Guided Pedway Tour · September 2026

Chicago Underground Pedway Tour

A two-hour guided walk through the Pedway, the tunnels and bridges under and over the Loop, run by Inside Chicago Walking Tours. You learn how the system works, then use it to reach interiors most people walk past: stained-glass hallways, a view of an underground swimming pool, and a finish near Millennium Park. From $35 on GetYourGuide.

Check dates and prices →

Updated · Pedway facts checked against the City of Chicago · Full Pedway guide

2 hoursguided walk
$35from, per person
4.7★322 GetYourGuide reviews
1.5 milesabout, with some stairs
24 hoursfree cancellation window
01 · Quick Facts

The Tour at a Glance

  • The tour: Inside Chicago Walking Tours' Pedway tour, listed on each platform under its own title. On GetYourGuide it is "Chicago: Underground Pedway & Downtown Secrets Walking Tour". The company's Airbnb listing is called "Chicago Underground Pedway & Secret Interiors Tour", and on its own website it is "Open Your Eyes: Underground Pedway & Other Secrets of the Loop".
  • Operator: Inside Chicago Walking Tours, run by founder Hillary Marzec and on Tripadvisor since February 2014. Tripadvisor rates the company 5.0 across 3,238 reviews (September 2026). Owner-run local specialist What the badge means
  • Length: 2 hours, about 1.5 miles of walking, a handful of staircases.
  • Price: from $35 per person on GetYourGuide. An expert guide is included; gratuities are not.
  • Cancellation: free up to 24 hours in advance.
  • Meeting point: the meeting point is in your booking confirmation. The tour ends at an interior near Millennium Park.
  • Weather: runs rain or shine and stays mostly indoors. Bring comfortable shoes.
02 · What You'll See

Two Halves: Learn the Pedway, Then Use It

Guide and small group on the Chicago underground Pedway tour, in a corridor lined with stained-glass panels
A group stops in a stained-glass corridor. Photo: Inside Chicago Walking Tours, via GetYourGuide.

According to the GetYourGuide listing, the first part of the walk explains what the Pedway is and how to use it. You walk under full blocks of buildings, up and down staircases, and reach the interiors of several buildings through the Pedway's passages. The listing names hallways of stained glass and underground swimming pools among the sights.

In the second part, the group uses what it has just learned to find its way through a newer and more complicated section of the Pedway, one the operator says most locals have never seen. The walk ends inside what the listing calls one of the most unusual architectural designs in the country, near Millennium Park, which leaves you in the middle of downtown for the rest of your day.

The listing's highlights also promise the stories behind downtown's famous public art. One recent reviewer mentions the history of city disasters that changed building rules, and another says she felt ready to explore the Pedway on her own afterwards. That is the practical payoff: you leave knowing how to use a system most visitors never find.

Pedway passage signed Welcome to 303 East Wacker, part of the Chicago underground walkway system
A Pedway passage at 303 East Wacker. Photo: Inside Chicago Walking Tours, via GetYourGuide.
03 · Dates and Prices

Check Availability

Pick a date to see live times and prices for Inside Chicago Walking Tours' Pedway tour on GetYourGuide.

Powerd by GetYourGuide

Open the tour on GetYourGuide →

04 · Ratings Across Platforms

How the Tour Rates Elsewhere

Each platform lists the tour under its own title and counts reviews separately, so the numbers below are not added together. All figures were read in September 2026.

PlatformListingRatingReviews
GetYourGuideChicago: Underground Pedway & Downtown Secrets Walking Tour4.7322 (September 2026)
Viator and TripadvisorChicago Architecture Tour: Underground Pedway and the Loop4.88558 combined (September 2026)
AirbnbChicago Underground Pedway & Secret Interiors Tour4.91477 ratings (September 2026)
Tripadvisor, whole companyInside Chicago Walking Tours5.03,238 (September 2026)

Viator and Tripadvisor show one combined score for the Viator listing. The company figure covers all of its tours, not only the Pedway walk.

05 · Recent Reviews

What Recent Guests Said

Short excerpts from recent GetYourGuide reviews of the Pedway tour. Guides named in recent reviews include Hillary, Heath, Spencer, Matt and Henry, so yours may differ.

"Hillary was incredibly knowledgeable and enjoyable. I loved the secret gems she introduced us to. I can't wait to explore more of the Pedway System on my own now that I've been introduced and feel more comfortable to explore."

Marion, United States · GetYourGuide review, August 2026

"Very informative and opened up our eyes to a whole nother part of Chicago. Loved it."

Collin, United States · GetYourGuide review, August 2026

"We got some really insider knowledge from our excellent tour guide, Henry, since he has professional credentials as a structural engineer."

Candace, United States · GetYourGuide review, July 2026

"As a traveller we look forward to this type of trip away from the normal tourist traps and learning some local secrets."

Darren, Australia · GetYourGuide review, June 2026
06 · Honest Fit

Who It Suits, and Who Should Skip It

Book it if

  • You are visiting in cold, wet or very hot weather and want an architecture walk that stays mostly indoors.
  • You want to learn the Pedway once, properly, and then use it yourself for the rest of the trip.
  • You like interiors and hidden corners more than skyline views.
  • You can manage 1.5 miles on foot and a few flights of stairs.

