Chicago

Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour

Name: Chicago Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour
Brand: The Barrel Run
SKU: 30616P2
Price: 99.60 USD
Rating: 5.0 (218 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceChicago, USA

3 hours 45 minutes
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Learn about Chicago’s brewpub scene and taste different types of craft beer on this guided brewery tour. Visit unique breweries for craft beer samples plus an additional brewing production facility for an in-depth tour. Discover the science behind the brewing process, complete with step-by-step procedures, and enjoy plenty of beer samples throughout the tour. Round-trip transportation in a Prohibition-era-styled barrel bus is included.

Visit Chicago-area breweries on a guided tour
Enjoy a plethora of beer samples throughout the tour
Get an in-depth tour of a brewing production facility
Transportation by Prohibition-era-styled barrel bus included

What's Included

45-55 ounces of craft beer
Professional guide
Live commentary on board
Transport by climate-controlled barrel bus

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

600 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
Departure Point: Address: 600 North Clark Street Chicago, IL 60654 Our bus will arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to departure. We will park outside of McDonald's, across the street from the Rainforest Cafe.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

There's no better way to travel from brewery to brewery than in a Prohibition-era styled barrel bus! Step on the bus through the speakeasy-style vertical door to start your one of a kind Chicago Brewery Tour.

Each brewery has its own unique qualities. As you stop at some large and small facilities, you can get the sense of what it was like to step in a brewery back before Prohibition. Receive samples of craft beer at each of the breweries and tour one of the production facilities. Enjoy craft beer samples of different flavors along the entire tour. On the production facility tour, learn the step by step procedures of brewing and the science behind the process.

Please bring your government-issued photo ID. Your tour ends at the pickup location.

The Barrel Run (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Minimum age is 21 years
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
Please note this experience has a minimum number of travelers required to operate. If the minimum is not met, you will be offered a tour at another time or a full refund.
Closed Toe Shoes required in order to experience the production facility tour at one brewery.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 36 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Jeffrey_B

The staff Ted and Denise were amazing. Made the experience and at the same time share fun facts and recommending fun and delicious places to eat. I highly recommend and encourage to do the brewery tour with them.

Reviews

5.0

218 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 218 reviews

Breweries tour

Tina_R, Apr 2024

We enjoyed all of it. We got to see different breweries and get a tour of one. Tasted numerous different craft beers and our tour bus guide was awesome!!

Great beer experience

Chris_P, Apr 2024

The history shared by the driver and the different types of beers. Meeting new people from all around the world.

Cheers to Chicago

Gail_K, Apr 2024

Ted was amazing and the tour is well worth the money. The breweries were welcoming and a lot of fun! Definitely recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Gail. We (and Ted) look forward to seeing you again on The Barrel Run!

Beer Adventure!

Jennifer_K, Apr 2024

We had such a great time. The guides were an absolutely amazing team. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Jennifer. We're glad you enjoyed your time on The Barrel Run and look forward to providing another great experience for you again.

The staff Ted and Denise...

Jeffrey_B, Apr 2024

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Jeffrey. Glad you enjoyed the experience along with the stories provided by our staff. We look forward to seeing you again on The Barrel Run.

Awesome experience, great beer and food.

Emily_M, Apr 2024

Ted was an awesome tour guide! He was a great driver, navigating the busy streets of Chicago with ease. He’s very knowledgeable about the barrel bus business and the breweries that you go to.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Emily. Our drivers/tour guides ensure the safety of our guests. We are happy you enjoyed your time with us and hope to see you again.

Great day in the City, good beers and good stories

Neal_S, Apr 2024

The guide/driver/host was awesome! He really made the trip with his factoids and stories that accompanied the drive and stops along the route. Even with some annoying people from Miami on the bus, he still made it a great time. The stops were fun, each one was different than the others. Well worth the time and money would recommend to anyone!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Neal. We strive to make everyone's experience on The Barrel Run an enjoyable and unforgettable one! We hope to see you again.

Super fun!

