Frequently Asked Questions
To reschedule, please see our rescheduling policy, then call 312.350.1131.
Reservations
Required. Book with confidence on our site. Walking tours are $26 for adults, $24 students/seniors (over 65), and $18 for kids 5 and up. Kids under 5 are free! “Good Times: A Historic Bar Tour” will be $30 per person after April 1, 2012. Please print out the map at the end of checkout.
G8/Nato
We will not have tours to the public between May 15th and 22nd because of expected obstacles in moving around downtown during the G8 and Nato meetings and protests in Chicago.
Groupon
Use one Groupon per reservation (for a party of 4, you will make 2 reservations since one Groupon=2 tickets).
Enter redemption code into promo code box and click apply.
Tour Length
“Inside the Loop” - 2 hours. “Good Times” - 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Distance
Varies with tour. Please be prepared to walk or stand for the tour duration.
Parking
We have arranged a special deal with valet parking on the east side of Wabash, just north of Washington. Look for the yellow umbrella. Flat rate on weekends $12. Located within a 10-minute walk of meeting points for all tours. Say you are with Chicago Detours, and if someone isn’t familiar with the deal, tell them “Jesse said we get a $12 flat rate for the whole day.”
Meeting and Ending Points
Please come 10-15 minutes early. We start and finish at different locations (see tour descriptions).
Children
Are welcome but adults will have a better time! We let you judge whether your child is interested in architecture and history. “Good Times” enters into bars and thus guests must be 18 and up.
Before the Tour
Take a bathroom break. Bring water, especially on hot days.
Weather
Doesn’t stop us. Rain or shine we go! No refunds. In the case of serious conditions, we’ll call you.
Private Tours
Available for groups big or small. See the private tours page.
Languages
For private bookings, we have guides that speak English, Italian, French, Russian, and German.
Recordings
Please no video or audio recording devices. Minimal note-taking permitted. Photography during tour is welcome – but don’t get left behind!
Wheelchair and Baby Stroller Accessibility
Active parents with strollers can fare on our walking tours, which involve some flights of stairs. “The Loop” can be customized to be fully accessible for private tours. We can lead bus tours for handicapped groups.
Gratuity
For public tours is taken in the form of gift contributions for educational initiatives and development of cultural and historical resources for the community.
Educational Initiatives
We offer our “Inside the Loop” tour as an educational tour of Chicago for simply an honorarium to high school students within Chicago city limits as long as group comes from a 1) a Chicago Public School 2) an alternative school, meaning it educates former drop-outs or 3) non-profit student organization. We require a $100 deposit to ensure your time commitment and to secure your tour date. After the tour we refund as much or as little as you request.
Sold-Out Tours
Are simply sold-out. Please call or email to be on a waitlist, or we hope you can book another time!
Rescheduling Policy
When you purchase a tour through Chicago Detours, you are purchasing a reserved spot on one of our walking tours. This reservation entitles you to a spot on that walking tour, which will leave at the stated time and date. All sales are final. That means we do not grant refunds for any reason at all. Tours promptly leave at the scheduled departure time and date, so don’t be late!
We are willing to reschedule reservations in some circumstances. When you reserve space on a tour, you take up a spot that could be filled by someone else. If you try to reschedule at the last minute, we probably can’t sell your spot. Therefore, we only allow customers to reschedule a reservation if they notify us more than 48 hours before the start of their tour, at
