Exploring Chicago [Chicago IL] Taking the Big Bus Tours in major cities are always helpful because we don't have to drive everywhere to landmarks and places we want to visit, we just simply hopped-off then hopped-on again at the next bus. This means it's less headache maneuvering through traffic and looking for parking. We let the tour bus deal with all the driving and honking LoL! I've never heard so much honking in the streets. We did a full circle first then hopped off these major attractions: Stop #1 - Chicago Riverwalk Stop #3 - Millennium Park Stop #8 - Navy Pier Stop #10 - 360 Chicago Big highlights we experienced with the Big Bus Tours: Chicago Architecture Center Cloudgate "The Bean" Route 66 start Giordano's Pizza Famous Stuffed Pizza Lake Michigan Skyline Cruise in Chicago 360 Observatory Unfortunately, the Big Bus Tours had to modify their schedule due to the NASCAR Chicago Street Race weekend. We did not have access to #4, #5 and #6. We still enjoyed our tour of Chicago. Review #3811 read more

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Finding the first stop is annoying for their first run of the day. Their website said they open at 9 AM and the first bus leaves the first stop at 10 AM. Buses run every 20 to 30 minutes so I headed out early as to not miss the first bus. Their website shows a fairly large red sign that says Big Bus Tour here. They have an address of 98 E. Wacker Dr (across from Trump tower). The address on Google maps is just West of N. Michigan Ave. There is also a city bus stop here. The bus actually picks up on the East side of Wabash Ave. The bus arrived at about 9:45am. This is when they put out the bus sign. There is no stand or storefront that sells tickets here. The staff have handheld devices that will print your bus ticket. They really need to change their "opening" time on the website. If you want to sit on the top deck, get there early, that fills fast. I chose to sit inside the bus because of the air conditioning. I'm not sure what they do if it rains since some people will likely have purchased their ticket ahead of time and the tickets are nonrefundable. The afternoon was overcast so I sit at the top of the bus for the final three stops. I only got off at Navy Pier. The full tour takes about two hours. My other issue with this tour is the monotonous audio tour. The bus drivers are able to comment as well. I had two different drivers. Both drivers mostly let the audio tour play. They had a few comments and a couple jokes, but nothing really entertaining. I purchased my ticket through Groupon, which ended up being about $42. If you buy a ticket from their website, it's about $58 plus all the taxes. Chicago has so many taxes. If you search Google for hop on hop off bus tour Chicago, this company comes up even though their company name is different. Tip: sit on the left side of the bus. It seemed like 90% of the things to look at were on the left side of the bus. read more

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I love taking a hop on hop off bus in a new town to get the lay of the land. A big negative for me is the lack of a live guide and in this case, we all had to get off the bus and get onto another one at the Riverwalk stop. And then there is the 20 minute wait in the sun. Oh, and the app isn't accurate. We saw that the bus was two minutes away only to find out it was 20 minutes away. An empty bus came but it was to take the sales people back to the yard. I'm not a fan, sorry. Very frustrating. I should have looked at another bus tour. read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Cool! - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Terrible, rude and abusive driver Ms Candice She refused to let us out at our stop and then forced us to leave the bus at the next stop and threaten to revoke our tickets. She held the whole bus hostage and delayed everyone and then assaults my wife. Video evidence attached. I wrote to Big Bus and left them voice mails with no response whatsoever. Also during the time we were there during the 4th of July weekend their routes was cut in half read more

Overall I really enjoyed the Bus tours. The conductors and guides are very helpful and they offer a level of lighthearted information as well. It makes the whole trip worthwhile. The buses are clean and well maintained. There was only one instance where the intercom system wasn't working but overall of the five or six trips I took on them. I was very impressed with service. read more

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Prompt and courteous staff at pickup points. Audio guide was very informative and engaging and the stops were at great places to take in all there is to see in Chicago. We did this for 2 days. Some bus drivers did their own commentary and appreciated tips. We had one driver that was more informative than the recorded audio and she kept is laughing too, and another one that had very little to say that was really informative except to share her opinion about a few places. You can't go wrong with the audio tho! Be sure to get off at Navy Pier and walk around the shops or get a meal, it's a beautiful area! read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Chicago! - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Clifton was super helpful with ticketing at the check in. The tour itself was nice, I didn't catch the driver's name but he was witty. He was also very safe, which we appreciated. Standard Big Bus Tour, just know what to expect and you'll have a great time. read more

