I am a sucker for Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) buses while traveling – whether I’m traveling the United States or abroad, I think it’s a great method of sightseeing, and I don’t care how touristy I look! Before I moved away from Chicago, I had to try all the best Chicago tours and experience my hometown of 20 years as a tourist. Hop On Hop Off Chicago is a great way to see the city. I like to ride the full loop first, listen to the recorded commentary, and then choose the stops where I want to hop off and explore a bit. The Chicago hop-on hop-off bus takes about two hours for the full loop, so you can experience several iconic landmarks of the Windy City, and maximize the value of a one day ticket price!
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Chicago Hop On Hop Off
Many cities have multiple routes on their bus tours, but Chicago just has one, the Red Loop. Big Bus Chicago operates several open-top double-decker buses as you’ve seen in many cities. On busier summer days, they also deploy trolleys to handle overflow traffic. (I recommend the bus as the trolley is enclosed on top, and very loud, so it’s hard to hear the tour guide) When you arrive at each of the 11 bus stops, there will often be another bus just ahead of you. Rather than waiting around for your bus to depart, you can run ahead and jump on the next bus. I did this several times as I was just riding the loop, not hopping on and off. Of course, if the buses are full, you may not want to give up your prime seat and chance it on a new bus!
Fort Dearborn
If you start at stop #1, The Big Bus tour of Chicago starts at Fort Dearborn, along the Chicago River near Michigan Avenue, also known as the Magnificent Mile. Before or after your tour, you can check out the new Chicago Riverwalk, which is growing each season with bars and restaurants that cater to the boating crowd and pedestrians.
Chicago Theater
Stop #2 is the Chicago Theater, home of the famous “Chicago” sign on State Street. Early in the summer, I joined the tour at this stop. The stop wasn’t marked and I wandered around quite a bit before waving down the bus on the southbound side of State Street. (Later in the summer, BigBusChicago appears to have an attendant stationed here so it should be easier to find, but it’s across the street from the theater if you can’t spot it.)
Find hotels near Chicago theater and more places to stay in Chicago!
Willis Tower
Longtime Chicago residents know this building as the Sears Tower, once the highest skyscraper in the world. You can visit the Skydeck, 103 floors above the city, and test your mettle on one of the clear ledges that leave you suspended high above the city. Summer weekends will find lines snaking around the block, so plan accordingly! This stop is also a great place to hop off and grab the water taxi to Chinatown!
Pre-Purchase tickets to Skydeck Chicago at Willis Tower!
Millennium Park & Palmer House
Stop #4 is Palmer House, a Hilton hotel located just off State Street. Nearby Millennium Park has a full schedule of events year-round. There are concerts, sculptures, and fountains for the kids to splash around! Make sure you stop at the Bean for a photo sesh!
Art Institute
The beloved Art Institute of Chicago is easily recognized by the lion statues flanking the Michigan Avenue entrance. This museum is a must-visit for any art lovers visiting Chicago.
Book Skip-the-Line Art Institute of Chicago Exclusive Guided Museum Tour
The Hilton Chicago
Stop #6 is the Hilton Chicago on South Michigan Avenue. This is the best stop to hop off and explore Grant Park, which has been called Chicago’s front yard.
Adler Planetarium
The easternmost point of the Chicago bus tour stops at Adler Planetarium along Lake Michigan on the museum campus.
Shedd Aquarium
Right next to the planetarium is the Shedd Aquarium, one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. Lines can get pretty long here as well, so plan ahead for your tickets.
Field Museum
Sitting across from Soldier Field, the Field Museum houses so many collections, including a rotating schedule of special exhibitions. Visit T. Rex Sue, the most famous resident of the Museum, and then spend up to a full day exploring the hallways of this grand museum.
Beat the Crowds! Purchase a Field Museum Early Access VIP Ticket
See why the Field Museum is the best Chicago museum for kids!
Sheraton Grand
Stop #10 is at the Sheraton Grand, along the Chicago River. This is a great place to hop off to explore the Streeterville neighborhood, which includes AMC River East movie theater, Lucky Strike Bowling, and Pinstripes Bocce Ball & Restaurant.
Navy Pier
Navy Pier attracts millions of visitors to Chicago each year. If you’re into chain restaurants, this is a great place to stop for a meal. Harry Caray’s and Margaritaville are two of my favorites. There’s also Bubba Gumps and Giordano’s, home of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. Navy Pier also has a giant Ferris wheel, a children’s museum, Shakespeare Theater, and an Imax theater. This is the departure point for many boat cruises, so hop off the bus and get out on the water!
Find out where to go kayaking in Chicago!
