Chicago Trolley La-La-La Holiday Lights Tours Terrific

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CELEBRATE THE MAGIC OF THE SEASON WITH CHICAGO TROLLEY AND DOUBLE DECKER CO.’S HOLIDAY LIGHTS TOUR 

The Popular Holiday Tour Returns, Highlighting Chicago’s Iconic Destinations Including Lincoln Park ZooLights, Macy’s Holiday Windows and Christkindlmarket

There's nothing like a trolley tour on a brisk Chicago night. Eliminate the hassle and expense of parking and take the scenic route with a Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Co. to Chicago's best seasonal destinations. Bring your camera! Check out our Holiday Lights Tour Adventures and Photo Feature here, then book your own. This is a fun family evening and a great way to entertain visiting family and friends.



Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Co. ushers in the holiday season with the annual Holiday Lights Tour. A Chicago tradition for all ages, the Holiday Lights Tour explores the city’s iconic seasonal landmarks, such as the Macy’s Holiday Windows, Christkindlmarket and Lincoln Park ZooLights for a one-of-a-kind evening taking in the magic of the holidays. Each tour begins at the John Hancock Plaza Tree (875 N. Michigan Avenue), where riders board festively-named trolleys and then travel to Sprinkles Cupcakes to receive a complimentary handcrafted cupcake before heading down the Magnificent Mile to take in the glittering lights and begin the tour. The Holiday Lights Tour runs through December 23 and tickets ($18 - $49) are available now at ChicagoTrolley.com.





“Our Holiday Lights Tour celebrates everything we love best about Chicago and our winter season, complete with stops at destinations that both locals and visitors alike continue to make a part of their holiday traditions,” said Executive Director of Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Co., Walt Chadick. “The holidays can be a busy time for everyone, and our tour allows riders to sit back, enjoy a cupcake and take in Christkindlmarket, Zoolights and the Macy’s Holiday Windows in one evening ride that captures our outstanding seasonal sights.”

Throughout the 2 ½ hour lightly narrated tour, the Holiday Lights Tour begins at the John Hancock Plaza Tree and takes passengers past the Macy’s Holiday Windows, to The Loop’s famous German-inspired Christkindlmarket, which transforms Daley Plaza into a quaint German village with shopping and holiday treats. Next, trolleys will go over the river to the brilliant array of lights and music at Lincoln Park’s ZooLights, followed by a journey down Michigan Avenue for one last glimpse at the lights of the city. At both Christkindlmarket and ZooLights, passengers disembark from the trolley and explore two of Chicago’s classic holiday experiences.

Schedule and Ticketing Information
2017 Holiday Lights Tour schedule is as follows:

The tour departs at 5:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the following dates:

November 24 – 26
December 1 – 3
December 8 - 23

Tickets are on now at ChicagoTrolley.com. Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. offers riders a Holiday Combo ticket which includes the Holiday Lights Tour and the 3-Day Hop on Hop Off Tour Ticket

Holiday Lights Tour
Adult - $29
Child - $18

Holiday Lights Tour + 3-Day Hop On Hop Off Ticket
Adult - $49.00
Child - $25.00

A limited number of tickets may be available on the day of the tour at the Hancock ticket booth (located on the corner of Delaware and Michigan Ave). Advance purchase online is recommended to guarantee seating.

The “Holiday Lights Tour” is also available as a private charter (32-person group maximum Trolley capacity). The Trolley will pick up passengers at any desired location in Chicago or the suburbs, and tour can include customized destinations. To book a Holiday Lights Tour as a private charter, please visit ChicagoTrolley.com or call 773-648-5000.  



About Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company
Founded in 1994, Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. operates its famous "hop on hop off" tour year-round, stopping and starting at 14 different attractions downtown. From May through September, they also offer two neighborhood tours and a night tour as a part of their spring/summer ticket package.

Not only are they the largest tourism transportation company in Chicago, but they also drive for more than five thousand private events for locals each year all over downtown, the suburbs, and throughout Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana. They provide festive and unique transportation for company outings, weddings, convention shuttles, school tours, parades, and parties. Along with trolley and double decker bus rentals, Chicago Trolley is excited to announce that they are now renting 56 passenger coach buses. For more information, please visit ChicagoTrolley.com.  

Follow Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Co. Holiday Lights Tours make great gift ideas. For lots more giveaways, reviews, and gift ideas in Chi, IL and beyond, click here for ChiIL Mama's Holidaze 12 Days of Giveaways Gift Guide.

ChiIL Mama's Adventures on The Chicago Trolley Holiday Lights Tour #OriginalPhotos #Review

Take that Bucket List. I've wanted to do the acclaimed Chicago Trolley Lights Tour for years and we finally did it. In 2013 we were booked to do the press tour and the whole family was down with the stomach flu. This year we were invited again and already booked to cover Frozemont and the opening of Polar Peak. 



Thankfully, they were able to switch us to another date and my husband and I had an awesome tour together on a trolley named "Buddy". 