Skip it if

  • You use a wheelchair or have limited mobility: the listing says the tour is not suitable, and the route has stairs.
  • Enclosed passages make you uneasy: the listing flags it as unsuitable for people with claustrophobia.
  • Your main goal is the famous skyline. A river cruise shows it better.
  • You are a confident map reader happy with a self-guided wander (see below).

If the first list sounds like you, the tour is an easy call at $35.

Book the Pedway tour →

Not the right fit? Book whichever suits your day:

If the skyline is the point

Chicago River: 1.5-Hour Guided Architecture Cruise

From $45 · 4.8 ★ (9,482 reviews) · Wendella

The river architecture tour that began in 1935. The listing offers deck or indoor climate-controlled seating, so it runs year-round.

Check the cruise →
If you want a historic walk above ground

Chicago: Treasures of the Golden Age Walking Tour

From $35 · 4.8 ★ (220 reviews) · Chicago Architecture Center

Michigan Avenue and State Street landmarks from the 1890s to the 1930s, including buildings by Daniel Burnham and Louis Sullivan.

Check the walk →
If it is raining and you would rather skip walking

Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago Fast-Pass Ticket

From $40 · 4.8 ★ (974 reviews) · Art Institute of Chicago

Skip the general admission line for a collection that runs from Monet and Van Gogh to Hopper's Nighthawks.

Check tickets →

Prices, ratings and review counts from our September 2026 data check; operators use seasonal pricing, so treat them as the shape of the market, not a quote. If stairs are your concern, confirm accessibility with the operator before booking.

07 · Other Ways to See It

Self-Guided, or a Different Inside Chicago Walk

On your own, for free. The City of Chicago publishes a free Pedway System Map, linked from its Pedway page, that lists more than 50 destinations and marks stairs, escalators and elevators. Chicago Detours also offers a free printable Pedway map with notes on weekend closures. Go on a weekday and print the map, since the passages do not all connect. Our Pedway guide has entry points and a short self-guided route.

Inside Chicago Walking Tours' Interiors Walks (Not Pedway Tours)

Same company, same $35 starting price, above-ground routes through Loop interiors.
Inside Chicago Walking Tours Original Dazzling Architectural Interiors tour Interiors, not Pedway ★ 4.958 reviews
Owner-run local specialist

Chicago's Original Dazzling Architectural Interiors Tour

$35Indoor-focused
  • An Art Deco interior, an 1880s building and a Postmodern vaulted ceiling
  • The listing says it ends under the world's largest Tiffany stained-glass dome
  • Viator and Tripadvisor: 4.96 across 1,802 reviews (September 2026)
Book Dazzling Interiors →
Inside Chicago Walking Tours See Inside Art Deco Masterpieces walking tour Art Deco interiors ★ 4.910 reviews
Owner-run local specialist

Chicago Walking Tour: See Inside Art Deco Masterpieces

$352 hrAbout 1.5 miles
  • 1920s interiors in the Loop and near the Chicago River
  • Includes spaces the listing says are usually closed to the public
  • Viator and Tripadvisor: 4.95 across 130 reviews (September 2026)
Book Art Deco →
08 · The Pedway Itself

What You Are Walking Through

The City of Chicago describes the Pedway as a system of underground tunnels and overhead bridges linking more than 40 blocks of the Central Business District, roughly five miles in all. It connects more than 50 buildings along with stations for the CTA, Metra, Amtrak and the South Shore Line. It started small: in 1951 the city built one-block tunnels joining the Red Line and Blue Line subways at Washington Street and Jackson Boulevard, and public and private builders have added pieces ever since. That piecemeal growth explains the character of the place. There is no single corridor, levels shift from one building to the next, and signs change with the owner.

Weekdays are the whole game

The city's map gives minimum hours of 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and notes that some segments also open evenings and weekends as posted. Chicago Detours, which publishes a free printable map, estimates that about half the system closes on weekends and calls Sunday a poor day to explore. If you are on your own, go on a weekday morning or early afternoon.

Getting in

You can enter from connected buildings, train stations and a few sidewalk entrances, then head down by stairs, escalator or elevator. Easy first doors from the city's list are the Chicago Cultural Center at 78 E. Washington, Macy's at 111 N. State and Block 37 at 108 N. State. Once below, follow the City of Chicago Pedway signs. Expect gaps: near City Hall, Chicago Detours notes three separate Pedway pieces that only connect at street level, and the city lists the Thompson Center link as temporarily closed.

Why it matters in winter

The city pitches the Pedway as a safe, quick way to cross downtown in bad weather, and that is when it earns its keep. You can move between train stations, shops and offices without a coat, and a guided walk becomes one of the few architecture outings that ignores the forecast. Not every stretch is climate controlled, though. Chicago Detours flags some garage links with no heating or air conditioning, so keep a layer on.

Stair-only and step-free entrances are both marked on the city's map. Wheelchair users should plan a route with it, or email Pedway@CityofChicago.org, rather than book the guided tour. For planning a longer self-guided visit, the Pedway guide goes further, and the winter tours guide covers what else runs from December to February.

