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Tea Around Town

1.6 (85 reviews)
Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

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The bus wasn't that clean , Couldn't enjoy the view from the bird shit on the window.
Safa A.

Simply it was not clean, bird shit on the window couldn't enjoy the view at all couldn't take videos and pictures, and that just ruined the moment. The Bus window ceiling was all scratched up not nice and clear to enjoy the view. Everything look cheaply made I was hoping for a more luxury feeling, but sadly that was not the case.

Kat T.

1. The outside of the Bus was very dirty - almost black. 2. We had 6 tickets and they were going back and forth saying we had 4 tickets . This wasn't the server but the actual host and she was rude. 3. The tea was not good. 4. The food was plentiful . All in all it was cute but wasn't worth 113.00.

Enas B.

My husband booked Tea Around Town as birthday gift to celebrate my birthday on December1st, and honestly... it felt spectacular experience. At first, we weren't sure where the bus was parked, but it ended up being right in front of the hotel, super convenient! Parking was also reasonably priced, which was a great start. From the moment we stepped inside, the experience felt special. The welcome alone had a warm, almost Disney-like charm. Our host and hostess were absolutely wonderful. professional, kind, and incredibly attentive. The host even sang throughout the ride, which added such a fun and whimsical touch, while the hostess made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed. The food? Amazing. Beautifully arranged three-tier trays with a perfect mix of sweet treats, savory sandwiches, and two types of scones served with jam and butter. Everything tasted fresh and thoughtful. The tea selection included four seasonal flavors, each one more delicious than the last. The whole ride lasted a little over an hour. just enough time to enjoy every bite and sip without rushing. We toured through downtown Chicago, passing by iconic spots with light commentary that made the views even more interesting. It felt charming, cozy, and a little bit romantic . such a unique way to see the city. The only letdown was the souvenir. Their website advertised a tea-themed cup, and I was excited to take one home, but it wasn't provided. Not sure why, but it would have made the experience even more perfect. One small thing: at some point, the host started chatting about a sports match, which didn't really match the dreamy, elegant vibe of the tour for me. But it didn't ruin the overall experience. In short, if you're looking for a beautiful, whimsical, and memorable outing especially for a celebration. this is such a lovely choice. I left with a full heart, great memories, and a birthday I won't forget. :)

Denyce M.

I saw this advertised on Instagram and thought it was an concept, so we decided to give it a try. Tea Around Town offered different packages and got the upgraded package which came with extra sandwiches. There was no alcohol served on the bus, but the package I got had sparkling non-alcoholic rose drink. The bus was definitely pretty in pink and a sight to see, double deck and all glitzy. We were seated upstairs at our table and were greeted with our tea sandwiches and desserts already on the table as well as these cute water cups. At the time I did not realize that those would be holding our tea. The food itself was good as well as the pastries. There were scones and other little desserts, including a cake pop. The sandwiches were tasty as well, with there being a beef club sandwich and a lobster roll, which I believe was a part of the deluxe package. In addition, we got some Ahi Tuna on a spoon as another bite for us. The tea itself was a letdown as I thought we were getting five teas, but in reality we only got three and the serving was literally a sip of tea for each one. Not really enough to wash down food. There was also no sugar, lemon or cream for those who like their tea that way. Because it was a lovely day, it was fun driving around downtown Chicago seeing sites I normally don't see if I am driving and trying to make lights and left turn signals. But beware when the bus makes turns as drinks and plates can go sliding off the table. The Queen, unfortunately, had just put down her glass of rose and the glass slide right off the table into her lap. Not good. The hostess was nice, pointing out sights along the way about different sights, all that I was familiar with, but it was nice to hear someone speak on them. She also performed some songs, with myself and the lovely ladies sitting across from us singing along with her. Did we have fun? Yes we did. Would I do it again at the price I paid? Not likely. My expectations for a tea experience was based on having tea at places like the Drake, Russian Tea Time or Allis and this did not live up to that. That said, I think if you have folks in from out of town and you want to do a 1.5 hour downtown tour with some snacks, doing the basic package would be a nice treat to see and hear about some of the great sights in Chicago.

Jacqueline L.

BEWARE: they charge significantly higher prices if you click on their ads vs. looking up their website. (See pics). Check ALL sources before booking if you really want to go. Fun thing to do. Bites were meh. Teas were pretty basic and something you can probably get at a grocery store. Cool vibe and very instagramable.

