Reviews of Free Tours by Foot - Chicago. (Travel Agency) in Chicago (Illinois).
Free Tours by Foot - Chicago
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Information of Free Tours by Foot - Chicago, Travel agency in Chicago (Illinois)
Discover the opening times, the location, contact, popular times, photos and real reviews by internet users.
This place has a very good rate, they treat their customers well and you’ll feel welcome, super recommended
Map
Open hours of Free Tours by Foot - Chicago
Sunday
8 am–10 pm
Monday
8 am–10 pm
Tuesday
8 am–10 pm
Wednesday
8 am–10 pm
Thursday
8 am–10 pm
Friday
8 am–10 pm
Saturday
8 am–10 pm
Reviews of Free Tours by Foot - Chicago
I've been on four of the Free Tours by Foot tours in Chicago so far. Each was with a different tour guide and all four were fantastic! The guides were extremely informative and each had their own style. It's a great way to get outside, meet people visiting from all over, and learn about the city.
I've done the Birth of a Skyscraper: Architecture Tour with Aram, the Lincoln Park and Gangster Tour with Mitch, the Holiday Tour with Andy, and most recently the Winter Loop Tour with Mike.
Highly recommend them all!
Brian is a knowledgeable, humorous,pleasant guide. Most of the tour centers around the architecture of Chicago buildings. Not much walking.
I did a tour with Andy today and he was one of the best guides ever: funny, knowledgeable, individual, giving first hand insights and much more! Guides like Andy make cities appear like hidden gems!
An amazing tour. Love this company. So informative and learned tons about Chicago history. Scott was amazing! Highly recommended.
Bruce was our amazing guide! Well versed in everything Chicago, he knew by heart every single address, dates and details of history. So impressive! Tour was very pleasant and didn't feel rushed. Great for a cold day.
I did the Riverwalk & Historical Tour with Aram and hd a great time! Our guide Aran was awesome, very knowledgeable and and entertainer, so he kept things interesting and fun the whole time. I highly recommend doing this tour, and if possible the other ones they offer! Next time I come to Chicago, I’m definitely booking another tour with them!
Aram is a fantastic guide. He’s knowledgeable about the city, it’s architecture and it’s history. He’s also very personable and entertaining. This is a great tour for tourists and locals alike! As a lifelong resident, I learned a few things that I did not know about my city. If you’re wondering if you should do the Chicago Riverwalk tour, do it!
Our tour was absolutely incredible. Mitch was our guide for the haunted history tour and he was phenomenal. He was very sweet and friendly, made sure we were all safe and happy, and was an excellent guide. He knew so much about everything, is a wonderful storyteller, and even added humor to it, but he was also very careful to be sensitive about the tragedies we were discussing. Overall it was an absolutely amazing experience, and I really appreciated allowing us to pay what we could. I was only in town for one night for business, and my budget wasn't huge. Thank you for giving us an amazing experience anyway! I've been on a lot of ghost tours in a lot of places, and this was definitely one of my favorites!
I’ve done two tours with them now and loved every minute. Guided were engaging and knowledge. I can’t recommend this tour enough. It’s nice to get up close to the buildings as they talk and point out details and tell stories. Their tours are a must do in Chicago!
I just did a haunted tour with Andy today and it was incredible. Despite not being a Chicago native himself, the guy know knows his Chicago history more than the typical Chicago local. He has done his homework and seems like the guy who is always improving to give the best tours possible. He explains the dark side of Chicago. It isn't just rainbows. Chicago is the home to several serial killers and his knowledge about that is beyond informative. Aside he is very friendly, funny and kind. He seems to have a genuine passion about Chicago. The good and the ugly. Behind the buildings, there is a lot of haunted and dark history with some twisted corruption. I totally recommend a tour with Andy and I am sure the rest of the team is great as well.
My guide was Mike, an extremely kind person who seems to enjoy a lot telling people the fun facts and history of Chicago. Very recommended 👌🏻 …
Went with Bruce on the West Loop tour of the city of Chicago. I really enjoyed it. Bruce led us through the busy streets of the city, showing us its amazing architecture, and fascinating us with its rich history. Anyone wanting to get a good experience of Chicago, I highly recommend going with Free Chicago Walking Tours, and hope you get to go with Bruce. (tip - don't forget to bring cash with you, to thank your guide. They don't take cards and such).
My wife and I took the Loop and Millennium Park tour.
Emir and Mel were very friendly, knowledgeable and remained cheerful despite the freezing weather we had.
I would highly recommend that anyone going to Chicago take some time to get a tour with these two, they kept the tour light and entertaining and I would definitely go back.
We went on 3 of these tours in Chicago. Our guide was Arhem for 2 of them and Mitchell for the mob tour. They were absolutely outstanding. I had my 2 teenage sons with me and they loved it too. The tour felt like someone telling you a story of the city. I’m very well travelled and this was excellent!!!
Went on the Millennium Park and Loop Tour with Sean, and had a great time. Very knowledgeable guide, fun stories and good pace throughout the tour.
Definitely recommend it when you get to Chicago and don’t have to much time, he shows that part of town very well!
Excellent way to know more about Chicago
Aram was such an engaging tour guide and the information he shared on The Birth of a Skyscraper tour was fascinating, educational and entertaining! Thoroughly enjoyed this tour and would strongly recommend it!
We did the 2 hour walking tour Aram - a highlight of out time in Chicago and would highly recommend! We have done lots of these tours but this was by far our favourite. We saw and appreciated things we would have otherwise missed. Aram was an excellent guide.
Aram was super friendly, and had lots of knowledge of places and events. I got lost on my way to the starting point, and he was patient helping me catch up with the group. The places Aram took us were very nice and interesting. Highly recommended. Looking forward to do my second one.
The walking tour was fantastic thanks to Aaron knowledge of the city. You can see that he is really passionate about Chicago.
Will be back for more!
