Christkindlmarket to the Magnificent Mile, Chicago: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from the Christkindlmarket to the Magnificent Mile in Chicago: 5 stops, about 3.0 km, about 40 minutes of walking plus about 30 minutes of listening. Start on Daley Plaza, home of the city’s Christkindlmarket and Christmas tree, beside the Daley Center, the first building clad in untreated Cor-Ten steel. Walk up State Street to Marshall Field’s flagship store and its clocks, go down to the Chicago Riverwalk, cross the river to Tribune Tower, born of the 1922 design competition, and finish at the Chicago Water Tower, one of the few buildings that survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The route is Mappu’s own.
- Stops:
- 5
- Distance:
- about 3.0 km
- Walking:
- about 40 min
- Listening:
- about 30 min
Two ways to do this walk
Chicago with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsChristkindlmarket to the Magnificent Mile, Chicago: how long does the walk take?
About 70 minutes in all: about 40 minutes on foot over about 3.0 km, plus about 30 minutes of audio at the 5 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Christkindlmarket to the Magnificent Mile, Chicago: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Daley Plaza, Marshall Field and Company Building, Chicago Riverwalk, Tribune Tower, and Chicago Water Tower. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.1 km, about 14 min on foot.
Christmas markets: walk the city centre
In the Christmas season 2026, markets open in the heart of the city, and this walk passes Daley Plaza. Its audio guides tell the story of the places and the buildings around them, not of the stalls.
Market dates 2026
Daley Plaza
November 20 – December 24
Audio guide nearby: Daley Plaza
Official dates: christkindlmarket.com · checked on October 24, 2026
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
The tower beside the plaza was the first building ever clad in untreated Cor-Ten steel, designed to rust into its reddish-brown patina.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Marshall Field and Company Building · about 0.5 km, about 6 min on foot
Stop 2
On the day of Marshall Field’s funeral in 1906, every store along State Street, big and small, closed in his honor.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Chicago Riverwalk · about 0.7 km, about 9 min on foot
Stop 3
The river beside the path flows the wrong way: in 1900 engineers reversed it to keep the city’s waste out of Lake Michigan.
about 7 min of audio
Next stop: Tribune Tower · about 1.1 km, about 14 min on foot
Stop 4
Set into the lower walls are stones and bricks from famous places such as Bunker Hill, Omaha Beach and Westminster Abbey.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Chicago Water Tower · about 0.8 km, about 11 min on foot
Stop 5
Oscar Wilde called it a castellated monstrosity with pepper-boxes stuck all over it, an insult the city has long since turned into affection.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
Route checked by Mappu on October 25, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.