US · Illinois · 41.88°N 87.63°W

chicago

Riverfront architecture, lake beaches, deep-dish pizza and neighbourhood blues clubs.

Best time
May–October are best for boat trips and lakefront walks, with warm, busy summers. January and February bring severe cold and wind off the lake, and spring warms slowly.
How long
3–4 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong, about 20–23 hours all in. The Blue Line train takes about 45 minutes from O'Hare to the Loop. Chicago is 13 hours behind KL, 14 from November to early March. Malaysians need a US B1/B2 visitor visa, usually with an interview at the embassy in KL; ESTA isn't open to Malaysian passports.
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US · Illinoischicago41.88°N 87.63°Wgowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Riverfront architecture, lake beaches, deep-dish pizza and neighbourhood blues clubs.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingChicagoUS, Illinois
KLchicago
≈ 14,921 km from KL, as the crow flies
A Chicago River tour boat passes in front of Trump Tower

Photo: File:Chicago River ferry.jpg: John Picken derivative work: Georgfotoart · CC BY 2.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

Chicago is where the skyscraper was born, and the river cuts straight through a downtown full of them. Lake Michigan feels like a sea, with beaches in summer, and the neighbourhoods have blues clubs and fierce opinions about pizza.

Makan

  1. Deep-dish pizzaA tall, buttery crust filled with cheese under chunky tomato sauce; one slice is a meal. Sausage is the classic filling, so ask for cheese or spinach.Map ↗
  2. Chicago-style hot dogAn all-beef frank with mustard, pickle, tomato, peppers and onion, and never ketchup. All-beef doesn't mean halal.Map ↗
  3. Popcorn mixCheese and caramel popcorn shaken together in one bag, a Chicago habit.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Architecture river cruiseThe best way to see the skyline, with a guide explaining the buildings as you glide under the bridges.Map ↗
  2. Millennium ParkThe mirrored Cloud Gate sculpture, known to everyone as the Bean, and gardens between downtown and the lake.Map ↗
  3. Art Institute of ChicagoOne of the great US art museums, strong on the Impressionists and home to Hopper's Nighthawks.Map ↗
  4. Lakefront TrailAbout 30 km of path along Lake Michigan, linking beaches and parks. Good on a hire bike.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Halal is easy on Devon Avenue in the north of the city, lined with Pakistani and Indian restaurants and sweet shops, about 40 minutes from downtown.
  • Pick a river architecture cruise rather than a lake cruise if the buildings are what you came for.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.