I went in a walking tour today and Andy was our guide. I loved it! It was the perfect length and combination of topics and places. Andy was very nice, funny and gave us great advice (which I followed, and it’s the best advice). I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting or living in the city.
Joined the loop and millenium park tour. Had Aram as our guide and he was really great- he shared lots of interesting facts about the city along with amusing anecdotes, and showed us a few hidden sights. Highly recommend this tour!
I had a great time on the River walk tour. Learned a lot of interesting facts about Chicago, definitely will take another tour soon. Loved it!
When you are in Chicago, you have to take one of their top notch tours! Doesn't matter if you are a visitor or a resident, you will be entertained and learn so much about this great city. If you get a choice, choose Andy as your guide! What an energetic, knowledgeable guy! Andy was so funny and he made our stay in town so much more meaningful. We found ourselves looking at the cityscape in a new way and even quoting Andy as we made our way around for the next few days!
Really enjoyed the walking tour of the Loop with Aram, which worked well despite the rain! Interesting art, architecture and history. Aram was really funny, welcoming and knowledgeable, highly recommend a tour with him!
Sean was a great guide full of enthusiasm and knowledge of the buildings in Chicago and the history of Chicago - it was an awful day weather wise, wind and rain, but Sean changed a couple venues and had us inside as much as he could. Sean was also generous with his time after the tour recommending various destinations to a number of the attendees. I would definitely recommend doing this tour if you are interested in the architecture and history of Chicago.
Bruce was great on the ghost tour! He was enthusiastic and a great story teller! My family and I recommend if you want to hear about the dark side of Chicago. The tour was 2 hrs with stops along the way. We got to see a lot of beautiful historical buildings along the way too!
I did 2 walking tours last week - North Loop & Millennium Park tour (with Bruce), then the next day the Lincoln Park & Gangster tour (with Hilary). Both tour guides were excellent - well-informed and interesting. Their enthusiasm and passion for their subjects and the city also cam across very well.
Chicago is a great city for walking around and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and I felt these tours took me to places and taught me things I would not have otherwise seen or leaned about.
Definitely recommend these tours!
This tour is absolutely, beyond the shadow of a doubt, worth your investment!
I am a native of Chicago with a fascination for the paranormal, so I'd like to think that I have a decent foundational knowledge of all of the things that go bump in the night in the Windy City.
My tour leader--Mitch--blew me and my comparatively limited knowledge away with just how conversant he was with Chicago's history! Not only was he familiar with the specters of the city but he was just as comfortable wheeling out general facts about Chicago architecture, landmarks, and other interesting tidbits.
You won't notice that you've walked two hours throughout the Loop and River North neighborhoods because of how immersed you are in absorbing the details of some of Chicago's darker (and occasionally whimsical) history.
Highly recommend!
Sean was our tour guide today for the Architecture tour and he was great, very informative and fun. His sense of humor and fun facts made learning about the history and development of the city of Chicago that much more interesting. Highly recommended!
I took the architecture tour of the north loop and millennium park. Aram was a knowledgable and enthusiastic tour guide and offered engaging anecdotes for each destination. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to enrich their visit to Chicago by learning about its architecture and history.
Sean the tour guide was awesome! It was great to see some of Chicago’s beautiful architecture and hear about its history. Sean did a great job of keeping the tour lively and through in some “zingers” for some god laughs. Tour was capped off with some sweet dance moves you won’t want to miss. Thanks Sean!
Andy made Chicago fun. We've been to Chicago many times to visit our son (who went to school 1100 miles away). We had already done the big attractions many times and we wanted to explore the streets of Chicago (the safe ones).
Andy was awesome. We talked history, art, architecture, food, theater, Route 66 and more.
Best of all-you can't beat the price. Pay what you want at the end. Andy was funny and informative. One of the best tours we have ever taken.
We had a great architecture tour with Sean and learnt loads about this fabulous city. It was a good mix of solid history and quirky little facts, and Sean littered the tour with local recommendations which was really useful. This is a really good opportunity for anyone visiting the city and is highly recommended.
I received an email the night before each tour providing me detailed and accurate instructions on how to meet and contact my guide.
I took six (6) tours with Free Walking Tours. They were all informative, and I recommend their services. However, I want to highlight a few of our guides' exceptional skills. Mike Sunday tour, "Loop & Millennium Park Tour," was full of historically relevant facts. He was considered of the cold weather and ensured we had multiple options to warm-up and enjoyed the tour. He spoke in a neatural, yet not condescending or dull tone, so it allowed for guests whose English isn't their first language to understand him clearly, while still sounding friendly. Overall, I much enjoyed my time with Mike.
Bruce's passion and love for Chicago and its architectural wonders shine through his "West Loop Tour," and I feel as though I can navigate Chicago with a greater appreciation for its building thanks to Bruce. He had a large group, and he managed it well, kept us warm, and shared more information in two hours than I could have ever learned in my week there.
Lastly, Jake's "Chicago Pedway Tour" was a nice break from the busy streets and added a lot of fun facts about the city, which in combination with everything else we learned in our other tours, made us feel almost like locals!
We took the tour started at 10am. Our guides were Emir and Mel. They are great couple with great energy. I’ve done many free walking tours all around the world. I wasn’t expecting much from Chicago, but this tour amazed me. They gave us suprising facts about Chicago. I started to recommend this tour every person i know who lives in Chicago.
Such a great chance to get into the city, its atmosphere, and history! We took two tours — The Loop and Millennium Park Tour with Bruce and Riverwalk and History Tour with Michael. It was great experience! Both guides know a lot about Chicago and gladly share the information. We learnt a lot about the city, its fascinating architecture, and its major events, heard a lot of interesting stories and funny jokes. I highly recommend these tours; the guys do amazing job! I will definitely take the other tours they offer when I visit the city the next time.