I've taken my son on several other summer Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Bus tours which we loved and highly recommend. The actor/narrators we've gotten are always a hoot! And it's a great way to see the city without exhausting everyone. The hop on/off tours are an excellent way to get around. And though the Light Trolley requires you to hop back on the same trolley, they do make a couple half hour stops so you get a mini taste of two Chicago holiday favorites. We've been promoting the tours for years.

There's still time to take the visiting relatives on the Holiday Lights Tour. Tours run through January 4th!



Christkindlemart--Old world German flair at a huge, open air market in the heart of Chicago.



The tour is a great length for all ages and abilities, running approximately 2.5 hours. The schtick is hilarious and informative and the trolley makes two quickie stops to let riders check out Christkindlemart in Daley Plaza and Lincoln Park Zoo Lights for a half hour each. At the end, everyone gets a coupon for a free cookie and hot cocoa at The Hersheys Store across from the original Watertower.



Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park Zoo is a colorful abundance of lights, live ice carving, and crafts for the kids.



Pros:
Hilarious & Informative Tour: Our guide was knowledgable and funny. We had a lot of laughs, had a romantic tour of the city lights and a mini, festive taste of the holidays in Chicago without a lot of exhausting walking. Highly recommended.

Cons: 
Ditched at the Zoo: Time waits for no man... and neither do the Chicago Trolley drivers. We were just a few minutes past 9pm (meet up time) and running for the stop when we got ditched at the zoo! In all fairness, the driver did repeatedly say that he'd leave people, so the fault is ours. Thankfully we'd caught the first 2 hours of the tour and only missed the ride back to the car. So we ended up paying a cabbie the $10 we would have left our driver/guide as a tip, to get back to our car downtown. Ah well. 

Too Long To Wait For Treats: We had the cab drop us at Hersheys, but the trolley rider line for free cocoa & cookies was out the door and down the block, so we skipped it. Maybe our driver had the right idea to get outta dodge and get to the front of the cookie line before the pack of trolleys arrived and made the wait times too long. 

Despite the disappointing end, the tour was fun and worth the price. We recommend it as a great way to show off the city to your visiting friends and relatives that's not too touristy for the locals to love.

Click here for all the details.

More of our Favorite Photos:


Sights around town. Here are some of our top spaces and places.

One of the Christmas busses--all decked out for the holidays!

Light up the darkest days of the year in style with these amazing star lanterns.

We tried Puffs of Doom at the recent One of A Kind Show at Merchandise Mart and they are decadently delicious and selling at Christkindlemart!

 We review a LOT of theatre year round, and The Oriental remains our architectural favorite.

The world renowned Goodman Theatre is one of our top picks for great shows, traditional and edgy.

