Virgin Atlantic Airways Flights from London, Great Britain (LHR) to Chicago (ORD)
As part of booking roundtrip flights which depart from US airports,
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on Virgin Atlantic Airways, which operates a daily non-stop flight from London, Great Britain (LHR) to Chicago (ORD) regularly scheduled to depart at 11:15am and arrive at 2:20pm. Usually an Airbus A340-300 is flown for this route. The average travel time from London, Great Britain to Chicago, IL is 9 hours and 5 minutes.
During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Auditorium Building and Theatre
A truly grand theater with historic landmark status, the Auditorium is worth a visit to experience late-19th-century Chicago opulence. Designed and built in 1889 by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, the Auditorium was a wonder of the world: the heaviest (110,000 tons) and most massive modern edifice on earth, the most fireproof building ever constructed, and the tallest building in Chicago. It was also the first large-scale building to be electrically lighted, and its theater was the first in the country to install air-conditioning.The 4,000-seat theater, which today is the scene for Broadway touring musicals, is a marvel of visionary design and engineering. Originally the home of the Chicago Opera Company, Sullivan and Adler's masterpiece is defined by powerful arches lit by thousands of bulbs and features Sullivan's trademark ornamentation -- in this case, elaborate golden stenciling and gold plaster medallions. It's equally renowned for otherworldly acoustics and unobstructed sight lines. In the days when the Auditorium was the leading theater of Chicago, the hydraulically operated stage could be lowered from view, creating a ballroom capable of accommodating 8,000 guests.During World War II, the building sheltered GIs, and its theater stage was turned into a bowling alley. The theater reopened in 1967 following a $3-million renovation made possible through the fundraising efforts of the nonprofit Auditorium Theatre Council. Remnants of the building's halcyon days remain. Don't miss the lobby fronting Michigan Avenue, with its faux ornamental marble columns, molded ceilings, mosaic floors, and Mexican onyx walls. Another inside tip: From the Roosevelt University entrance around the corner on Michigan Avenue, take the elevator to the school's 10th-floor library reading room and have a look at what was once the city's first top-floor dining room. Its palatial, barrel-vaulted ceiling, and marvelous views of Grant Park and the lake will make you want to brush up on your Dewey Decimal System.The best way to see everything is to take a 1-hour guided tour, offered on Mondays between 10am and 4pm (call tel. 312/431-2354 to make reservations). Tours cost $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and students.Allow a half-hour, 1 hour if you take the guided tour.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Despite its name, the world-class Chicago Botanic Garden is located 25 miles north of the city in the suburb of Glencoe. This 385-acre living preserve includes eight large lagoons and a variety of distinct botanical environments -- from the Illinois prairie to an English walled garden to a three-island Japanese garden. Also on the grounds are a large fruit and vegetable garden, an "enabling garden" (which shows how gardening can be adapted for people with disabilities), and a 100-acre old-growth oak woodland. If you're here in the summer, don't miss the extensive rose gardens (just follow the bridal parties who flock here to get their pictures taken). The Botanic Garden also has an exhibit hall, an auditorium, a museum, a library, education greenhouses, an outdoor pavilion, a carillon, a cafe, a designated bike path, and a garden shop. Carillon concerts take place at 7pm Monday evenings from late June through August, with a preliminary hour-long tour.Every summer, the Botanic Garden stages a special outdoor exhibition (one year giant animal-shaped topiaries were placed in unexpected locations throughout the grounds; another year, model railroads wound through miniature versions of American national parks). Check the website or call for event schedules.Allow 3 hours.
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield is the Chicago area's largest zoo. In contrast to the rather efficient Lincoln Park Zoo, Brookfield is spacious, spreading out over 216 acres with thousands of animal residents -- camels, dolphins, giraffes, baboons, wolves, tigers, green sea turtles, Siberian tigers, snow leopards, and more -- living in naturalistic environments that put them side by side with other inhabitants of their regions. These creative indoor and outdoor settings -- filled with activities to keep kids interested -- are what set Brookfield apart. One of the newest exhibits, The Living Coast, explores the western coast of Chile and Peru and includes everything from a tank of plate-size moon jellies to a rocky shore where Humboldt penguins swim and nest as Inca terns and gray gulls fly freely overhead. Other impressive exhibits include The Swamp, which re-creates the bioregions of a southern cypress swamp and an Illinois river scene and discusses what people can do to protect wetlands, and Habitat Africa!, a multiple ecosystem exhibit that encompasses 30 acres -- about the size of the entire Lincoln Park Zoo. The thrills here aren't always high concept: Some of my favorite exhibits are the Australia House, where fruit bats flit around your head, and Tropic World, where you wander at tree-top level with monkeys. The dolphins at the Seven Seas Panorama put on an amazing show that has been a Brookfield Zoo fixture for years. If you go on a weekend, buy tickets to the dolphin show at least a couple of hours before the one you plan to attend because they tend to sell out quickly.The Hamill Family Play Zoo is a wonderful stop for kids, a place where they not only get to pet animals, but also can build habitats, learn how to plant a garden, and even play animal dress-up. The only catch: You will have to pay a separate admission fee ($3 adults, $2 children). Allow 3 hours.
