Big Bus Tours, the global leader in open-top bus sightseeing, is kicking off the summer season with the return of its Sunset Live Tour experience in Chicago. Available May 8 through Oct. 18, this 1-hour and 45-minute live-guided tour offers locals and visitors breathtaking skyline views and unforgettable photo opportunities as the sun sets on Chicago, painting the city in a stunning evening glow. This year marks Big Bus Tours’ 10th anniversary in Chicago, highlighting a decade of offering locals and visitors a unique way to explore the Windy City.
Scheduled to depart from and return to 618 N Clark St. (southwest corner of Clark St. and Ontario St.), the Sunset Live Tour takes riders on a panoramic tour of the city’s Gold Coast and Lincoln Park neighborhoods, down the Magnificent Mile and through the Loop, along with passing more scenic locales. Led by a live guide, from the top deck vantage point, guests can capture the city’s history, as the sights and sounds of the city are illuminated by the golden hour. The live storytelling offers a unique perspective on Chicago as a world-class destination for both tourists and residents.
Sunset Live Tour start times are outlined below:
- May 8 – July 31: 7:30 p.m.
- Aug. 1 – Aug. 21: 7 p.m.
- Aug. 22 – Sept. 11: 6:30 p.m.
- Sept. 12 – Sept. 30: 6 p.m.
- Oct. 1 – Oct. 18: 5:30 p.m.
“This is the most visually stunning tour in Chicago. There is nothing like Chicago in the golden hour,” said Big Bus Tours Senior Vice President and General Manager John Curran. “Whether you’re a local or a traveler, the exceptional top deck views from high above street level—especially at sunset—combined with the rich history and captivating stories shared by our live guides, create an unforgettable way to experience and learn about the city.”
The Sunset Live Tours are an exciting addition to Big Bus Tours’ daily Hop-On Hop-Off experience, which allows visitors to explore popular destinations within Chicago’s vibrant downtown area, taking in historic sites, cultural institutions, hidden gems and more. The 11 stops featured on the Hop-On, Hop-Off Route include:
- Chicago Riverwalk
- Skydeck Chicago & Willis Tower
- Millennium Park & The Art Institute of Chicago
- Hilton Chicago & Grant Park
- Adler Planetarium
- Museum Campus
- Sheraton Grand & Loews Chicago Hotels
- Navy Pier
- Water Tower & The Magnificent Mile
- 360 Chicago
- River North
A full Hop-On, Hop-Off route map is available here. Service begins at the Chicago Riverwalk (98 E. Wacker Drive) at 10 a.m. and the last bus departs at 5 p.m. daily. Pickups are available at each stop every 20-30 minutes and the full route circuit takes approximately two hours. Upon boarding, guests will receive a set of headphones to use on-board, featuring newly enhanced recorded commentary in English and Spanish that complements the route. Guests are encouraged to hop on to discover and hop off at their leisure to explore the city via Hop-On, Hop-Off 24-, 48-, 72-hour ticket packages. Access to four complimentary self-guided walking tours covering: Historic Loop Architecture, Chicago Riverwalk, Great Public Art and Millennium Park are available with select tickets.
In celebration of its 10th anniversary in Chicago, Big Bus Tours is offering 25 percent off tickets for May Sunset Live Tours. Blackout dates/exclusions may apply. Individual tickets for Chicago tours begin at $49.50 for adults and $35 for children ages 3-12. Tickets are available online at www.bigbustours.com and advance ticket purchases are recommended. A variety of ticket packages are also available online. Tickets are available for on-site purchases at Big Bus tour stops throughout the city. For more information, visit www.bigbustours.com.
About Big Bus Tours
Big Bus Tours is the world’s largest operator of open-top sightseeing experiences, inspiring the spirit of adventure in 27 world-famous cities across four continents. Beginning its journey over 30 years ago, with a fleet of only three buses, Big Bus Tours has expanded to a global fleet of hundreds of open-top buses, turning 6 million tourists into explorers every year. Big Bus Tours operates in Abu Dhabi, Athens, Berlin, Budapest, Chicago, Darwin, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Munich, Muscat, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Prague, Rome, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Vancouver, Vienna, and Washington DC, with a sightseeing concept designed to provide a flexible approach to city discovery. Each open-top bus tour provides a hop-on, hop-off facility at a variety of interesting locations, with complementary additions to enhance the visitor sightseeing experience. In February 2015, private equity firm Exponent purchased Big Bus Tours, with a shared vision to make Big Bus Tours the number 1 thing to do in every world-famous city, and in 2016 Merlin Entertainments became a shareholder. With a unique, innovative, and entertaining digital audio guide that immerses customers in each city, the Big Bus city experience leaves every customer with a story to tell. A perfect city companion, The Big Bus Tours app includes tour highlights, city guides and map and real-time bus tracking, downloadable in the Apple and Android App stores. The Big Bus Tours Group continues to expand its product portfolio each year, both in terms of new hop-on hop-off destinations and new experiences, as evidenced by the acquisition of Singapore Ducks in 2018, Tower Tours in 2023 and Tour Dubai in 2024. For more information, log onto the Big Bus Tours website www.bigbustours.com.