from $1,344
If you love music, food, architecture, and art, Chicago is
your kind of city.
Art lovers can spend days wandering around the Art Institute
of Chicago, music lovers can spend every evening listening
to blues and jazz acts at historic venues like the Green
Mill, while architecture fans can join guided tours of
Downtown Chicago and see every Art Deco building the city
has to offer.
The Windy City is also a hub for shoppers – with the craft
market at Lincoln Square, the endless supply of boutiques on
Michigan Avenue, and city center malls like Water Tower
Place.
Everyone can find something that their taste buds will
savor, whether it’s the deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s,
the burgers at DMK, the Polish food at Red Apple Buffet, or
the Mexican food at Taco Joint.
You’ll never be bored when you visit the Mid West’s capital,
so start planning your trip today.
Chicago’s Downtown district is packed with incredible twentieth century architecture. There are works by famous architects like Louis Sullivan (the Wainwright Building or the Auditorium) and Frank Lloyd Wright (the Rookery), as well as towering skyscrapers like the Sears Building and the Hancock Tower.
Chicago is a sporting city. Watch the Cubs play baseball at Wrigley Field, see the Bulls compete in the NBA at the United Center, or catch a Bears NFL game at Soldier Field.
Chicagoans love to eat. Try specialties like the deep dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s (439 N Wells St), Polish hot dogs from Maxwell Street (601 S Sacramento Blvd) or irresistible barbecue ribs from Blackwood BBQ (305 W Lake St).
Chicago has a vast collection of galleries and museums to explore. The Field Museum (1400 S Lake Shore Dr) has an enormous natural history collection, the Art Institute (111 S Michigan Ave) houses great works of art by masters like Seurat and Hopper, while the Museum of Science and Industry (5700 S Lake Shore Dr) will keep everyone entertained with exhibits like a restored German U-Boat and a reconstructed coal mine.
Chicago is also a city of art and music. In the early 20th century, it gave birth to a distinctive Blues sound, and you can hear the heirs of major artists like Buddy Guy and BB King at venues like the House of Blues (329 N Dearborn St). Jazz is another speciality, and fans should catch a show at the Green Mill (4802 N Broadway St) which was once owned by an associate of the infamous American gangster, Al Capone.
Chicago’s public transit system is efficient and cheap, and is the best way to get around the city. The primary transportation methods are the trains and buses operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). To ride CTA vehicles, you’ll need to purchase a Ventra card ($5) from stations or kiosks. When you have a card, each train journey on the network costs $2.25 (with an extra $0.25 every time you change lines) while bus journeys cost $2. Travelers can also purchase a weekly CTA pass ($28) or a monthly pass ($100). Be aware that Metra commuter trains do not accept Ventra cards, so travelers will need to purchase tickets separately before they board.
Standard taxi fares are $2.25 as a basic charge, then $0.20 for each ninth of a mile after that, with an extra $1 fuel surcharge for every journey and another $1 surcharge for each extra passenger. Uber charges a basic rate of $1.70 and then $0.20 per minute or $0.90 per mile (along with a $1 safe ride fee and a $0.30 transit tax).
Locals generally advise visitors not to drive around the center of Chicago if they can avoid it, and with such a good public transportation system, it’s not usually necessary. Parking is expensive, at $35 per day, and traffic within 'the Loop' is almost always heavy, making catching the subway the quicker option. Navigation can be tricky as well thanks to inner city streets with multiple levels, while Chicago’s drivers are famously aggressive. If you have the nerve and are a quick learner, driving is possible, but most people will prefer sticking to public transit and taxis.
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