Holiday Hike: Season Sampling Walking & Food Tour Tickets in Chicago, IL

How long and strenuous is the walking tour?

The tour covers 1.25 miles in 2.5 hours at a relaxed pace. The guides will lead you from attraction to attraction, stopping to give you insight into this amazing City. At many landmarks, there will be places to sit down during the presentation. Please note your request for food accommodations when booking your tour in the “Have Special Needs?” field.

Can you accommodate food allergies or vegetarians on your food tours?

They can provide food substitutions for vegetarians on ALL tours. Gluten-free substitutions are available on certain tours. While they try the very best to accommodate food allergies, they cannot guarantee certain avoidance from various food allergies. They would encourage you to ask questions along the way and see if the guide might recommend a substitution.

May I bring my dog on this tour?

Sorry, pets are not allowed on any of the tours.

Will there be breaks for restrooms?

The walking tours start at various locations around the City and while they do their best to accommodate restrooms at the start of your tour, they do highly recommend using the restroom prior to arrival to your tour. They will have restroom stops built into each walking tour. For the food and walking tours, all of the restaurants you visit will have restrooms to use.

Do you offer water on your tours?

They do not provide water on the tours due to the fact that they all originate from locations outside of their headquarters. Please plan ahead and bring water with you. For the culinary, restaurant and food tours their restaurant partners will provide water free of charge.

Do you have a stroller I can use for my child?

No stroller, no problem! They rent strollers out for daily use, multi-daily use. But most of the walking tours do not originate from the bike shop. You will want to make arrangements in advance to rent and pick up your stroller. Please note that the tour guides many times meet the group directly in the neighborhood covered on the tour, without stopping at the bike shop, so they cannot deliver strollers to you.

Are your tours ADA accessible?

All of the walking tours at the present moment do allow for ADA compliant and wheelchair accessible. But please note that sometimes the restaurants change and they cannot guarantee every restaurant will not include stairs of some sort which might make things difficult. A majority of the stops should be ADA compliant.

What should I wear? What should I bring?

They recommend you bring small items such as an ID, credit card and cash (to tip the guide), cell phone, and camera. They suggest tennis shoes and comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that are appropriate for the weather conditions on the day of your tour. They strongly suggest you wear layers, particularly in spring and fall. Many of the tours are downtown, close to Lake Michigan, which is one of the largest lakes in the world and can alter the temperature quickly based on the direction of the wind.

How much walking is involved?

Not more than you can handle! The pace is usually good for everyone. They’ve rated each tour-level so that you can pick the right tour for you. They do stop at various points of interest and attractions so that you can have a brief rest while the tour guides explain the history of Chicago in a way that brings the stories to life. While you want to make sure the distance they cover is suitable for you, remember that they will never be walking continuously for that amount of time. They will have 6-8 stops mixed in along the route for resting periods and to learn about Chicago. Please note that with some of the walking tours there are some stairs that you'll navigate during the tour.

Are tours offered in bad weather?

They run most of the tours in any type of weather. Walking tours run year round as they are less dependent on stable weather for their operation. During the nicer months, they use the beautiful outdoor promenades for the walking tours. And during inclement weather, they can duck down and use Chicago’s unique underground pedway system to get from point to point. Just remember to always dress for the weather. Because the walking tours do not leave from their headquarter location, they do not provide rain ponchos should a pop-up shower occurs

Are guide gratuities included in the price?

The tour price does not include gratuities in the cost of the tours. If you had a great time, gratuities are accepted by the tour guides.