My mom and I had a great time touring parts of the Windy City with Mel and Emir. They were incredibly knowledgeable, engaging and friendly. They really knew quite a bit about the city's public art, architecture, the Great Chicago Fire, and more. We explored lobbies decorated with Tiffany Glass, saw the Bean, and even saw the start of the famed Route 66 (apparently, it's in Chicago!). We had a great time. The tour is evenly paced, so I'd recommend it for all ages, and it's doubly great if you want to see Chicago and stay on budget.
Absolutely loved our tour of the architecture of the Gold Coast. Alexander was friendly and knowledgeable. Can't wait to do another tour soon! *update, we've done more more tours since my original rating, Lincoln Park and Gangster, and History and River Architecture. I am going to sign up for more and take family when they visit on these. I love them! I recommend them to all my friends who live here. It's a great way to get to know your city too.
Went on 2 tours. And both made my trip to Chicago that much more awesome.
Aram, who did the Millennium Park and the Loop tour, was amazing. Gave Chicago some soul, and showed us some gems hidden out of plain sight. His explanations were clear and easy to follow.
Michael, who did the Riverwalk and History tour is a great story teller and made the tour so entertaining and humorous. Good job guys!
I have gone on several tours with this company in multiple cities and every time has been great! Most recently, we took a bicycle tour in Chicago. Our guide was fantastic and provided a lot of information. I highly recommend taking a tour with this company.
I took the All-In-One walking tour of downtown Chicago recently. Micheal was our tour guide and he did a wonderful job! As a former Chicagoan I was very pleased. He was very informed about everything on the tour. He was very friendly. The tour itself covered a lot of well-known landmarks and is very much worth the time. One negative thing I would suggest changing is to make it shorter. Our tour ended up being close to 6 hours. However, it was a very nice day and Chicago is a great city to walk in so I didn't mind.
We went to 5 tours, and really enjoyed getting to know Chicago a little better with Free Tours By Foot and I definitely recommend their work 🙂.
Sean Grosshans is and exceptional guide! We were part of two of his groups (Architecture and Wicker Park) and his knowledge about Chicago Architecture is just special, lot's of tips and stories. His e-mails were also gems, we were able to use lots of tips that we learned from him. We really appreciated having Sean as our guide. Thanks Sean!
Other guides were fine, our other tours went well. The only thing that was not so goo is that they basically used the same base script, same lines, same jokes. Would be good to have more guides to mix up a little or for the lines to be prepared in case there are recurring visitors, to keep it interesting.
Thanks guys! Keep up with the good work.
Great ghost tour with Seth! This was a packed 2+hour tour that took us through a goodly amount of downtown Chicago. Lots of creepy and interesting stories - you definitely want to include this in your trip to Chicago - be sure to ask for Seth! He was friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable. We do ghost tours in every new city we visit, and Seth was one of the best guides we've had!
We went as a group of Chicagoans to this tour and enjoyed it very much. The guide was an excellent source of Chicago history, his attention to the group was excellent and touring the underground of the city was a first for several of us so we learned a lot. Thank you for this most excellent event!
Don't think twice! Take this amazing opportunity for touring Chicago. Much better than the over priced tours on boats/buses where you get to see the places for about 3 seconds.
I took the architectural tour with Aaram and totally loved it. he is funny and very knowledgeable. We could ask him questions and got to know many interesting facts.
The best part is you can pay whatever you like.
Sean was terrific! He knew his architecture. I learned many new things about Chicago and how to tell where I am in the 'Y'. His storytelling of the history of the town and the men and women who made it was engaging and esy to remember. My husband and I have done these tours in many cities and are never disappointed. Thank you, Sean for a fantastic tour.
My husband and I were only visiting Chicago for about 3 days on vacation. We wanted to get a good feel for the city, but we did not want to be stuck in a bus or in a long, expensive tour. Free Tours by Foot was the perfect solution!! We had already used Free Tours by Foot in Philadelphia and enjoyed it very much.
We REALLY wanted to do the 6hr Chicago All in One Tour, but sadly, it was only offered on Tuesdays.
Instead, we did the following 3 tours:
- North Loop and Millennium Park Tour
- Chicago Ghost Tour
- Magnificent Mile Tour
Aram was our guide for the North Loop and Millennium Park Tour and he was Great!! He was very funny, informative and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. He gave us tons of good info about the Millennium park, the Bean, and the Chicago Theater as well as background info on many of the sculptures in each of the plazas throughout the city. He even touched on a lot of the beautiful architecture of the buildings and the deep history of the city. Aram even gave us suggestions about where to eat, etc. We would def recommend this tour!
Andy M. was our guide for the Chicago Ghost Tour (which started at 7pm). He told us lots of creepy and interesting stories of mysterious and true events from Chicago's history. I really liked how he did tons of background research on the "ghost" stories and told us the facts that he had found along with the "rumors" that were floating around. Would def recommend this tour! Very fun; great way to see the city at night.
Michael D. was our tour guide for the Magnificent Mile Tour. He was an excellent guide, full of humor and insider into. He walked at a brisk pace, but he took lots of breaks (including a very peaceful and solitary break in the middle of the Mag Mile. He also took us on the back streets to see the more luxurious side of Chicago. He gave wonderful advice on how to see some great sites in Chicago and showed us the beautiful architecture of the different buildings on the Mag Mile. Would def recommend this tour!!
We did the Chicago Architecture Tour: Birth of a Skyscraper with Aram, and he was very knowledgeable! It was interesting since we learned about places we have already been but never saw the details and history behind the architecture and also the new places we discovered!
The two hours did not feel that long at all! Although I am not sure if I would recommend it to families with children.
Overall, it was great and worth every penny we paid!
We took both the architecture tour and the river walk tour. The guide for the architecture tour is new to the job but with a good attitude. Emir, the guide for the river walk, is awesome. He knows about the local history/legends and delivers it well. Probably the best tour guide we have had with the free tour company so far.
