You Should Book a Tour for Your Holiday Party

It’s time to start planning ye ‘ole company holiday party! Did that job fall on you this year? No pressure, but everyone is counting on you to make this year truly special. At Chicago Detours we want to help you plan your event–why not book a private group tour for your holiday party? Here are four great reasons to book a tour with Chicago Detours along with our best tours for holiday party groups.

While you’re here, check out our Badass Women Journal and Virtual Holiday Stories Happy Hour. The former is perfect for gift-giving and the latter is a wonderful way to spend time with family and friends this holiday season.

Chicago Holiday Lights Drinks Walking Tour Christmas Tree holiday party

Reason #1: No shop-talk for your holiday party

Office parties can feel like an impromptu staff meeting. Folks often do not know what to connect over outside of work. Let us make an exceptional experience to give your group something fun to talk about. On a Chicago tour like our Holiday Tour of Drinks, Daleys and Dead Guys, which is particularly perfect for teams of 16 or less, the group starts with creative ice breakers. Right off the bat, we show your group that this holiday party won’t include chats about office gossip or profit margins. 

Reason #2: Visit Chicago historic bars without anyone getting too wild

Daryl from accounting waits all year to cut loose. Get him as far away from the lampshade as possible this year on one of our tours. Since our tours have a set amount of drinks, the fun stays fun and no one cuts too lose. Our Big Shoulders Historic Bar and Food Bus Tour includes three servings of beer or wine and a tight itinerary. This means your “Daryl” won’t get over-served and will still have a great time.

Reason #3: Learn together – it’s great company team-building

Your team will learn together on our tours. Our tours will take you on fascinating routes to see the inside of buildings you may have often past. And we like to say that we bring people to explore stories and places locals don’t know. We dig through old books, newspapers, magazine, archives, and other primary sources to give your team a new perspective on the city they love.

Shinniks Bridgeport Big Shoulders Bar Tour holiday party

Secondly, our highly trained guides create an interactive tour dynamic. No weird vibes here. By asking guests questions, tour guides connect with guests and enhance the educational dynamic. Your team connect with the surrounding urban space, visual media on shared iPads or screens on the bus, and also each other. Your team members will have a social and active exploration of the city with our private tours.  

On our Jazz, Blues and Beyond Tour by Bus guests are treated to a harmonica lesson and private performance by a blues musician. Learning a new skill together is incredibly fun and memorable!

Reason #4: Celebrate that you live and work in Chicago

Your company has a lot of great reasons for operating in Chicago. The rich history and architecture is one of them that might not get its fair dues. Discover the fantastic stories and buildings that surround you on a downtown tour like our Historic Chicago Walking Bar Tour, which gives guests a new perspective on the Magnificent Mile. Or go explore Chicago neighborhoods new to the team, like on our Neighborhoods and Cultural Diversity Bus Tour

Chicago blues tour holiday party

I’m sure your company holiday party will be a blast no matter what you choose. After all, holiday party staples like bar parties or Secret Santas are popular for their ease in planning. Yet, as we’ve written before, it’s worth trying fun new ways to get out of the office. And booking a private tour with us is even easier than selecting bar and catering packages.

Give me a ring at 312.350.1131 if you’d like to discuss your private tour options for your company holiday party. I love throwing out a few ideas. We’ll hope to see you and your team on a tour this Yule!

– Morgan Lott, Private Tour Coordinator and Tour Guide

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Ellen

Private Tour Coordinator and Tour Guide

There is no shortage of things to discover in Chicago—I love being an urban explorer and uncovering its hidden places. I have an MA in Public History from Loyola University Chicago, and I have worked as a museum educator and kindergarten teacher. My desire to learn new things fuels my passion for educating others, which I get to experience every day as a Chicago tour guide. I live in the northern neighborhood of Rogers Park.

“Our guide Ellen was exceptional and gifted with a great personal touch.”
Robert
GetYourGuide

Jen

Tour Guide

Whether you are a first-time visitor or a lifelong resident, the vibrant history and modern majesty of Chicago never ceases to amaze. I’m a graduate of Columbia College with an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Art. I’ve worked for many years as an educator at City Colleges of Chicago. As tour guide at Chicago Detours, I integrate my enthusiasm for culture and architecture with my passion as an educator. West Town/Noble Square area is home for me.

“Jen was a perfect storyteller and kept us spellbound for hours.”
Heather
TripAdvisor

Elyse

Tour Guide

With our Chicago neighborhoods, vibrant cultural institutions and nearly two centuries of larger-than-life stories, there’s never a dull moment here! I’m a fifth generation Chicagoan and a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to guiding tours, I’m a creative writer and amateur genealogist. I also enjoy the city’s dynamic theater scene. You can also read overlooked stories from 19th-century newspapers on my “Second Glance History” blog. I live in River North.

Anthony

Tour Guide

Chicago is unique as it always evolves into the future while holding on to the past. I’m fascinated by how people latch on to old architecture but happily pave over others. My background is in theater and performance and I’ve been a tour guide here for more than 10 years. Currently I’m finishing my Master’s in Public History at Loyola University because I love to teach the history of this scrappy city. I’m in the Edgewater neighborhood.

Marie

Operations Coordinator and Tour Guide

Chicago’s history is so fascinating, you could spend a lifetime uncovering its secrets…I’m willing to give it a try! I have an M.A. in US History from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and then pursued doctoral studies in Urban History at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I love to learn new aspects of Chicago’s rich history and then share my knowledge as a tour guide with Chicago Detours. I live in Ravenswood.

“Marie was a bubbling fountain of information and contagious enthusiasm.”
Lorit
TripAdvisor

Sonny

Operations Coordinator and Tour Guide

As a fourth generation Chicagoan, I have been living and loving Chicago by bike, on foot, public transit or automobile. I am a graduate of UIC where through the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, began my eagerness to understand the nature, history and impacts of urban planning and development. It is incredibly rewarding to give back to this wonderful city by helping out in the office of Chicago Detours. I live in the incredibly diverse neighborhood of Albany Park.
“Sonny was extremely knowledgeable about all things Chi-town.”
Wade K
TripAdvisor

Alex

Content Manager and Tour Guide

Chicago has so many neighborhoods, buildings, and by-ways that it’s hard to go long without seeing something new, or something familiar from a new angle. I studied Cinema History for my M.A. from the University of Chicago. I’ve worked as a culture writer for various publications and as an educator of the humanities at the City Colleges of Chicago. I’m thrilled to share my love of this city’s busy past and unique architectural spaces with Chicago Detours. I live in the Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Park.

“Alex was fascinating to listen to. He clearly knows his history and it shows.”
Katie K
Yelp

Amanda Scotese

Executive Director and Tour Guide

I’m an interpreter of personal stories from the past and the city’s landscape. I love to imagine what originally happened inside old unmarked buildings, and what forces have shaped their design. I studied Chicago history, architectural history, and anything Chicago-related through my M.A. in the Humanities at the University of Chicago. My love for stories was enriched by my B.A. in Literature from the University of Michigan. I’ve written travel articles for publications like Rick Steves’ Italy best-selling travel guides, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, and The Chicago Food Encyclopedia. I live in the Chicago neighborhood of West Avondale.
“You can TELL Amanda is hyper-passionate about doing the research and getting the story that nobody’s heard before.”
Shelby F
Yelp

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