Chicago CityPASS 5 Top Attractions Bundle

How Chicago CityPASS works

Chicago CityPASS is a mobile pass that combines entry to five of the city's leading attractions in one booking. After we confirm your reservation, the pass arrives on your smartphone. The first time you scan it at an attraction, the 9-day validity begins, and you can then visit the remaining attractions on any of the following days, in any order you like.

The city's leading attractions included in the pass are listed on the pass itself, together with opening times and any attraction that requires a time reservation in advance. Is Chicago CityPASS worth it? If you plan to visit several major sights during your stay, the pass usually costs less than individual tickets and saves time at ticket desks, letting you focus on enjoying the city.

Chicago's architecture and skyline

Chicago is often called the birthplace of the skyscraper. After the Great Fire of 1871 destroyed much of the city, architects rebuilt it with daring new steel-framed buildings, and the world's first skyscraper rose here in 1885. Today the downtown district known as the Loop, named after the elevated railway that circles it, is a living museum of architecture, from ornate nineteenth-century towers to sleek glass giants.

Walking between your pass attractions, look up at the Art Deco lobbies, the terracotta facades and the soaring towers that line the Chicago River. The elevated trains rattling overhead are part of the city's character. Seeing the skyline both from street level and from the water is one of the great things to do in Chicago.

The lakefront and Lake Michigan

Chicago stretches along the shore of Lake Michigan, so vast that it looks like a sea. Thanks to a long tradition of protecting the shoreline as public land, almost the entire lakefront is a chain of parks, beaches, harbours and promenades, with a trail running some 29 kilometres along the water, popular with joggers and families.

In the centre, Millennium Park is famous for its giant reflective sculpture, nicknamed the Bean, its interactive fountain with faces on glass towers and its open-air concert pavilion. Navy Pier, reaching into the lake, offers rides, boat departures and fireworks on summer evenings. Many of the city's museums and parks sit close to the lakefront, so it is easy to combine sightseeing with a stroll by the water.

The Chicago River and planning your days

The Chicago River winds through downtown between banks lined with skyscrapers. In 1900 engineers famously reversed its flow so that it would run away from the lake, protecting the city's drinking water. Today the Riverwalk follows its southern bank with cafes and seating, and each spring the river is dyed bright green for a festive celebration.

The best time to visit Chicago is from May to October, when the lakefront is lively and the weather is mild; winters are cold but crisp, and indoor attractions are perfect then. With 9 days of validity, plan one or two attractions a day and use the city's trains and buses to move between them. Start early on weekends to avoid queues.