I love paranormal/ghost tours, but most are pretty hit and miss. This was definitely a hit. We had the pleasure of doing the Ghost Tour with Andy. So much fun and super informative! Very well-paced and he even managed to perfectly time out our indoor stops to avoid the rain. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who like ghost stories or history!
Highlight of our trip. Mitch, our guide, was knowledgeable, funny and has some great stories to tell. We went on the Haunting History & Ghost Tour and it was scary and creepy. I'll never think of Chicago the same.
I've taken the street art tour in London twice, each time with a different tour guide, and absolutely loved it both times! Super informative and interesting and the guides truly care about giving a great tour. Never felt pressured to pay at all, but both times I did because the tour was totally worth it.
I have taken multiple tours and they have all been fantastic! All the guides are very knowledgeable about the city of Chicago and are able to make the experience entertaining. I would defiantly recommend these tours to a visitor who is looking for an inexpensive way to explore the great city of Chicago or to a local who wants an adventure downtown without breaking bank.
I loved the first tour I took (Chicago Riverwalk and History Tour, with Michael) so much that I signed up for two others (Magnificent Mile Tour with Mike, The Loop Tour with Mel and Emir)! They were all very interesting, I learned a lot about this amazing city!
Michael had plenty of little anecdotes to tell about the city. If you have a hard time choosing between all the tours, I would recommend his because it deals with numerous features of the city (architecture, history, Magnificent Mile, Loop...)!
Mike is very thoughtful, and knows a lot about the city. He gave us many tips and ideas of places to visit to complete his tour. And his little pictures were very useful to fully understand his stories.
Mel and Emir are very joyful and dynamic. They told us about little details that I would never have noticed without them. I loved their tour!
I started off at the 10 a.m. Millennium Park + Loop tour and had a wonderful time. She was such a great tour guide I joined for the second "Gangster" tour. This tour is definitely more about the story than the sight-seeing as many of the historical things are no longer even there. However, Hillary is a great story teller and has no problem yelling over the busy Chicago streets. If only there was a night tour I certainly would have gone back for another.
My 13 yr old sister, 76 yr old grandfather, and I (18) thoroughly enjoyed the All in One Chicago Tour. It was fast paced, but doable. Our tour guide, Michael, was extremely well-informed, and made Chicago history fun! We also LOVE the pay your own price opportunity.
If you love learning, and enjoy walking, this tour is right for you!
I went on 3 tours with Free Tours By Foot in Chicago whike I was in CHICAGO for a weekend. All three were fabulous. I went on the North Loop and Millennium Park Tour and the Lincoln Park Blues and Gangster Tour with Bruce and the Riverwalk and History Tour with Aram. I loved all of the tours, but my favorite was the Blues and Gangster Tour with Bruce. I highly recommend it if you're in town on a day that it's offered. Lots of history, and Lincoln Park is a really fun and interesting part of Chicago. Bruce was really knowledgeable about the area. He recommended a pizza place in Lincoln Park that I went to after our tour. It was so good that I went back on the last day of my trip!
I did the walking tour of the Loop and Millenium Park with Hilary earlier in December and it was great! Hilary is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and happy to share her personal favourites & recommendations. The tour lasted just under 2 hours which was perfect as it was very very chilly outside! Highly recommended.
I could've listened to Aram speak all day long! We had the opportunity to go on two of his tours (architectural & haunted) and it was an absolute pleasure. He has an easy going attitude that makes you feel like you've known him for years, and he did a great job of connecting with each person throughout the tour. To put it simply; if you have the opportunity to join one of his tours, don't miss out because you will definitely regret it!
We did two tours Millennium Park and the Loop with Aram Monisoff and 'Lincoln Park and Gangster Tour' by Hilary Murphy was the best way to explore Lincoln Park neighbourhood. Both tours were amazing and the most informative and interesting parts of our Chicago trip. The guides are super friendly and have their unique way of showing you their city. They introduce you to places and history you would not be able to find by yourself.
I did the downtown tour with Aram and it was well worth it. A lot of places and things I wouldn’t have known or discovered by myself
Yesterday we took a walking tour of the Gold Coast with Alexander and it blew my expectations out of the water! Alexander was very funny, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. He took the time to answer all of our questions and he taught us some really cool tidbits of information (I loved everything he told us about the World Fair). Would absolutely take another free tour by foot with Alexander the next time I'm in Chicago!
Great tour - I did the architecture one with Earon and it was brilliant. Really interesting, nicely paced, tons of good info, funny stories and facts. Earon was very welcoming of any questions and was really knowledgeable as well as entertaining. His enthusiasm for the city and the architecture is infectious! Absolutely recommend
Absolutely amazing! Did a Saturday evening tour of the riverwalk with Michael and a Sunday afternoon gangster tour with Hillary. Both were excellent guides. Very knowledgable and entertaining. Groups were a good size and the speed was perfect. Loved the e-mail they sent out after with information on things to do and places to eat around the city. Would definitely give this a try in any city I visit, especially for a short trip.
I have taken three tours by foot, both in the summer and winter season. They are a great and affordable way to see the city. Both of the tour guides I have had, Mel and Seth, were informative and entertaining. You definitely get a chance to see and learn things even the greatest Chicagoin's don't know about. Recommend for anyone visiting town or just new to the city!
I went on 2 walking tours while in Chicago, the North Loop and the Architecture tour. Both of the tours were led by Aram and I thought he did an amazing job. He was very knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic about the city of Chicago. The tours were very informative, as well as entertaining. Aram even gave recommendations for the best deep dish and Italian beef sandwich places in Chicago. I highly recommend Free Tours by Foot in Chicago.
I did the Riverwalk tour and had Hillary Murphy as a tour guide and she was amazing!! I really enjoyed listening to all she had to say; she had clearly done her research on the buildings around the Riverwalk and was overall incredibly friendly, engaging, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic as a tour guide. I would recommend these tours 100%, and especially Hillary as a tour guide.
