Big Bus Tours Chicago Reviews 708

TrustScore 5 out of 5

4.8

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant way to get your bearings in Chicago! The roadside staff were very helpful, the buses were pretty regular and the guides onboard were an absolute hoot - knowledgeable (as you'd expect) but wi... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We had just one full day in Chicago before starting our road trip so thought a hop on hop off bus tour was the answer, how right we were. All of the guides and drivers were exceptional, very knowledge... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We found your service to be helpful and handy, we enjoyed using it. One other thing that would be helpful would be a description of where the bus would load at the stop by posting a street name/cross... See more

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I visited the salon for a manicure and was generally satisfied. The technician was very friendly, careful, and approached her work professionally. The result was really nice, and my nails look well-gr... See more

Company details

Information provided by various external sources

Your visit to Chicago isn't complete without an open-top hop on hop off sightseeing bus tour; let us take you on an adventure with Big Bus Tours Chicago! • Our hop on and off service includes the two-hour 'Big Loop' showcasing Chicago by day, with 14 stops conveniently located close to key landmarks and attractions. Tweet, snap, and live stream your Chicago tour experience while using our WiFi enabled open top buses! Our double decker buses are ADA compliant and temperature controlled lower sections. • Explore Navy Pier, shop on The Magnificent Mile®, stand on air at the Willis Tower, and take fun selfies at Millennium Park all while learning about the history of Chicago. As our Chicago Bus Tour rolls down The Magnificent Mile and crosses the Chicago River, you can admire the ever-changing architectural styles on a historic avenue!


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4.8

Excellent

TrustScore 5 out of 5

708 reviews

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

We used your Gocity for our recent trip…

We used your Gocity for our recent trip to Chicago. Everything went wonderful except an issue with a driver of the BIG BUS Tours. Our driver Candice made our trip on this bus unbearable. She was screaming at my wife as if she was angry at her. My wife is a very quiet woman and Candice apparently was having a bad day. My wife had a question concerning taking photos. Candice came running after her screaming and yelling and raising her arms, made it so unpleasant we decided to leave the bus and walk. My wife was upset enough to cry after this abuse. Big Bus Tours should be aware that this woman is very angry, pushy person and doesn't show courtesy towards customers. I feel we should get compensated for having to deal with this angry, pushy, insulting woman.

May 26, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Chicago Bus Tours

We did this on our Spring Break week and it was awesome! Great way to get some 'dad' kinda jokes and architectural history of the city all in one!

April 5, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good time spent!

The tour was good but lil bit cold. I guess it because I’m afraid of Chicago winter😂 but everything was very interesting!!! Thank you!

March 28, 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Aweful

Aweful. Waited more than 45 minutes for first bus. Jumped off for a stop and couldnt catch another bus. 90 minite wait. Ended up on the subway and wasted $150. They refused to refund and said traffic should be expected.

August 23, 2022
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Chicago logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Chicago

Chuck B Finley, we regret to hear that you had this experience with us.
Thank you for leaving feedback. Please reach out to us so we may identify ways to improve your experience.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We were lucky to have Carlos and Versada today !!

We were lucky to have Carlos today !!! Outstanding very nice answers any questions.
Very recommended the big bus was fun !!!

August 10, 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Chicago

Rose, we're happy to hear you had such a positive experience with our team! We sincerely thank you for the positive review, and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing customer experience

We have taken multiple big bus tours in the past. Several weeks ago we purchased tickets on our phone and waited on Michigan Avenue for the bus. When it came we showed our phone tickets to Candice the driver who immediately said she would not accept phone tickets and that we should have paper tickets (something not mentioned in the website). When I argued the point she became incensed and began speaking only to my wife and grandson while intentionally ignoring me. She went on to say that she would take us to an undisclosed stop to have our tickets printed — something she should have lead with, although I hadn’t planned on exiting the bus at a stop of her choice. She then announced to the entire bus that two of our party of three were very nice people. She spent the remainder of her leg of the tour complaining about the Chicago Bears and talking about her sixth grade tour of the Planetarium. No mention of Chicago sites other than her disdain for the Bears and her sixth grade experience.

One of the subsequent two drivers nearly had an accident by driving recklessly and both played prerecorded summaries of the sites which couldn’t be heard without earbuds.

