Best free city tours

Whenever we go on a city break or visit a city on holiday, the first thing we do is a “free” walking tour.  If you've never done one of these, they are technically free, but operate on a tip-based basis, with the idea that you pay what you think the tour is worth. Our attitude has been that we also consider what we could afford at the time - as broke students, we would usually put in about £5, but now we have a better income, we give more. Either way, they end up being an affordable way to get your bearings and learn some history about a new city, as well as getting some insider tips on places to eat and drink (the main draw for us!).

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We've been on a lot of these over the years, and they do vary considerably depending on the guide, but we've found Guruwalks to be a reliable way of getting a quality tour. Here’s our top rated ones and why - you might be surprised by number 1...

8. Bucharest, Romania

Everyone goes for the spa (Therme), but the city itself and surrounding area has lots to offer too. The free walking tour here was an excellent intro to the city, with insider recommendations eg. how to book the government building tour (which was stunning, and we knew nothing about it before our guide had mentioned), and where to find the best food. Bucharest is a real hidden gem.

7. Copenhagen, Denmark

In a city where everything is expensive, a free tour is a bonus here - especially for some insight into affordable but good places to eat. We did a free walking tour which covered the centrally walkable area. We then hired bikes another day - a bit chaotic but the only way to truly experience this city, giving you the means to go to neighbourhoods a bit further out like the infamous Christiana community.

6. Bratislava, Slovakia

A great introduction to this very walkable city, including a hike up to the castle and surrounding area. Excellent food recommendations were given, including local haunts that we would never have found otherwise. Worth a visit for the picturesque old town, and can be easily tied into a visit to Vienna, as it's a short train ride away.

5. Venice, Italy

I’ve done free tours in Venice twice - the first was better, but maybe it was too hot and busy the second time (do not recommend Venice in July!). You can certainly enjoy losing yourself in the small streets of this unique place, but a guide can uncover hidden bits of history that you might otherwise miss. Venice is also infamous for scams and rip off restaurants in the main areas - our guide gave us some "off-the beaten track" recommendations and ways to enjoy food and drink here for less. Read reviews and go with a top rated guide.

4. Barcelona, Spain

So we actually didn't do a walking tour here, but a free cycling tour organised by the hostel (free if you hired bikes for the day). There wasn't a huge amount of historical detail because it’s run by hostel workers, who tend to be travelling themselves, but a good starting point to orientate yourself, and bikes are a great way to get around this beautiful city, as it's a bit too sprawling to cover entirely on foot.

3. Vienna, Austria

In Austria, all tour guides have to be strictly state-approved and licensed, even for free walking tours, so the quality is pretty much guaranteed. That said, our guide, Anna, was amazing! She was so knowledgable and enthusiastic about Vienna, and had some fantastic food recommendations. She can be found on instagram here. Vienna should be on everyones "must visit" list - let's be honest, it's hard not to fall in love with this gorgeous city immediately.

2. Berlin, Germany

Our guide was not native (Chrisy was disappointed with the English accent at first) but he had multiple degrees in German history (and was in Berlin studying for a PHD at the time). He was an absolute fountain of knowledge (Chrisy soon stopped grumbling and was beyond impressed). This was definitely the most in depth historical tour we’ve had. The setting probably lends itself to this, as Berlin is oozing with history, the the guide really made it for us on this one.

1. Almaty, Kazakhstan

No, it's not in Europe, but Almaty was by far the best free city tour we've ever done. It was lengthy at 3.5 hours, but incredibly detailed, included free food samples at Green market and a tour inside the wooden church, as well as other landmarks. Aiguerim was fantastic and helped us find other tours for our trip too. If you can, make sure she's your guide - book here.

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