Underground Chicago: Explore Pedway System Walking Tour

Discover the hidden world beneath the streets of Chicago on a walking tour of the Pedway system. Explore iconic landmarks, holiday decorations, and the festive atmosphere of the city during this unique underground adventure.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Swissotel Chicago - Meet your guide in the lobby before descending into the Pedway.
  • Chicago Pedway - Walk Chicago’s underground tunnel system. We will walk underground and aboveground several times during the tour.
  • Chicago Cultural Center - View the famous Tiffany Dome and more.
  • Macy’s on State Street - Visit this iconic department store and marvel at its amazing architecture and Tiffany dome. Our stop wouldn’t be complete without seeing “The Great Tree” in the Walnut Room and the festively decorated store and windows.
  • Block 37 - Continue strolling the Pedway through this popular city mall.
  • Daley Bicentennial Plaza - We ascend from the Pedway to view the iconic Picasso sculpture and the world’s tallest church (Unity Temple).
  • City of Chicago - City Hall - See Chicago’s City Hall and County Building, and if we’re lucky – a wedding at the Marriage Court!
  • Washington/Wells - We’ll board the L Train for a quick ride through the Loop.
  • Route 66 - See the origin/terminus of the famous Route 66 then visit the majestic lions at the Art Institute.
  • Cloud Gate - The final leg of the tour takes us to Millennium Park and the famous Cloud Gate sculpture, aka, The Bean. We’ll also visit Lurie Gardens and the Crown Fountain.
What's Included
  • Transit tickets
  • Local expert guide
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Food and beverages
Additional Information

Take a tour of Chicago’s Pedway system, a network of underground tunnels that allows pedestrians to pass from one end of the Loop to the other without encountering weather or traffic.

Our tour begins in the lobby of the Swissotel where we descend into the Pedway. After a tour of the Chicago Cultural Center and its famous Tiffany Dome, we return to the Pedway for a short walk to Macy’s department store. There, we’ll view the famous Tiffany ceiling from two unique perspectives, and make a quick stop the iconic Walnut Room.

We return to the Pedway and follow it to Civic Center Plaza for a quick look at a famous Picasso sculpture and view the Chicago Temple and it’s famous Sky Chapel. Back down to the Pedway, we’ll visit to City Hall followed by a short walk to a nearby L station.

A quick train ride takes us to the origin/terminus of Route 66, the Art Institute’s lion statues, and to Millennium Park to view the famous “Bean” sculpture, Lurie Gardens and Crown Fountain.

  • Should be able to climb stairs as not all train stations are equipped with elevators.
Location
Swissotel Chicago
East Wacker Drive
Meet your guide in the hotel lobby.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(17 Ratings)
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Franci_r
Jun 7, 2024
The Pedway Adventure - The guide had a wealth of knowledge and was very obliging to our needs. Would definitely recommend this tour! It was a highlight of our trip!
Review provided by Viator
Richardry504yy
Jun 6, 2024
Best Chicago tour ever - Terrific tour of secrets of Chicago you would never find otherwise. You could live, work, shop and dine Chicago and never face the weather. Tour guide was very patient with our questions and gift shop excursions.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nwtravelers58349
Apr 22, 2024
Chicago’s underground - who knew! - Tom was terrific, knowledgeable about all aspects of the Pedway, Chicago’s underground walkway. Eye-opening experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Renecm2061nr
Feb 23, 2024
Great Pedway tour under ground the Chicago Downtown - I have lived in Chicago for 10 years, I have walked through the Pedway so many times but not the entire passage, and also I have never noticed the spots or areas we discussed during our tour. Our docent John provided us with plenty of information about it, pointed a different type of things, architecture of buildings we stepped out for short period of times, designs and even some cool art we found during our walk. We walked through different buildings, including some government, commercial and even private corporate office buildings. It was amazing how the city is connected through a lower passage, in this case the Pedway system that makes things easier during the super cold days while in the winter season. I was amazed how literally you can cross the entire downtown from underneath the street level, and how some areas of the Pedway system are open for 24 hr due the connection to the Red and Blue line subway from the CTA. I definitely recommend this tour during the winter period, I think is something cool you can do in Chicago, I am sure now when I walk through it I definitely won't get lost! I hope more people from Chicago take this tour and John provided us with plenty of information and made our tour even more enjoyable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lynn_m
Nov 13, 2023
This tour met and exceeded all expectations. - Our guide Tom was a life long Chicago resident and extremely knowledgeable and personable. He catered the tour to fit the interests of our family. Our son had recently moved to Chicago and he gave him several ideas on how to further explore the area. We will definitely be doing another tour with him when we get back to Chicago.
Review provided by Viator
Charlesmj9931ld
Oct 13, 2023
Excellent - Very informative and interesting. I will recommend the tour to others. Especially enjoyed the many stories our guide told.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ralphgb4352ok
Oct 1, 2023
Great Tour! Learn about the Pedway System as well as the Architectural Highlights! - Tom was amazing! He was very personable, knowledgeable and wanted to be sure that we experienced the city to the fullest and our questions were answered. He knows the ins and outs of the city. When in Chicago, we highly recommend L Stop Tours!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Trevar2023
Jun 5, 2023
Chicago Underground - I was not sure what to expect with this tour! Tom was a wealth of knowledge about the city and its history! I never knew so much could be happening below a city street! My friend and I were on a time schedule to meet the Metra back to Libertyville, so he modified our tour and walked us almost back to Union Station. Some day I want to be a Tom, the tour guide!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cqc12
May 19, 2023
This is THE tour to take - Tom was the best guide to have showing his love and knowledge of Chicago. Not only will you learn about the pedway, you will also have an experience riding the L, walking up to the street to learn about the history of Chicago, the buidings and great [laces to eat!. Tom goes at the pace of the people involved and was really a joy to be around. We will definitely go back and do whatever tours he offers. Thanks again, Tom!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Donziej
Apr 25, 2023
A Great Way to Discover an Overlooked part of Chicago. - I didn’t know the Chicago Pedway existed and I was keen to learn more. This tour was the perfect opportunity. Tom, our guide, was deftly engaging (read: no fake enthusiasm nor tired jokes) knowledgeable and of just the right temperament. He patiently answered any questions and made the entire experience enjoyable. I plan to take other tours with this company.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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September 2024
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