22 days in Midwest Itinerary

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

Chicago is known for sightseeing, museums, and nightlife. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: admire the masterpieces at The Art Institute of Chicago, get a new perspective on things with Boat Tours & Water Sports, walk around Millennium Park, and admire the striking features of Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower.

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London, UK to Chicago is an approximately 12-hour flight. The time zone difference moving from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Central Standard Time (CST) is minus 6 hours. Traveling from London in June, expect Chicago to be somewhat warmer, temps between 32°C and 20°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 9th (Fri) to allow enough time to fly to Badlands National Park.

Although Badlands National Park's name might not be the most inviting, its landscape of pinnacles, eroded buttes, spires, and an expansive, pristine mixed-grass prairie remain enticing.

Step out of Badlands National Park with an excursion to Hurley Butte Horseback Riding in Interior--about 40 minutes away. Spend the 11th (Sun) exploring nature at Badlands National Park. There's lots more to do: admire all the interesting features of Loop Road, explore the wealth of natural beauty at Bigfoot Pass Overlook, explore the striking landscape at Badlands Wall, and take some stellar pictures from Yellow Mounds Overlook.

For other places to visit, traveler tips, reviews, and other tourist information, refer to the Badlands National Park road trip planner.

Getting from Chicago to Badlands National Park by flight takes about 4 hours. Other options: drive; or do a combination of bus and taxi. You'll gain 1 hour traveling from Chicago to Badlands National Park due to the time zone difference. Traveling from Chicago in June, expect a bit cooler with lows of 14°C in Badlands National Park. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 12th (Mon) early enough to drive to Custer.

Generally considered to be the oldest town established by European Americans in the Black Hills, Custer began as a mining town.

Take a break from Custer with a short trip to Presidential Trail in Keystone, about 30 minutes away. The adventure continues: stroll through Mount Rushmore National Memorial, go for a walk through Breezy Point Picnic Area, appreciate the history behind Crazy Horse Memorial, and take in the exciting artwork at Insideout.

For other places to visit, maps, photos, and other tourist information, refer to the Custer trip itinerary planner.

Getting from Badlands National Park to Custer by car takes about 2 hours. Other options: do a combination of taxi and bus. Traveling from Badlands National Park in June, things will get slightly colder in Custer: highs are around 26°C and lows about 10°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 15th (Thu) to allow time to fly to Kansas City.

The largest municipality in Missouri, Kansas City has an impressive array of world-class museums, shopping areas, and great places to eat, all of which attract tourism to the area.

Start off your visit on the 16th (Fri): learn about all things military at National WWI Museum and Memorial, explore the world behind art at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and then take in nature's colorful creations at The Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: take an in-depth tour of Arabia Steamboat Museum, see the interesting displays at Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, then contemplate the long history of Bingham Waggoner Mansion & Estate, and finally test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms.

For traveler tips, reviews, maps, and tourist information, read our Kansas City trip itinerary planner.

Getting from Custer to Kansas City by flight takes about 5.5 hours. Other options: drive; or do a combination of taxi and bus. You'll lose 1 hour traveling from Custer to Kansas City due to the time zone difference. While traveling from Custer, expect somewhat warmer days and much hotter nights in Kansas City, ranging from highs of 36°C to lows of 24°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 17th (Sat) so you can drive to Branson.

Nestled in Missouri's beautiful Ozark Mountains lies one of the country's most attractive vacation towns for year-round family entertainment.

Plan for a day of cool, family-friendly fun on the 18th (Sun) at Silver Dollar City. There's still lots to do: explore the activities along Table Rock Lake, whizz through the canopy at some of the top local zipline courses and adventure parks, take some stellar pictures from College of the Ozarks, and take in the architecture and atmosphere at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.

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Getting from Kansas City to Branson by car takes about 4 hours. Other options: take a bus; or fly. In June, plan for daily highs up to 34°C, and evening lows to 21°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 20th (Tue) to allow enough time to drive to Saint Louis.

Test the local claim that Saint Louis is second only to Washington, D.C. in the number of free activities available by spending your holiday exploring the city's central neighborhoods, famous for their restored century-old red-brick buildings.

Start off your visit on the 21st (Wed): examine the collection at City Museum, pause for some photo ops at The Gateway Arch, and then admire the natural beauty at Missouri Botanical Garden. Get ready for a full day of sightseeing on the next day: learn about wildlife with up-close encounters at Saint Louis Zoo, stroll around Forest Park, and then pause for some serene contemplation at Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis.

To see ratings, more things to do, other places to visit, and tourist information, refer to the Saint Louis itinerary site.

Getting from Branson to Saint Louis by car takes about 4.5 hours. Other options: fly; or do a combination of car and flight. June in Saint Louis sees daily highs of 36°C and lows of 22°C at night. Finish your sightseeing early on the 22nd (Thu) so you can fly to Columbus.

More than just one of the nation's top business centers, Columbus is a mixture of many different parts of America, situated at the spot where the so-called "Bible Belt" meets the varied cultures of the Great Plains and Appalachia.

You'll find plenty of places to visit near Columbus: Zipline (in Rockbridge), Hawthorn Hill (in Oakwood (Montgomery County)) and Rockhouse (in Logan). The adventure continues: sample some tasty brews at Pedal Wagon Columbus, test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms, walk around Carriage Hill MetroPark, and examine the collection at Wagner-Hagans Auto Museum.

Plan my Columbus trip by asking Inspirock to come up with tips and suggestions.

Traveling by flight from Saint Louis to Columbus takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. The time zone difference when traveling from Saint Louis to Columbus is 1 hour. In June, daytime highs in Columbus are 33°C, while nighttime lows are 20°C. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 26th (Mon) to allow time to fly back home.