Park Hyatt Chicago
For those in search of chic modern luxury, the Park Hyatt is the coolest hotel in town (as long as money is no object). The building occupies one of the most desirable spots on North Michigan Avenue and the best rooms are those that face east, overlooking the bustle of the Mag Mile and the lake in the distance.Luxury might be the watchword here, but the look is anything but stuffy: The lobby feels like a sleek modern art gallery. German painter Gerhard Richter's Piazza del Duomo Milan masterpiece is the visual centerpiece of the space, providing ample evidence of what visual treats lie in store for guests. Rooms feature Eames and Mies van der Rohe reproduction furniture and window banquettes with stunning city views (the windows actually open). The comfortable beds are well appointed with several plush pillows. While most hotels might provide a TV and VCR, this is the kind of place where you get a DVD player and flatscreen TV. The bathrooms are especially wonderful: Slide back the cherrywood wall for views of the city while you soak in the tub.NoMI, a restaurant nestled on the seventh floor overlooking Water Tower Square and the Museum of Contemporary Art, serves French-inspired cuisine and features an Architectural Digest-worthy interior by New York-based designer Tony Chi; the place has gotten stellar reviews, but be prepared for fairly small portions at expense-account prices.
Hotel Allegro Chicago
Owned by the same company as the Hotel Monaco and the Hotel Burnham, the Allegro is the best choice in the Loop for families in search of a fun vibe. Although its published rates are about the same as those of its sister properties, the Allegro is far larger than the Monaco or the Burnham, and consequently is more likely to offer special rates to fill space (especially on weekends and in the winter). Guests enter a lobby with plush, eclectic, and boldly colorful furnishings: This whimsical first impression segues into the rooms, which vary wildly in size and configuration, so be sure to request the biggest available room when making your reservation. Suites have robes, VCRs, and two-person Jacuzzi tubs.Befitting a place where the concierge wears a stylish leather jacket and the doorman hums along to the tunes playing on speakers out front, the Allegro appeals to younger travelers. There's plenty of opportunity for socializing at Encore, the Jetsons-esque cafe that hosts DJs at night, or at the complimentary evening wine reception in the lobby. The hotel's restaurant, 312 Chicago, attracts nonguests in search of excellent Italian cuisine.
Hotel Inter-Continental Chicago
Newer hotels might be getting all the attention, but the Hotel Inter-Continental remains a sentimental favorite for many Chicagoans. Built as an athletic club in 1929, the building's original lobby features truly grand details: marble columns, hand-stenciled ceilings, and historic tapestries (for a peek, go in the southern entrance, on the corner of Illinois St.). A recent renovation removed some of the building's quirky originality, but it has definitely brought the guest rooms up several notches. Rooms are located in the original club building (the South Tower) and in a 1960s addition (the North Tower). Although all the rooms have new furnishings and fabrics, the North Tower rooms have a more generic, sterile feel; I'd recommend the South Tower for a more distinctive experience -- but be prepared for smaller bathrooms. South Tower rooms don't cost more, but they do vary widely in size; the concierge here suggests making your reservation through the toll-free phone line, then calling the front desk to request the biggest room available during your stay.The hotel's restaurant, Zest, is the only street-level restaurant on Michigan Avenue (try to grab a table by the front windows to enjoy the never-ending street scene), and the Salon is a cozy spot for afternoon tea. The Inter-Continental's main claim to fame is the junior Olympic-size pool on the top floor, a beautiful 1920s gem surrounded by elegant mosaics.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights from London, Great Britain (LHR) on Virgin Atlantic Airways