Highly recommend. We took the "Lincoln Park/Gangster tour" in early October 2017 with Hilary Murphy, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Hilary sent information about the walking tour route to us via email before and after the tour, leaving no logistical-stone unturned. She was enthusiastic, engaging, and very knowledgable - she was happy to answer questions and make recommendations about anything Chicago-related. The pace of the walk was easy, not too long, and ended at Lincoln Park Zoo, where there was plenty more to explore.
We went on an architecture walk with Sean, who explained and showed us various buildings while depicting their history and speciality.
He was very knowledgeable, and gave a lot of tips along the way. Later on, as he had promised, he sent us a list of other tourist attractions. It was very interesting
Aram was an incredible storyteller and guided our group on an incredible tour around the South Loop for the Birth of the Skyscraper tour. I enjoyed Chicago's architecture on a superficial level. If it was not for this tour, I would have never gained such a deep appreciation for it. Aram had such a vast knowledge of the history of the buildings and it was incredible. Our whole group had a lot of fun and learned a lot. We enjoyed Aram's tour so much that we went back the next night for the ghost/crime tour. Both tours were amazing and a great way to see the city.
I took the "Giant in the Park" tour by Krista today. Even though I'm a native Chicagoan, I haven't had the chance to explore Lincoln Park. It was an informative and enjoyable tour. The tour guide was able to answer all of our questions thoroughly and we completed the tour at the Shakespeare statue. I'm excited to try the other tours in Chicago!
Did the Twilight Riverwalk tour last week with my boyfriend and we learned a lot about Chicago's history and architecture. Our guide Lisa even incorporated some fun facts from her other tours which made the tour even more diverse. I highly recommend Free Tours by Foot as a great and affordable way to get to know Chicago.
Great tour of the pedway by Bruce. Got to experience the great architecture inside and outside! Definitely would recommend if visiting in the winter and want to see the sights while staying warm. The Tiffany glass domes we're certainly the highlight of the tour. Very informative about what we saw as well as great recommendations of what to see and eat elsewhere in the city.
"Birth of the Skyscraper" tour: the guide, Sam, was really friendly and clearly knew his stuff. It was really interesting seeing visually, how each generation of skyscrapers led to the next, and he pointed out fascinating buildings and interiors that I would simply have walked past on my own! Highly recommended.
Found this site online and it said free, but I was unsure. It says you can pay whatever price you want to (if you want to). I decided to take my kids downtown and see if it was good...I had nothing to lose. We took the architectural and Buckingham Fountain tour. Aram was our tour guide. He arrived on time. He was friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable. He spoke loud so everyone could hear him and made sure the group was together. I accidentally wondered off from the group and he noticed and ran to get me. lol He knew everything about every building. At the end of the tour we arrived at Buckingham fountain just in time for the water spout to shoot up. Perfect ending, perfect day, perfect tour. Can't wait to go back for more of the tours they offer. I especially want to go to the Ghost/ Gangster tour. I noticed everyone ended up paying him at the end of the tour because he really deserved it.
The Lincoln Park tour with Bruce was wonderful. He had a lot of stories (true story, folks) that added a lot of color and life (and death) to the buildings. We thoroughly enjoyed it!
I took 2 tours (West Loop and Lincoln Park & Gangsters) with Bruce who was friendly and a very enthusiastic tour guide with lots of information and interesting stories. I would highly recommend anyone visiting Chicago to go on one of these tours.
We did the Loop and Millenium Park foot tour in Chicago with Mel and she was an AMAZING tour guide. Very informative and she was lots of fun. Hubby and I did the tour with our teenage daughters and we all LOVED it! Highlights: Chicago Theatre, Tiffany mosaic ceiling at Macy’s on Randolph Street, Picasso sculpture at Daley Park, Art Institute of Chicago and of course the ‘Bean’ (Cloud Gate) at Millenium Park. After taking pics at the ‘Bean’, our family took a break and sat in Grant Park to listen to the Symphony practice for their evening performance. This was a PERFECT day in Chicago.
I did the Lincoln Park and Gangsters tour of Chicago with Hillary and even though it was cold and a small group (only 4!) It was trully amazing!!! It's incredible how much history there is in Chicago and I would never have been abale to disciver it all without the Free Tours by Foot. And our guide Hillary really knew a lot of the history and even some little facts. And at the end she even gave us a list of cool places/things to check out... I loved it !
Definitively recommend going to one of their tours, it's fascinating :)
Bruce was not only fun but also loud, anunciated, & knowledgeable. Let’s not forget polite and professional. He made sure we had ample time for photos and questions. We decided to pay $20 per person for our group of two a great value for the history and knowledge of Lincoln Park we departed with.
I also liked that he checked to make sure the solo female travelers in our tour were accounted for at random spots. I’m sure these women have traveled far and wide by themselves and didn’t necesaarily need to be checked on. However, the gesture spoke volumes of his character and commitment to the groups safety.
We’ll be sure to check out Free Tours in other cities as we go. Thank you Bruce, for a real good tour.
I went on the "Birth of a Skyscraper: Architecture Tour" with Sean - it was fun, informative, engaging and surprising! A great way to get a feel for the city - for its history, its people and its geography. Highly recommended!
I was nervous to go on a free tour-- would it be safe and worth while? It was! Jake was so passionate and knowledgeable about his city! What a great experience!
Perfect tour! They email you a picture of your guide and contact info before the tour so you know who to look for and how to get in touch if you have any issues. I did the Millenium Park tour and it felt like a really good basic overview of the history and landmarks of downtown Chicago.
Why didn't I do this earlier ? This was indeed one of best memories for my 18 month stay in this wonderful city. Mel and Emir are wonderful people with great amount of knowledge about the city. Never once we felt bored or out of place. I loved every stories they told us and made it fun. I do appreciate the way they handle hecklers ( there are ones in every group). I suggest their tour to everyone who visits this city
We had an absolute blast on our tour with Seth! Our group ranged in age from 13-35 and the tour contained material that was appropriate for everyone because Seth took the time to adapt a few stories for us. He was fun, smart and super entertaining - great tour.
