Tours, tickets and day trips in Chicago, IL
The best-reviewed tours and tickets with live prices, the sights with published visitor numbers, and the towns close enough for a day out.
Top-rated experiences in Chicago
The best-reviewed experiences in Chicago from Viator, our tours partner: 530 to choose from, with the “from” price of each. You book on Viator, which takes payment and handles changes; free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Chicago Architecture River Cruise (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $39 Free cancellation
Chicago River 90-Minute Architecture Tour (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $45 Free cancellation Likely to sell out
Chicago River 45-Minute Architecture Tour from Magnificent Mile (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $28 Free cancellation Likely to sell out
Chicago Crime and Mob Bus Tour (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $49 Free cancellation
Chicago Favorites Ultimate Food and Walking Tour (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $84.99 Free cancellation
Chicago Lake and River Architecture Tour (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $45 Free cancellation Likely to sell out
Chicago River 90-Minute Architecture Boat Tour (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $37 Free cancellation Likely to sell out
Chicago in a Day Walking Tour: Food, History & Architecture (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $100.95 Free cancellation
Lake Michigan Sunset Cruise in Chicago (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $45 Free cancellation Likely to sell out
Chicago's Chinatown Food and Walking Tour (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $79.99 Free cancellation
Skydeck - Willis Tower Admission (opens viator.com in a new tab)
from $44 Free cancellation
All 530 experiences in Chicago on Viator (opens viator.com in a new tab)
Prices are Viator’s “from” prices in US dollars as of 15 Sep 2026; the final price depends on date and group. We earn a commission on bookings made through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Tours, tickets and day trips across United States
What people come to see
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shedd Aquarium | 1,948,395 | 2015 |
| Art Institute of Chicago | 1,549,057 | 2015 |
| Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry | 1,495,476 | 2015 |
| Field Museum of Natural History | 1,280,000 | http |
| Adler Planetarium | 550,379 | 2015 |
| Division station (CTA Logan Square branch) | 353,570 | 1948 |
| Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum | 307,938 | 2015 |
| Chicago History Museum | 240,000 | http |
| Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago | 238,131 | 2015 |
| National Museum of Mexican Art | 158,895 | 2015 |
The busiest is Shedd Aquarium at 1,948,395 visitors in 2015. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Day trips from Chicago
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Naperville | United States | 42 km (26 mi) | about 41 min |
| Chicago to Joliet | United States | 51 km (32 mi) | about 50 min |
| Chicago to Elgin | United States | 56 km (35 mi) | about 55 min |
| Chicago to Aurora | United States | 56 km (35 mi) | about 55 min |
| Chicago to South Bend | United States | 118 km (73 mi) | about 1 h 55 min |
| Chicago to Rockford | United States | 128 km (80 mi) | about 2 h 5 min |
| Chicago to Milwaukee | United States | 134 km (83 mi) | about 2 h 11 min |
| Chicago to Madison | United States | 198 km (123 mi) | about 3 h 13 min |
| Chicago to Indianapolis | United States | 263 km (164 mi) | about 4 h 17 min |
| Chicago to Fort Wayne | United States | 225 km (140 mi) | about 3 h 39 min |
| Chicago to Grand Rapids | United States | 204 km (127 mi) | about 3 h 20 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Find things to do
Tours, tickets and day trips anywhere Viator sells them: pick a place, compare prices and reviews here, book on Viator.
Common questions
How do I book tours and tickets in Chicago?
Through Viator, our tours partner. The experiences on this page are live from Viator with their “from” prices; you book on Viator, which takes payment and handles changes and refunds.
What is the most visited attraction in Chicago?
Shedd Aquarium, with 1,948,395 visitors in 2015 (Wikidata).
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.