5 Reasons To Take A Free Walking Tour
Learning a new city can be a lot of work, from figuring out where to stay, where to eat, and what sites to see can be hard enough.
Ask any experienced solo traveller about how to learn a new city, the first thing they will suggest is taking a free walking tour. These tours are currently available in some of the most popular tourist cities in Latin American countries like; Mexico City, Oaxaca City, Antigua, Medellin, and Quito, just to name a few.
On walking tours you will discover hidden gems, visit historical monuments , visit markets for the locals, and you will cover a lot of ground and gain valuable knowledge of a city in just a few hours.
Here are 5 Reason Why You Should take full advantage of a free walking tour while backpacking solo.
Get Advice From Locals
More often than not, tour guides are natives of the city or have lived there long enough to be considered so. They make history come alive with entertaining stories filled with historical facts and a joke every once in a while.. Your local guide is always happy to offer you insider tips on places to visit, things to avoid, and the best local eats.
By the end of the tour, you will definitely be thinking like a local.
Great Way to Learn a New City
When you arrive in a new city, it can be intimidating to figure out the lay of the land. If you are like me, you did some research before arriving, and already have an idea of what you want to see…but where are these places?
Of course you can arrange an increasing number of tours that are available to backpackers, like bicycles, buses, and bar hoping -food tours. Each of these have its own advantages, but a walking tour is simply the best way to learn a new city.
Depending on the city, the walking tour will take you down less traveled by streets and into shops and food stands that most tourist never visit. Overall a walking tour gives you access to the real city experience, and provides a crash course into the history of the city. On walking tours I like to make notes of the bakeries and the shops that we pass, so that on my free time I can return. Retracing the steps of the tour to find my way, and eventually being able to walk about the city alone without the need of a map or directions.
Make New Friends
When traveling alone, making friends takes time. The walking tours are great ways to connect with other travellers, and make new friends to spend time with while visiting the city. The fact that you are joining a group with a common language also creates familiarity, especially when travelling in a foreign country. In most cases, a few of the other travelers will even be from the same hostel you are staying at, which makes it easy to arrange future hangouts with them.
A lot of the friends I have made backpacking have come from meeting them on a walking tour. In fact, once the tour ends you can go on with your day and explore more with some new friends from the group.
No Need To Plan
Besides having to go on the walking tours website to register, and to take five minutes to figure out where the meeting point is, that is all the planning that is involved with a free walking tour. The organizers and the guide take care of everything else, with the who route being planned out in an efficient way, so that you don’t miss main sights and still have time to experience some city secrets that your guide will share with you.
Value
Budget Backpacking does come with a need to be smart about expenses, and with that you are looking for ways to experience new cities on a tight budget. So the most obvious reason you should take a free walking tour is the fact that it is 100% FREE.
Free Walking Tour guides are freelancers who in most cases work for tips and tips alone. They are passionate men and women who cherish the ability to share their home city with visitors. At the end of the tour you will have an opportunity to tip your guide an amount that you feel comfortable with.
Bonus: Learn Public Transportation
Depending on the size of the city you will be taking the walking tour, you may also use public transportation to get you to different places to visit. This is a great opportunity to learn metro systems, bus lines, etc… Your guide will give you instructions on routes and fares, but also you this time to ask your guide questions about how the systems runs and what other areas you can access through the public transportation system.
Free Walking Tours
Here are some companies I used on my trips and enjoyed the walking tours they provided
Real City Tours: Operates in Colombia
Free Walking Tour Ecuador: Operates in Quito Ecuador
Strawberry Walking Tours: Operates in Mexico City
Free Tour Oaxaca: Operates in Oaxaca City, Mexico