Padma A.

Great concept to view the city's delightful architecture and iSights on top of a bus with high tea. Easy checkin with my 80 year old British boss . The tables were already set up with treats ... tad bit skeptical to see smoked salmon on toast sitting out for a while . We were welcomed with flutes of rose and water botules . The top floor was pretty packed with the exception of few unoccupied tables . As the bus turned on Randolph our neighbors trays fell to the floor and so did their drinks making a major mess . The staff came by and cleaned up . Our guide was entertaining with his Chicago history knowledge and crooning to some famous musics numbers the scones were the only thing really that were edible the sandwiches and sweet treats were subpar . Overall a fun experience for people touring Chicago

Tanya M.

This was a unique opportunity to see Chicago from a very pretty perspective. I treated my cousin to this experience for an early birthday gift. We had a lovely time tasting new teas and finger sandwiches. It would be cool to do this in a different city. Being from Chicago, it was nice to experience this city from a tourist lens. It's a bit pricey but so are a lot of touristy attractions.

Priscilla F.

Canceled 30 min after atart time. Offered 50 percent refund which is crazy!!! We waited 45 min as your supposed to arrive early. Waited in the snow only to be canceled on and offered 50 percent is wild to me!!!

Tuna
Sheila G.

Omg , Disgusting filthy.. tea in a kiddy sippy cup ...not to mention , this was my second time trying to ride . The first one in January was canceled without a call or text . The bathroom was the worst ... Blood on the seat and the water doesn't work and the floors were filthy . The bus was late again , they were people who had been waiting for 2 and half hours late .. terrible , the experience was nice but nasty . The young lady , pouring up the tea was a delight .. but wow ., filthy

Sabrina C.

First and foremost, let me start by reminding people that at the time of this post this is a brand new experience here to Chicago. I want to say it's been here, maybe almost 2 months, but no more than that really. With that being said - there are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out however there is a bigger picture. I tried the Luxe experience and I think I've seen some mentions of people saying that the breads on some of the sandwiches taste hard like they've been sitting out all day. Newsflash folks - all bread isn't soft. Some breads are made with different textures; there are literally hundreds of types of breads - not just the white bread that you get for a buck out of your local store. With that being said, we had a variety of different sandwiches, and we actually liked them all. My favorite was the chicken on the rye bread, the salmon that was smoked, there was a mushroom mixture on top of a crust, a delicious cucumber sandwich and more. It was also scones that were delicious that came with butter and jam. And an array of desserts. Our food did not taste like it had been sitting out all day. Now what would be helpful is if they had a small menu at the table describing what each sandwich was because we had to go online and look at the menu to figure out what we were tasting. Also, this isn't meant to fill you up. Traditional tea times are enjoyed and served with small finger foods mint to just complement the tea and be enjoyed over conversation. The timing was a little off as well like I saw some others mention. It's supposed to be 90 minutes, but it seems like we had about 70 maybe 75. There were some last-minute logistical adjustments so I'm assuming that that had something to do with it. However, regardless of that, it was a great trip . Riding through downtown on a double-decker bus was such a cute and lovely experience. I can definitely tell that they are still sorting out the route and trying to identify what works best. And I think they just added a second tour bus so there some in and out of navigating through that that they are still working through. For the entertainment when we weren't being serenaded by our tour guide, he was giving some facts about the area that we were in and when that wasn't occurring, there was real life Bridgerton music playing lol very nice touch! I did see some people talking about the decorations, looking like a DIY experiment. I mean, they turned a double-decker bus into a tea party on wheels, totally custom made by them - what are you expecting? Lol it's still extremely cute and very nice and we loved it. Unless you're standing up on the seats and looking into the nooks and crannies of the corners of the ceilings and seats, I'm not sure how you're even bothered by this to begin with. All in all - it's a great experience! It is a bit pricey, but I would say it's something you would need to do at least once. Yes there are some kinks that need to be worked out, but it's like that with anything that is brand new, especially in such a large city . If you want to be safe, give it a little time for them to make needed adjustments and sort things out and then check them out. They should be doing winter wonderland theme coming up soon for the winter time in Chicago, which will look amazing if there's actually snow outside. Go and see for yourself, but I'm sure you'll have a good time.

