How to Become a Virtual Tour Events Company
All of the sudden Chicago Detours is temporarily a virtual tour company! It’s a new and unexpected change for our small business, as are many things for everyone right now . We are now into a month and a half of lockdown during the COVID19 pandemic. When that was announced, it spelled a (temporary) end to our […]
Get to Know Chicago Detours Guide Morgan Lott
Being a Chicago Detours guide is very often a terrific job. We get to show people around a city we love and illuminate its history and architecture for them. Tour guests often ask us how we got into being a Chicago Detours guide or other questions about our backgrounds and interests. We figured, why not […]
What Goes Into Starting a Tour Company?
Starting a tour company is a daunting challenge! Here Amanda, our Executive Director, shares her experience as an entrepreneur with her tour company in Chicago, which was founded in 2018. In 2020, the tour company became a virtual events company. Here are her thoughts on going into small business in the travel and events industry. […]
Best Tours to Get to Know Chicago for New Chicagoans
We welcome you new Chicagoans to Chi-town. The Second City. The City of Big Shoulders. The City That Works. Urbs in Horto. The Windy City. Any city with that many names contains multitudes of experiences. It’s probably impossible to ever fully know Chicago, but Chicago Detours offers public tours that you can individually sign up for, […]
Learn How We Guide Chicago Walking Tours in Winter
Leading Chicago walking tours in winter presents a unique set of challenges. Chicago, you may have heard, tends to be grey and cold in the winter. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty of great reasons to visit Chicago in winter. Leading a winter tour is much easier when the weather is nice, though. […]
Best Stops for Student Performance Groups in Chicago
We often play host to big student performance groups in Chicago for their annual trip. It’s always a kick to guide these student groups. Hanging out with them often feels like time travel, since I’m a former high school drama kid and marching band groupie myself. I’ve also grown to appreciate just how hard it […]
Five Great Ghost and Halloween Tours in Chicago this Season
Here’s a list of some of the best ghost and Halloween tours in Chicago for you to enjoy. If you want to get out and have some fun in outdoor Chicago, then October is basically your last, best chance. Fortunately, October is also the spookiest time of the year. #1. Haunted History Tour If you want […]
Three Fun New Places to Visit for Student Groups in Chicago
Chicago attracts student groups from around the world. This outline of new places to visit was made specially for teachers, group leaders and student group tour operators. Since we offer student group tours of Chicago, we know what students like! If you’re planning a student group visit to Chicago, we hope this information on some new places […]
What Working for Rick Steves is Really Like
“What’s working for Rick Steves like?” I’ve heard that question many times since I worked as one of his tour guides in Europe. Rick Steves and his partner, Trish, joined me on the Loop Interior Architecture Walking Tour back in 2016. So I thought I’d answer a few of those common questions for our tour […]
A Milwaukee Day-Trip Detour
Chicago is, of course, a major transportation hub. So it’s easy to sneak away for a quick “detour” to some fantastic places. My favorite is a Milwaukee trip, which is a short train ride north on the Hiawatha line. When you’re hungry for some travel, a Milwaukee trip provides a hearty lunch, the architecture of […]