Tours/Chicago/Chicago Hop On Hop Off Open Top Bus Tour
Viator

Chicago Hop On Hop Off Open Top Bus Tour

3.9(2,364)Chicago1 hour
VIATOR3.8(1,106)TRIPADVISOR4.0(1,258)

Description

Discover Chicago at your own pace with Big Bus. Travel aboard an open-top, double-decker bus and enjoy panoramic views of the city's most famous landmarks, including the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, Willis Tower, The Bean, Navy Pier, and more. Hop on and off at conveniently located stops to explore Chicago's top attractions, vibrant neighbourhoods, world-class dining, and shopping. Use our free app to track bus arrivals in real time and plan your day with ease. Enjoy multilingual digital commentary throughout your journey, packed with fascinating stories, local insights, and recommendations. 48-hour and 72-hour tickets also include 4 Self-Guided Audio Walking Tours, covering topics such as Architecture, the Chicago Riverwalk, and Public Art. For an even more memorable experience, the 72-hour ticket includes the Panoramic Sunset Live Tour, offering spectacular views of Chicago as the city lights begin to shine.

Tour Options

24-Hour Ticket
  • 24-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour: Hop on and off at convenient stops around Chicago and enjoy digital audio commentary while aboard.
48-hour Ticket & Walking Tours
  • 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour Audio Guide Walking Tour: A choice of 4 professionally-narrated audio tours
72-h Bus, Night & Walking Tour
  • 72-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour Night Tour & Walking Tour: Panoramic Sunset Live Guided Tour; A choice of 4 professionally-narrated audio tours

Highlights

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 digital commentary in multiple languages
4 Self-guided Digital Walking Tours to explore the city (if option selected)

What's included

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 digital commentary in multiple languages
4 Self-guided Digital Walking Tours to explore the city (if option selected)
Not included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Admission to attractions

Traveller Ratings

3.9
2,364 reviews
5
1,225
4
404
3
276
2
172
1
287

Important Information

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Choice of audio tours: Chicago Architecture, Public Art, Chicago Riverwalk, and Millennium Park
  • Download the Big Bus Tours app to access and activate your ticket, track buses in real time, and board easily using your mobile ticket.
  • Redeem tickets via Big Bus app or in person
  • Please advise at time of booking if wheelchair assistance is required
  • The Sunset Tour is a non-stop panoramic tour and is guided in English only.

Reviews(2,364)

C
cathyc717
August 12, 2026
Full Circle of Chicago

The tour guide was Candace and she was great! She shared personal stories and gave great depth to the history of Chicago. It was easy to locate the stops. We stayed on the whole route because we were tired and still wanted to see the city. I would recommend.

D
davidhD4739MX
August 11, 2026
A Warning

Firstly, the driver, Felicia, though pleasant, was certainly not a font of knowledge. She referenced the Taste of Chicago no less than 6 times on the trip, requested tips constantly and said about the Field Museum "this is boring, I used to hate it when I was a kid". Nothing was added to my trip and it really felt like she had no interest in the beautiful city. Along with this, and more worryingly, were some passengers behind me. Three women who were clearly intoxicated kept shouting out in response to Felicia, swearing and interrupting the journey of others. At one point in the journey, one of them proceeded to strip her garments and was not reprimanded. There were children on board this packed bus - people who had spent good money to see Chicago and instead they received personal opinion as opposed to illuminating insight and behaviour that would be deemed inappropriate in a limo on the way to a bachelorette party. I am deeply disgusted and disappointed. I have enjoyed the Big Bus tours in other countries and feel that this experience has truly dulled my view of the company.

C
Cyndi_K
August 8, 2026
Roadtrip

We parked across the street at a parking garage that was near where we boarded the bus. I love hop on hop off tours because you can see everything without fighting the traffic yourself. We saw all of the major attractions other than Wrigley Field but was a wonderful day. We spent a lot of time at Navy Pier and the Butterfly House.

Operator response

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear that you had such an enjoyable day exploring Chicago with us. Hop-on hop-off tours are a fantastic way to see the city's highlights without the stress of navigating traffic, and we're glad you found the experience convenient and relaxing. It’s great to know that you were able to visit many of Chicago's major attractions and spend time enjoying locations such as Navy Pier and the Butterfly House. It sounds like you made the most of your day and created some great memories along the way. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience. We hope to welcome you on board again the next time you're in Chicago! Flavius@BigBusTours

S
stefaniemcaloon
August 8, 2026
Highly recommend!

