Hi, my name is Grace and I am addicted to free walking tours. The obsession started back in 2017 whilst I was visiting the beautiful city of Zurich. Poor as fuck and short of affordable things to do, I hopped on a free walking tour and I've been hooked ever since.
But this isn't an addiction I'm looking to beat, oh no, if anything I'm looking to take more tours, and here are 8 reasons why I think you should take a free walking tour next time you visit a new city!
1. First up, the obvious reason, they're free! Free walking tours are a super cheap way to see a new city. Whilst these tours don't technically cost a penny, it's good etiquette to tip your guide once the walk is over. You're under no obligation to tip at the end, however the tours are usually really great quality as the guides rely on tips for their income so it's likely that you will want to leave them a little something once the tour is complete.
2. Sometimes tour guides will offer you discounts on future paid tours simply for showing up to the free tour. This won't always be the case but if you are thinking of paying for a tour it might be worth jumping on a free one first to see if you like the way they are run.
3. Another bonus of taking a walking tour is that often the tour guide will hand out free city maps and other free resources to anyone taking part. Whilst the majority of us will use Google maps to find our way around a new city, if you're in a country where you can't use your internet data, a map could come in pretty handy!
View from the Top of St Mary's Basilica in Krakow
4. If you have just landed in a brand new city, a free walking tour is a fantastic way to see the guts of the city and help you decide what to revisit later for a better look. Whenever I take a walking tour I always see things I didn't know about before, and they help me plan what else I want to do on my trips.
5. Only have a short amount of time to see the city? Free walking tours are the perfect way to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Most walking tours will last between 1-2 hours and cram a hell of a lot into that time which makes them perfect for short breaks!
6. Landing in a brand new city for the first time can sometimes be a little daunting, especially if you're not a naturally gifted navigator. Walking tours always help me to get my bearings in a new place, and I usually feel a lot more confident finding my way around once the tour is over.
View from St Mary's Basilica looking out towards Wawal Castle
7. One of my favourite things about free walking tours is the people you meet when you join them. You're almost guaranteed to make new friends from all over the world when you go on a tour, and there's nothing stopping you from going for a drink (or seven) afterwards.
8. Whilst the tour guides are good at covering everything on their set tours, they are also the best people to ask for recommendations. The best bar, the best restaurant, the best place to pick up a spare SD card for your camera, these guys likely know it all so milk them for all the information they have.
So those were 8 reasons why you should take a free walking tour when visiting a new city!
Have you ever joined a free walking tour before?
Thanks for reading!
x
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