Chicago Big Bus Tour: Iconic Landmarks and More
3.9
1,973 Ratings

Discover the iconic attractions of Chicago at your own pace with a Hop-On Hop-Off tour. Explore skyscrapers, museums, and more with 24 or 48-hour tickets.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Big Loop (Red Route) (Route)

Operating Schedule: Available daily: First Bus at 10 AM, Last Bus at 5 PM. Service every 30-45 minutes. The Red Loop takes 2 hours to complete.
Download the complimentary Big Bus app for stop locations, city details, and real-time bus tracking.
1. Riverwalk
Stop 1 - Chicago Riverwalk (98 E. Wacker Drive,…

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What's Included
  • Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus
  • On-board WiFi
  • Enclosed/Climate Controlled Lower Deck, Top Deck Open
  • Professional digital commentary in multiple languages
  • Live Bus Tracking & City Info (Download Free Big Bus App)
  • 4 Self-guided Digital Walking Tours to explore the city (if option selected)
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Admission to attractions
Additional Information

Discover Chicago’s best on our Big Bus tour. Board our open-top, double-decker bus and see the city’s iconic landmarks, from the Magnificent Mile to Millennium Park. Utilize our convenient stops to explore vibrant neighborhoods and attractions, including Willis Tower, the Chicago Riverwalk, and more.
Spend your day shopping on Magnificent Mile, enjoying…

