Top Illinois Sightseeing Tours: A Detailed Review

Planning a trip to Illinois and figuring out the best way to see everything? It can, like your, feel a bit like figuring out where to begin with deep-dish pizza – there are, very, a lot of tempting options! Illinois, as a matter of fact, has got such a rich history and surprising beauty beyond just the Chicago skyline. So, from sprawling cityscapes to cozy, small town charm and stunning natural landscapes, a good sightseeing tour, arguably, can really make all the difference. This article is all about finding the tour that fits you best and making sure you soak in all the amazingness Illinois offers. Ready? Then let’s get going!

Chicago Architecture River Tour: A Different Way To View The City

Alright, if you’re visiting Chicago, then the Architecture River Tour, very, is often near the top of “must-do” lists. Instead of just walking the streets, you see Chicago from the river, giving you, pretty much, a totally fresh viewpoint on those famous buildings. As I was saying, a knowledgeable guide, usually, points out all the architectural details and tells stories behind each structure. Did you know the Chicago Cultural Center was designed to be a “People’s Palace” with inspiration drawn from ancient Greece and Rome? As a matter of fact, tours like this really spotlight stuff that, honestly, you might miss walking past on foot.

Tours, in some respects, generally last around 90 minutes, which seems a bit short, but it’s totally enough time to grab a whole bunch of info without getting overwhelmed. Seats, clearly, can be competitive, mostly during peak season, so booking ahead is often the move. On the other hand, prices vary, anyway, depending on the company, but expect to spend around $40-$60. One tip? Bring a jacket, very, especially for evening tours because being on the water can make it cooler. Also, you may want to keep your camera ready — there are, as a matter of fact, photo opportunities aplenty! One time, so, the guide pointed out a building that had a secret entrance only accessible by boat — things like that, honestly, make this tour one to talk about.

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Springfield: Lincoln’s Legacy Tour

Moving away from the skyscrapers and city excitement, arguably, a trip to Springfield, Illinois allows you to dig a little into American history. I mean, really, this city has big-time connections to Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s Legacy Tour, in fact, usually includes key spots such as the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. The Lincoln Home gives you a sense, too it’s almost, of Lincoln’s life like your, visiting his actually preserved neighborhood and home.

While, so, you’re wandering the Presidential Library and Museum, you get to experience tons of exhibits. The holographic shows, for example, almost brings history to life. Walking through the home, that, I mean, you’re getting more like your, transported back in time. That one tour, clearly, that really stood out involved historians reenacting events from Lincoln’s life. In fact, these tours mostly take about half a day and cost anywhere around $30-$50. Anyway, plan to wear cozy shoes, yet, since you do get quite a bit of walking in between each location. Bring water! I’d really consider Springfield for some good history, you know, since it gives insight that other textbooks very can’t provide, that is, a personal look into Lincoln’s world.

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Starved Rock State Park: Hiking And History Tours

Ok, so, now we leave the urban spots completely. Time to dive into the heart of Illinois nature. It’s at Starved Rock State Park where you’ll want hiking boots because it is pretty important to explore canyons and witness some beautiful waterfalls. While there are several independent and contracted guides for tours of various kinds at Starved Rock, keep an eye out for guided hikes run by the Park District in nearby towns too it’s almost, like your, Oglesby and Utica; as a matter of fact, their local knowledge and contacts help you explore some areas people, arguably, might normally miss.

If you ask me, the waterfall hikes definitely should go at the top of the list. Places that, obviously, give that amazing ‘wow’ feeling. Anyway, some tours focus quite a bit on local folklore, which makes the park come more to life. I, basically, learned this spooky legend of how the park got that unique name, from French explorers. Remember that, a half-day hiking tour ranges about $20 to $40, with options from easy trails to harder climbs. It’s highly important to check the weather because the conditions do determine which trails are opened, that is, the trails can actually be very dangerous when it’s slick! And take this suggestion — visit mid-week for little smaller crowds and a peaceful setting.

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Galena: History & Hauntings Tour

If ghost stories or the unknown pique the interest, usually, then it’s important to make Galena a stop on your trip! This small, friendly, really pretty town not far from Iowa goes above and beyond that of regular historical places thanks mostly to the “History & Hauntings” tour themes they’ve got going on. Galena has a, little bit, well-known past and lots of interesting ghost tales associated with ancient spots, I mean, they all are ready just waiting to freak you out!

So, many of the tours, as a matter of fact, often involve locations, too it’s almost, like your, Dowling House or the DeSoto House Hotel that can really raise the hairs on the back of your neck! As a matter of fact, the ghost tour that went to the old market, mostly, told me about some spooky stories of miners, honestly, it really got me hooked in! I, basically, really thought I was being watched (pretty crazy huh?!?). Generally, the tour is about two hours, sometimes, at night and walking tours can vary widely for around $25 – $40; anyway, it mostly is well worth your bucks! And one cool extra? Several tours are almost focused on photographs taken during some ghost hunts, and they, typically, actually look kind of scary.

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Shawnee National Forest: Wilderness And Wine Trail Tours

Okay, how many people even know about an Illinois “wine trail?!” Yeah, just about none! That’s because not too many venture into the “other Illinois,” too it’s almost, like your, the very, southern part, in and around the Shawnee National Forest! So, this location boasts scenic hikes that actually blow people, in a way, away with such natural features such as the Garden of the Gods and a Wine Trail. That said, tour providers in the locality mostly will combine hikes into the woodland and also winery visits.

Visiting these wineries has such a comfortable charm! I mean, usually, wineries also have beautiful views across vineyards and some locally sourced food right here in Illinois. While on one wine tour in particular, still, some local explained to us, by the way, that vineyards benefit from the interesting geology down there because the terrain adds such character into, in fact, the varietals they cultivate. Those that combine them (wine and trails that is) tend toward about six or seven hours, clearly, for say around $75 to $120 — however people really find it an awesome, almost complete, getaway day! Oh – one really crucial, important tip? Check seasonal availability when checking out wineries that way the vines won’t look very dry. (As they are, really, come mid-fall or even winter.)

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