The only person that we encountered that is keeping this business running is SPIRO ( Spyro, Spero). He was phenomenal! He truly is passionate and knowledgeable. Very welcoming ! As a first timer in Chicago, this tour is worth it. It takes you to all the most popular stops in Chicago, city area. For the night tour ( where you will find Spiro ), it is sold separately or on the most expensive bundle. Now, this ticket does not include the admission to the museums or Skydeck, nor the 360. With the tour you are able to hop off and on at any of the stops, this will definitely save you the expense on taxi, Uber, Lyft, CTA. read more

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Thanks to BigBus for making our adventure great. Dorothy who was working the Navy Pier stop on December 20th was especially kind and courteous. She kept us in stitches the entire 30 min wait and helped us figure out where to go next. Thanks to BigBus for hiring such great staff. read more

We did the hop on hop off bus tour today, and had so much fun! We got to see quite a bit of the city while not freezing our butts off outside :). We had a few great drivers today, but Candace was amazing! She was funny, knowledgeable and a joy to be with! If you can get on her bus, I highly recommend it! read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Candace!!!! - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We used our GoCity pass for this and enjoyed it very much. We'd recommend going on it first thing and staying in for the entire tour and then stopping at places after the full tour and getting off and on for attractions. On our first morning tour the guide/driver was full of energy and information that was much appreciated. We not only learned history or the city but also other things you could do around that didn't cost money and was fun to do. (Money History Museum) Later when we got on they were no longer doing a live tour but you could still plug in headphones for a prerecorded tour. Overall neat experience and get to the top of possible, it's a much different experience up there. read more

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it starts operating too late, 10AM and stops too early, 5PM. the time between buses is very long, around 40min and the map in the app is not too user friendly. read more

I have done big bus in a few cities and always find it as an easy way to see the sights without ubering or walking all day. The stops on this tour are all downtown with busses coming every 30 mins. Our first driver, Candace, was amazing. She had excellent customer service and was entertaining. It was more than I expected, usually I am depended on the prerecordings as a tour guide. Candace was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, our next 2 drivers did not interact and only served as bus drivers. The whole route takes about 2 hours. I'd recommend if you want to see a lot downtown and have a lot of time to truly take advantage of hopping on and off. I used it as an option on the go city card so I didn't pay full price. read more

I really wanted to give a higher rating because the tour, in general, was pretty outstanding. The audio that accompanies the ride seemed corny at first, but ended up being quite informative. We were on the bus for three hours, but this includes the time we waited for a bus to arrive to replace the one we started on which, unfortunately, broke down. We had made it to the aquarium and were heading back out when the bus gave up the ghost. The second bus seemed to be in a heck of a rush. So much so that we did not make it to Navy Pier, which was the one place I was interested in getting off to look around. I was disappointed. That said, sitting on the bus for that long well... we were ready to head back to the hotel. I do recommend the tour and hope if you decide to hop on one of the Big Buses it makes it through the entire trip. read more

OK so I got a few mixed feelings on the Big Bus Tour. This is my first time with this tour company so here is my honestly first impression. Number one, pretty pricey Adult tour for the day cost almost $60. Number two, they don't really have a tour guide. It's more of an audio recording that you listen too. For me it was just getting on my nerves between the music and sound effects. I'm used to tours were the guide actually talk to you and explain things so to me it was off putting, but I get it big bus. Also, the bus driver was pretty strict and rude, again I get it,big city, you're a bus driver responsible for safety but the constant scolding of tourists to sit down was funny and annoying at the same time. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it. I definitely would try another tour if possible but if you're in a big city you just might be stuck. read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Chicago bus tour - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ripped off. Bus constantly late. Had to walk stop to stop because of no buses. And in the end, lost the recipe which apparently was a ticket needed to board. This is 2025, and I showed the driver my app which clearly says I bought tickets for that day. This was the last run for the day and the driver refused to let us on an unless I give him $10. Yeah right... so he left us in 6F weather outside, closed the door and left (after telling the customers that came onto the bus behind us that we were problem makers or whatever word he used). So disappointed. Try contacting Big Bus through the app and reached an agent who didn't care, basically that it was my problem. Very unprofessional. Will not recommend to anyone read more

