Big Bus Chicago Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour

Chicago Hop On Hop Off Tour Customer Reviews

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• Worst Experience … Stay Away

  Hello
  
  Unfortunately, this was the worst experience for both my party and the other 4 couples. I have used other hop on hop off tours in New York, Boston, San Francisco and Philadelphia. The guide appeared to be rushed and didn’t explain the stops. We paid a total of 454.00 dollars for a guide to say “look left here is the pier”. One complete sentence. The driver was extremely fast , texting on his phone between stops and twice swerved from lanes. As all parties in our group work for the civil service - we found this completely unacceptable and dangerous, lastly the bus driver didn’t say one word during the last 4 stops. Not one single word. Sorry, I am not a complainer, but I will never use this service again. We travel to New Orleans, Seattle and Washington DC in the next 3-5 months and we will be taking our business elsewhere.
  

  Lonnie_C

• Great adventure

  Candace really shared some wonderful knowledge about her city. Even though so much was happening in Chi town for St Patrick’s Day and people were everywhere, Candace was able to maneuver around to get us to each destination she could

  Gina_T

• Good to visually see the city but that’s about it.

  First of all good luck trying to find an actual pick up location. If you download the app, which I did you can see “pin points” as to where to bus stops for you to hop on. But there’s NO ADDRESS! Even our Uber driver was complaining. He said it tough for them too. Once we finally found the bus the staff was friendly. We were first on the bus so we were able to get good seats up top. It was a gloomy day and they offered complimentary ponchos which was very nice. There “tour” was prerecorded and extremely out of date. Played through speakers and only a few of those worked. When we could hear and the “guide” (pre recorded childish information) we had no idea what they were talking about. Only a few times would say “the building on your left”. Come on, we are obviously tourist and have no idea what we are looking at. Anyways, the commentary was very out dated, talked about things that have not been available for over three years! We did enjoy seeing things and it gave us the opportunity to decide if we wanted to come back to a place that looked neat, since we didn’t know anything else about it.

  NicholeBFT

• Loved the big bus

  We loved riding the big bus. Ms. B was our guide and she did an excellent job. The tour was very informative. Ms. B was very friendly and has a great sense of humor. We will definitely use this service again.

  Meander40221926034

• Great way to see the city

  We bought tickets at stop 11, from a very helpful and friendly young lady. Once onboard the guide was very disappointing, her main topic was favourite fast food bars, how cold she was feeling and very little city knowledge. Thankfully at stop 1 we had to change buses as it was her lunch break. From then on we had a most interesting and informative make guide who was fantastic at his job, and made the tour s pleasure to be on. We learnt a lot from him.

  PamV211

• Good Value

  worth the ride, money and time. see the windy city from the top. come and go as you please. Operators are kind and courteous. announcers know their stuff and give loads of historical information.

  John

• Awesome Tour!

  It was my husband's and I first time in Chicago and we didn't really know any of the history. Our tour guide Alex was funny and very informative. I would strongly recommend taking this tour to get to see cool places/hop off and then hop back on the next bus to continue the tour!

  stephcharron9

• On the move in sunny Chicago

  Great loop around Chicago to get a feel for the city. The pre recorded narrative was a bit on the weak side, but the staff was very welcoming. A bit hard to believe that the bus we were on was sent out in +90 F temperatures with inoperative AC system. But would recommend as a precursor to walking the city.

  Paul_M

• Disappointed

  We were on other Chicago bus tours which were much more engaging. Did not like how we were listening to a recording. Buses got busy during Fourth of July weekend so felt like I was on an expensive city bus. In the end there was a bright spot. Our bus had a transfer at the first stop and we were pleasantly surprised that the second bus driver was an actual tour guide.

  Jocelyn_M

• I like it

  Big Bus Chicago tour was very convenient for us, moreover if you use an app it’s generally very easy to see where is the next bus and when it will arrive.

  Margarita_K

• Chicagos’s best tours

  Excellent tour,and all of the staff were personable,and helpful. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get the most of the city of Chicago.
  