The bus ride was wonderful, informative and right on time. Totally recommend and would do this tour again!

Operator response

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found it both informative and reliable. It's great to know that the bus arrived on time and that the commentary helped enhance your experience while exploring the city. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we're especially pleased to hear that you would choose to take the tour again in the future. Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience. We look forward to welcoming you on board again soon! Flavius@BigBusTours

R
RaeAnn_G
August 8, 2026
Chicago Exploration

This 2 hour bus ride stops at a decent amount of places of interest, especially when it leaves the downtown. It goes over to Navy Pier as well as the Field Museum and Stadler Aquarium.

Operator response

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found it to be a good way to see many of the city's key attractions. It's great to know that the route covered a variety of points of interest, including destinations such as Navy Pier, the Field Museum, and Shedd Aquarium, helping you experience both the downtown area and some of Chicago's most iconic sights. We're also pleased that you found the number of stops convenient for exploring the city at your own pace while still enjoying a comprehensive tour. Thank you again for sharing your experience. We hope to welcome you on board again the next time you're in Chicago! Flavius@BigBusTours

M
miertsch
August 7, 2026
Matty and Heavy, a knockout team

Matty was an awesome guide. Great stories, corny jokes, actual good dad jokes and an all around fun guide. Heavy drove for us and kept everyone safe.

F
FellowTraveler604641
August 6, 2026
Awesome!

Candace our guide did a wonderful job! Enjoyed all her explanations , history & notes. We could tell she has a lot of knowledge about Chicago & enjoys sharing it with us, tourists

C
Cheryl_A
August 5, 2026
Disappointed

We were actually disappointed that this tour was given using headphones and not with a live guide. The information was sparse and often times we received it before or after we had passed the destination of topic. There was way to “elevator” music in between. And when the driver was talking the music was playing on the headphones and you had to remove the headphones in order to hear the directions. Often times missing information. It also ended up raining. After it stopped the upper deck was too wet to sit and there were no accommodations to wipe off the seats. We had to get off the bus and go get napkins from a restaurant ourselves. Not good customer service in my opinion. I have been on Hop on Hop Off buses before that were run much better.

Operator response

Thank you for your review! We're sorry to hear that the tour did not meet your expectations. We understand your disappointment regarding the pre-recorded commentary. Traffic conditions can sometimes affect the synchronization of the audio with the landmarks being passed, and we appreciate that this impacted your experience. We're also sorry to hear that the balance between commentary and music was not to your liking and that hearing the driver's announcements proved difficult while using the headphones. BigBusTours@VladL

C
Cassandra_F
August 5, 2026
Fun and Learning Tour

This was a fun experience! Although we sat on the upper deck on the day the area was smoky, we still enjoyed the sites. It gave me opportunities to reminisce about my time working in the Loop some 40+ years ago, and also gave my husband a quick tour of the many sites and museums in the area he had not ever seen, as we live on the West Coast. Our first driver was a more of a tour guide, even with the opportunity to use the headphones, but she pointed out lots of areas of interest. The second driver just called out the stops. Although we stayed on the bus for all 11 stops, about 2 hours, we had purchased a two day ticket, but didn't use it on the 2nd day. However, it is a good option for those new to Chicago and it gives you choices to go back and see more in detail with the hop on/hop off option, without having to drive around. It's a good value for the price.

Operator response

Thank you for sharing your experience! 😊 We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and that it brought back fond memories while also introducing your husband to Chicago's iconic sights. It's wonderful that your first driver helped bring the city to life with additional insights along the way. We appreciate your feedback about the differing commentary styles and are glad you found the tour to be a good value. We hope to welcome you back aboard on your next visit to Chicago! Raul@BigBusTours

G
George_M
August 5, 2026
Some drivers hate their job.

The bus driver was very rude as we trying to board the bus driver was horrible, she was yelling at us to hurry up and get on as soon as the doors opened, and didn’t offer any information regarding headphones that were available for audio tour. We had to get the information from other guest. She drove fast aggressive.

Operator response

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We're very sorry to hear about your experience. This is not the level of service we aim to provide, and it's disappointing to learn that you felt rushed, were not informed about the audio guide headphones, and were uncomfortable with the driving. We appreciate your feedback and will share it with the local team for review. We hope you'll give us another opportunity to provide a much better experience in the future. Raul@BigBusTours

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