Judith_R, Mar 2024

Ted the tour guide was great! Met some great people. The barrel bus was a hoot! Would highly recommend

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Judith. We hope to see you again on The Barrel Run to give you another great experience.

Great experience

Jessica_G, Mar 2024

Fun experience and great to meet so many people. Wish there had been a bit more choice in terms of what beers to sample.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you Jessica. Our brewery partners are the ones who choose what samples they give, which allow our customers to always have a variety of samples. We hope to see you again on The Barrel Run.

Good Variety.

Michaun_B, Mar 2024

This was a unique and fun way to dive into Chicago’s brewing personality. The tour made a few stops and allowed a tour of the second brewery where we were able to learn a little about the process of brewing for the companies. We got a great variety of drinks with the second location being more of a “choose your own flight” which meant we got everything from pale ale, to sour, to IPA, to kolsch and more which is a nice change from most tours giving only a couple of styles of beer.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you for your kind review. We try to coordinate our tours so that our guests can enjoy a variety of tastings. Glad you enjoyed the brewery tour too! It's very interesting to not only sample the beer, but to also learn how it's crafted.

We had a great time....

Michael_C, Mar 2024

We had a great time. Highly recommend. The tour was run very efficiently. Our tour group was lively and our driver and guide were very accommodating and helpful.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you Michael. We are glad you had a great time and look forward to hosting you again on The Barrel Run!

Awesome barrel tour!

Jody_R, Mar 2024

We got to visit with people from different states. The tour guide was the best. Had great humor and had a passion for his business and craft beer. I would highly recommend this tour. If it’s not for the beer then go for the adventure and the barrel bus. AWESOME!!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you Jody. It's always a pleasure when we host people from different states / countries - it makes for an exciting adventure! We look forward to seeing you again on The Barrel Run!

Love the bus!

Traci_P, Feb 2024

Met fun and interesting people traveling in a great environment. Loved each tasting, had time to enjoy good food at one venue. Learned new trivia and had great customer service.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you Traci. The Barrel Bus seating was designed so people from different states / countries can interact with each other. We look forward to having you next time on The Barrel Run for some more great tastings, food and trivia!

Awesome!

Amanda_F, Dec 2023

We had a great time on the Craft Brewery Barrel Bus Tour! It was so fun exploring each unique establishment, trying all of the beers, and meeting new people. Our host Ted, was awesome.

Awesome tour

Michelle, Dec 2023

Guide was awesome and informative. Great stops and great beer. Highly recommend! Ride made it that much cooler.

Fun and unique brewery tour!

Danielle_P, Nov 2023

My husband and I bought this tour as a gift for my impossible to buy for father in law. We all loved it and would definitely recommend!

Loved it and would do again!!!

Krystal_M, Oct 2023

This was so much fun!! We went to 3 different breweries and had either flights or samples at each one. 4 hours total including the driving to and from the starting point and to the breweries. Great information about each brewery given by the driver. Would definitely do again after hearing they go to different breweries each time, you just have to ask which ones they are doing the day you want to go.

A little corny but a good time

Isatu_C, Sep 2023

If you're a beer connoisseur and you like singing along to cheesy tracks from the 70's and 80's in a giant wooden barrel bus, this tour is for you. I personally liked the second stop the most by a long shot because it was the only one we got a tour of the factory for and we were able to choose what we wanted to taste and how much using special cards that tracked our pours and spending. It was pretty much the only brewery I would go back to.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Thank you for taking our Brewery Tour and experiencing the Barrel Bus! We appreciate your feedback. We developed the experience on the Barrel Bus to be unique and fun. You are correct that we do provide a production tour at one out of the three locations that you visit. This allows guests to understand the production in detail, and then enjoy tastings at the next locations. Thanks for joining us!

Excelent tour ! We love...

Myreida_G, Sep 2023

Excelent tour ! We love it very much. The 3 breweries were amazing but the Chicago District Brew Yards was spectacular. The driver was very cool we will definitely come back!

Amazing your & guides!

Taylor_R, Aug 2023

Amazing guides, wonderful breweries, and all around a great time! 10/10 recommend and would love to do it again.

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