  

  Carlethea_N

• Okay

  We did both the daytime tour, and evening tour; the bus stops DEFINITELY need better signs indicating pickup stops; we were walking all over the museum area (stop #8) trying to find the pickup spot (we had gotten over to the museum area via the water taxi from navy pier); after waiting around about 35 minutes, in an area that appeared to be the spot on their map, we walked over to a worker inside a green trolley by the museum, and asked if he had any idea where the big bus picks up...he told us we were in the correct spot, he said it is not marked, you just have to "know" where to go....we waited about another 15 minutes, and finally gave up and took the water taxi back again over to Navy pier; it was extremely frustrating!!! Not to mention a huge waste of time! The day before, we got off the bus at Navy pier, about 6:05pm and were going to wait around for the evening tour bus….the bus worker gruffly said to those waiting around that there will be NO boarding for the night tour until at least 6:45pm (basically like a "go away" type thing).....we killed a little time walking around but went back to the bus area about 6:35pm, knowing it didn't leave until 7pm....and the bus was loaded already, not with the people from the daytime tour who had been told not to hang out waiting...they were selling tickets like crazy....and putting those people on quickly; we got on the bus about 6:40, and got some of the last seats....so much for "no one will be allowed to get on until at least 6:45"....not sure what happened to those who listened, and waiting to come back to the bus right before 7pm.... it would make a lot of sense to go the other direction also, not only have busses going one way; that was disappointing also

  brenColumbus

• No show!!!!!

  We looked on line to make sure bus was still running in this very cold weather and it was. We waited for an hour and a half at the first stop along with many other people coming and going, until we could no longer feel our hands, feet, legs and had to retreat to a cafe. Very disappointing.

  hols2go55

• Funny commentator

  I hopped on the bus because it was raining, very windy and cold! However it was a pleasant ride, as I had an informative guide who injected humour into the tour! They also kindly stopped at a spot near the Adler planetarium for some picture taking of the city skyline!
  Kudos to Ricardo the guide!

  saw

• Wonderful Time

  We had a wonderful time touring the city of Chicago. Our driver, Yuri, added to the prerecorded announcements and our conductor, Manny, gave us valuable information about getting around the city. Thank you, Manny and Yuri

  geoffreyphilp

• Excellent!

  We had loads of laughs riding the big bus with Miss B!!! We loved her - she knoew the history of Chicago and she delivered it in the most entertaining way!

  kmarinilli

• Just Great!

  This tour made my life even more simpler for a tourist. I would highly suggest this for all tourist to make use of this attraction with a reasonable price. Tour Guide Bongi was simply AMAZING. Not only her but the rest were good too. The app was helpful and they were on time.
  
  Try to finish this 5 hour tour before the rush hour period downtown as the busses get stuck in traffic jam that causes delay.

  Harvi5575

• Great Tour Guide

  We recently visited Chicago and did the Big Bus tour. All of the tour guides are good, but one stood out. His name was Allan. I can't tell you how much Allan enhanced our (my wife and another couple) experience while we were on the bus with him. Not only was he knowledgeable, his verbal skills were animated and entertaining. It was almost like he was playing a role in a performance with hand gestures and body language. It's worth $30 bucks just to hear Allan riff. I gave him $5 and told how exceptional he was.
  Plus the hop on/off thing is a great way to see Chicago. Totally worth it.

  charles

• THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST TRIP WE...

  <p>THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST TRIP WE TOOK. I am not sure where to begin and end, dont want to waste my time. We had the picture of the receipt and we bought it that same day. The customer service had our records and we were traveling with 3 month old. Unfortunately despite bad weather, your bus driver refused to let us in after we showed her the ticket but it was not the full ticket. We showed her on the phone and asked her to even talk to customer service rep but she didnt. WORST TRIP EVER.</p>

  Ash

• Great

  Sherman Edwards had great customer service! He answered our questions and was clear and concise with the information. He sold us on our tour for sure. He and his coworker went out of their way to offer us ponchos while we waited for the tour to start. That man went above and beyond and made our experience a success.

  qslane1991

• Not that good

  The driver was worse, and the text in the ear phones hard to hear.
  I rather have a live update about the city in stead of just a story on the ear phones.

  Henja_v

• Everyone's right, you have to do it your first time.

  Quite informative and fun and you can hop off and on at your discretion.
  
