PerkJolt destination guide
Toddler-friendly: Chicago (ages 1–5)
Chicago with a 1–5 year old: nap-shaped days, free play spaces, zoo, museums, CTA with a stroller, and a points plan for a suite or kitchenette.

Why this guide
12 chapters, day by day
A 12-chapter plan with a day-by-day route, where to stay, what to skip and a half-day cut for each day.
Costs traced to official pages
32 prices, fees and rules carry the date we checked them and the official page to re-check.
A points playbook for this trip
Which points programs and hotel brands fit this trip and the order to book them. No card offer quotes.
A sample day from the guide
- Step 1 Arrival days go wrong when you try to fit in a sight. The plan…
- 11:00 Land and transfer. Blue Line from O'Hare to the Loop (see chapter 3), or…
- 13:00 Check in or bag drop. Ask for a fridge and a quiet floor; if…
- 14:00 Millennium Park, Crown Fountain. The park lists free admission and daily hours of 6…
- 15:30 Maggie Daley Park play garden. The Chicago Park District page lists the play garden…
- 17:00 Early dinner at a hotel-adjacent family restaurant (category: casual, with high chairs; check the…
Free lite guide
Free lite guide: the at-a-glance plan, when to go and where to stay.
- Lite guide
Full guide adds
- Start here
- 1. Day-by-day plan
- 2. Where to stay by area
- 3. Getting in from the airport and getting around
- 4. Eating well cheaply + safety basics
- 5. Day trips with costs
- 6. Money, connectivity, etiquette, tipping
- 7. Booking order + points playbook
- 8. Insider's checklist and cost sheet
- 9. Printable
- 10. Update notes
- SOURCES
What’s inside
Read the full guide online in your PerkJolt account.
12 chapters · About 21 pages (estimated) · Maps: count pending · Photos: count pending
Table of contents
- Start here
- Day-by-day plan
- Where to stay by area
- Getting in from the airport and getting around
- Eating well cheaply + safety basics
- Day trips with costs
- Money, connectivity, etiquette, tipping
- Booking order + points playbook
- Insider's checklist and cost sheet
- Printable
- Update notes
- Sources
Sample
Try the complete first chapter before you buy. No email or account required.
Sample spread images are not yet available for this guide.
Questions before you buy
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The first chapter is free to read without an email address or account. The remaining chapters require purchase.
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Questions
What is included?
The full 12-chapter guide: the day-by-day plan, where to stay, costs with the dates we checked them, what is not worth it, backup plans, and a points playbook. You read it online in your PerkJolt library.
Who is it for?
Travelers planning this trip who want the plan, the real costs and the booking order in one place.
Does it cover points and miles?
Yes. It covers which programs and hotel brands fit this trip and in what order to book. It does not quote card offers.
How current is it?
Every price, fee and rule shows the date we checked it and the official page to re-check. Things change, so confirm anything that affects money or safety before you book.
Can I get every guide instead?
Yes. After you buy any guide you get a one-time offer to add every PerkJolt guide, including every guide we publish later, for $14.99.
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