Chicago Bus Tour: Explore Landmarks & Views
3.9
2,362 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

Red Loop (Route)

Operating Schedule: Available daily: First Bus at 10 AM, Last Bus at 4 PM. Loop duration: 2 hours.
Download the complimentary Big Bus app for stop locations, city insights, and real-time bus tracking.
1. Riverwalk
Stop 1 - Chicago Riverwalk (98 E. Wacker Drive, across the bridge from Trump Tower)
2. **Skydeck…

see more
What's Included
  • Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus
  • Enclosed/Climate Controlled Lower Deck, Top Deck Open
  • Big Bus Tours app (ticket storage, live tracking and ticket activation)
  • Panoramic Sunset Live Guided Tour (Included with 72-Hour Ticket)
  • Free Vox Self-Guided Walking Tour app download (included with 48-Hour and 72-Hour tickets)
  • Professional…
see more
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Admission to attractions
Additional Information

Explore Chicago at your leisure with Big Bus. Ride on an open-top, double-decker bus and take in sweeping views of the city’s iconic landmarks, such as the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Willis Tower, The Bean, Navy Pier, and more.
Board and disembark at conveniently placed stops to discover Chicago’s premier attractions, lively neighborhoods,…

see more
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
3.9
(2362 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Karic863
Apr 24, 2026
Wonderful tour and way to get around city - My friend and I recently visited Chicago and the hop-on hop-off bus tour was our favorite! We loved all the history and interesting things we learned on the tour and it made it so fun and easy to get around the city. We did 48 hour tickets which worked out so well for our short stay. All of the employees were great. Demetrius was the best! So knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful with recommendations, we really appreciated him! Great tour, definitely recommend and will do again when we come back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Catherined244
Aug 18, 2025
Do this !! - My husband and I always do a hop on/hop off tour the first day we are in a big city and this one did not disappoint. Chicago is a loud city so the headphone narration was great. The staff was pleasant and knowledgeable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steve
Aug 28, 2025
Very interesting, good insight to the cities history - Some of the driver had no customer interaction. Which is a shame as the majority of the staff took the time to explain and took pride in the city
Review provided by Tripadvisor
U9540wgmiriamb
Feb 27, 2026
Misleading Information, Mediocre Delivery, and a Missed Opportunity in Chicago - I am a professional tour director who leads groups around the world. I understand guest expectations, operational standards, and what constitutes value for money. I chose this tour specifically to evaluate how Chicago’s key highlights are presented to visitors. The experience fell well below an acceptable standard. First, the website information was misleading. It prominently stated departures every 30 minutes. After waiting 50 minutes with no bus in sight, I discovered—buried further down the page—that service was operating on a 60-minute schedule. Repeated attempts to confirm timing through the company’s AI chat continued to state a 30-minute frequency. That is not a minor oversight; it is a failure in basic guest communication. Second, the equipment was substandard. The bus was old, rode harshly, and appeared poorly maintained. Comfort is not a luxury on a paid sightseeing tour—it is a baseline expectation. Third, while the driver-guide was personable, the narration was strikingly weak. Landmarks were pointed out with minimal context and little storytelling. Commentary consisted of generic, surface-level remarks with no depth, no historical framing, and no effort to create a cohesive narrative of the city. For a destination as architecturally and historically rich as Chicago, that is an inexcusable missed opportunity. At $116 for two tickets, the experience did not deliver professional-level guiding, accurate communication, or basic comfort. My recommendation: align your published information with reality, invest in vehicle quality, and—most critically—train your driver-guides to provide structured, engaging, and substantive narration. Guests deserve more than transportation with occasional commentary.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Xiaodongl948
Oct 3, 2025
The female drivers were friendly - The female drivers were friendly. I never had the chance to exchange my booking voucher for a paper ticket, but they still allowed me to board the bus. I couldn’t make the exchange because the Big Bus tour kiosk near 360 Chicago was vacant—no one was there when I visited twice during their operational hours. The bus operational hours are short, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in September. However, they further reduced the hours on Saturday, September 27, 2025, to 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. I was not informed of this change when I booked the day through TripAdvisor. This unexpected change disrupted my entire day’s plan, and I eventually had to spend more than an hour walking back to my hotel. The one-day package offers little value for tourists like me. A two- or three-day option makes more sense because each stop requires a few hours to visit attractions such as museums. With just one day, you can only visit one or two places. For the price of USD 58, taking an Uber would be more convenient at a similar cost.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy_b
Aug 14, 2025
A partially good experience - Desmond was AWFUL! We actually got off the bus and waited for the next bus because of his driving. Very sharp, starts and steps to the point that we could not even eat our sandwiches on board.
Review provided by Viator
John
Jul 1, 2026
No AC on a very hot day! - Three busses the AC didn't work during a heat wave. The ride was miserable!!?
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Allison
Jun 28, 2026
Driving erratic and no explaining of anything made this for an awful experience - First they didn’t have any headphones for us to listed to whatever was being said on the recording about the e buildings were were flying by. Second I felt like the driver was insane with how he was driving! Running red lights (3 that I counted) and he even wanted to not let an ambulance going code 3 through the intersection….but he was going sooooo fast you didn’t have time to see anything. And it was like he was AIMING FOR tree branches! I was on second level and without warning people were getting smacked by low tree branches including myself getting hit in the eyes and nose causing lacerations on my face. Only after he hit three branches did he say “sorry bout the branches”. We all were looking down to read the map because no headphones about the stops approaching as I said and bam. Branch to head. Then he parked and told us all to get off and go to another bus and when parked he lurched the bus forward and an old lady fell down the stairs. He was crazy!!!! Never again. I have done a few of these all over the world and hands down the worst experience ever.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kadenia
Jun 27, 2026
Never saw a Big Red Bus:( looked for it for over a hour. - Never saw the Big Red Buses:( looked for over a hour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tanya_v
Dec 28, 2025
Not worth it - I take these tours in every city. This was the worst by far. Workers were rude. They didn’t have enough headphones.
Review provided by Viator
Check Availability
From $49
From $49
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Select a date
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
More activities from this operator
From $56
4.1
4,713 Ratings
Big Bus Tour: San Francisco's Top Sights
From $39
4.2
189 Ratings
Chicago Skyline Tour: Nighttime Panoramic Views
Chicago