09 · Quick Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The guided option we point to is Inside Chicago Walking Tours' Pedway tour, listed on each platform under its own title. On GetYourGuide it is Chicago: Underground Pedway & Downtown Secrets Walking Tour: two hours, from $35, rated 4.7 from 322 reviews (September 2026). The tunnels you can tour are the Pedway, the public walkway system. The old freight tunnels under the Loop are a different, closed system and are not open to visitors.

Mostly, but not entirely. The City of Chicago describes the Pedway as a system of underground tunnels and overhead bridges linking more than 40 blocks of the Central Business District. Most of what you walk is below street level, but some links are bridges or street-level passages, and the city's map marks segments as below street, street level or above street. On the tour you go up and down a handful of staircases between levels.

Only parts of it. The city's Pedway map gives minimum hours of 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, and says some segments are also open evenings and weekends as posted. The free Chicago Detours map estimates that about half of the Pedway closes on weekends and that Sunday is the weakest day, because many sections run through office buildings. On a Saturday, expect dead ends and check the posted hours at each door.

Enter from a connected building, a train station or a sidewalk entrance, then take the stairs, escalator or elevator down. Entry points on the city's map include the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington), Macy's (111 N. State), Block 37 (108 N. State), City Hall (121 N. LaSalle), the Daley Center (50 W. Washington) and Millennium Station. Inside, follow the City of Chicago Pedway signs.

The City of Chicago calls the Pedway a safe, quick and convenient way to travel downtown, especially in bad weather, and thousands of pedestrians use it each day. The practical advice is to walk it during posted hours, when the connected buildings are open and staffed, and to carry a map, because some segments close early and the passages do not all join up. For questions or problems, the city's contact is Pedway@CityofChicago.org.

Most people mean the Pedway, the roughly five-mile network under and around the Loop that connects more than 50 buildings, according to the City of Chicago. It is not secret, but it is easy to miss from the street, which is why it feels hidden. A second, older system also exists: the freight tunnels, about 60 miles of narrow-gauge rail tunnels that flooded in the 1992 Loop flood. Those are closed to the public; the Pedway is the part you can walk.

The Pedway runs past shops rather than being a mall of its own. Its best-known retail connections are Macy's on State Street, in the former Marshall Field and Company Building, and the Block 37 shopping center at 108 N. State, both listed as Pedway destinations on the city's map. Shop hours follow each building, so on evenings and weekends a store can be open at street level while its Pedway door is shut.

The easiest meal is the Macy's food court, whose entrance faces the Pedway; opposite it is a wall of 22 stained-glass panels installed in 2013 with the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. Hotels and office towers on the route, such as the Fairmont and Prudential Plaza, also connect. Food outlets inside office buildings follow those buildings' hours, so a weekday is the safer time to eat along the route.

Yes. The City of Chicago Department of Transportation says the Pedway began in 1951 with one-block tunnels linking the Red Line and Blue Line subways at Washington Street and Jackson Boulevard. Public and private building owners have added to it since. It now covers roughly five miles and connects more than 50 buildings plus CTA, Metra, Amtrak and South Shore Line stations.

The GetYourGuide listing runs two hours and starts from $35 per person, with an expert guide included and gratuities not included. Expect about 1.5 miles of walking and a handful of staircases. The tour runs rain or shine and stays mostly indoors. You can cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund. Live dates and prices are in the availability calendar above.

No. The GetYourGuide listing says the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, people with claustrophobia or people with a low level of fitness, and the route includes a handful of staircases. The Pedway itself has some elevator or ramp entrances and some stair-only ones, which the city's map marks. For a step-free route on your own, ask Pedway@CityofChicago.org before you go.

The GetYourGuide listing does not publish a street address, so the meeting point is in your booking confirmation. Read it the evening before: several Loop buildings have more than one entrance, and the Pedway doors are not always on the street side. The tour finishes at an interior near Millennium Park, so you end up centrally placed to keep exploring on your own.

Guests on Inside Chicago Walking Tours' underground Pedway tour
Owner-run local specialist

Ready to walk the Pedway?

2 hours · from $35 · 4.7 ★ from 322 GetYourGuide reviews · 4.88 across 558 Viator and Tripadvisor reviews (September 2026)

Check dates on GetYourGuide →

Methodology: Tour details, the 322-review GetYourGuide rating, suitability notes and review excerpts come from the GetYourGuide listing for tour 414815, read on 16 September 2026. Viator, Tripadvisor and Airbnb figures were read on the same day and are shown as text only. Pedway facts were checked against the City of Chicago Department of Transportation Pedway page and the Pedway System Map it links to (revision dated May 2025), the Chicago Detours Pedway Map (2025), Choose Chicago's visitor guide to the Pedway, and Wikipedia's entries on the Chicago Pedway and the 1992 Chicago flood. City contact: Pedway@CityofChicago.org. The "Owner-run local specialist" badge is explained on the catalogue page.

Affiliate disclosure: Booking links go to GetYourGuide, and we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Last updated: 16 September 2026.