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is the heart of the Magnificent Mile shopping district. We used to take bus trips here from the Quad Cities when I was young. This seems funny now, but people still come from all over to shop here. There’s a great food court and American Girl Place is a big attraction as well.
John Hancock Center
As seen in the photo above, the last Big Bus stop on the Mag Mile is the John Hancock Center. The Hancock Center is now known as 360 Chicago observation deck and in an effort to one-up the Willis Tower Ledge, 360 Chicago offers The Tilt. That’s right, not only are you suspended 94 floors above Michigan Avenue, you are tilting out at an angle. Or, you can save your cash and just enjoy a drink at the Signature Room on the 95th floor.
Pre-purchase 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck Admission
Hard Rock Cafe
From the Mag Mile, your BigBus Chicago tour heads west on Chicago Avenue, to the final stop at the Hard Rock Cafe. This area is home to the Rock N Roll McDonald’s and Portillo’s (my fave chopped salad!), among many other restaurants. You can hop off here, or continue back to Big Bus stop 1 at Fort Dearborn.
Check out these Chicago rooftops for a cocktail and the best views in town!
Other Chicago Bus Tours
- Chicago Night Crimes Bus Tour
- Price: $50.00
- Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour
- Price: $89.60
- Saturday Chicago Pizza History and Tastings Bus Tour
- Price: $90.00
Top Chicago Tours
- Chicago Foodie Lovers Private Tour
- Price: $319.00
- 15-Minutes Chicago Showcase Helicopter Tour
- Price: $210.00
Love how you say that you like the hop-on hop-off busses! I never did one to be honest but if I read your post and see how much you can actually do using one it seems great! I would love to go to Chicago once! Definitely gonna safe this post for my future travels! 🙂
I love hop-on hop-off tours, too! I often recommend them as a means of transportation that also provides some insight into the city. BTW, Navy Pier has added over a dozen local restaurants, including DMK Burger Bar and Tiny Tavern.
Good to know! I don’t visit Navy Pier all that often 🙂
Chicago is so much fun. I still haven’t tried hop on hop off bus tours yet, but Chicago seems the perfect place for them. I’m definitely going to need to go back, since I clearly missed some neat highlights from your list.
I think it’s the first time I ever heard about someone being happy those big bus, they never really looked appealing to me but after reading this I must say it looks actually pretty nice! Also Chicago looks like a really cool city. I’m pinning this for my bucket list 🙂
Being a tourist in your own city is so much fun! I haven’t been to Chicago in years, but I do want to return and it’s such a good idea to explore the city on a hop on hop off bus. During my last visit there, I went on an architecture tour. It was phenomenal! But I’m sad to say I didn’t see the Bean lol, not sure how I was able to miss it! But, I did try deep dish pizza for the first time! So I consider that to be a success :).
Wow there’s so much to see! How many days would you recommend to stay in Chicago to see most of the above but also have enough time to explore on your own?
I would say at least 4 days to experience the best of Chicago! I always recommend visiting at least one “neighborhood” in addition to the tourist areas near Michigan Avenue.
I’ve always heard Chi-Town was rich with history. Thanks for sharing your trip highlights, I definitely want to visit now.
Love this kind of tours especially in big cities. It is now one of the *must* do’s when I visit any big city. I even did it in my home town, Toronto.
Thank you for the tips and the post!
I first tried hop on hop off bus in Malaysia and it’s truly fun! Besided from the fact that it takes you to the must-see places for free, it also made me meet solo travelers like myself. It makes the experience more wonderful!
I’m a secret fan of Hop On Hop Off Tours too! I like it to get an overview of a city when I first arrive and will then spent most of my time exploring on foot! I went to Chicago 10 years ago and these pictures really make me want to go back!
What a great idea! I’ve only come down to Chicago once and it was for such a short visit I didn’t even notice the city has a hop-on/hop-off bus! I will 100% try this when I come again 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
When I first started solo travelling I’d use the hop-on/hop-off bus tours to help me get a feel for a new place. It was also great to get my bearings as well since I’m notorious for getting lost inside a paper bag. Great post!
touring on the double decker buses in big cities are the best way to sight see. Great post!
I love hop on and hop off bus! It’s so convenient to see the city especially if you only have short travel time. I’m curious about the water taxi to China Town..
I love hop on hop off bus tours they are so convenient and helps you cover all important places. Chicago bus tour looks great. Would love to take it sometime
We are heading to Chicago this weekend as I am going to book tickets for this! Thanks for sharing! This was great info!
I hope you had a great time in Chicago! Every time I visit, it’s never long enough 🙂