I rated this a 5 star because of Candace. The first ride was very boring. On the next ride we had the pleasure of riding with Candace. She made it enjoyable she told you about landmarks even though she didnt have to because there were recordings playing on the headphones but was not the same experience and she had a few jokes. She was very funny. If we visit again definitely riding with her. Sincerely Ms.Michigan read more

This hop-on hop-off tour makes stops at the architecture center, Willis tower, art institute, Adler planetarium, navy pier, and magnificent mile. One is given a pair of free headphones to listen to a pre-recorded audio of the history of the different stops. The volume of the audio was hard to hear at times. I wish the bus driver still spoke during the tour; most of the drivers said that they were natives of Chicago. Tips: Do not lose your bus ticket. Also, I recommend sitting at the top for the best view. read more

Too much traffic and drunk people without tickets on the bus. Might be better on a different day. read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Drink girls without tickets being disruptive. - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We did the tour on Saturday April 6, 2024. Candace was our tour guide. Candace was fun and energized. she had made the bus fun and my parents really enjoyed their time on her bus. I wish the tour itself had more variety in the places that it stops. there are a lot places to visit in Chicago which are not in the main tourist areas. I would like to see big bus stop in different neighborhoods to add more variety to the trip. read more

What can I say, but download the App! It will give you real time of when the bus is coming to your nearest stop. Yes it's every 30 mins, but traffic is to be considered. There are 11 stops total! I think they should make 9/10 further apart, maybe a beach stop? Also, why do you print out the ticket? So I can lose it? Sucks if you lose your ticket, since you assume you are using the QR code and that's why you download the app. The lady bus drivers are extremely kind and ruthless on their journeys through the city. VERSETTA was enjoyable, she was very pleasant and had a great vibe about her. For 48 hours, I paid $59. Which was better than using Uber/lyft. Earphones are free and you can grab new ones if you lose the others. Be kind to the drivers and tip them! read more

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Waiting over two hours for a bus that never arrived. Customer service was only available via text and wasn't helpful. They offered another free day, which we couldn't take because we were leaving the next day. I asked about a refund and they had to send it up the chain. They only refunded about 15% and we purchased three tickets. read more

This was the worst experience we've ever had in many trips to Chicago. There was standing room only - like sardines - for a $50 supposed to be tourist trip hearing about tourist stops. So awful!! A city bus would have been better!! Save your money!!! read more

Loved riding around with Candance that was driving and also giving the tour. Loved how she interacted with the guest.

We had Candice as our tour guide, she was Amazing and very educated about all the different sites that we viewed and she was fun!

Felicia is an amazing guide. She did a great job navigating the busy Chicago streets while also providing very entertaining and informative commentary. She pointed out a few spots that we had not even thought of visiting that turned out to be some of our favorite moments from the trip. Thank you, Felica! read more

Rodney helped us book our ticket and he was so personable and helpful! We were a little on the fence about the tour but we ended up having the best time. Thank you Rodney for convincing us to go! read more

Very nice your with amazing information about Chicago. Very thorough and showed lots of the city

The one star appointed is for saving us a lot of walking. This tour is literally a ride around town. The pre-recorded commentary is quite terrible, especially, with our driver talking over the commentary with his own negative comments about Chicago. Chicago is so beautiful and deserving of a great guide. This surely isn't it. I'm a local but since I'm touring out of countriers, I opted for this disappointing tour. This is just a drive around town. Please save your time and money. In fact, look for a small group tour that will have a live guide. read more

I've only done one other bus tour in my life and that was almost 20 years ago in NYC. But if I can recommend anything to do in Chicago, it's this. Basically, with the bus tour you're driven around to landmarks in the city and have certain stops the bus makes along the way. While you ride, you listen via headphones to the history of the places around you and it makes for a really great drive! Once you arrive at a bus stop, you can either choose to jump off and look around there or stay on and ride to the next destination. Buses will come every 30 minutes to the stops, so whenever you're done exploring that area, you can just jump on the next one that shows up. We got to see places like Willis tower, Chicago Picasso, Soldier Field, Adler planetarium, Shed aquarium, and the Field museum. Pro tip: use the bus tour as transportation to get anywhere you need to in the city. read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My Cousins and I took our annual cousins trip to Chicago. It was cold and we wanted to see the city. The BIG BUS TOURS provided what we needed but it was Candace and Erica that made our experience absolutely amazing. When I tell you they provided an excellent tour! It was fun, engaging and by far educational! I highly recommend this tour and I hope that you are as lucky as we were to get amazing tour guides like Candace and Erica who we have adopted as cousins because of their dope personalities! Thank you for providing my family with an unforgettable tour. read more

