AIRBNB EXPERIENCES

Things to do in West Side

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Activities led by local experts

Discover unique experiences hosted by inspiring locals.

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5 out of 5 average rating, 14 reviews

The Animated Tour of Chicago

This is a Premium Experience. This tour is unlike any other, It's an ANIMATED tour! An extremely unique perspective of the city! Explore ALL SIDES of Chicago from the comfort of my private studio In the Ravenswood Industrial Corridor. Get a glimpse into my creative process and some recent works. You will learn some basic yet powerful principles of color-theory in a hands-on drawing workshop. The rest of the show is a colorful love letter to the city. You will learn crucial Chicago History, Landmarks, Food, Public Figures, and more! All from my perspective as an “Adopted-Local.” This is an incredibly fun and inspiring experience!

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Customize your own sneakers with a renowned designer

Learn to make shoes I'll teach you about the history of custom leatherwork. View sample project Get inspired and brainstorm designs for your own sneakers. Design & embellish Customize your shoes with paint, gems, and hardware. Capture photos Commemorate your brand-new kicks before wrapping them up.

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Pressed Blooms: Crafting Timeless Floral Art

Let your creativity shine while you learn the art of flower pressing in an intimate workshop at Semillas Chicago, my nursery in Pilsen. • We’ll start by exploring a curated selection of Chicago’s native flowers and blooms and learning the basics of flower pressing. • I’ll guide you step-by-step through preparing the flowers and using a flower press to preserve their beauty. • You’ll create a personalized art piece, such as a greeting card, wall art, or gift, using pressed flowers and handmade paper I’ve crafted specifically for this workshop. You’ll take home your artwork as well as the small flower press you used—so you can keep capturing and preserving beauty where you find it.

Top-rated activities

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4.94 out of 5 average rating, 231 reviews

Taste of Chinatown Food & Walking Cultural Tour

Curious about Chinatown but unsure where to start? Let our Bobby’s Bike Hike Chinatown Food and Culture Walking Tour be your local guide on this Chicago Chinatown tour! Leave the planning to the experts. Bobby’s Bike Hike was awarded the following three awards just this year: “Top 10 Food Tours in America” by USA Today, “Top 20 Food Tours in the World” by TA, & "Top 15 Vacation Experiences in US" by Entrepreneur Magazine. Chicago’s Chinatown, located next door to the Loop on Cermak Street and Wentworth Avenue, bursts with colorful shops, impressive monuments, and of course, delicious restaurants. Like a Chinese menu, the sheer number of possibilities can be overwhelming. Fortunately, the experts at Bobby’s Bike Hike have created the perfect overview. You’ll sample culinary delights from five distinct Chinese regions while learning interesting facts about China and the history of Chinese immigration. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a Chicago native, our walking culinary tour of this thriving neighborhood will whet your appetite for another visit! All food samples included in ticket price, but consider upgrading to our VIP package to include samples of plum wine, bubble tea, and a specialty jasmine Chicago craft beer only served at Phoenix Restaurant.

4.94 out of 5 average rating, 821 reviews

Street Art & Aerosol Workshop

1. Guests join us at our space Studio W.I.P. and dive into the world of spray paint and urban art. All instruction is done by local artists. Each guest will go home with their very own piece of the mural to remember their night. 2. Upon entering guests can relax and enjoy our ever changing gallery. Feel free to bring a beverage. It's BYOB! Guests will unleash their inner street artist on a 50ft wall! This interactive workshop will turn guests into the artist and be guided along the way. Experimenting with lettering, stencils, aerosol, & cap technique guests will experience something truly unique. 3. Our main objective is to break down stereotypes that often are connected with spray paint. Guests will leave with curiosity and basic skills when applying aerosol to boot.

5 out of 5 average rating, 3 reviews

Authentic Thai massage by Thai Lotus Bodywork

Thai Massage Comprehensive therapy that joins methods from different Asian traditions to advance by and large prosperity. Asian massage centers around invigorating energy streams and easing tension. Massage For Couples Our massage for couples combines the best of Thai massage with relaxation therapy, ensuring that both you and your partner leave feeling completely refreshed.

4.9 out of 5 average rating, 303 reviews

Chicago's Underground Pedway & Other Secrets Walking Tour

Discover a part of Chicago only known by locals -- our miles-long system of underground tunnels known as "The Pedway." This engaging adventure pops you in and out of beautiful buildings, familiarizes you with the most interesting parts of the Pedway, and shows you the best hidden details downtown that people walk by every day. This is not a typical "must-see" tour for typical tourists -- it's a "must see" experience for travelers who want something BEYOND what's typical. The tour begins with an introduction to downtown Chicago's famous "Pedway" -- the mysterious system of passageways and tunnels that keeps us all warm & dry in bad weather, and cool in the summer. Walking under entire blocks, we'll access interiors that seem to come up out of nowhere, stumbling upon hidden corridors of stained glass, underground swimming pools, and more. We'll then use what we learn in the first part of the tour to navigate the least-known parts of the Pedway, ending with a beautiful interior in one of the most unique and famous buildings in the country. Guests should be prepared to be on their feet for about 2 hours. It is an easy walk, but still -- it's a little bit of exercise, and please be aware that there are several sets of stairs! Join us for a fascinating exploration of downtown Chicago, both from above and below!