In the past Big Bus Tours hired docents from Columbian College who took pride in showing off the city. We have always come away knowing the city better despite being long time residents. Not this time. We found the entire experience to be too expensive, not informative and upsetting. Never again!

August 7, 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Chicago

Edward Murawski, we regret to hear that you had this experience with us. Candis is one of our Drivers that receives the most 5 star reviews so this is very shocking. We pride ourselves on providing exceptional service, so we are disappointed to hear that your visit with us was anything less than satisfactory.
Thank you again for taking the time to let us know how we can improve. We hope you will consider us again in the future. Take care.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

BIG BUS TOURS CHICAGO DOES NOT MEET EXPECTATIONS!!!

Sadly this was supposed to be a lovely morning in Chicago before we left but this tour (and subsequent customer service conversation) really left left us with a bad taste i our mouths about Chicago Big Bus Tours.

We found the driver to be really curt, downright rude and not very friendly. THEN and this was what really made the tour USELESS was that they played the wrong audio at the wrong times. The audio was played AFTER the site was visited. This didn't happen for all but did ruin the tour for us.

It is NOT a GPS activated system and therefore the driver has to hit a button (we started downstairs as the bus was full. This is also where we observed her rude behaviours).

So life goes on and when I talk to the CSR they say we should have just taken the tour again and so sorry and your feedback will be shared. No acknowledgement of not meeting the expectations for the tour AND what was hilarious was telling us to get off and get on the next bus or take the tour again. We had 3 hours in Chicago that AM and taking the tour again was not an option.

Very unhappy.

EDIT UPDATE:
I have already tried to connect with different levels of BIG BUS and this request to ‘reach out’ shows how disconnected you all are.

August 5, 2022
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Chicago logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Chicago

Colin Plant, we regret to hear that you had this experience with us. We would like the opportunity to find out how we can better assist you in the future. If you are willing, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

The first bus we got on had AC and was…

The first bus we got on had AC and was nice. Then the driver announced we had to get on a different bus. No AC. Not allowed to open a window. I had my elderly mother and she was so hot, and the driver, Evertt, was unbelievably rude. I got off and walked and was more comfortable. Waste of $

July 22, 2022
Unprompted review
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Reply from Big Bus Tours Chicago

William, we regret to hear that you had this experience with us. Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. We would like to get more details about this; please reach out to us at your earliest convenience.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

It was really fun!

We went on a bus ride with our driver, William Fields. He gave more information about where we were going and what to look out for during the ride. We got off at different stops for pictures, too. It was really fun!

September 19, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Complete waste of money

Complete waste of money as the busses were too full to fit. You’re better off taking CTA buses for much less money. Customer service runs on London business hours and is useless. Wasted over $100 for nothing. Buyer beware.

August 14, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We were lucky to have William Fields…

We were lucky to have William Fields are our driver/tour guide. He was absolutely fantastic! He knows such amazing details about Chicago and just about everything in the city. This is the guy you want as your driver and tour guide. Earlier in the day, we rode with another driver who just played the prerecorded tapes, but William shared his knowledge about all things Chicago!

August 8, 2021
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

If I hadn’t taken a screenshot of my…

If I hadn’t taken a screenshot of my tickets, I wouldn’t have our tickets. The rest of our group didn’t and there is noone answering phones ever. The text help is also non responsive. The woman at the bus stop kept insisting they were in our emails though none of us found them. You ruined a 6 year old’s dream. I want a refund.

June 9, 2021
Unprompted review
Big Bus Tours Chicago logo

Reply from Big Bus Tours Chicago

Hi Lynn - we are sorry to see that you were not able to enjoy a tour with us and you could not find immediate help. We would like to help you directly. Could you email the picture you took of your ticket to chicago@bigbustours.com with any other details. We hope to work to a resolution for you and would like to better understand some of the details. Thank you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What a great tour in Chicago

What a great tour in Chicago! Bought a two day ticket. First day to ride the whole route and second to hop on hop off. Learned so much from all the guides. Very interesting stuff! Had a holdup due to the President being in town so our guide was able to give us another day to make up for the inconvenience. Excellent! If you’ve never been in town this is the place you want to start. Thank you!

October 29, 2019
Unprompted review

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