9 days in Chicago & Helena Itinerary

A huge and vibrant city, Chicago is home to top-notch theaters, shops, museums, galleries, and restaurants.

Get in touch with nature at Atwater Park & Beach and Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. Popular historic sites such as Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House and Ernest Hemingway Birthplace are in your itinerary. You'll find plenty of places to visit near Chicago: Kneeland-Walker House (in Wauwatosa) and A Better Me (in Menomonee Falls). There's much more to do: take a stroll through The Magnificent Mile, engage your brain at Museum of Science and Industry, take in panoramic vistas at Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower, and walk around Millennium Park.

To see where to stay, ratings, other places to visit, and more tourist information, refer to the Chicago trip builder website.

Use the Route module to find suitable travel options from your home destination to Chicago. In August in Chicago, expect temperatures between 83°F during the day and 67°F at night. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 15th (Sat) early enough to travel to Helena.

Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. Deepen your sense of the past at sights like Cathedral of St. Helena and Original Governor's Mansion. Get in touch with nature at Gates of the Mountains and Mount Helena. There's much more to do: cast your line with Montana Fishing Outfitters, find something for the whole family at Great Northern Carousel, and admire the majestic nature at Black Sandy State Park.

For reviews, traveler tips, maps, and tourist information, read our Helena trip website.

Getting from Chicago to Helena by flight takes about 7 hours. Other options: drive; or do a combination of train and bus. The time zone difference moving from Central Standard Time to Mountain Standard Time is minus 1 hour. Traveling from Chicago in August, you can expect nighttime temperatures to be a bit cooler in Helena, with lows of 54°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 18th (Tue) to allow enough time to travel back home.