4.94 out of 5 average rating, 1168 reviews

Explore Dazzling Architecture Interiors of the Chicago Loop

Take the architecture tour voted #1 by TripAdvisor users! We will be taking a leisurely 2-hour walk exploring some of the most beautiful and often overlooked buildings in downtown Chicago, both outside and inside, and learning about the most important and interesting parts of Chicago's architectural history. Visitors often don't know where to go, or even where they're allowed. This experience takes them inside places they'd never even consider, to show off more than 100 years of architecture as it developed here in the Windy City -- including stunning stained glass, atrium-like spaces, 19th century skyscrapers, and more! Great tour for photographers and travel buffs! Some things to note: Bring a camera -- this is an AWESOME way to practice your architecture photography! Also, dress for the weather, and if it's raining, bring an umbrella. Also, please note that if you provide a non-US phone number as your day-of contact number, we **CANNOT** call you if you're lost or late!

4.88 out of 5 average rating, 336 reviews

Pasta Cooking Class with a local Chef

I will be teaching you how to make 3 different types of pasta from scratch, how to incorporate a healthy twist into each one, show you how to make a delicious sauce using ingredients already in the pantry. We will also be eating 2 portions of pasta as well. It is byob and take home dessert is available for purchase. Other things to note Just bring yourself and remember to have fun!

4.92 out of 5 average rating, 314 reviews

Chicago favorites captured by Carla

IF YOU DONT SEE A TIME FRAME THAT WORKS FOR YOU PLEASE CONTACT ME AND WE CAN ARRANGE THAT We’ll start with a talk in Chicago Cultural Center by the bull and get to know each other. If it’s a small group during the experience, we will walk together around various locations but everybody has their own personal time with me while I photoshoot. Together we’ll discover the places and pictures that YOU NEED TO HAVE from Chicago , from the magical MILLENNIUM PARK, THE BEAN (currently has a fence, but we will have this photo as well, photographer tricks ;) , CHICAGO THEATER AND RIVER WALK while I capture moments of you and/or any friends or your partner to take home. Feel free to tell me your ideas or preferences Other things to note THIS IS A SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE AND EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN TIME (YOU CAN ALSO HAVE PRIVATE PHOTO SHOOTINGS IN CASE THAT YOU NEEED SOMETHING MORE PRIVATE)

4.88 out of 5 average rating, 245 reviews

Chicago Favorites Food & Walking Tour plus Bike/Kayak rental

Taste your way through Chicago’s most famous recipes on this relaxing and fun Chicago food tour. In an exciting 3 hours, you’ll feast on Chicago culinary legends such as deep-dish pizza, Italian Beef, Chicago-style hot dog, & the original brownie! All food samples are included in the ticket price. You can add a VIP Craft Beer package to any ticket (Ages 21+) so you can sample 3 of our favorite local craft beers (Three 9oz pours). In addition to the delicious food on this tour, you will also marvel at the Wrigley Building & Tribune Tower before experiencing some of Chicago's most iconic sites along the Magnificent Mile and the gorgeous Chicago Riverwalk. Then, head into the Loop and marvel at its historic architecture as El trains rumble overhead. Walk up State Street ("that great street") with its shops and famous Chicago Theater. From there, visit world-famous Millennium Park; including Cloud Gate (aka the "Bean") & Crown Fountain. Our food walking tour of Chicago is an active, VIP adventure through town; the perfect way to see and taste the city in a single afternoon! Bobby’s Bike Hike was awarded the following awards just this year: “Top 10 Food Tours in America” by USA Today, “Top 20 Food Tours in the World” by TA, & "Top 15 Vacation Experiences in US" by Yelp. As an added bonus, you'll get an additional FREE 2hr bike or kayak rental as an additional value.

5 out of 5 average rating, 15 reviews

An Engineer's Guide to the Marvels & Masterpieces of Chicago

Truly one of the most fascinating yet least appreciated aspects of any city is its many engineering stories. Chicago is literally the birthplace of the skyscraper: imagine what incredible stories of engineering feats it has to tell! Join Inside Chicago Walking Tours on our newest — and admittedly very-nerdy-but-fun-because-it’s-nerdy! — route that dives into the engineering perspective of our world-famous architecture. On this route, you’ll cover more than just "must-see architecture" like on most tours! You'll explore 150 years of engineering evolution, learning from a real engineer (from the best engineering school in the country!), who makes the information accessible and graspable without ever dumbing it down. This is not “engineering for dummies”: it is engineering for all of us, as we believe that everyone can understand and be fascinated by these concepts if taught in an engaging and fun way. You’ll see a building from the “father of the skyscraper,” who was actually an engineer and a classmate of Gustav Eiffel (as in, Eiffel Tower!). You’ll learn how a building might get a “haunted” reputation simply because it settled unevenly on its “floating” foundation. You’ll marvel at the numerous ways Chicago’s famous buildings handle forces coming from gravity and wind. And you’ll visit the interiors of a few buildings to truly get that INSIDE experience of Chicago!

4.94 out of 5 average rating, 218 reviews

Chicago in a Day - Food, Architecture, Culture & Highlights

You’ll fall in love with Chicago and its incredible food scene combining our Chicago Architecture & Highlights Tour and Chicago Food Tour: Deep Roots to Deep Dish! *HIGHLIGHTS* - Marvel at the stunning skyline and architecture that makes Chicago so special - Explore one of the cities most historic neighborhoods - Sample some delicious food samples throughout the tour *INCLUSIONS* - 4 food stops - 4 food samples including pizza, hot-dog and popcorn tastings Beginning under the iconic Chicago sign at the Chicago Theatre, you’ll head towards the Chicago Riverwalk, taking in the spectacular skyline. Discover buildings and stories linked to the Prohibition era from the before you enjoy the serenity of Millennium Park. Now we have built up your appetite, it’s time to get your fill of some amazing food that you will only find in the Windy city. Let’s start you off with a Chicago-style hot dog before indulging in the famous Chicago deep-dish pizza. . Explore a couple more well-known River North food establishments, before ending the tour with a classic Italian beef sandwich.