Chicago · SELF-GUIDED TOURS
This is the shortlist to send a friend: 15 self-guided tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
A spooky 1.5-hour torture museum in Chicago with an audio guide and a ghost-hunting app, plus plenty of photo-ready, interactive displays.
“Very enlightening museum with a well done audio tour. We are very fortunate to be in more civilized times!”
A low-cost, offline smartphone game quest through Millennium Park and nearby landmarks, solving clue challenges at iconic Chicago art and fountains.
“There were several interesting things to see, but we missed others. The instructions for how to get from one site to another were miserable. The "challenge" was full of silly questions - not worth the trouble of trying to figure them out.”
Chicago self-guided audio tour for $6 with story stops from Union Station to the Bean and Riverwalk, flexible for 3 to 9 hours.
“Not happy with what I received, to be honest.. In the itiner I saw grandiose things to see and hear about, and then I received a max 3-4 min, but in case of 9 sight of the total 15, 1 min or less content?? I ended up frustratedly reading the internet on my own for 3-5 sights after listening to the podcast, then I stopped listening at all and just google myself.. The content, about all sights adds up less then 30 min!!! 5$ is not a big amount but if I purchase an audio-guide I expect to get something which lasts longer then setting up a soundcloud user.. I…”
A budget self-guided Gold Coast audio walk with offline GPS, local historian narration, and three standout stops in about 50 minutes.
“Tour was informative. The use of visitor was klunky. Had to order the tour twice to use. Viator has committed refund one of the unneeded purchases. Walk and auto play needs some work. Price was right.”
Walk Chicago Riverwalk with location-triggered audio and offline GPS maps, covering landmarks from Wrigley Building to NBC Tower for $14.99.
“Overall a great review of Chicago's history and architecture! The walk along the river is very enjoyable!”
Haunted Chicago smartphone scavenger hunt from Chicago History Museum to Lincoln Park Zoo. Solve clues on a budget-friendly 2-hour walk.
“It was a super fun and interesting way to get some history of the park and also get to sightsee!! It lets you discover little things that you probably normally wouldn’t explore. Definitely Recommend!! I’m going to look for one everywhere I travel!!”
Walk Chicago’s Millennium Park at your pace with offline audio stories, free key stops, and lifetime access for $14.99.
“Self paced walking tour so we could stop & listen, check side info. or just stop for a hot dog and lemonade between spots. Only complaint is when it says only run the tour, it really is only the tour. The couple times I toggled over to take a photo it stopped & I had to re-start it. No big deal, it picked up with where we were.”
A self-guided Hyde Park audio walk with Bill Ayers, covering UChicago landmarks, Washington Park, and the DuSable Museum area via VoiceMap.
“Worse than one could ever expect your walking in silence majority of the time and very limited information is given! We didn’t even go into the university original buildings at all. Complete waste of time.”
GPS self-guided haunted walking tour of Chicago with spooky stops from the S.S. Eastland Memorial to the Congress Plaza Hotel, $9.75.
“The stories were great and informative. The narrator was fun to listen to. Lots of walking meant great exercise.”
A 2-hour Michigan Avenue walking tour with the Leplace World smartphone app, mixing trivia, challenges, and location-based clues.
A self-guided Chicago gangster crime-story puzzle walk with app-led directions, quizzes, and free admission stops across iconic landmarks.
“Wasn’t able to claim it my experience. It would not recognize the code given to me or the email. Very disappointed.”
Self-guided Loop walk with GPS audio and offline maps, linking free city icons from DuSable Bridge to Willis Tower for $9.99.
“This was a great way to see downtown Chicago at our own pace. We saw things we would have missed on our own. And could spend time taking photos and exploring. Instead of two hours we spent 4 or 5. Well worth it!”
A self-guided Lincoln Square puzzle quest in Chicago. Follow phone clues, stop at local favorites, and explore at your pace for $9.
“The discoveries I made while creating this game floored me. The places you’ll see and history you’ll learn are amazing!”
Self-guided Chicago scavenger hunt with GPS audio. Solve puzzles from Navy Pier to top landmarks, walk 5 km, and pay $8.42.
“A fun way to get to explore a great part of the city. We learned and laughed and high-fived our way through the clues. And genuinely enjoyed the locations. Many pictures were taken! We only had an afternoon to complete but we did it and didn’t feel rushed at all. We didn’t go into any of the big locations but it left an idea of what we could do/visit the next time we’re here. We had a blast!”
Self-guided VoiceMap audio walk through Chicago’s Loop, River North, Theater District, and Millennium Park, ending at the Route 66 Begin sign.
“Avoid it like the plague. It requires an app that is supposed to take you on a self-guided tour. The app didn't work despite multiple attempts. Every time I hit Start Tour, it took me back to the previous screen. Also made several attempts to call the support line and naturally got no answer. Not only did I waste $30 for the non-working app, I also wasted $40 for parking in downtown Chicago.”
Every kind of day out in the city, and the best of each.
