Magnificent Mile Tour With Optional 360 Chicago Upgrade
Description
Experience the story of Chicago through its skyline on a walking tour that stretches from the city’s 19th-century roots to its most striking modern towers. From Beaux-Arts to modernist to Art Deco, this architecture tour has it all. Start near beautiful Millennium Park to enjoy those lakefront views. Then follow your guide past architectural gems from the 1920s and landmarks like the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, plus eye-catching storefronts including the world’s largest Starbucks and a Harry Potter-themed shop. Step off Michigan Avenue to explore luxury spots like Cartier and St. Laurent before wrapping up at the former John Hancock Center. If you’ve selected the upgrade, you’ll head up 1,030 feet to 360 Chicago to be dazzled by panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the pinnacles of skyscrapers below your feet. Come see what makes this mile truly magnificent!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide at the Federal Building Columns and learn about the history of Chicago’s lakefront. Then get a glimpse of Italian Renaissance style at the Chicago Cultural Center nearby.
Admire the beauty of the Beaux Arts and Art Deco movements on the water with three distinct Chicago buildings from the 1920s. You’ll also learn about the impact of the Chicago School of Architecture.
Experience the Mag Mile in a unique way. Observe the world’s largest Starbucks, Burberry’s unique façade, and walk by the nation’s only Harry Potter themed store outside Orlando. See major architectural movements from Art Deco to late Modernist.
High end retail is never too far from commercial retail and you will experience storefronts of the elites like St. Laurent, the Esquire Theater, and Cartier.
If you upgrade to add on the 360 Chicago observation deck, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the Magnificent Mile, Lake Michigan, and more from 1,030 feet up. Your visit is self-guided, so feel free to stay as long as you like. If you wish, you can also upgrade your ticket on-site by adding the TILT thrill ride experience.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- If you purchased the upgrade, you can enjoy a self-guided 360 Chicago visit after the walking tour. You're welcome to spend as long as you like on the observation deck. This ticket doesn't include TILT. If you feel up to the challenge, you can purchase the TILT upgrade on-site.
Reviews(81)
Very pleasant and knowledgeable guide.
Excellent tour with Ben. Better than expected. He was knowledgeable, informative and very entertaining. We covered a lot of ground and it was a wonderful mix of history, architectural sites , beautiful landmarks and holiday decor. Highly recommend.
The tour was mostly centered around the architecture of the many fabulous buildings along the Magnificent Mile. We had also done a boat tour, also highly recommended, but with the walking tour you are able to see the buildings up close, and stop and see how the different styles fit together to make downtown Chicago so unique. Our guide, Ben, was a wealth of information and gave great context to what we were seeing.
Ben was absolutely brilliant from start to finish.Very informative and kept us entertained throughout the entire tour with his enthusiasm and humour
Ben was fun to walk around and a great tour guide felt like hanging out with a good friend showing me his city great experience!
Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed exploring the city with Ben — it sounds like he made the tour feel friendly and fun. He’ll be thrilled to hear your feedback!
Ben was great, full of enjoyable, light hearted and informative. Very helpful with Chicago suggestions too.
Thank you so much for your review!
Ben was awesome. This tour is highly recommended. Definitively, a great opción of you look for a bite of history of Chicago
Ben was great and very informative. He provided a historical review of Chicago’s amazing history beginning pre-fire to present. Then he showed us various historical buildings, and shared about their history and some of Chicago’s influential figures from the past.
Lark was extremely knowledgeable about the buildings along the tour, as well as curious about questions that were asked. There was a great mix of stops and walking to mix up the two hours. I am not one for heavy or intense guided tours as I like to go am my own pace... but Lark was very open about making the experience accessible for all interests. I learned so much about key buildings in Chicago, and I feel that the knowledge is already enhancing my enjoyment of the rest of the trip. Thank you Lark!
Ben was an excellent guide who was very knowledgable about the city history, the culture, and the architecture. He took us through the magnificent mile which included many high end stores. I recommend this tour to anybody who would like to know more about the city. Thanks Ben for a memorable experience.
