Why pay for a formal walking tour of a city, when knowledgeable guides are offering their services through companies that advertise "free" walking tours. These tours are led by local guides who have prepared specific routes and hope that the tours will be interesting enough tourists will tip generously. Several companies offer these tours in the major U.S destinations and in European cities. Most tours last from one- to two-hours, so fit comfortably into a day of sightseeing.
Most of the companies that offer free walking tours do not require a reservation for any of the tours. Simply show up at the starting point, which should be clearly listed on the Web site. Most tour guides show up whether it's sunny or raining. But if you're going during an off-season, check on the website to confirm tours are still being scheduled.
Taking a Walking Tour in Paris
During my travels I've paid for tours of niche neighborhoods in cities, but on a recent trip to Paris my daughter and I took one of the free tours with Discover Walks. We arrived at the entrance to one of the metro stops in the Montmartre section of Paris, where many artists including Van Gogh, Renoir and Monet lived and worked at one time. The group of more than a dozen who gathered included tourists from England, Belgium, the U.S. and Australia.
During the 1 1/2 hour walk we were treated to an interesting history of this now chic Parisian neighborhood. The guide's route led us along a mix of streets lined with shops and restaurants filled with locals, to quiet narrow lanes lined with apartment buildings where famous people once lived. We didn't reach the tourist-packed area around the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur until the very end. Moving past the crowds, she took us to a quiet park, where only parents with young kids and a guitar-playing man were framed by a special view of the church. After tipping the guide and leaving the group, we chatted with another couple who had taken the Latin Quarter walking tour the day before. We all agreed that this approach beats the more formal tours that cost a lot of money.
Payment for Free Walking Tours
The word "free" is accurate, but do expect to tip the guide. The amount of tip should relate to how much you enjoyed the tour. Did the guide take you on a route where you had to fight for space with other groups of tourists listening to their guides? Or, were you taken down streets filled with locals and told tidbits of history that you can't find in most guidebooks? Can the guide answer reasonable questions about the neighborhood you are visiting? If it's a tour for people who speak English, is the guide's speech easy to understand?Where to Find Free Walking Tours
Scouting the web, it's surprising how many free walking tours exist. Here's where you can find some in cities in the United States and in Europe.- Discover Walks Discover Walks runs free walks through some of the most interesting parts of Paris, including Montmartre, the Latin Quarter and the Marais district. The spring of 2011, the company also started offering free walking tours in San Francisco. Visit Discover Walks.
- Free Tours By Foot Free Tours by Foot offers guided tours in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington DC and New Orleans. In New York, the company also offers free food and pub tours through neighborhoods including Chinatown and Greenwich Village. (You bring the money for your snacks.) The New York City All-in-One tour hitting city highlights (reservations required) blends walking and subway rides) Visit Free Tours by Foot.
- Free London Tours This company offers free walking tours of London, Amsterdam, Berlin and some other European cities daily. Visit New London Tours.
- San Francisco City Guides San Francisco City Guides offers more than two-dozen tours that cover such diverse topics as "1906 and the Earthquake" and "Bawdy and Naughty" to "Billionaire's Row Outer Broadway Architecture." Tourist standards, such as Chinatown and the Japanese Tea Garden are also offered. Visit San Francisco City Guides.
More Tips for Planning Adventures and Adventure Trips
Tips to find and choose a private guide.Pros and cons of buying a trip package or planning your own vacations.
If you decide to buy a package trip, here a tips for choosing the best adventure travel company for you.