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This really worked well for us and was convenient to get around and hop on and off. Candace was amazing! What a personality!!! It's a shame that some of the tours are recorded because it is just not the same. I agree about having to switch busses at stop 1 and sit there. That should for sure be changed. But Candace is like a ray of sunshine! read more

There are many drivers but you will really luck out if you get Candice. Wow. She made it a memorable experience. She was so interesting and personable and funny! Another driver I had for a short time was the opposite. Not friendly and only spoke to ask for your ticket and to yell at drivers on the road. Honked at them too. Ha! But I did most of the route with Candice and I was very fortunate. Great sights to see and fascinating history. Thanks Candice!! read more

Big Bus Tours Chicago - Part of the tour. - Bus Tours Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My wife and I really enjoyed our bus tour. Using the app made it easy to find one of the pick up locations, and it was good to see a sign and one of their dressed personnel their to validate our tickets and give some information. The bus arrived on time and the bus drivers and tour guide on ear phones did a good job of giving out information and keeping the ride funny and interesting. Great way to see the city, well worth the price read more

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Great bang for your buck . We took out two grandkids on the bus . Easy way to see Chicago and the sites you want to see . Maryrita Kerr

I've ridden on these buses in three different cities and I'm a fan. It is comforting to ride with other people on a tour especially when I travel alone. And the freedom of being able to get on and off at the stops you want makes it fun. I bought my ticket online and downloaded their app. Couldn't figure out how to link my ticket to the app but the app was useful in getting descriptions of the different attractions. There is also an 'if lost' option which shows you where the nearest stop is. Another option is the route map with where the buses are in real time. I don't know how good it was as it didn't seem to work when I looked. I showed up to the stop I picked without knowing what time the bus was coming. I had to leave according to his schedule so I was prepared to wait. The ticket agent scanned my ticket - which was sent via email - and printed out a paper ticket which I could show whenever I needed to board again. He also took a photo for me against an interesting backdrop on a nearby building. The bus came 5 minutes after I arrived which was super lucky for me. Masks are required when you go through the bus or in the enclosed seats but not if you sit up top. There is narration and fun quizzes piped through the sound system. If people are conversing it makes it hard to hear so I made sure to check my map to keep track of stops. So much to see on both sides of the bus since the architecture of Chicago is interesting. I love the ornate sculpting on the buildings. My favorite is the Chicago Tribune building. I got off at the Magnificent Mile / Water Tower stop to visit an old church and Bloomingdales which I saw from the bus. And then I got off at Portillo's on a whim as some people were discussing their famous hot dogs and I needed lunch. Didn't want to wait for the bus to come round again so I walked and caught a ride share back to the hotel. It was a fun tour with favorable weather and friendly associates. read more

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Let me start by saying that the hubby and I have always had great Big Bus Tour experiences in other cities. These tours are informative and fun for us, and we enjoy learning about new places through the guides. Unfortunately we had a much different experience in Chicago. Eager to experience Chicago from a different perspective we hopped on, only to find we would be listening to a prerecorded track through headphone jacks. The track was okay, just impersonal and generic. Plus the headphones weren't working on the entire right side of the fully loaded bus. Staff was doing their best, I just think there is room for a much better experience compared to previous tours we have taken. read more

We did our tour on May 5, 2024 all I can say is Candace really rocks. She did an actual or live tour instead of the recorded one and she nailed it. Very informative indeed. Hats off to Candace. read more

I had a really good experience with the hop on hop off. I purchased the 48 hour and used it primarily my first day to get acquainted with the city so I knew what things I could see and photograph from the street to make the most of my time. That gave me time to go back and spend time at the places I wanted to really invest my time at. I also purchased a sunset tour which was nice but didn't add a ton extra just additional time and more photo opportunities later in the evening - live narration from local and it was pretty good (not5star). The best hands down experience was with Candace. She gave a live entertaining tour and was definitely knowledgeable. read more

The earbuds don't fit in my ears and I felt like I was about to run into something every 2 minutes. There was no option for the audio tour other than using the earbuds and even when I put them up to my ear it was cringey and mainly just music about Chicago. read more