The experience was disappointing. The bus was scheduled to arrive at 7:30 PM but didn't arrive until 8:10 PM. There was no apology or proper communication--only a message saying it would arrive in 5 minutes. The food was not good, and the bus was not clean; the floor was sticky. I expected much better for the price.

I went for my birthday and my experience was terrible and this is the worst way to spend $80+ is a complete waste we literally went for a 15 minute drive and was dropped back off. They didn't announce any landmarks or anything , although I am from Chicago and didn't need that there were people on the that wasn't from there and probably wanted to know the experience just wasn't worth it. The food was cold. Nasty steel just terrible experiment.

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They cancelled our 10:30am reservation with a text message at 10:24am....... Would give zero stars if that was an option.

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2 months ago

Terrible experience. They were 37 minutes late, had no way to contact them unless emails.

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Review Highlights - Tea Around Town

Lola was our waitress and entertainer and she had a beautiful voice.

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Family Secrets Tour - Frank Jr

Family Secrets Tour

5.0(66 reviews)
0.8 miNear North Side

This was probably one of the best tours I've been on, and my fiancé (who has very high standards…read moreabout these things) agrees. We booked a tour for Saturday at 2 pm. There were some technical difficulties and the TV system on the bus ended up not working. Mr. Frank Calabrese Jr was very professional and good-humored about the situation. He offered everyone on the bus the opportunity to come back free of charge so that we may have the full experience with the photos he had been intending to show us. He proceeded to do the tour without the presentation, which honestly was great in itself. He is a very good story-teller, and had a great narrative. He had notes with him but only referenced them a few times to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Everything was super authentic and off the cuff. I loved that we went around Chicago and we were able to get glimpses of how the city was like in the 60s-90s. What made this tour so great was that these stories were first-hand. It didn't come from someone who spent hours studying the history; this was his real life. He was very genuine about his experiences, and his anecdote about his kids at the very end of the tour made me tear up a bit. He even invited us to stay for happy hour at the Chop House to have a drink with him to talk. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone, regardless of whether you know the mob history or not. I personally didn't know too much, and still was captivated by his stories. He does have a book (which I definitely intend to read) and a movie in the works!

I'm a huge fan of true crime and Chicago history, so I'm surprised to say that this was my first…read morecrime tour ever. But everything happens for a reason, and it seems that reason was that I was meant to wait until the perfect one came along -- that, my friends, happened to be the Family Secrets Tour. I met Mr. Calabrese Jr. weeks ago when he presented some of his intriguing life stories at an event at Chicago Chop House, and I knew that evening that I had to book and experience the real deal, aka his bus tours. My friend and I booked a tour for a Friday afternoon recently that started at 2pm, and though there was a bit of a delay because our bus's TV monitors weren't working, Mr. Calabrese Jr. smoothly filled the time with some behind-the-scenes stories he said he usually doesn't share on the tour. I was hooked immediately. To be honest, before this tour, I had no idea the stories his family was involved in were so high-profile (I even talked to my family afterward, and they ALL knew every detail and were mad I didn't invite them! Sorry family!). But even while he showed us news clips, a lot of photos, and told all of his stories, he remained modest, which made the entire experience endearing. Mr. Calabrese Jr. is super charismatic and a great storyteller, and you can tell he genuinely loves telling his story and showing everyone around the neighborhoods where he grew up, and where big moments happened in history to people who were in "the life." I truly enjoyed this tour and I recommend it for anyone who wants an real, honest, non-theatrical recap of Chicago's mob history. The Family Secrets Tour is engaging and delightful. Thank you so much for captivating us, Frank! Can't wait to bring my family along some time!

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Family Secrets Tour - Aftermath of the car bomb attached to the underside of Michael Cagnoni's silver 1979 Mercedes-Benz.

Aftermath of the car bomb attached to the underside of Michael Cagnoni's silver 1979 Mercedes-Benz.

Family Secrets Tour - Assistant State's Attorney William H. McSwiggin a.k.a. "Hangman Prosecuter"

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Big Bus Tours Chicago - 07.03.25 who's your Daddy?

Big Bus Tours Chicago

3.4(350 reviews)
4.5 miCanaryville, New City

Exploring Chicago [Chicago IL]…read more 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

Finding the first stop is annoying for their first run of the day. Their website said they open at…read more9 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.

