• Price is based on occupancy per room (max. 4 people per room).

• All sales are final & non-refundable after 24 hours of purchase. You may transfer your purchase to another person.

• The last day to purchase this trip is Feb. 9th, 2023.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

• Round trip transportation by bus to Chicago, IL., from Des Moines, IA.

• Hotel room reservation in Downtown Chicago.

• Transportation from Chicago Hotel to Navy Pier and back to the hotel at the designated time.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• All meals are not included. Your guide will be able to provide suggestions to accommodate your needs.

• No drinks nor admission to any event, festival, restaurant, bar, or any place requiring admission costs are included. These costs are on you if you would like to part-take any of those events/entertainment venues.

What to expect from Chicago on St. Patrick’s Day

If you visit Chicago during St. Patrick’s Day, you are truly in for a treat, as it is a celebration like no other. With a substantial Irish population and offering one of the biggest city-wide St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, Chicago is the perfect place to celebrate this holiday.

St. Patrick’s Day in the windy city is extremely fun. It is also a very busy city on this day with so much to do, whether you’re looking to party, go sightseeing, or both.

On St. Patrick’s day in Chicago, the city turns green from the Green River Dye to the lights on the skyscrapers. This is probably not the best for a family trip, as there will be drunken leprechauns roaming the streets. Best save that family vacation for another day if you have little ones.

Nonetheless, it’s a giant party as the streets get packed with everyone looking for a good time.

Info Tip: St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Chicago don’t necessarily take place on St. Patrick’s day. Since it’s such a big celebration with so many attendees, it closes down parts of the city. That’s why it’s celebrated the Saturday before March 17th, unless March 17th falls on a Saturday. This coming year will be on Saturday, March 11th, 2023.

Green River

This is the best part of the St. Patrick’s Day Chicago checklist and the most notable.

Starting at 9 AM on St. Patrick’s Day, Chicago pours 40 pounds of dye into the river, which is actually an orange powder, another Irish color. You can line up along the river to watch the dying process. It is fun to watch, although it can get busy along the riverfront, so you will need to get there early!

The river becomes a bright green color (no, it’s not photoshop) it truly is that enhanced.

This area will be Busy, but the river is long, and there is a lot of space for viewers.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

After viewing the green river, it’s time to head over and grab a breakfast sandwich as you make your way to the nearby Millenium Park to watch the parade just in time for it to start around noon, and the parade it’s FREE! If you want VIP seating at the parade, you can pay a fee of around $50.

We recommend getting a spot near the beginning to the middle of the line and avoiding the end of the parade. There will be a lot of people, so be patient.

The parade offers plenty of Irish marching bands, Irish dancers, floats, and bagpipes to watch and enjoy.

Pro Tip: Getting out of there can be a nightmare, as there are typically about a half million people attending the parade. Consider leaving a little before the parade ends to save you from human traffic jams. Chicago will have plenty of cops and helicopters to keep everyone safe.

River Cruise

Whether you want to start your green beer drinking early at the river dye or end the night on the river, a river cruise is a good option.

Your Guide will be able to direct you to several options, including the St. Patrick's Day River Booze Bruise. It will be busy, and reservations days ahead are highly recommended. You can call us if you need some guidance.

Info Tip: Public drinking is frowned upon in the streets of Chicago, but if you want to watch the dyeing of the river with a drink in hand that early in the morning, you do have options. There are various bars and restaurants on the river with great views of the river. Or you could take a boat tour on the St. Patrick’s day cruise to watch the river dyeing with a green beer on hand.

Bar Recommendations

On every corner of the city, you will find several options to enjoy your green beer. As pretty much every bar in town has a St. Patrick’s day event going on, anywhere you go will be a party. 

Anywhere near the vicinity will be packed full, and there may be a wait to get your green beer. Be patient, be kind, and also drink responsibly.

Your Guide will have recommendations for you and options for a bar crawl and some Irish Pubs.

Hotel

Your hotel accommodations are taken care of by us. So no worries on that end.

The hotel selected will be located downtown, within walking distance to the River Dye and St. Patrick’s Day parade, and of course, all the Green Beer bar celebrations. This way, you can make it back to your hotel room within a short walking distance. And don’t forget to look up at all the buildings as you’re walking/stumble back to the hotel, as the entire city lights up green for St. Patrick’s Day.