How do free walking tours work? What to know before you book

What is a free walking tour?

A free walking tour is a guided walk in a group, around the historic centre or a particular neighbourhood. It leaves at a set time from a meeting point and usually lasts about two hours; some are a little shorter, and others run to three.

The themes repeat from one city to the next. The most common is the historic centre, with the must-see sights. After that come neighbourhoods with a character of their own, mystery and legend tours (many of them after dark) and a few themed ones: the wars of the twentieth century, literature, a particular period. Nearly all of them stay outside: going into a museum or monument is usually a job for a paid tour with entry.

In the most visited cities you'll usually find free walking tours in English and Spanish; where the local language is a different one, there tend to be far fewer in it. Each tour runs in one language, which you choose when you book.

Who runs them? Local guiding companies and guides who work for themselves. Many list their tours on booking platforms, and the same walk can turn up on several at once. And since every guide brings their own style, the route can vary a little from one to the next.

How much do you pay on a free walking tour? Tipping, without the numbers

There's no price on a free walking tour. You book without paying, do the walk, and at the end everyone leaves the tip they think is fair. That money is how the guide's work gets paid. "Free" means booking costs nothing and you decide the amount; it doesn't mean the guide works for nothing.

So how much? We're not going to give you a figure, because it depends on the city, the country and your own budget. What we can give you is a way to think about it:

• Check the listing. Some platforms and operators publish a guideline. If there is one, it's a good starting point.
• Think per person. Those guidelines are given per person, not per group. If there were four of you, that's four.
• Compare with something similar. What would a couple of hours' guided activity cost in that city? It's a reasonable benchmark.
• Adjust for how it went and what you can afford. Even if there's a guideline, the amount is up to you; the guide's job is to make it worth your while.
• Bring cash in the local currency. Some guides only take cash, and there isn't always a cashpoint handy where the walk ends.

If you have to leave before the end, let the guide know quietly and leave a tip for the part you've done. And if something didn't work for you, tell them kindly: that helps too.

Booking: why bother if it's free?

Almost every free walking tour asks you to book in advance, and booking is free. There are good reasons for it:

• The guide knows how many of you there'll be and can plan.
• Some tours need a minimum number of people. If they don't reach it, the tour may be cancelled, and if you've booked you're more likely to hear about it.
• You've got the exact meeting point to hand, plus your booking details in case anything changes.
• There are limits for groups. Many listings cap the number of people per booking. If you're a large group, you'll usually be asked to book a private tour or pay a price per person. Better to know that beforehand than in the square.

Before you book, read the whole listing: whether the walk is tips-based or fixed-price (some walks with similar names are one and some are the other), the meeting point, the time, how long it lasts, the language, whether it goes inside anywhere, and whether the route has hills or steps.

Being on time and finding the meeting point

Free walking tours leave on time. The meeting point is usually a central square or a well-known monument, and the guide makes themselves easy to spot with an umbrella or something in a bright colour. Get there a few minutes early: it gives you time to find them, say hello and check you're in the group for the language you booked.

Turn up late and things get tricky. A group that's already set off through an old town full of narrow lanes isn't easy to catch, and the guide can't keep everyone waiting for one person.

How to cancel politely

It happens: plans change, it's pouring, the museum you wanted to see has a slot at exactly that time. If you're not going, cancel your booking as soon as you know. It's free and takes a minute.

• Cancel even if it's last minute. Late notice is better than none.
• If your numbers change, update the booking. If five of you booked and three are coming, let the guide know.
• If you turn up and decide not to stay, because of the language or because it isn't what you expected, tell the guide before you go. It's a small courtesy, and it's appreciated.

For the guide, a booking that doesn't show up is a gap they weren't expecting. With a bit of notice they can plan around it, and if places are limited, someone else can have yours.

A few tips (the other kind)

• Comfortable shoes and water. It's a couple of hours on foot, often with stops in the sun. A hat or an umbrella, depending on the sky.
• Stay close to the guide. You'll hear better and find it easier to ask questions. In some cities, guides use receivers with earpieces so they don't have to raise their voice.
• Ask questions. It's the big advantage of having someone right there. Make the most of it.
• If you use a wheelchair or have a pushchair, check first. Not every listing makes it clear, and some routes have hills and steps.
• With children, give it a moment's thought. Two hours on your feet following a group is a lot for some kids and an adventure for others.
• Mystery and legend tours are among the most popular, and it's easy to see why: they're good stories. If you're curious about how much of each one is true, ask the guide. Sorting fact from legend is part of the fun.
• At the end, the tip. And if you enjoyed it, a review that mentions the guide helps them too.

A job, not a favour

A free walking tour can look effortless, but it isn't. Behind it there's a route that's been planned, hours of research, and someone telling it with energy for two hours straight, with whatever group turns up and whatever the weather's doing. Many guides work for themselves. Treating them like any other professional, by being on time, letting them know if you can't make it and giving a considered tip, is the best way to keep the format working.

Can't make the times? Podtour's free route

Sometimes there's no tour at a time that suits you, there's no space left in your language, or you'd simply rather go at your own pace. That's what this is for: every Podtour city has one complete route for free. It's a free walking tour in audio, with no group, no set time and no tip.

• 10–12 stops of about three minutes: just over half an hour of audio on a short walk of around a kilometre.
• Our own stories, properly researched, which keep what's documented apart from what's legend.
• It works offline once the route's downloaded.
• In English and Spanish.

It's no substitute for a guide: you can't ask it questions, and nobody's walking with you. But you can listen first thing in the morning, at midday or at sunset, and stop wherever you like. And there's nothing to stop you doing both: the free walking tour one day, the audio route another.

If you're torn between the two, we compare them properly here: Free walking tour or self-guided audio tour: which suits your trip?

Free routes by city:

• Free self-guided walking tour of Rome
• Free self-guided walking tour of Edinburgh
• Free self-guided walking tour of Lisbon
• Free self-guided walking tour of Prague
• Free self-guided walking tour of Paris

And here are all our cities.