There are many ways of exploring a new city during your travels. One of them is joining a free walking tour. Such tours allow you to visit historic landmarks, discover some hidden gems, and listen to authentic local tales. You’ll get to discover a lot more things with a free walking tour. It would also help you enhance your knowledge about a particular city within a couple of hours.
There are many such tours available across different parts of the world. You can choose one of these tours to explore every walkable destination you visit. Here are some of the reasons why you must join a free walking tour:
1. Tour the city better
You can get around in a city with the help of public and private modes of transport. Often, there are many options in them, such as buses, taxis, rickshaws, and bicycles. While each of these modes has its own benefits, a walking tour can be more effective. There are several reasons for it. One of them is that you can tour the city better.
You no longer have to compete with people for a window seat in a bus or a train. There’s no need to park your bike somewhere to walk through an underground bunker. You can venture out into the narrow alleys where the rickshaws cannot enter. Besides, your body will get a good amount of exercise as you take a walk around the city.
2. Meet new people
When you join a free walking tour, you’ll never be alone. There’s no better opportunity than this to meet some fellow travellers. For many tourists, travelling alone is a wonderful way to enjoy more freedom and adventure. It can also get quite lonely sometimes, no matter how good it feels at the beginning.
Walking tours help you to get rid of this feeling of being lonely. It connects you with fellow travellers. Now, it is entirely up to you to develop new friendships and initiate some meaningful conversations. If they speak the same language as you, this would be much easier.
3. No need for planning
You just need to make sure that your smartphone is fully charged and you’ve applied your sunscreen. It’s not necessary to plan your trip at all. You have to show up at the meeting point and join the group. Everything else would be taken care of by the local guide.
The entire route is usually planned out for the group in a highly efficient manner. You’ll rarely miss the major sights. Moreover, you’ll have more time to learn more about the things that only the locals know. Some walking tours also involve taking breaks in between to rest, use the restroom, or enjoy some local food.
The tour guides are usually natives of the city. They are individuals who have spent a considerable amount of time exploring every nook and corner. So, they’d be in a better position to guide you with regards to getting around in the city. They’ll also have lots of interesting stories to tell during the tour.
4. Value for money
Free walking tours are the best for those who are on a tight budget. You can enjoy the tour without having to pay anything. At the end of the tour, you may feel like paying the tour guide something. This is because such tours give you a lot more without expecting anything in return.