An Easy Guide to Top Chicago Attractions with City Passes

Here’s easy guide to top Chicago attractions with city passes, how to use them, plus a few tips!

The city of Chicago has great attractions for visitors and residents alike. Whether you are visiting in winter or summer, when it comes to sightseeing, we can all use a few tips and tricks that help us to save money.

There are two great programs that can help, the Chicago CityPASS® and the Go City® Chicago pass. This is a simple guide and program description to help you choose the right pass.

What is a Chicago CityPASS®

With Chicago CityPASS®, you can visit five attractions over nine consecutive days starting with and including the first day you visit an attraction. You have one year from the date of purchase to start using your pass. 

Things You Can See

• Shedd Aquarium
• Skydeck Chicago

Plus, choice of any 3 attractions below:

1. Field Museum
2. Art Institute of Chicago
3. Museum of Science and Industry
4. 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck
5. Adler Planetarium
6. Shoreline Sightseeing Architecture River Tour

Things to Know

There is also a C3 pass in this program. It works the same way, except you are limited to seeing any 3 attractions, except Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck, or Field Museum. Instead, you may opt to ride the Centennial Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier.

Do:

• Decide how you want to spend your days in advance. Many Chicago CityPASS® attractions are spread throughout the city and you’ll need to give yourself time to get from one attraction to another.
• Plan some downtime for lunch or snacks.
• Group things to do each day by location. You will save a lot of time and reduce stress by planning activities that are within 5 to 15 minutes of one another.

Don’t:

• Try to do more than 2 or 3 attractions a day because it is not realistic. You have to contend with city traffic, parking, long lines, hours of operation, and unexpected events (such as getting lost or being in the wrong location) with Chicago CityPASS®.

What is a Go City® Chicago Pass

A second option is the Go City® pass. A great feature with the Go City® Chicago pass is that you can choose between two programs, the All-inclusive and the Explorer.

The All-inclusive program allows you to select a 1, 2, 3 or 5-day pass. You can visit as many attractions as you like within the selected number of days.

In the Explorer program, you select from 2 to 7 top attractions from a list, then you have 60 days to complete visits to those attractions. 

Things You Can See

1. 360 CHICAGO Observation Deck
2. Shedd Aquarium
3. Skydeck Chicago
4. Big Bus Hop-on Hop Off
5. Adler Planetarium
6. Architectural River Tour
7. Lakefront Speedboat Tour
8. Seadog High Speed Boat Ride
9. Centennial Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier

Things to Know

With the all-inclusive pass you can revisit an attraction more than once (if it doesn’t require booking). With the explorer pass you can only visit each attraction once.

Do:

• Consider the ages of people in your party because you can save even more by taking advantage of free entry fees for children and the military, and discounts for seniors at select museums.
• Keep weather conditions in mind. Hot summer days are not the best time to exert a lot of energy. Rainy days are best saved for indoor activities.
• Take advantage of public transportation options.

Don’t:

• Buy the 1-day All-inclusive pass without checking Groupon. The price on the Go City® website is $99 and to break even, you’ll need to reserve two tours on the same day, which won’t leave time for much else. However, Groupon has deals as low as $69 for a 1-day All-inclusive Go City® pass or deals for the Go City® pass Explorer pass.

FAQ about Chicago Attractions with City Passes

Final Thoughts on Seeing Top Chicago Attractions with City Passes

These are awesome savings no matter how many people are in your travel party!

Using a city pass to explore the top attractions not only allows you to save money but also ensures that you don’t miss out on the city’s most iconic experiences.

With a pass, you can easily include the best architecture tours in your vacation activities, where you’ll have the opportunity to admire the famous buildings that define the city’s skyline. From the towering skyscrapers to the historic landmarks, these tours offer a fascinating glimpse into Chicago’s architecture.

Additionally, your pass may grant you access to other activities in your itinerary, such as visiting the renowned Art Institute of Chicago, immersing yourself in the cultural treasures it holds.

And, of course, no visit would be complete without strolling along the Magnificent Mile, where you can indulge in world-class shopping, dining, and entertainment.

With a one of these passes, you can make the most of your time, exploring great attractions while enjoying significant savings on admission fees.

So, grab your pass, delve into the rich history and captivating culture of the city, and have a wonderful visit in the Windy City!