CHICAGO

Hi

I plan to visit Chicago in July for 5 nights and will be flying from New York. I plan to stay in the Hi hostel. Has anyone ever stayed there? Is 4 days sufficient to see the best places in Chicago? Any recommendations. Thanks

RL

I was in Chicago 6 nights last year but one of the days we rented a car and went to Michigan and the other day we went to Taste of Chicago and Chinatown which I don't recommend. We also went to the Northwestern University campus that day which was nice but a very long trip.

Otherwise 4 nights may be enough and here are some ideas.

1 - Arrive, walking, dining, shopping, art musuem along Magnificent Mile, and Hancock Observatory
2 - Shedd Aquarium and Art Institute - You may be interested in other museums.
3 - Architectural boat cruise is a must. You may then want to walk along the Navy Pier.
4 - If you want to venture out a bit, you can go to Franklyn Lloyd Wright Home and Studio tour, and the Garfield Conservatory.
5 - Maybe see a Broadway play. It is probably cheaper than New York City.

I cannot speak of this hostel and you may want to check it is in a nice area. We liked the Hampton Inn which was a great location.

travelus88 has some great suggestions. I would add the architectural walking tours, in addition to "3 - Architectural boat cruise..."

Also, you might find this National Geographic resource on Chicago useful.

Have fun!