We did the Gold Coast walking tour and saw everything from the original Playboy mansion, to a house…read morethat was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a very interesting tour, but it's not for kids. There's a lot of walking, and it's gonna be boring for little ones, so leave them at home! The tour guide was totally awesome. He was very knowledgeable, and he made the tour interesting and fun. The reservation process and all communication leading up to the event were flawless. And it's true that there is no set price for this tour - this is not a scam. You reserve your spot online ahead of time, and at the end of the tour, you pay whatever you think it was worth. We paid $20 per person - I'm not sure if that was too much, or too little. Bottom line: use this tour company. You will not regret it!

Tom was a fantastic guide on the out-of-the-way city tour. We learned so much! He's incredibly…read moreknowledgeable and so generous in answering questions. We could not have asked for a better tour and are glad it was tip-based. Thank you, Tom!

I had a blast at Bobby's Bike Hike!! It was really fun to explore Chicago on our bikes. I really…read moreenjoyed going to the farm in Lincoln park petting zoo, and we got to feed the chickens and pet the goats! You can tell they put a lot of work to make this camp really fun for us! We went to the Chicago Field Museum and spent hours on end splashing in the waves at Ohio Street Beach each day. Our counselors took us on a fun side quest to observe Chicago's sky line from the south side of Chicago's perspective. Our counselors, Matt and Eden were exceptional!! Matt knew a ton about Chicago's history and architecture. He was really engaging and would play football with us. Eden is a natural leader and ensured that kids were safe while having a good time. Overall I had an excellent time at Bobby's Bike Hike.

Chicago Favorites Food & Walking Tour…read more Bottom Line Up Front: Tour: 5 Stars Food: 3.5 Stars Value: 3.5 Stars First of all, the tour was amazing thanks to our tour guide, Braeden. He was super passionate about the city and the food and was a wealth of knowledge on both topics. He also was very charismatic and when he shared stories of Chicago and the food, time flew by. Reflecting on the tour afterwards, my girlfriend and I remembered so many different things we learned because he was so good at keeping things interesting. In terms of the food, we hit the core Chicago staples of deep-dish pizza, roast beef sandwiches, and Chicago-style hotdogs. This was supplemented by a very small bag of popcorn and a small fudge bar. Now I've been on 20+ food tours and for a 3.5 hour tour costing $85, I'm used to 5-6 full food stops with 1-2 small bites compared to the 3 full food stops and 2 small bites, so that fell short. The tour also had an excessively large group with 14 people while many food tours are capped at 10 guests. This led to a few stops selected solely to accomodate a large group that had no significance to being authentically Chicago or foodie-driven like eating the Chicago-style hotdog at the touristy Millenium Hall (3.5 stars on Yelp). If you want to balance both the food and the tour of the city, then I'd recommend this tour for you. However, if you're only in it for the food, there might be better options out there.

During Parents' Weekend at the University of Chicago, the university offered tours of the…read moreneighborhood through Chicago Detours. My wife did this tour a couple years ago and highly recommended it, but I wasn't especially interested because I had also gone to school here and figured I knew enough about Hyde Park already. However, she insisted that it would be worth our while and so I agreed to climb on the bus. And it was the absolutely right decision, because the tour was excellent. In fact, it wasn't just a tour of Hyde Park. It included the surrounding neighborhoods of Washington Park, Kenwood, Jackson Park, and Woodlawn. Since this was a UChicago sponsored event much of the information related to the University's investment and involvement in the area. Our tour guide and founder of Chicago Detours, Amanda, is herself a graduate of UChicago and thus she had some additional insight into the relationship with the community. Though the 75-minute tour felt a little slow-going at times, there was much to learn about the vibrant but sometimes troubled history of the area. Amanda has tremendous knowledge and the excursion was both fascinating and entertaining. I can imagine that Chicago Detours would have equally interesting tours of other neighborhoods in this diverse city.

Virtual tours are such a cool thing to do right now. I attended a Yelp Elite event that was a…read morevirtual food tour of Chicago. It was incredibly informative and a good balance of history and current trends. Looking forward to attending more virtual tours, like the World's Fair and the Cruise From Your Couch Boat Tour. I loved seeing the pictures of the in-person tours and can't wait to attend some of those too.