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Big Bus Tours Chicago - 07.04.25 Chicago Tribune

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Big Bus Tours Chicago - Uff!!! Look at that view, stop 6

Uff!!! Look at that view, stop 6

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Gray Line Sightseeing Tours - View from our Lincoln Park stop over looking the beautiful Chicago skyline (Scenic North Side Tour)

Gray Line Sightseeing Tours

2.3(68 reviews)
0.3 miThe Loop

This company did not provide the services I paid for due to employees who have no idea what they…read moreare doing. if I could give zero I would. Specifically, I ONLY went back to Dubai to go to the Louvre in Abu Dhabi because it was not open on my first trip. I selected the tour that provided this and it was all set up for Sunday. Without asking me someone changed my tour ( I did not consent to this change) to Monday'; the museum is not open on Mondays. i was told this was a mistake but since I only went to see this museum this was a MONUMENTAL MISTAKE. I took off work, paid for their services and flew to Dubai for a specific reason. I did not get to see the museum, not because it was a holiday or it was under maintence but because some employee had no idea what they were doing. When I complained and asked for a partial refund since I did not get what I paid for, I was offered a free trip to Abu Dhabi when I come back to Dubai. This is unacceptable since i have no intention of returning to Dubai any time soon or know if I ever will. This is a very large company and while mistakes happen, the cost for me should not be so high. They screwed up a trip I carefully set up for my purpose due to incompetence and then refuse to accept responsibility. Be very careful in choosing this company for dream vacations because they could get messed up and then they will do nothing about it

Candace is the best driver and tour guide. She made our ride entertaining and fun. She puts her…read morewhole heart in her job. She new passenger by name. We had trivia questions and prizes.

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Gray Line Sightseeing Tours - Abraham Lincoln Statue

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The 312 Limo

The 312 Limo

4.8(156 reviews)
1.5 miWest Loop, Near West Side, West Town
On-time commitment
Beat or match prices

I was on party bus duty for my daughter's recent high school dance. I priced out a few companies…read morewith party buses and 312 Limo was the most reasonable price. To be honest it was still a little expensive considering they were driving from Wilmette to Northfield to Glencoe, but less than the other: $840 for a 3 hour minimum for a party bus of 28. We also didn't need it for the entire 3 hours, but the options I found were either one way or 3-4 hour minimums so this was the best deal. I found their communication to be stellar both via email and text. The bus driver was on time and the kids had no trouble locating the party bus when they came out of the dance and I've heard it was one of many party busses. A few of my daughter's friends hopped on for the way home and commented that this bus was way nicer than the one they took to the dance from another company. Overall, it was a success. The parents could have easily driven these kids ourselves, but the party bus elevated the experience and the kids all seemed to enjoy the VIP treatment.

312 Limo sent the wrong size buses for my group without any communication. Due to their error, the…read morebuses left our start location late, but no time was added to our reservation to compensate. Instead, the drivers insisted the buses needed to return to their start location half an hour earlier than the contracted time because they failed to leave a buffer before the next reservation. Drivers did not seem knowledgeable about the routes, and even went to the wrong location at one point, refusing to listen to the passengers who pointed out their error. Another bus dropped passengers off in the wrong location, though luckily only a few blocks away. Overall, 312 Limo was incredibly disorganized and unprofessional! Absolutely wild response from Dan! Yes, it was 312 Limo, and you personally spoke to people from my group when the wrong buses arrived and during the later mishaps.

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The 312 Limo - Inside of trolley bus - red lights on top and color changing lights on ground, 1 small TV at front, two small areas for storing drinks/ice

Inside of trolley bus - red lights on top and color changing lights on ground, 1 small TV at front, two small areas for storing drinks/ice

The 312 Limo
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Chicago Architecture Center

Chicago Architecture Center

4.8(813 reviews)
0.3 miThe Loop

chicago architecture center boat tour on the "the first lady" was well done. very rainy day but a…read morechoice of remaining upstairs out in the open, where we were given a big umbrella which was nice, or some of our group went downstairs out of the rain. liz our docent was so knowledgable and informing, 11 out of 10 for her.

If you're in Chiago you have to do the Architecture tour at least once. If you're in Chicago…read moreduring the Summer as I was you can seek sanctuary in the air conditioned lower level. I wish the audio was a little bit louder on that level due to the sound of the fans and people talking. If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews)

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Chicago Architecture Center
Chicago Architecture Center
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Amazing right?

Tea Around Town - bustours - Updated May 2026

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