Chicago Tours

When your attendees are done with business, we know they want to explore and kick back. That’s' why no program is complete without great tours! As a leading Destination Management Company passionate about our city, we've designed unique tours that reveal the heart and soul of Chicago, its thriving culture, history and commercial drive, civic beauty and reputation for intrigue. Join us for professionally guided half day, full day or customized tours of the City and beyond. Step-on Guides and foreign language tours are available on request.

Half Day Tours

Windy City Highlights

Chicago comes alive with a narrated motor coach tour highlighting its rich history and culture. Enjoy “The Magnificent Mile”, Chicago’s main shopping avenue and home to many of the world’s great designers and brand name retailers. Additional points of interest include Museum Campus, Buckingham Fountain, Millennium Park, and the Art Institute.

Architectural River Cruise (May – October)

Experience Chicago’s world renowned architecture from a different perspective – the river! This 60 minute guided tour takes you along different branches of the Chicago River, where you will learn about more than 40 architectural landmarks. Back on dry land, board your coach and continue the tour as your guide points out more historic buildings not seen from the water.

The Art Institute

Enjoy the modern and the classical at The Art Institute of Chicago, one of the world’s great art museums, with collections dating from 3,000 B.C. through the present, including French Impressionist paintings and a new Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano, fine and decorative arts from America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as photography, textiles and architectural works.

Bang Bang Chicago!

Become part of Chicago’s historical gangster past with a tour of the sites left by gangland riots, underhanded politicians and hidden speakeasies that tell Chicago’s flapper and Tommy gun tales.

Behind the Scenes

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Mercantile Exchange or the Merchandise Mart? A trip to these two unique institutions shines light on the trading frenzy that takes place on the Exchange’s trading floor and at the Mart’s giant showcase for designers and decorators.

Historic Prairie Avenue

Walk back in time through the grand homes of some of Chicago’s elite 19th century industry captains and historical figures with a tour of the restored Glessner House and the Clarke Home, and see other Prairie Avenue homes on this landmark cobblestone street.

House of Blues Gospel Brunch (Sunday Only)

Praise the Lord and pass the biscuits! One of Chicago’s most famous culinary treats is located at The House of Blues on the river in Marina City. The 45 minute Gospel performance and brunch is held in the Music Hall, designed to replicate the “Estavovski” Opera House in Prague. This beautiful room hosts the all-you-can eat Southern-style brunch buffet which includes champagne and mimosas. Note: This tour pairs well followed by an Architectural River Cruise.

Millennium Park Walking Tour

Bring your camera to Chicago’s Millennium Park, a remarkable new kind of public space, connecting landscape design, architecture and art as a backdrop to hundreds of the City’s free cultural programs. First planned in 1997 as a way to transform unsightly railroad tracks and parking lots, Millennium Park has evolved into the most significant millennium project in the world, encompassing 24.5 acres in the middle of the city. On this guided 2 1/2 hour walking tour, you will learn about the Lurie Garden with its 138 varieties of perennial plants and view Frank Gehry’s orchestral Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the Cloud Gate sculpture, BP Bridge, the Crown Fountain, Chase Promenade, McCormick Tribune Plaza, Wrigley Square, and Millennium Monument.

Full Day Tours

Cantigny & Geneva

Journey back in time as you tour the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Museum on the beautiful grounds of Cantigny in suburban Wheaton. In addition to the 1896 country mansion your tour will include the First Infantry Division Museum and its beautiful gardens. Then continue to the picturesque town of Geneva for lunch and shopping.

Devil in the White City

This tour recounts the murderous and architectural events as told in the award winning book, “Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson, set during the Chicago World Columbian Exposition of 1893. Stops will be made at the Chicago History Museum, the Wooded Isle, the Osaka Japanese Garden and the Midway Plaisance, now home of the University of Chicago.

Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio and Unity Temple

Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie-style” architecture is showcased on this tour to the Chicago suburb of Oak Park where an expert docent will guide you through the house and studio and recount the history of Wright’s life and work in Oak Park. Lunch at a local restaurant will be followed by a visit to the Unity Temple, the first public space created by Wright in 1908.

“Get Your Kicks on Route 66”

This informative, fun-filled day takes you on a sentimental journey down this historic highway. The tour starts in Chicago (the actual beginning of Route 66) and travels through Cicero, Riverside, Countryside, Joliet, Wilmington and other small towns along the route before returning via the
highway back to Chicago. Note: This is a 9 – 10 hour day and includes many stops.

President Obama’s Kind of Town!

Enjoy some of Barack and Michelle’s favorite local spots as this tour winds through Hyde Park, the South Side of Chicago and the Loop, enhanced by a narrative of Chicago history. Stops will also be made to walk through the Chicago Cultural Center and magnificent Millennium Park.