One day in Chicago? Spend it in the Loop and on the river — the greatest-hits route, all walkable.
Morning
Start at Millennium Park when the light is best: Cloud Gate selfies, the Crown Fountain and the Lurie Garden. Cross the street to the Chicago Cultural Center (free) for the Tiffany dome, then coffee on the Riverwalk.
Afternoon
Give the Art Institute of Chicago two happy hours — Seurat, Hopper, the Thorne miniature rooms — then board the architecture river cruise, the 90 minutes that explain the whole skyline.
Evening
Sunset from the Willis Tower Skydeck and The Ledge, then a deep-dish dinner in River North. Full details in our ultimate Chicago guide.
