Chicago Lakefront Bike Tour: Guided Rides, the Trail on Your Own and What to Know

The lakefront is the ride Chicago is known for, and you can take it with a guide or alone. This page covers both, plus what the Park District is repairing now. All the guided options sit in Bike Tours.

The guided ride: Lakefront Neighborhoods

Bobby’s Bike Hike runs this tour from its headquarters at 540 N. Lake Shore Drive, and it returns there¹. Allow three hours; the route covers 7 miles and is rated “Ridiculously Easy”¹. Adults pay from $49.99². Weekdays it leaves at 1:30 pm; weekends at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm². An electric bike upgrade costs $29.99¹.

The route rolls past the Magnificent Mile into the Gold Coast¹. The ride passes the spire of St. Michael’s church, one of very few buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire¹. The ride also passes the free Lincoln Park Zoo¹. At North Avenue and Oak Street beaches, up to 300,000 people can crowd the sand on a warm July Saturday¹.

The tour is built for families and riders of all ages, with kids’ seats and tag-along bikes¹. It runs rain or shine, and ponchos are provided when rain is forecast¹.

Other guided lakefront rides

Ride	Length	From
Lakefront Neighborhoods (Bobby’s)	3 hours, 7 miles1	$49.992
Ultimate City tour (Bobby’s)	3 hours, 9 miles6	$49.992
E-bike skyline tour (3rd Coast Cycles)	Just under 1 hour9	$29.959

The Ultimate City tour opens with a lakefront ride past Navy Pier, over the Chicago River and Riverwalk⁶. The 3rd Coast e-bike tour runs Monday to Friday at 9 am, noon or 3 pm and travels at up to 21 mph⁹. Compare them in Chicago bike tours compared.

Riding the trail on your own

The Lakefront Trail runs 18 miles from Ardmore Avenue on the north to 71st Street on the south^3,7. It passes through Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park and Jackson Park¹⁰. A Trail Separation Project in 2017 and 2018 set bike and foot traffic in separate lanes¹⁰. The city designated the path an official bike path in 1963⁷.

It is open every day of the year, around the clock⁴. On a sunny summer day up to 70,000 people use it⁴.

Where to get on. The Ohio Street underpass is closest to Navy Pier, Monroe Street suits Millennium Park and Buckingham Fountain, and Museum Campus reaches the Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Field Museum⁴.

How far. Bike and Roll’s ride cards list the northern ride at 4 miles in 2 hours, the southern ride at 10 miles in 4 hours and the Museum Campus loop at 2 miles in 1–2 hours⁵. From its shops at Navy Pier and Millennium Park, you ride south to Buckingham Fountain and Museum Campus, or north to Oak Street Beach, North Avenue Beach and Lincoln Park⁵.

Etiquette. Ride on the right and pass on the left. Call out “On your left” or ring a bell⁴. Need a bike? See bike rental on the Lakefront Trail, or use Divvy: a single ride costs $1 plus $0.20 a minute, and a day pass costs $19.90⁸. More on prices in Divvy pricing. For the route itself, read the Lakefront Trail guide.

Repairs along the trail

On September 14, 2026 the Chicago Park District announced repairs along the whole trail³. Work begins at 6300 south and moves north one section at a time, to Foster Avenue beach³. The repairs are asphalt patching and seal-coating³. The repairs run over several months³.

E-bike rules ahead

A new state law effective January 1, 2027 sets statewide rules for e-bikes, e-scooters and higher-powered electric devices¹¹. The Park District is gathering feedback on additional rules for its bicycle paths and trails¹¹.

One day a year: Bike the Drive

Riders choose as little or as much of the 30-mile course as they like¹². Only bicycles and Type 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed, with a 20 mph speed limit¹². The next ride is Sunday, September 5, 2027¹². Details are in Bike the Drive.

What the old station offered

The 2004–2014 Millennium Park bike station ran an Amazing Lakefront Bike Tour: 8 miles in 3 hours, leaving daily at 10:00 am from the station¹³. It listed the Chicago lakefront, Navy Pier, North Avenue Beach, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Conservatory among its sights¹³. Adults paid $39, seniors and students $35, and children under 12 $25¹³.