Almost everyone you meet in Chicago who loves their city will ask when you tell them you are…read morevisiting from out of town, "Have you done the architectural boat tour?" People in Amsterdam will also ask if you have done a canal boat tour - and you have to do these when you visit these cities. Our docent volunteer guide, Steve, was excellent. He was very personable and extremely knowledgeable about the city's riverside buildings and its history. The boat staff was also hardworking and ready to help with any issues, from getting a drink at the boat's downstairs bar to handing out covers when the rain hit us. For what we paid, the 1.5 hour tour was more than worth it. I recommend sitting at the top towards the back, as you don't have to crane your neck as much when he points out places of interest. This was a truly wonderful experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Not what I expected overall but it was still a very educational experience. Scoring tickets to…read moreChicago's Architecture Center through our hotel, we used the tickets as a good time filler. Not a must see or do attraction but a great day filler activity as you explore the city. Loved the wealth of information they offer as it's valuable to understand Chicagos importance from the ground up! I thought it would be more about highlighting the amazing architectural buildings around the city but nothing like that. It's was more about the environmental impact the city has and the hurdles when designing buildings around town. The staff were friendly at check in and provided great service overall as they were kind and helpful. Small center that you may explore at your own pace and may or may not be worth the admission price. But scoring free tickets it allowed us to be selective in our day or day plans to include the activity to pay it a visit!

Our tour guide Spencer was terrific! He was very knowledgeable about the buildings we visited and…read morehe had lots of fun and interesting stories about Chicago history. We visited the Chicago Board of Trade, the Marquette Building, the Rookery, the Alexander Calder sculpture and buildings near it, the Palmer House Hotel and the Marshall Field Building. Tour was a solid two hours and we walked about one mile. Definitely a five star experience!

Not just architecture facts, good intro or review of Chicago generally. Henry met us on time, was…read morevery clear and paced the tour perfectly.

I did the Birth of a Skyscraper tour with Mitch, and it was incredible!! I gained a deeper…read moreappreciation for Chicago's buildings. My partner even said that even though he passes by some of these buildings everyday, he didn't realize things until Mitch pointed them out! Mitch was engaging and friendly. He answered all of our questions as well, and I enjoyed his "storytelling format" of the tour. He also communicated with us about when and where we should meet. I highly recommend Free Tours by Foot for anyone visiting Chicago!

Bruce was a great guide on our Lincoln Park tour! Lots of info about Chicago's gangsters. Thank you…read moreBruce!!

I took the Yes Chef! food tour on Saturday August 29th, 2026 with David as our tour guide, and it…read morewas the highlight of our trip. Without using any notes, David shared key tidbits we did not know about The Bear's backstory as we visited 7 locations made famous by the show, all from within a comfortable tour bus driven safely by a highly entertaining Chicago native. Getting to visit Mr. Beef, Margie's Candies and Roeser's Bakery were major highlights for me, sampling the famous Chicago beef sandwich, the hot fudge sundae (in a giant clamshell!) and the strawberry glazed donut made me want to move to Chicago. As a New Yorker who typically hates tours, I thought this was well worth the money and time, and I'm so happy we did it. If you're a fan of the Bear this is a must-do. Highly recommended.

We SO enjoyed our Bear Food Tour! Our guide Teddy shared so much info about the show but also lots…read moreof little known Chicago history. We only had 7 guests on the tour so everything was easy. The food was delicious everywhere and it was just the right amount. We visited Mr. Beef, Publican Meats, Lobo Tavern for pizza, Margie's Candies and Green Door Tavern for a farewell cocktail. Teddy's enthusiasm and knowledge helped make the tour extra special. Highly recommended!

Our guide Tanner was very entertaining. I recommend this tour. great way to see a piece of Chicago…read morewith a little interactive history.

Baylor walked around town telling us all sorts of spooky and gruesome stories. Now, I've been to…read moreChicago several times, but I learned more about locations I thought I already knew! I recommend this tour with hesitation.

Such a fun boat ride just chilling riding going in and around all the buildings and learning about…read morethe architecture and history all while taking Chicago in The staff was great and it was a nice ride and break from walking Lovely time

Such a great city for architecture, the very oldest building sitting next to the newest…read moreskyscrapers. I loved this tour...even though it rained and we had to spend part of the tour inside to stay dry without much of a view, it was still a great tour for the cost. We were warned to make a reservation cause the tours do fill up, and this was a holiday weekend. Do not leave Chicago without doing this!

Great tour! Our…read moreguide, Katie, was funny, friendly, and knew so many cool (and creepy) facts about Chicago's crime history. We hit everything from Al Capone and the Chicago Outfit to the Tylenol Killer and the crazy history of Streeterville. Loved hearing about speakeasies like The Bad Apple, the Rock n' Roll McDonald's drama, and wild stories like Johann Hoch and H.H. Holmes. Highly recommend if you love true crime with a side of Chicago history!

Nice tour, informative. Tour bus was new, clean and the A/C was on for the hot and humid Chicago…read moreJune afternoon. Enjoyed the commentary by the tour guide. Learned alot. Made two stops which was nice to get out and stretch and see some historical sites.