FREE TOUR HEROES in Mexico City
Welcome to the fifth installment of Free Tour Heroes, our series shining a spotlight on the people, places and passions behind some of the 2018 FREETOUR.com Award winning free tours.
Each year we honor those free tour heroes around the world who offer top quality free tour experiences, and award accolades based on the feedback, ratings and reviews from the community of FREETOUR.com users worldwide.
So far in the series we’ve gotten the local low down from FREETOUR.com award winning tour providers in London, Madrid, Medellin, Paris and Lisbon and today we bring you a little look at Mexico City where we have not one, but two 2018 award winners - Estacion Mexico Free Tour and Mexico A Pie who were awarded the first and second spots respectively in the Best Tours in North America category.
First, we chat with Mexico A Pie who have been running free tours for a little over two and a half years, offering six different tours in Mexico City on the FREETOUR.com platform dedicated to a range of themes and topics including the markets of the city and local urban murals; but it is their Free Downtown Walking Tour - The Heart of Mexico that earned them their award this year, for the second year in a row.
“We share the legend of the foundation of Mexico City - 700 years ago, the Aztecs came to find the sign their God promised, the same Symbol of our National Flag. (We offer) a perfect intro to Mexican culture, why we have the most UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Americas and why we have nine Intangible Cultural Heritage traditions.”
“We are local people who know our history and our culture, and who happen to be certified guides. We are committed to the traveler, to showing them what makes our city beat and we share our passion for Mexico with all the visitors we have from so many different countries and cultural background who enjoy the experience of learning about a new city and meeting new people.”
Estacion Mexico Free Tour, meanwhile, has been on the ground in Mexico City for over four years, and offer eight tours on the FREETOUR.com platform. In addition to their 2018 award for their Free Walking Tour Historic Downtown, they have enjoyed multiple accolades in 2017 too, including ranking second for both our Best Tour Worldwide and Most Popular Tour categories.
We find a lot of people like anecdotes and the subtext of mainstream history. For example, the story behind the world-famous song "La cucaracha" and the real meaning of its lyrics which relates to a former president.
“Teotihuacan pyramids because it's a trip that really helps you to understand the origin of precolonial cultures in Mexico... and they are HUGE!
The Anthropology Museum because by visiting it you can get insight to all the ancient cultures of Mexico, everything is together under the same roof.
Chapultepec Castle due to its large collection of historical objects, and you can get a beautiful panoramic overview of the city.”
“Meeting people from all over the world and learning about other cultures from them too. We try to make every visitor feel welcomed and treat our visitors as our friends and make them feel comfortable. And we love being able to share our history and our story and know that the world is interested in it because we are very passionate about our tours, we love our job and we love to share it!”
You can check out several excellent free walking tours in Mexico City, and around the world, as well as budget experiences, on FREETOUR.com or on the Free Tour app – there’s no booking fees or charges and you’ll get an instant booking confirmation. You’ll also be able to rate and review the tour afterwards and help decide the winners of next years’ FREETOUR.com awards too!
Next time in the Free Tour Heroes series we’ll be getting the local low down from Free Tour Zargoza to hear about the only cathedral in the world that houses not one, but two bombs, find out about the best local tacos and where to pick up the freshest produce at the cheapest prices. Until then, happy touring!
Each year we honor those free tour heroes around the world who offer top quality free tour experiences, and award accolades based on the feedback, ratings and reviews from the community of FREETOUR.com users worldwide.
So far in the series we’ve gotten the local low down from FREETOUR.com award winning tour providers in London, Madrid, Medellin, Paris and Lisbon and today we bring you a little look at Mexico City where we have not one, but two 2018 award winners - Estacion Mexico Free Tour and Mexico A Pie who were awarded the first and second spots respectively in the Best Tours in North America category.
In the Spotlight: Mexico A Pie and Estacion Mexico Free Tour
First, we chat with Mexico A Pie who have been running free tours for a little over two and a half years, offering six different tours in Mexico City on the FREETOUR.com platform dedicated to a range of themes and topics including the markets of the city and local urban murals; but it is their Free Downtown Walking Tour - The Heart of Mexico that earned them their award this year, for the second year in a row.
What is most interesting about your tour?
“We share the legend of the foundation of Mexico City - 700 years ago, the Aztecs came to find the sign their God promised, the same Symbol of our National Flag. (We offer) a perfect intro to Mexican culture, why we have the most UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Americas and why we have nine Intangible Cultural Heritage traditions.”
Three local tips you give your tour participants?
- Don’t miss The Castle of Chapultepec and the ancient city of Teotihuacan when you’re in Mexico City. Chapultepec Park too, it’s the lung of Mexico City and twice as big as New York's Central Park.
- Visit the National Anthropology Museum for more than 3000 years of history.
- We will tell you which the best way to remove ‘enchilamiento’ from your mouth!
Why do you feel your tours are award-winning?
“We are local people who know our history and our culture, and who happen to be certified guides. We are committed to the traveler, to showing them what makes our city beat and we share our passion for Mexico with all the visitors we have from so many different countries and cultural background who enjoy the experience of learning about a new city and meeting new people.”
Estacion Mexico Free Tour, meanwhile, has been on the ground in Mexico City for over four years, and offer eight tours on the FREETOUR.com platform. In addition to their 2018 award for their Free Walking Tour Historic Downtown, they have enjoyed multiple accolades in 2017 too, including ranking second for both our Best Tour Worldwide and Most Popular Tour categories.
What do people respond to most on your tour?
We find a lot of people like anecdotes and the subtext of mainstream history. For example, the story behind the world-famous song "La cucaracha" and the real meaning of its lyrics which relates to a former president.
What places should visitors not miss in Mexico City?
“Teotihuacan pyramids because it's a trip that really helps you to understand the origin of precolonial cultures in Mexico... and they are HUGE!
The Anthropology Museum because by visiting it you can get insight to all the ancient cultures of Mexico, everything is together under the same roof.
Chapultepec Castle due to its large collection of historical objects, and you can get a beautiful panoramic overview of the city.”
Three reasons to discover Mexico City on the Free Tour?
- We take you to off the beaten track to reveal and explain daily-life street customs
- Our story-tellers are university graduates with a vast knowledge of all subjects
- And we give them local advice to help them feel comfortable during their stay in the city and enjoy CDMX to its maximum; for instance, how to use the subway, where is the best exchange rate, etc. We’re a company made by travelers, for travelers.
What do you love most about being a free tour company?
“Meeting people from all over the world and learning about other cultures from them too. We try to make every visitor feel welcomed and treat our visitors as our friends and make them feel comfortable. And we love being able to share our history and our story and know that the world is interested in it because we are very passionate about our tours, we love our job and we love to share it!”
You can check out several excellent free walking tours in Mexico City, and around the world, as well as budget experiences, on FREETOUR.com or on the Free Tour app – there’s no booking fees or charges and you’ll get an instant booking confirmation. You’ll also be able to rate and review the tour afterwards and help decide the winners of next years’ FREETOUR.com awards too!
Next time in the Free Tour Heroes series we’ll be getting the local low down from Free Tour Zargoza to hear about the only cathedral in the world that houses not one, but two bombs, find out about the best local tacos and where to pick up the freshest produce at the cheapest prices. Until then, happy touring!