Hilary Murphy, originally from Syracuse, NY, was an exceptional guide! Small in stature but strong in voice; she easily overcame the city's hustle and bustle. She has a great knowledge base with regards to Chicago's history based upon specific architecture or location. The only tour to take allowing you to chose how much it was worth to you upon completion. Five stars people. Hilary was funny, knowledgeable, entertaining, patient and above all else a good heart. I couldn't have been happier with this tour and it was so very nice getting Hilary as my guide as I'm from her hometown as well. Thank you Hilary! You represent the tour well and you made it a treasured memory during my visit to Chicago!
Went out with Sean Grosshans on the Birth of a Skyscraper 08/29/19. Wonderful experience, he took us round like a real local talking about his hometown. It you interested in skyscrapers and how the way they're built has evolved, this is your tour.
Done a tour with Michael today and it was a great tour even thought it was raining lightly (humidity in his words). Highly recommend this tour as it gives you a good background behind the beautiful buildings and history of Chicago.
We have toured with FTBF in several cities and have never been disappointed. We took three tours on this trip. Arom (who did 2 of our tours) and Michael were both great. I love that you could take the same tour with two different guides and get two different tours - there's no canned script. Each guide makes it his /her own by focusing on the things that most interest them. We'll continue to seek out this company wherever we travel!
We took two tours (Gold Coast and Loop) and they were both great!!! You learn a lot and have a great time. The guides also share suggestions for bars, restaurants, and other activities. The tours are a must-do when you are visiting Chicago.
My girlfriend and I went on the Friday night ghost tour with Emily. It was fantastic, she was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Great tour, not too spooky or depressing. You can always talk to your guide about other things to do in the area.
Mel and Emir ran a great tour and the information they shared was informative, fun and interactive. They're some of the best tour guides I've ever had and their passion for the city was noticeable. I'd definitely do another tour with them!
Fun, informative tour. Hilary was very engaging. The tour was heavy on the gangsters and very light on the blues, which was OK with us. This tour further confirms that walking tours are the best way to learn about a place.
Our guide in Boston was named Brian. He was phenomenal. Our tour was so informative. We highly recommend him
The Birth of the Skyscraper was our 3rd tour with Free Foot Tours Chicago. Every one gets better. I can't wait till we come to Chicago again to try another one. Guides know their stuff and are fun.
I did two tours with 'Free Tours by Foot' in Chicago. With Claire, we discovered the North Loop and Millenium park. This tour gives a good impression of the North Loop, but the visit to Millenium park was a bit short. With Michael, we followed the river and discovered Chicago's history. This tour gives a great overview of the building along the river and Michael told a lot of interesting things about Chicago's history.
Overall, 'Free Tours by Foot' is a great way to discover Chicago. The tours are short and therefore there is no information overload.
We've taken many walking tours given by the original walking tour company in Paris and London so we have a good basis for comparison. We're out-of-towners and we convinced the family members we're visiting (long-term Chicagoans) to take the River Walk tour with Aram yesterday. They knew some of the things that Aram covered but they also learned many new things. We've taken the architectural society's boat tour (which is excellent) but we still learned a lot of new and interesting things on this tour.
All this background is meant to say that Aram's tour was clear, in-depth, and a lot of fun. As a theater person he was able to make himself heard over traffic and pedestrian noise. It's obvious that he loves Chicago and has immersed himself in its history, culture, politics and architecture.
We heartily recommend the company and we plan to make one of their walking tours part of each visit to our family in Chicago.
Taking these tours was the best call we made during this trip. Took three tours, all of them were EXCELLENT !
Both guides were extremely knowledgable and well informed. They provided a lot of information, showed great picture spots and further to that shared tons of great tips.
Congratulations to Seth and Michael and keep on with the good vibra.
I did 2 tours with Sean and both of them were great! In addition to the tour Sean gives a lot of useful tips on places to go, websites to find some other walks and different discounts, very helpful!
Very knowledgeable and pleasant tour guide, Aram. Wealth of fascinating architectural information and made for a good workout after all that walking! Highly recommended and the price is right. Definitely worth top dollar but love that it's made available to those on a tight budget too.
Good and affordable (free + tip) 2 hours walk tour. The tour lead kept emphasizing on the "great Chicago fire"!! The focus is mainly on architecture of the city, but there really isn't much details into the how architecture is noteworthy. Superficial. Do this when you have 2 hours of time to spare in the city. Don't get me wrong, I did learn something. Guide is very helpful.
Our guide (Sean) was everything you could hope for. Funny, educational, helpful, sophisticated! He took us not only through the streets, but also into buildings (which was really exciting since I would have never done that on my own). I would highly recommend this tour
Had a great tour with Aram today very informative learnt many things about Chicago tour is a good length as well at 2 hours. Would recommend this tour to anyone having a first visit.
I did the Lincoln Park walking tour with Bruce. Had a good time. He was very knowledgeable about the area. He pointed out restaurants and attractions that were close that weren't related to the tour, but helpful all the same.
Lisa did a great job escorting my friend and I (and six others) around the Chicago downtown area pointing out film locations. Lots of info was imparted by Lisa, and her delivery was energetic and enthusiastic. Recommended for the film connoisseur and/or anyone wanting to see some cool spots.
Loved the west loop tour in Chicago led by Bruce P! I learned so many things from my own city that I didn't even know, plus you really can't beat this price. I can't wait to explore more through their other offered tours!
Aram gave a great tour. He was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his subject and held our attention throughout the tour. He welcomed and answered questions with good attention to detail and humor. I would do it again!
