Most tours of Chicago, walking and otherwise, cost a fee. The easiest way to take a free walking tour of Chicago is by organizing your own tour. Some materials do exist that will help you plan a free tour of Chicago. Whether you're a Chicagoan who wants to explore a new neighborhood or a tourist looking for an inexpensive way to explore the Windy City, walking tours are entertaining and healthy.
One of the only free walking tours in Chicago takes place at the city's most popular park. Walking tours of Millennium Park are offered throughout the summer, when the weather is warm and thousands of visitors come to the park. The tours are conducted by Chicago Greeters, and dozens of walkers can join in to learn about the construction and history of Millennium Park, including a walk through the Lurie Gardens with University of Illinois Extension master gardeners.
Millennium Park
55 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-742-5222
www.millenniumpark.org
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, all of which can be toured via walking. Some of the most stunning architecture in the city can be found in the Loop, Uptown, Lincoln Park and River North neighborhoods. You don't have to pay a tour guide to show you how beautiful the Windy City is; all it takes is hitting the pavement with your own two feet and keeping your head up and your eyes open. It helps to buy your own book that offers tourist recommendations for different Chicago sights.
You can download MP3s that offer audio tours of various Chicago tourist spots. If you have a portable MP3 player with adequate battery power, you can download these MP3s onto the device and listen to them while you walk around Chicago neighborhoods. Listening to MP3s while engaging in your own tours of Chicago is beneficial for people who want to tour a neighborhood of the city during a time of day when there is not a guided tour taking place. Unfortunately, audio tours can only be taken by one person at a time, unless you put the same MP3 on two different MP3 playing devices.
