Travel guide · United States
Chicago travel guide
Skyscraper architecture, lakefront beaches, deep-dish pizza and blues clubs
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: File:Chicago River ferry.jpg : John Picken derivative work: Georgfotoart, CC BY 2.0
Quick answer
Chicago spreads along the shore of Lake Michigan, with a downtown of landmark skyscrapers framed by the river and the lakefront parks. Most visitors base themselves in the Loop, River North or Streeterville and reach almost everything on foot or by the L, the elevated train network that circles downtown. Beyond the Art Institute, the architecture river cruise and the Museum Campus, the city rewards time in its neighbourhoods: Wicker Park's vintage shops, the West Loop's restaurant row, Pilsen's murals and the blues bars of Lincoln Park. Plan 4 days for a first visit; the best months are May–June and September–October.
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- Best time to visit
- May–June and September–October
- Ideal stay
- 4 days
- Main airports
- ORD, MDW
- Mid-range daily budget
- $250–$400 per person (estimate)
- Known for
- Skyscraper architecture, Deep-dish pizza, The Bean (Cloud Gate) and Blues and jazz
Why visit Chicago
- The city where the skyscraper was born: a 75–90-minute architecture cruise on the Chicago River passes dozens of landmark towers from the Wrigley Building to Marina City.
- The Art Institute of Chicago holds Nighthawks, American Gothic and Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, steps from Millennium Park and the Bean.
- Summer brings free lakefront beaches, free concerts at the Pritzker Pavilion and day games at Wrigley Field, the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball.
- Food is a reason to come in itself: deep-dish and tavern-style pizza, Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs and the West Loop's Randolph Street restaurant row.
- Lincoln Park Zoo, Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and the National Museum of Mexican Art are all free.
Top things to do
The six sights most first-time visitors build a trip around. See all 20 things to do.
Park · The Loop
Millennium Park and Cloud Gate
Chicago's showpiece park holds Anish Kapoor's mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture (universally called the Bean), the Crown Fountain's two glass-block towers that show the faces of Chicagoans and spout water in summer, Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Lurie Garden.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Museum · The Loop
Art Institute of Chicago
Guarded by two bronze lions on Michigan Avenue, the Art Institute is one of the great encyclopaedic museums of the US.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
Experience · Chicago River
Chicago Architecture Center river cruise
Chicago rebuilt itself after the Great Fire of 1871 and became the birthplace of the skyscraper, and the clearest way to read the skyline is from the river.
- Time needed
- About 75–90 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · The Loop
Willis Tower Skydeck
Completed in 1973 as the Sears Tower, the 110-storey Willis Tower was the world's tallest building for about 25 years.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Views
- Kids
Museum · Museum Campus
Field Museum
One of the world's major natural-history museums, the Field holds Sue, one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons ever found, a cast of the giant titanosaur Máximo in the main hall, a walk-through Egyptian tomb and the Evolving Planet fossil galleries.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Iconic
Aquarium · Museum Campus
Shedd Aquarium
Opened in 1930 in a Beaux-Arts building on the lake, the Shedd's highlights are the Caribbean Reef, a circular tank in the central rotunda, the Wild Reef shark exhibit, Amazon Rising and the Abbott Oceanarium, where beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins swim in front of windows that look out onto Lake Michigan.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Where to stay
The Loop is the easiest base for a first visit. Compare all 8 areas.
$$$ · Best for first-timers, culture and families
The Loop
Elevated L tracks, skyscraper canyons, Millennium Park and the State Street theatres
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife and food lovers
River North
Galleries, steakhouses and late bars just north of the river
$$$$ · Best for families, shopping, luxury and first-timers
Streeterville and the Magnificent Mile
Flagship stores, lakefront high-rises, Navy Pier and 360 Chicago
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury and quiet stays
Gold Coast and Old Town
Mansions on Astor Street, Oak Street boutiques and comedy on Wells Street
What to eat
- Deep-dish pizza — A tall, buttery crust baked in a pan and filled with mozzarella, toppings and a layer of chunky tomato sauce on top.
- Tavern-style thin-crust pizza — The pizza most Chicagoans actually eat at home: a cracker-thin crust cut into squares rather than wedges (the 'party cut'), often topped with fennel sausage.
- Chicago-style hot dog — An all-beef frankfurter in a poppy-seed bun 'dragged through the garden': yellow mustard, neon-green relish, chopped onion, tomato wedges, a pickle spear, sport peppers and celery salt.