Aram
Chicago Guides
5* what a clever chap pace quality all wrapped up in a perfect delivery, he maybe from New York but info over load clarity. Well must say go on the river tour the sights of all the building the information supplied about the history the buildings the people the pace of life the fun and facts, the weather was just sincerely wonderful .J?D
Hilary was a perfect guide. Very enthusiastic and very knowledgeable. She guided us like an artist and the whole tour was a performance which all of us enjoyed. Learnt a lot.
Michael took our group on a whirlwind adventure in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Filled with fun facts, this tour was narrated by Michael who doesn't fail to entertain. His delivery makes you feel like you were there at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century. Irish versus Italians. Discover who the big wheels were running the city back then and the naughty things they did.
The best part is you get to decide how much it's worth. Honestly if I could have handed over my first born I may have done that it was that good!
If you love history and don't mind a little light walking check out Michael's Lincoln Park & Gangster Tour.
Great interesting tours. The guides are super knowledgeable, friendly and add a funny touch to the tour.
We did a tour with Kiersten and Aram and both were great!
Highly recommend this activity!
Hillary led us on the Loop tour with enthusiasm and friendliness. It was a lovely walk, very easy, and exciting to learn so much about the city. We will definitely use them again!
My friend and I had a great experience on their Architecture/Grant Park tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, open to questions, and moved at the right pace. We learned a lot about the city!
The Lincoln Park and Gangster Tour with Hilary has been great! Nice neighborhood, nice stories. Plus, Hilary is an enthusiastic person and you can see that she loves what she does.
Winter loop walking tour with Mike was phenomenal. He was very funny, kind and very knowledgeable. He went at a good pace and very considerate. Will definitely recommend to everyone!
My wife and I did the Riverwalk with Aram and it was exactly what we were looking for in a tour. Easy going, lots of insider information and just the right amount of walking around in this lovely city. It was our second Free Tours by Foot and we will pick this offering again in our next trip.
Our tour guide Sean, was wonderful and very enthusiastic, and very proud of his city. We had a wonderful experience and a new appreciation for Chicago. Thanks Sean!!!
Really great experience! Bruce was an amazing tour guide; he had a lot of stories and showed us many hidden gems! :)
We had a great time on the Chicago Ghost Tour! Our tour guide was really knowledgeable and had fun little historical facts along the way. It was a great time!
Did the Riverwalk with Hillary, enthusiatic guide with great energy and a big smile always. Was nice to know interesting titbits that I wouldn't otherwise know if I were to take the same route on my own. Wouldn't hesitate to do other tours with this company, and for price of a guide tip, is a no-brainer for those who haven't tried!
Great experience with Aram on the architecture tour! He was so knowledge and it was fun! I loved every minute of it! Def recommend it to anyone visiting chicago?!
I went on the ghost tour with Seth, and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Seth had great stories of Chicago's history to share and gave great recommendations of what to do in the city. I highly recommend this tour!
Tours were great did two of them on the same day and I learned a lot. Tour guides were really funny and well prepared. If you go to Chicago you should at least take one of these.
This was easily my favorite thing I did in Chicago. Hillary was fantastic and even in the pouring rain she provided a great tour! I loved learning about the city and I was surprised when the tour was over because it went by so quickly.
Our guides were so entertaining. I loved the historical info they gave and why Chicago has so many nicknames. I would highly recommend this as a great start to a visit in the Windy City.
Thank you Mike! You are one of a kind!
I did the Loop and Millennium Park Tour, and it was awesome! Andy was a very welcoming and knowledgeable guide. One of the best walking tours I've been on!
We had a great tour with Mel along the Chicago River. She even kept our tween and teens interested! Good way to get info on Chicago.
Michael did a fantastic job with the architecture and history tour! He was very thorough, kind and entertaining! The tour took about 2 hours.
Bruce was our guide, he's passionate and knowledgeable of the Windy City, great experience.
Bruce was our tour guide in Chicago and was excellent! Highly recommend!
Sean was a great guide . We took the skyscrapers tour. He was very funny and entertaining . We highly recommend this tour.
Aram was an amazing tour guide. On the architectural tour of the loop in Chicago he brought the buildings to life with their backstories and histories.
Our tour guide (Seth) was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. What a great way to see the city. If you're the type that likes the seedy underbelly and creepy goings on this is the tour to take!
We had a great morning touring the Loop in Chicago
Bruce is very knowledgeable, easy to understand and funny.
Can highly recommend.
Our guide, Michael provided a friendly, informational, and really fun historical tour around the Riverwalk area.
It's a free tour...but you'll tip generously, as it an amazing tour
Our guide - Michael - was a wealth of knowledge and very passionate about his city.
You will be entertained and learn a few things along the way.
Time well spent!
I joined the tour on June 10th for both tour, loop& Millennium park and architecture tours. Both tour guides are super knowledgable about Chicago and very passionate that no bored in the tours.
Our tour guide, Andy was enthusiastic and informative. The winter tour was brisk but not unbearably cold when dressed for freezing temps.
Skyscraper tour with Aram was GREAT! We loved it! (you don't need to be an Architecture student/pro...to enjoy it)
We enjoyed our walking tour in Chicago and our guide was humorous, a good story teller and kept us intrigued during our Lincoln Park and Gangster tour.
Great tour! Did the loop tour with Bruce, and it was very fun, full of fascinating trivia. Would definitely recommend!
A must do when in Chicago!!! Emar and Mel were our guides and they surely know their city! Great and authentic tour with tons of details and explanations that made tjis experience so great!!!!
We did the haunted/ghost/criminal tour in chicago with Jimmy and he was AWESOME! Definitely worth the time! Can’t beat that it’s free but definitely worth giving a tip!!!!!!!
Loved it so much. Bruce was super knowledgeable and made sure everyone could hear him. Lot of fun jokes and made time fly by. Recomend for sure.
The tour is informative and entertaining. Bruce was awesome. I had a guest in town and this was perfect. I learned things about my own city.
