The Big Bus Tour was so fun! Cool trivia and a great driver. Candace was nice and gave a fun spin on the trivia! Great stops and easy to use! read more

Since this was the first time I had ever been to Chicago, this was a must on my 10-day vacation. I was with my niece who had been here many times before but she never got to spend time playing tourist like I was. I was so impressed at our driver/tour guide's knowledge of the most intricate details of the city of Chicago. We sat on the top of the double-decker bus, which gave us a great overview of everything we saw along the way, even the Canada Geese who were taking a break along the waterway. What was the most impressive was how much green space had been created amongst all the buildings and that older buildings had been preserved so that the city wasn't just tall, glass and steel buildings dominated the skyline. On my next visit, I'll have to see some of the highlights separately, but in the meantime, The Big Bus made it easy to start my bucket list. read more

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We had a blast on this open bus and saw places in Chicago that we wouldn't see otherwise. We sat on the top of the bus and had a great view. I don't think there is a bad seat on that bus. The lady bus driver was wonderful. She had a good sense of humor and was helpful with any questions. We were on the bus on 06/18/26 at 10:00am. There are 10-11 stops and you can get on or off the bus each time. It is wheelchair accessible and you should notify the company at time of purchase. It is also stroller accessible and service animals are allowed. Infants must sit on laps. Just some of the stops include Chicago Architecture, Public Art, Chicago Riverwalk, the Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, and Millennium Park where the Bean is located. Download the Big Bus Tours app for more info. We felt that this was a very worthwhile tour for us. read more

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The good was seeing all the different locations and hearing the history, however it was on a pre- recorded narrative, which made it difficult because the narrative came before we actually hit the spot. The bad was that the bus never stopped so pictures could be taken. My friend did it last year and her ride was a live narrative and quick stops to take pictures. read more

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

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Fun way to get around the city. 11 stops total. Highly recommend someone downloading the app (tracks the bus) Most of the bus stops are easy to find. With either a staff member in a maroon shirt or a "A frame " sign read more

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I don't know what these tourists are thinking. These buses barely move and one day, they shut down at 2p. Keep in mind they opened at 10a. So we were waiting at a stop and two busses drove right past us. They saw us and gave us the cutthroat sign meaning they weren't going to stop. So even though we paid for these passes, we still had to Uber back costing us $30. Never again. read more

For a tour. It's fine. It audio guide with headphones. I want a human talking. Not nearly enough information

The Big Bus Tour Chicago was an excellent way to view this magnificent city. We took 1-loop around viewing all the sites and listening to a very educational audio tour of all the highlights. We were visiting Chicago with another couple and discussed where we wanted to stop for lunch on our next loop. We had a delicious lunch at the Eleven City Diner (Stop 3) that had great food, service, and the ambiance was FUN! After lunch we caught the bus and headed to Navy Pier (Stop 5) to view the energy and activities. Our next stop was shopping the Magnificent Mile (Stop 9) that had really nice stores and more exciting Chicago energy. There are many buses and we never waited more than 5 minutes. We've done Big Bus Tours in many cities but Chicago was by far the best - very friendly drivers and staff at all stops. We look forward to our next Big Bus tour and future returns to The Windy City. read more

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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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Our big bus tour experience in Chicago was incredibly frustrating due to poor communication and unreliable operations. On August 15 (our first day), we boarded at the first stop around noon. Everything seemed fine until we reached stop #4, where the driver suddenly announced that stops #5 and #6 were being skipped. We were given zero prior notice when we got on at stop #1, and absolutely no explanation. To make matters worse, there was nothing on their website about these skipped stops. Because we specifically wanted to visit the Adler Planetarium at stop #5 (which is why we bought the Go City Pass), we made sure to ask the driver before getting on the bus on August 16 if they would be stopping at #5 and #6. The driver assured us they would, and we were also told buses run every 20-30 minutes. Unfortunately, that wasn't the reality. On August 16 at 4:10 PM, we waited at stop #5 for more than an hour. Using their tracking app while waiting, I watched as two buses stopped at stop #4 and then completely skipped stops #5 and #6, heading straight to #7. If you are going to skip stops or run them on an entirely different schedule than advertised, you need to be honest with your customers so we aren't left stranded waiting for hours. Cannot recommend based on this lack of transparency and reliability. read more

Miserable! Three serrate busses the AC was broken. It was miserable! The bus ride was very jerky. The drivers were nice.

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

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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I got the 72 hour tour, and I was lucky enough to have Candace everyday! She was amazing, great stories and insight from a local, sharing city tips and personal recommendations. I had some other drivers but I was so happy when she picked me up. Give this woman a raise! 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

immediately 5 stars for our guide miss felicia. she was a delight, and she was hilarious. not only did she take us to all the spots but also recommended other chicago staples such as portillos. it was a great experience. 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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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

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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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!