  Don't buy the Chicago Go Card unless you really plan on doing everything and then some, if not, you may end up biting off more than you can chew. Food for thought.

  mbsixto

• 10/10

  This was very fun and I loved seeing all the sites and places, the people were very nice,
  10/10 and the commentary was very informational and entertaining 😁 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 👍🏼

  Alex

• A must tour for anyone who wants to see the city

  This is the best way to see the Chicago and its beauty. Our tour guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. Over all everyone were friendly and we had a great time seeing the attraction.

  alvinabrent

• Well worth it!

  We did the day & night tour; I’d do it again next time I come to Chicago. The folks that did the speaking knew the things to point out & enjoyed their work.
  A great way to see the city!

  Mark

• Easy and convenient

  A convenient way to travel around the city and see the main attractions
  First day l, we had a driver who voiced the guided tour which was excellent. I wish I noted his name as no other driver did this, and we relied on the pre-recorded version which wasn't as good
  Advertised at 24 or 48 hour but actually only ran 10-5pm
  

  Rebecca

• Good tour, but AVOID LIAM!!

  We rode the bus all weekend and really enjoyed it. The company is organized and very good about insuring that if you don't get a seat on the top at first, you get dibs before new people getting on the bus. We had the opportunity to experience several different guides. Ian was wonderful, but Liam was the worst! He couldn't say enough about how bad Chicago - and the people who live there - are. We're from the Chicago area and were very offended! I could see the other tourists looking at each other in disbelief that the company would hire someone who would denigrate the city that their customers were excited to visit. He also told too many personal stories. Big Bus should fire him!

  lizzieillinois

• Fun in Chicago

  Fun times. We were able to see so much in a short period of time. Thank you for making it so easy to travel around Chicago

  Nicole_C

• First Trip to Chicago

  It was our first trip to Chicago and we were fortunate to choose to ride the Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour. Our tour guide on board the bus was Jack. The bus tour covered many attractions in the city and allowed us to do much of it in one day. Jack was very knowledgeable of the Chicago history, informative and most of all very entertaining. We would recommend this tour to all and definitely do it again! Thank you Jack for the great tour of the City and we hope to see you as one of CPD's Finest one day ;)

  Edgar

• Avoid, unless guaranteed good weather for upstairs seating.

  Not worth it unless the weather is absolutely good. If it rains, and Chicago is known for rainy weather, you’ll have to sit downstairs— and you won’t see a thing as the windows have a net-like screen. If you look carefully, the buses’ windows carry advertising, effectively reducing what you can see from the inside. To make things worse, we had a driver who claimed she didn’t know the neighborhood where we planned to get off. Poor value for one’s money.

  MIKKAVON

• Informative and entertaining

  Jack (guide) and Darius (driver) were great. Well worth it on a cold, windy, wet day! The app is worth downloading to see when the next bus will arrive.

  Belugas

• Nice overview of downtown...

  Nice overview of downtown sites. Polite employees on both buses we rode. The experience helped orient ourselves
  

  Rick_B

• I felt comfortable and...

  I felt comfortable and safe on the bus tour. I enjoyed the commentary accompanying each stop. The staff at the stops were friendly and helpful with all my questions.

  Josephine_J

• A Farce.

  We laughed at the incongruity of a "sightseeing" bus with blocked-out windows! That's the only good thing to be said about this experience. We had to sit below stairs because it was raining. We couldn't see out through the windows. The bus driver showed no interest in anything or anyone. He got off the bus at one point without explanation, closing the doors behind him. Another driver came on, again no greeting, no interest. The ear pod commentary is beyond irritating.

  Maureen_S

• Candice was an...

  Candice was an exceptional tour guide adding humour and interaction in while giving all the interesting facts about Chicago!

  brianne_m

• Disappointed

  I have utilized the hop on/off busses in several cities, I did not care for the pre recorded narration. It was horrible.

  Kathi_C

• Great way to see the city

  Bought a combo ticket with Sky Deck and Chicago Architecture Center. Online ticket purchase was unclear that the bus ticket would be good for 3 days and the CAC for 2. Day 1 was cloudy to start and turned into a deluge by early afternoon. Big Bus provided rain ponchos til they ran out and we stayed with it til we had a chance to get off in a heavier downpour. Guide was upbeat despite the weather. Next day we repeated the whole circuit when we could actually look around. The hop on hop off makes it easy to take more time to explore if you like.

  Lesia

• Helped us around the city!

