Chicago
With steely skyscrapers, top chefs, renowned museums and rocking festivals, the Windy City will blow you away with its multifaceted splendors.
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Latest Stories
- Karla Zimmerman | Jul 31, 202617 things to know before visiting Chicago
- Karla Zimmerman | Jul 23, 2026How to visit Chicago on a budget
- Karla Zimmerman | Jul 17, 202611 perfect day trips from Chicago
- Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu | Jun 2, 202613 of the best things to do in Chicago
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Chicago travel tips from Lonely Planet experts
Find practical guidance from our team of contributors around the world who bring their decades of first-hand travel experience to your next trip.
Best Things to Do
Come to Chicago for live sports, music and comedy, award-winning food and iconic architecture. Here are the city's best experiences.
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Best Time to Visit
From its icy winters to steamy summers and an always-packed cultural calendar, here are the top times to visit Chicago.
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Things to Know
Make your trip to Chicago one to rememeber with these tips on when to go, how to get around, navigating local etiquette and more.
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Transportation
Chicago's efficient public transportation makes this busy city easy to navigate. Here's how to use the L, Metra and buses for your best experience.
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Free Things to Do
Chicago is jam-packed with fun activities and not all of them are designed to blow your budget. Here are 20 free (and nearly free) things to do there.
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Best Neighborhoods
The Chicago city council voted 46-4 to ban horse-drawn carriages by the end of the year.
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Day Trips
As US cities go, Chicago is pretty great. Any one of these 11 day trips would enhance an already delightful trip to the Windy City.
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Money and Costs
A trip to Chicago can pack in endless art, architecture, culture, food and city sights without busting your budget.
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Traveling with Kids
With its wealth of interactive museums, fabulous parks, jaw-dropping architecture and family-friendly attitude, Chicago is tailor-made for travel with kids.
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destinationWicker Park, Bucktown & Ukrainian Village