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.9
(1973 Ratings)
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1 star
Stevebintley
Feb 19, 2025
Good value way to get an overview of the city - As a way to get a good overview of the city this bus tour is a good value option and well organised. You can purchase a 24 or 48-hour ticket, given unlimited journeys in that time window. Note the first buses aren’t until 10am and they finish at 5pm though. I’d recommend downloading the app too, since you’re able to track where buses are on the route to avoid getting to a stop too early, and there’s a good overview of what’s around each of the stops. The full loop takes around two hours. Free headphones are given out but you can also plug in your own and the entertaining commentary gives a good overview of the city and landmarks as you drive pass. The more major stops have friendly staff on hand to assist and even at peak times of the day the busses were never too full to get a seat on the open deck upstairs. If it’s your first time in the city then doing this on your first day is a good option to get bearings and help plan what you want to do for the rest of your visit. Very touristy but recommended all the same!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oliviaheidi
Oct 4, 2024
Learned and laughed with Candice. - Candice the driver/tour guide was amazing, Not only knowledgeable about Chicago History, she made it so much fun with her amazing sense of humor and witty story telling.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Barbara_h
Sep 22, 2024
Good overview of Chicago - Good way to get an overview of the city. Lots to see if you get off the bus. I wish they had given more information about what we we’re seeing
Review provided by Viator
Seaside38745063675
Feb 15, 2025
Waste of money - I wasn't able to use this tour due to weather and long wait time for bus. If you are going to Chicago this is a waste of money. I asked for a refund and was denied as I was unable to use th service. I will be escalating this dispute.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pial992
Jan 5, 2025
Worst tour ever - I recently took a big bus tour in Chicago, and unfortunately, it was a total waste of time and money. The driver was incredibly unfriendly, which set the tone for the whole experience. The information provided about the city was sparse and superficial—barely scratching the surface of what I hoped to learn. Midway through the tour, the driver unexpectedly shouted at us to leave the bus and transfer to a smaller one, with no explanation as to why. To make matters worse, it was freezing cold and pouring rain outside, so we were all soaking wet and uncomfortable. The new bus was crammed with people, and there was barely any space to hold on, let alone hear any audio. The whole thing felt rushed and chaotic, and the poor organization made it feel fraudulent. After a few stops, we decided to cut our losses and leave the tour altogether, opting to take a taxi back. Honestly, it was the worst “tour” I’ve ever been on, and I really regret paying so much for it. Save your money and skip this one.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
138tyew
Dec 7, 2024
Left out in the cold - December 7th my wife and I decided to go on a hop on hop off bus tour in Chicago. The first part of the ride was perfect. We stopped at the planetarium for one of the stops. After leaving the planetarium we saw the buss on the app, estimated time was 2 minutes. The bus never showed up. Remember it’s December in Chicago, s it is cold. I contacted “Big Bus Tours and this is what they had to say “ I understand. I am sorry for the confusion created. Some buses are privately hired. Such buses do not follow the normal route unfortunately.” So next time you’re in Chicago DON’T TAKE THE HOP ON HOP OFF, you may or may not get picked up and it’s an OH WELL with the company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
67carmelb
Nov 27, 2024
Disappointed hoho bus ride Chicago - Unfortunately after reading the reviews here I thought it would be a great introduction to the Windy City. How wrong I was. Due to matches stop 5,6 at Solider fields were not accessible. I boarded the bus at stop 10. I had my earphones in ready to go but didn't get the information about where we were or what building/area we had passed till after we had driven pass. Then at stop 1 we changed buses. There was no commentary on either bus from the driver's except the obligatory bus stop number. We sat at two stops for 20mins to make up the time lost for not stopping at Solider field. The headphones piece played jazz and gave no information. To be honest I wouldn't recommend it based on my own experience but others have had fantastic drivers who have given an indepth commentary on the locations/areas travelled through. For me it was a waste of $55.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trek183039
Oct 6, 2024
Horrible, unprofessional business tour in Chicago - Horrible, horrible. Bus picked us up, standing room only no way to plug into audio tour. Next stop switched to upper level and audio didn't work. Driver skipped next stop because she didn't feel comfortable driving in that traffic. Next stop surprise the bus driver tells us she's going on break we have to all get off the bus and bord a different bus which is already 50% full. Stopped and got off and disgusted. BTW the "customer service" person could have not cared less.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mojcaz21
Sep 24, 2024
What did we pay for? - Terrible experience...due to the rain it was not possible to seat on the upper deck. The windows were covwred with advertisments an it was not possible to see anything outside. And this should be a touristic tour. We had "a lot of fun" looking at the falls of water coming down the stairs. No guide. No kindness. Just for your info. More than 15 years ago we enjoyed simelar trim very much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H6653lupeterg
Sep 12, 2024
Avoid the Big Bus Chicago City Tour - Awful, would strongly not recommend! Bus tour started with no audio narration available. Roughly 5-6 mins into tour, I questioned driver about audio. She forgot to turn it on. Entire 2 hour tour narration (once turned on) was: 1. lagging position by 2 mins from our point of interest. We were well past the point being discussed, very frustrating! 2. Audio from music played on bus headsets, which was about 75% of what the content of the tour was, was considerably louder than the narrators voice, forcing you to constantly adjust the volume up and down to hear their voices. 3. We learned NOTHING about the city, its neighborhoods, or its history, because as mentioned above 75% of what we heard were songs that had a Chicago theme. 4. There were two individuals on the tape (guy and girl) attempting to narriate but sounded like a poorly written high school comedy skit…AWEFUL! 5. The bus driver was somewhat passive agressive when dealing with other drivers. Twice, we were completely embarrassed when the driver laid on the horn for over a minute each time because another vehicle in front of us (tourist I assume) was in the wrong lane at a red light. This made it difficult to both hear and focus on what was being played on the audio tape. Not to mention you don’t really expect a tour bus driver to be aggressive with other drivers with a bus full of people. 6 Bottom line, the product was terrible at best if you were hoping to learn a little about the city, its buildings and neighborhoods, its history or anything else. If your simply looking for a bus ride with no real expections, than it’s an expensive bus ride…..go for it. 7. When we expressed our dissatisfaction with a Big Bus representative at the conclusion of our tour, he was not surprised!! He gave us sn email address to contact the company who has been less than willing to resolve our issue. They will not speak to you on the phone, they simply try to wear you out with days and days of back and forth emails.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
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