DASH THROUGH CHICAGO’S WINTER WONDERLAND ON CHICAGO TROLLEY’S “HOLIDAY LIGHTS” TOUR THROUGH JANUARY 4, 2015

Holiday Cheer Comes Alive Throughout Chicago as Passengers Enjoy the Magnificent Mile Lights, Macy’s Holiday Windows and More with Stops at the Christkindlmarket and Lincoln Park’s Zoo Lights Chicago Trolley Continues the “Year of Giving” by Donating to the“Stay Warm Illinois” Hat, Glove and Scarf Drive  Here at ChiIL Mama we've taken a number of trolley and double decker tours (though always in warm weather) and we adore Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Bus Co. Many of their tour guides are hilarious, personable and knowledgable professional actors and it's a great way to get around town in style. We hope to catch the Holiday Lights Tour this year. We've never done it, but we've heard great things. They do tend to fill up and sell out, so book your tickets as soon as possible. Chicago Trolley and Double Decker Bus Co. rings in the 2014 holiday season with the magical “Holiday Lights Tour,” highlighting all the dazzling winter sights throughout the city and creating a one-of-a-kind holiday experience for the whole family. Chicago’s winter-wonderland comes to life as festive Holiday Trolleys whisk passengers on an enchanting journey through the glittering lights and holiday sights of the city. Tours run through January 4, Friday – Sunday evenings (6 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sundays). All holiday lights tours will begin and end at the John Hancock Plaza tree (875 N. Michigan Avenue). “The historic buildings, iconic sights and beautiful views make Chicago a stunning visual spectacle year-round that is only further enhanced with twinkling lights and blankets of snow during the Holidays,” said President of Chicago Trolley Co. Jim Schwartz. “The Holiday Lights tour has become a family tradition for patrons old and young and continues to be a city favorite, giving passengers a magical look at the city in all of its magnificent holiday glory!” Festively named Trolley’s including Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, transport passengers through a lightly narrated 2 ½ hour tour showcasing the sparkling lights of The Magnificent Mile, the iconic Macy’s Holiday Windows, historic State Street and Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderfest. In addition, The Holiday Light’s Tour makes stops at two of Chicago’s favorite holiday spectacles—the Christkindlmarket and Lincoln Park’s Zoo Lights.  Located in Daley Plaza the Christkindlmarket offers riders the opportunity to shop a traditional German American holiday market with distinctive crafts, artistic glass ornaments, delicious sweets and holiday food and drinks. At the second stop, passengers can explore the elaborate Lincoln Park Zoo Lights strung throughout the entire zoo. Passengers will also enjoy complimentary hot chocolate and a cookie provided by Hershey’s Chocolate. Tickets are now on sale, $29 for adults and $19 for kids and must be purchased 24 hours in advance at www.chicagotrolley.com.  **New this year, Chicago Trolley offers riders a Holiday Combo ticket which includes the Holiday Lights Tour and the Signature Hop-on Hop-off tour, $66.50 for adults and $35 for kids.** HELP OUT AND SAVE: “Year of Giving” Keep Warm Illinois Continuing the “Year of Giving” campaign, Chicago Trolley joins the State of Illinois in their “Keep Warm Illinois” drive, December 1 – 22, 2014. To support this Chicago endeavor, Trolley patrons are invited to bring new, warm hats, gloves and scarves to the John Hancock Plaza stop (875 N. Michigan Avenue), the Michigan Avenue Bridge stop (Michigan and Wacker) or Block Thirty Seven-Explore Store (108 N. State St) to receive $5 off the regular price of an Explore Chicago ticket ($45 for adults, $16 for kids) to Chicago Trolley’s Signature Hop-On, Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour or 10% off a private Trolley charter. Schedule and Ticketing Information The “Holiday Lights Tour” runs Friday – Sunday, through January 4 (excluding Dec. 24 – 25) with three departure times at 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The tour departs from The John Hancock Plaza tree located at Michigan Avenue and Delaware Streets (875 N. Michigan Avenue). Tours hold 32 passengers each and tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance online at www.chicagotrolley.com. A limited number of tickets may be available on the day of the tour at the Delaware St. Chicago Trolley kiosk. Advance purchase online is recommended to guarantee seating. Tickets are $29 for adults and $19 for children (3-11). The “Holiday Lights Tour” is also available as a private charter (32 person group maximum Trolley capacity). The Trolley will pick up passengers at any desired location in Chicago or the suburbs. You can customize your tour to go anywhere you want. To book a Holiday Lights Tour as a private charter, please visit www.chicagotrolley.com or call 773-648-5000. *The Holiday Lights Tour will not operate Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. On Wednesday December 17 and Thursday, December 18 there will only be one departure time at 6:30 p.m. Chicago Trolley Tours Explore Chicago tickets ($18 - $45) include a valuable guide book packed with more than 20 offers including free samples and over $100 in savings at partner venues including Chicago’s famous Garrett Popcorn, Hershey’s and more. Tours operate daily with vehicles departing the designated stops every 8-12 minutes beginning at 9 a.m. year round. The last boarding call is 5 p.m. daily during the summer months, Memorial Day through Labor Day.  There are no tours Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. For more information, visit www.chicagotrolley.com or call 773-648-5000. About Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Company Founded in 1994, this unique transportation company has entertained and informed millions of locals and visitors on their all-day sightseeing tours and private charters such as corporate charters, college event transportation, pub crawls, weddings and more.  The Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. offers a unique and professional transportation service to entertain clients or guests that seek insider's tips on the best of Chicago, or for interesting travel options to transport business and social groups. The popular tour company has earned two Chicago Visitor's Choice Awards, including honors for Chicago's Best Tours/Transportation and for Best Service.

The Helladays & ChiIL Holidaze 12 Days of Givaways Now Extended Till December 18th

So far, I'm afraid our Holidaze have turned into helladays.   The kids and I have all been fighting off (and getting our booties kicked by) seasonal bugs, so I'm behind on blogging and we had to miss The Special Press Preview of the 2013 Chicago Trolley Holiday Lights Tour among other things   We're still going to do an advanced feature and try to catch a later trolley for a photo feature.   We've heard great things and hoped to start a new family holiday tradition!

Today I spent the day at the pediatrician and hospital with my daughter, getting x-rays on her hand which may or may not be broken--6 days before her state gymnastics meet :(.   We'll find out tomorrow.   Nothing like a little suspense...   

Soooooo, we missed out on the Chicagonista's Very Merry Holiday Show broadcast from Nielsen Massey. #ChicagonistaLIVE.   I couldn't even follow along on line since there was no phone/computer reception in the basement catacombs of the hospital where x-ray central is located.

Yep... it's been that kind of December.   Hopefully you're luckier.   Apologies for the delays on our 12 Days of Giveaways.   I promise we WILL run all 12 and we'll be extending the deadline to enter till the 18th, so there will be plenty of time to spread the word and enter early and often.   We'll still get everything out to the winners before Santa's sleigh makes it's rounds, if you get us your address ASAP once the winners are notified by e-mail & posted here on the 18th.   Thanks for your patience, and good luck everyone! 

Sometimes the family just has to come first!

...is still on and now extended through December 18th!!   Woo hoo.