Chicago Architecture Experience by Train

Discover the historic architecture of Chicago on a guided tour of the city’s iconic landmarks. Ride the Chicago ‘L’ and learn about the city’s transportation history while enjoying skyline views.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • The Chicago Theatre - This is where your Chicago tour begins - underneath the iconic neon sign made famous in both movies and musicals! Here, you’ll meet your tour guide and then set off through bustling downtown Chicago.
  • Downtown / The Loop - Your tour takes place in this lively neighborhood of shopping, nightlife, performing arts institutions, and, of course, restaurants with the best food Chicago has to offer! Comprising mostly high-rises, the Loop is also home to the 108-story Willis Tower. The iconic “Cloud Gate” sculpture sits in Millennium Park. Grant Park features the large, rococo-style Buckingham Fountain and the renowned Art Institute of Chicago and hosts annual events like The Taste of Chicago and Lollapalooza.
  • Harold Washington Library Center - The Chicago Public Library’s main branch features a mix of classic & modern architecture and a winter garden.
  • Willis Tower - The Willis Tower is a 110-story, 1,451-foot skyscraper in the Loop community area of Chicago. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it opened in 1973 as the world’s tallest building, a title that it held for nearly 25 years.
What's Included
  • Hear the history of the L and how it has helped shaped the city
  • Local English-speaking guide
  • See the city aboard the Chicago ‘L’
  • All-Day CTA pass
  • Learn how to navigate Chicago’s rapid transit system like a true local!
  • Small treat
  • Visit landmarks like the hub of Chicago Public Library & historic Quincy Station
What's Not Included
  • Additional food and drink
  • Tips and gratuities for the guide
Additional Information

Chicago is often defined by its wild architecture, satisfying staples such as its famous deep dish pizza, and iconic sculptures like “The Bean” of Millennium Park. But how do you get from one attraction to another with ease? The Chicago “L”!

With your included all-day pass in hand, you’ll receive a true local experience as we cruise from station to station on Chicago’s elevated train. You’ll learn how these tracks shaped the city, from its steam locomotive days to its current electrified system.

Among the neighborhoods we’ll tour is the Chicago Loop, thronged with Chicagoans commuting to its financial, federal, and theater districts. We’ll stop at one of the oldest surviving stations on the L system as well as the impressive main hub of the Chicago Public Library.

We’ll hop off the train to enjoy a small Local treat before boarding the L to explore more of Chicago’s history and enjoy some spectacular skyline views. And by the end of your tour, you’ll be an expert CTA rider!

Location
175 N State St
North State Street
Chicago Theater (underneath the marquee on State Street)
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(24 Ratings)
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Daniel_h
Aug 18, 2024
Best tour guide ever - I've been on 3 Chicago tours & this by far has been the most entertaining. Not enough good could be said about Chicago Dave...he even went as far as explaining certain things in Spanish so my GF could understand better. We are definitely doing his other 2 tours before the winter. He even gave me his personal number to assure he would give us the tours. Great fun 😊
Review provided by Viator
Semperfitourist
Jul 22, 2024
Wonderful Chicago train tour! - Loved the Quincy stop at Chicago! Amazing architecture exceeded my expectations. Beautiful views! Dash was a nice tour guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C8936nlbarbaraa
Jul 19, 2024
Train tour with Dave!! - Dave was awesome!! We had a great time and the views and history Dave shared made it well worth the trip!! Thank you so much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susanla7590ox
Jul 6, 2024
Excellent experience! - Excellent tour and tour guide! Dave was knowledgeable and friendly. The whole family enjoyed the experience. Perfect amount of time and great sights.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gregory_s
May 19, 2024
A fun day riding the EL train in Chicago - Tour Guide "Chicago Dave" was great. He was very informative and made our day very enjoyable. We got to ride on the Elevated train, hear its history, see the inside of the magnificent Marshall Fields building, and go to the Willis(Sears) tower. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Josephsi57nu
May 18, 2024
Fabulous tour.. - Excellent adventure, Chicago Dave was great…. He took us to lots of fun places…. And we got a donut! Daves passion for the city of Chicago shows through..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adventure18602243766
Apr 19, 2024
A great time eating ,discovering and walking in Chicago - I was on the Chicago food and architecture walking tour today .It was wonderful walking in Chicago and getting a intro to life in Chicago The weather was beautiful and it felt good to walk amongst all the.people. What a terrific Introduction to the architecture and food of Chicago. our guide Rich,was terrific. He was knowledgeable about everything and if a questions was asked he didn’t have an answer for , he immediately looked it up. He was very engaging and not boring . He kept our attention through this long. active trip. Our fellow tour members were a wonderful Bunch of people . I highly recommend this particular tour . It was a great day .
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Shahbaz_b
Apr 14, 2024
L train tour - Tour guide was knowledgeable informed answered all questions we had in short the trip was wonderful with Mr. Dave
Review provided by Viator
Jay_h
Apr 2, 2024
Awesome opportunity to learn something new about Chicago - We are frequent visitors to Chicago city. We've also been on many tours before - ghost, mafia, architectural etc. This was finally something new! We always wanted to learn the Chicago train system, but were confused about how it works. This was an excellent opportunity to hop on trains, take a ride, and learn about their history. Dave (who went by the name Tall Dave L. since there are many Daves in the company) was absolutely fantastic. He was super knowledgeable, had many stories to tell, showed us around, and answered all our questions - even about how to purchase the tickets :). He pointed out best views and we were able to take many pictures. At the end he treated us to a unique donut experience at Vodoo Doughnuts. Our 14 years old had tons of fun and so did we. Thank you! And 100% recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Shamonicarandell
Jan 28, 2024
Day trip - So me and my sister decided to do a day trip to Chicago!!! We love this tour our tour guide knew so much about the city. I definitely recommend booking!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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