- Italian beef — Thin-sliced, seasoned roast beef soaked in its own juices on a French roll, topped with sweet peppers or hot giardiniera.
- Maxwell Street Polish — A grilled Polish sausage in a bun piled with grilled onions, yellow mustard and sport peppers, born at the old Maxwell Street market and still a late-night staple.
- Jibarito — A Puerto Rican-style sandwich invented in Chicago in the 1990s, using flattened, fried green plantains in place of bread around steak, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayonnaise.
When to go
The best times to visit Chicago are May–June and September–October, when the lakefront is pleasant, outdoor dining and river cruises are running, and you avoid both the humid peak of summer and the deep cold of winter. July and August bring the free festivals, beaches and baseball but also the highest hotel prices. January and February are bitterly cold and the lowest-priced months, best for a museum-and-theatre trip.
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | March–May | Changeable weather that can swing from snow to warm sunshine; baseball returns in April and cruises and outdoor terraces open fully by May. |
| Summer | June–August | Hot, humid and packed with free events: festivals in Grant Park, concerts at the Pritzker Pavilion, lakefront beaches and rooftop bars. Prices peak. |
| Autumn | September–November | Warm September days give way to crisp, colourful October; the marathon and Open House Chicago are highlights, and it turns grey by November. |
| Winter | December–February | Cold, windy and often snowy, with festive markets and skating in December and the lowest hotel rates in January and February. |
Getting there and around
From O'Hare, the CTA Blue Line runs 24 hours to the Loop in about 45 minutes. From Midway, the Orange Line reaches the Loop in about 25 minutes. Taxis and ride-hailing take about 30–60 minutes from O'Hare and 25–40 minutes from Midway, depending on expressway traffic.
Downtown Chicago is flat and walkable, and the CTA's eight colour-coded L lines radiate from the Loop, with the Red and Blue lines running 24 hours. Buses fill the lakefront gaps the L doesn't reach, Divvy bikes cover the Lakefront Trail, and Metra commuter trains serve the suburbs and several day trips.
Plan your days
Three days covers the Loop, the architecture cruise, the Art Institute, one Museum Campus museum and an evening of blues or comedy. A fourth day adds Hyde Park or Wicker Park and a ballgame; with a week you can fit in Oak Park, Milwaukee or the Indiana Dunes.
Practical information
- Currency
- USD
- Language
- English
- Plugs
- Type A and B sockets, 120 V, 60 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water, drawn from Lake Michigan, is safe to drink.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Tipping
- Tip 18–20% of the bill at sit-down restaurants, $1–$2 per drink at bars, 15–20% for taxis and ride-hailing, and a few dollars per bag for hotel porters.
The main visitor areas are busy and generally comfortable, but phone snatching and pickpocketing happen on the L and at crowded sights, so keep valuables out of sight near train doors. Swim only at beaches when lifeguards are on duty, as Lake Michigan can have dangerous currents, and in winter dress for wind chill along the lake.
Flights to Chicago
Questions travellers ask
+How many days do you need in Chicago?
Three days covers the Loop, the architecture cruise, the Art Institute, one Museum Campus museum and an evening of blues or comedy. A fourth day adds Hyde Park or Wicker Park and a ballgame; with a week you can fit in Oak Park, Milwaukee or the Indiana Dunes. How to split your days.
+When is the best time to visit Chicago?
The best times to visit Chicago are May–June and September–October, when the lakefront is pleasant, outdoor dining and river cruises are running, and you avoid both the humid peak of summer and the deep cold of winter. July and August bring the free festivals, beaches and baseball but also the highest hotel prices. January and February are bitterly cold and the lowest-priced months, best for a museum-and-theatre trip.
+What is Chicago known for?
Skyscraper architecture, Deep-dish pizza, The Bean (Cloud Gate), Blues and jazz, Lake Michigan beaches, Art Institute of Chicago and Wrigley Field. The city where the skyscraper was born: a 75–90-minute architecture cruise on the Chicago River passes dozens of landmark towers from the Wrigley Building to Marina City.
+Is Chicago expensive?
Chicago is expensive for international visitors: a mid-range trip costs roughly $250–$400 per person per day before flights (AMZBooking estimate). Costs and money-saving tips.
+Do you need a car in Chicago?
No. The L, buses and walking cover all the main sights, and downtown hotel parking is expensive. A car only helps for Starved Rock, Galena or the outer suburbs.