Skolos.Org - Travel Guide

A visit to Chicago offers so much excitement, culture and entertainment, and the best part is that so much of it can be had for free. If you will be visiting Chicago for the first time, there is so much to see and deciding where to start can be very overwhelming. That’s where a Chicago native can help, Chicago offers several free tours to visitors and tourists.

One of my favorite and the best free Chicago tours, is the Chicago Greeter program run by the Chicago Office of Tourism. The Chicago Greeter Program offers free tours of Chicago to small groups of tourists on so many different topics and areas of the city. Each of the tour guides is given by a volunteer and Chicago native or resident who is willing and ready to share what they love about their city.

There are several reasons to contact the Chicago Greeter program when you travel to Chicago. Because the tours are done by natives and people who take their time to show you around Chicago, you are really going to get a unique and personal tour. Once you contact the greeters to set up your own tour, they will work with to tailor your trip to your needs and personal interests. For this reason, even Chicago natives will sign up for or request specific tours of Chicago centered around everything from architecture to public sculpture to sports teams in Chicago. You can find out more information about the Chicago Greeter Program at www.chicagogreeter.com

Another great and free way to tour Chicago and get around is on Chicago’s Free Trolley. Every summer, and during the holiday season, the city of Chicago provides free trolley service around the popular and most visited travel destinations of Chicago. Currently there are four free trolley lines that take visitors to very different parts of the city as well as stops at major public transportation depots.

Catch a trolley downtown, and you will be able to switch lines to visit the best Chicago has to offer. The best shopping districts and all the major museums in Chicago are a quick trolley ride away, and for kids and tourist the trip there is actually fun. The drivers do accept tips, and I like to tip those drivers that fill the ride with Chicago trivia and fun anecdotes as they go. For more information and routes of the free Chicago Trolley visit, www.egov.cityofchicago.com

Make sure that on your next trip to Chicago you take advantage of all that Chicago has to offer and tour Chicago for free.