary drastically, warming up during the days and getting cooled off at night.  In September you can still wear summer clothes but bring along a jacket.  October cools off around here, so you’ll usually need a jacket.

November, December
Weather: Expect highs in the 40-50 range in November and 30-40 range in December.
What to Wear: Bring a heavier jacket and consider a hat, scarf, and gloves.