Hilary was great and we truley enjoyed her personal additions to the tour. Would HIGHLY recommend Hilary's loop and millennium park tour!!
The architecture tour with Aram was great. The tour was extremely interesting and insightful and Aram was a knowledgeable and entertaining guide.
Fantastic experience! Despite the rain, we've managed to see so many great places in Chicago. Highly recommend!
It was a great tour! Emir and Mel were very entertaining as well as informative, I would definitely recommend it for tourists as well as locals!
Sean was amazing
We did the architecture tour and he was both knowledgeable and entertaining! We’ll never walk around Chicago the same again 👍🏼👍🏼 …
The Gangster and Blues tour was great - we covered both gangster stories and other cultural stories, very informative.
Very informative tour. Sean recommended places to go (for free) with beautiful architectural designs. Enjoyed the tour very much !!!
We had a great tour with Michael, he had fun, we had fun, and we now know a lot more about Chicago and its architecture.
I really enjoyed this tour through Lincoln Park gangsters tour.
I got a really awesome walking tour led by Hilary - I learned a ton about the past and present of Chicago and got some great food recommendations. Thanks, Hilary!
This should be the first thing you do on arrival. Bruce gives you a great history of the city and lots of awesome tips for the rest of your stay...thank you!!!
Great tour by Sean! He was funny, knowledgeable, and even recommended a great place to get a milkshake. :)
Great architecture by Bruce. Fun and lots of content and valuable recommendations. You can't beat it. Definitely worth to take.
Matt was just perfect, passionate and really really great communicator And I won a 5$gift card Highly recommended.
Bruno
Scott is great
Fantastic tour provided by Mike. He is very knowledgable and helpful. Its a must do tour!
Had a great time with Aram on the architecture tour. It was fun and very intellectual.
Mel and Emir are a great team and super professional.
The tour was over expectations.
We enjoyed our walking tour with Mel, she was excellent. Strongly recommended.
Great Lincoln park Blues and Gangster tour led by Bruce. Entertaining and informative. Thank you!
Love these guys. Have done three tours, all great! Mitch is my favorite.
Great tours, learned so much, can’t wait to take one in my own city!!
Knowledge guides, good pace that you can observe and listen. Highly recommended.
Chicago greeters is the best option. Forget about regular free (tip) or pay walking tours
Did the birthplace of architecture tour with Aram - really cool and Interesting
Did a couple of these tours... passionate guides, decent coverage, great workout!
Location was convenient, Bruce-our guide- was very knowledgable and projected well in a city setting.
Was a incredible expierence for me an architect, i recommend so much this tour!!!
Emir Yonzon was an awesome tour guide on the Riverwalk!
fabulous tour. perfect mix of information and entertainment. we really enjoyed it.
I love this company. The tour guides are great story tellers
We hung out with Sean for the Chicago architecture tour and had a blast!
Excellent experience. The guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the city and sights!
Definitely worth doing the tours - wrap up warm in the winter though!!
They are very nice I took two of the tours and both are awesome!!!!
I recomend
Great experience and excellent guides! Aaron and Michael are really kind!
Skyscraper architecture tour with Aram. Loads of infos and stories!
Interesting and fun - take your time and join Sean's tour.
Excellent! Like Walking with a friend who is eager to show and tell you his city!
The tour with guide Bruce was informative and enjoyable
It took a lot of points of interest. Our guide ,
Bruce, was very knowledgeable .
Wonderful walking tour with Michael Denini. Highly recomended!
Great and informative tour. Also was given good restaurant recommendations
Good experience with nice guide. Thank youfor giving me lots of knowledge.
Bruce was an amazing tour guide!
It was unforgettable trip and I am hoping to do it again!
Love this service. They have great tours.
Took the lincoln park tour, it was amazing!
Great knowledgeable guide
Definitely recommend this to any tourist!
Great experience, would definitely recommend it!
excellent guide, captivating stories!!!!
Guide was kind and knowledgable.
Had some convenience items
Bruce was awesome!
A no miss in Chicago!
Recommended
(Translation) Adriana was extraordinary, super recommendations that she gave us and in Spanish :) Only the spots where we stopped there is almost no place to sit
(Original)
Adriana fue extraordinaria super recomendaciones que nos dio y en español :) Solamente los spots en donde nos paramos casi no hay para sentarse
Tolle Tour mit interessanten Tipps. Hat uns sehr gut gefallen. Jederzeit wieder!!
(Translation)
Great tour with interesting tips. We liked it very much. Any time!!
(Translation) I've just done the Lincoln Park & Gangster Tour with Hillary and Architecture Tour with Adam. It's the best way to discover a city like Chicago. I recommend Gangster Tour to see something else outside the tourist zone and most important, learn something. With the Architecture Tour, you also visit some buildings inside. Thing that you would not do with bus tour. Both, Hillary and Adam were great. - Definitely the best way to discover Chicago and learn about the history of the city by leaving the tourist area with the Lincoln Park & Gangster Tour and entering certain buildings with the Architecture Tour, which is not the case with guided bus tours.
(Original)
I’ve just done the Lincoln Park & Gangster Tour with Hillary and Architecture Tour with Adam. It’s the best way to discover a city like Chicago. I recommend Gangster Tour to see something else outside the tourist zone and most important, learn something. With the Architecture Tour, you also visit some buildings inside. Thing that you would not do with bus tour. Both, Hillary and Adam were great. - Certainement le meilleur moyen de découvrir Chicago et apprendre sur l’histoire de la ville en sortant de la zone touristique avec le Lincoln Park & Gangster Tour et en entrant dans certains édifices avec l’Architecture Tour, ce qui n’est pas le cas avec les tours guidés en autobus.
👌👌👌 …
(Translation) Must-Have Chicago
(Original)
Chicago imprescindible
(Translation) Very good explanations and very nice guides
(Original)
Molt bones explicacions i molt simpàtics els guies
(Translation) excellent tour
(Original)
Excelente tour