A guided tour is a great way to get to know an unfamiliar city. And if an exciting tour doesn’t cost a penny, it’s doubly nice. Free excursions appeared in European cities more than ten years ago and are becoming increasingly popular. Walking tours are led by guides and citizens who love and know their city. The language of excursions is English; you can sign up by e-mail on the company’s website. The guide will tell you the history of the city, answer questions and show you interesting places that the townspeople prefer. If you liked the excursion, you can leave a tip to the guide. We will tell you which European cities are worth a free tour:
1. London, UK
Free London walking tours are known for their fascinating historical excursions, during which they talk about the sights and secrets of the British royal family and life in the Middle Ages during the terrible plague epidemics. You will learn how Soho and the “Merry Quarters” were born, when London was the dirtiest, vicious and dangerous city in England.
Strawberry tours offer a variety of tours depending on the season. They will tell you the 2000-year history of the city, discover the secrets of Victorian London, you will visit the Whitechapel quarter, where Jack the Ripper operated, see the best street art of the city and discover the London of Harry Potter.
Tours last 2.5 hours, online registration is required. We recommend booking several weeks in advance as the tours are popular and the number of participants is limited.
2. Berlin, Germany
Original Berlin runs two free tours: “The History of Berlin,” which will tell you about the wars, triumphs and tragedies that the city has experienced, and at the very end – funny urban legends. The Alternative Berlin tour takes you through interesting bars, streets with street art, squats, theaters and flea markets. This tour covers several areas of Berlin, between which you will travel by bus and metro, so the organizers ask you to buy a day pass.
Next City Tours offers tours of Cold War Berlin. You will learn how the change of ideology and denazification took place in Germany, about everyday life under the Iron Curtain, about the construction and destruction of the Berlin Wall.
Tours last 2-3 hours, start at 11.00 and 13.00, schedule may vary depending on the season. It is necessary to register on the website.
3. Amsterdam, Holland
FreeDam Tours runs historical tours three times a day: at 11.00, 13.00 and 14.00 throughout Amsterdam, they last 2.5-3 hours. They will tell you how a fishing village at the mouth of the river over 8 centuries turned into a huge port and became one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe. The meeting point is the entrance to the ancient Oudekerk church. You need to register on the website, but often guides allow you to join the group at the last moment.
The New Amsterdam Tours offers five tours per day: at 10.00, 10.30, 11.15, 13.30 and 14.15. There is no need to sign up online, just arrive 15 minutes before the start at Dame Square, where a guide in a red T-shirt will be waiting for you. During the tour you will be told about the history of the city and its iconic places – the Royal Palace, the Old Church, the New Market, the Anne Frank House. You will visit the Red Light District, the Jewish Quarter and learn incredible urban legends and jokes.
4. Madrid, Spain
Free Walking Tours Madrid runs a 2.5 hour tour every day at 11.00, during which they will tell you how Madrid transformed from a Moorish village into a brilliant capital, and survived the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition and civil war. You will visit palaces and monasteries, theaters and cathedrals and find out where the oldest restaurant in the world is located, where the young Goya once washed dishes.
On Sundays, Madrid Travel offers a Rastro Madrid (flea market) tour through the old La Latina quarter with interesting bars, galleries and the largest flea market in Europe. The first half of the tour goes through the historical places of the quarter, the second – excursions to the Rastro flea market, where you can find old clothes, antiques, jewelry and rare dolls from the 19th century.
5. Rome, Italy
Rome Ultimate Free Walking Tour is an intense tour, lasts 3 hours, starts at 11.00 and 16.00 every day. During this time, you will learn the history of Ancient and Christian Rome, learn to decipher the hidden symbolism of city statues and temples, and you will also be shown excellent restaurants in the city center where locals go. The tour starts at Porta del Popolo and ends at the Vatican. Registration on the website or by phone is required.
Rome Free Tour runs tours at 10am of the Vatican and the Colosseum at 4pm Monday through Saturday. The tour lasts 1.5 – 2 hours, you can sign up on their Facebook page.
6. Paris, France
WeGo Walking takes rich and fun 3.5-hour tours around Paris, during which they manage to talk about how in 2000 the settlement of Lutetia became the magnificent capital of France, about medieval Paris – the city of kings, pilgrims and knights, about the French Revolution, about the reconstruction of the city in the 19th century by Baron Haussmann, who created the modern image of the city. This is a very popular tour, so we recommend making reservations 2-3 weeks in advance or earlier.
Discover Walks offers a 1.5 hour tour of Montmartre three times a day: at 11.30, 14.00 and 17.00. They will tell you about the heyday of Montmartre at the beginning of the 20th century, when Renoir, Picasso and Degas lived and worked here, about the emergence of the cabaret and the construction of the Sacré Coeur church. Registration is required.