  The hop on hop off bus tour helped us work our way around the city. We took it from Willis Tower to Navy Pier and then to the 360 Chicago. Everyone was very nice and helpful!

  trevorc186

• Exhilarating Experience!

  I seen a lot of buildings that I had no idea even existed. And history of Chicago I wasn't aware of no do I know.

  Keya_H

• Convenient tour

  I’ve ridden on these buses in three different cities and I’m a fan. It is comforting to ride with other people on a tour especially when I travel alone. And the freedom of being able to get on and off at the stops you want makes it fun. I bought my ticket online and downloaded their app. Couldn’t figure out how to link my ticket to the app but the app was useful in getting descriptions of the different attractions. There is also an ‘if lost’ option which shows you where the nearest stop is. Another option is the route map with where the buses are in real time. I don’t know how good it was as it didn’t seem to work when I looked.
  I showed up to the stop I picked without knowing what time the bus was coming. I had to leave according to his schedule so I was prepared to wait. The ticket agent scanned my ticket - which was sent via email - and printed out a paper ticket which I could show whenever I needed to board again. He also took a photo for me against an interesting backdrop on a nearby building. The bus came 5 minutes after I arrived which was super lucky for me. Masks are required when you go through the bus or in the enclosed seats but not if you sit up top.
  There is narration and fun quizzes piped through the sound system. If people are conversing it makes it hard to hear so I made sure to check my map to keep track of stops. So much to see on both sides of the bus since the architecture of Chicago is interesting. I love the ornate sculpting on the buildings. My favorite is the Chicago Tribune building.
  I got off at the Magnificent Mile / Water Tower stop to visit an old church and Bloomingdales which I saw from the bus. And then I got off at Portillo’s on a whim as some people were discussing their famous hot dogs and I needed lunch.
  Didn’t want to wait for the bus to come round again so I walked and caught a ride share back to the hotel. It was a fun tour with favorable weather and friendly associates.

  Bee80204

• Great way to see the city!

  This is a great way to see the city. My friend and I spent the whole day hopping on and off the bus at different locations to see everything we wanted. In the late afternoon the traffic gets bad and the bus starts to run behind making you wait much longer than 15 minutes sometimes. It isn't the tours fault though. The traffic just doesn't move. We ended up walking to a few places within a mile of each other just to avoid waiting on the bus. The tour guides are very informative. Some of them are better than others. The tour guides can really make the bus much more fun. Matty was our favorite. Our only complaint was some of the tour guides weren't very good and one was rude. Most however were fine. Matty was far better than the rest of them.

  Manda427

• Candace!!!

  CANDACE, CANDACE, CANDACE We were not happy with the tour UNTIL we got on Candace’s bus. She was professional, knowledgeable and made the bus ride fun. When we finally got off her bus and had to get on another, we knew you had a diamond in the ruff! The next guy bucked the bus so many times we HAD to get off. Better than being sick!

  P4777UQlaurao

• Bachelorette Party

  Amazing! Candace was absolutely wonderful and made the whole day fabulous. She went above and beyond. That is one memory we won’t forget.

  sarasY2993JP

• Loved every minute of it! The tour...

  <p>Loved every minute of it! The tour guides were great, the city was beautiful and we had the best time ever!</p>

  THOMAS

• Beware - Must have phone app to get route.

  I would only give a 1 to this outing because the company did not put signs at stops and I could not find the bus stop, I even asked a policeman. I tried calling the company and there was no answer. I had to take a taxi to a known site and it cost me $11.00.
  A rep at the Willis tower site said 'oh we were late in putting out signs. You need the phone app to see them - they are not on the website."
  Poor excuse.

  murray_r

• Good experience

  The tour is great. The first tour guide was a very sweet young lady. The other driver wasn't very friendly; however, i enjoyed the recording.

  andreatch

• Los Angeles Dodger game

  The bus Driver were very nice and great 👍
  Very knowledgeable of Chicago
  And the History
  Thank you.
  Buy

  Rosa_T

• Chicago Reunion Tour 2021

  Bianca, Eric and J. Washington were outstanding!
  Bianca was exceptional in pointing a variety of points of interest and supporting information from the script. Eric and J. Washington were extremely patient, helpful and funny. The BigBus USA great way to get around and see Chicago. We will recommend this to everyone!

  S1673SSpats

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