Freetour Awards 2020: Top-Rated Tours in the World
Today we’ve announced the winners of our annual FREETOUR.com awards, which identify the top bookable free tours listed on our website globally and serve to highlight the hard work and dedication of the people behind these travel experiences. Winners were determined based on users' reviews and ratings over the last year.
As the first and leading booking platform dedicated to flying the flag for free tours around the world, we at FREETOUR.com believe that great free tour providers and tour guides deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Our fourth annual awards honor those providers across a number of categories, including Best Free Tour worldwide and Most Popular Tours booked on our platform.
If you’re looking for some travel inspiration, read on to learn more about some of the award-winning travel experiences and the most popular places where you can join an excellent free walking tour!
Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, is a city that breathes history in every single step. The Free Dubrovnik Walking Tour (awarded First Place in the Best Free Tour category award) takes you to the essential architectural landmarks of the Old town, including Dubrovnik’s city walls, where you will see plenty of medieval treasures.
The guide, Marco, is very knowledgeable and provides a lot of valuable historical background about Croatia and fun facts so that guests can understand their surroundings and be entertained at the same time.
The tour, which starts at the Nikola Mihanović Fountain, runs every day at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., and lasts around 1.5 hours.
Generation Tours offers a fantastic 3-hour Free Tour of Budapest, which starts at St. Stephen’s Basilica, in the city center, and covers must-see sights such as the Danube Promenade, the beautiful Chain Bridge and the historical Buda Castle district. It also covers great stories about Hungarian heritage and culture that you won’t find in any guidebook!
The tour won 2nd place in the Best Free Tour Award thanks to their cheerful and insightful local guides. They will tell you all about Budapest’s remarkable history and contemporary everyday life, while giving you excellent recommendations for the rest of your stay.
English language tours run every day at 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., while Spanish tours start every day at 10.30 a.m.
Organized by the Portuguese tour company Live History, the Alfama and Mouraria Free Tour (awarded Third Place in the Best Free Tour category) offers a scenic route through Lisbon’s most enchanting neighborhoods.
This activity includes a fun and informative walk around the district of Alfama, entering the labyrinth of narrow, cobblestoned alleyways and stopping by some of the best viewpoints in Lisbon, such as Miradouro das Portas do Sol, where the city spreads out before you with its terracotta rooftops and pastel-colored houses.
From the birthplace of Fado music to the hidden treasures of Mouraria and St. George’s Castle, in this award-winning tour you’ll learn everything you want to know about the old neighborhoods of Lisbon and what makes them distinct from other parts of the city.
The tour (English or Spanish language) leaves from Dom Pedro IV Square every day at 10.30 a.m., and lasts around 3 hours.
The Graffiti Tour in Comuna 13 (a famous barrio in Medellín), operated by the local Colombian company Zippy Tour, was awarded first place in the Most Popular Tour category due to the fact that it was one of the most booked tours over the last year.
With its gorgeous mountains and incredible setting, Medellín is quickly becoming one of Latin America’s top holiday destinations. This tour covers the impressive Comuna 13 neighborhood, a thriving, picturesque area located at the top of a hill that attracts thousands of visitors owing to its incredible transformation in recent times: it went from the murder capital of Colombia to being an icon of the rebirth of Medellín as an innovative and cultural city.
The tour takes you through all the murals and graffiti that decorate the areas surrounding the giant outdoor escalators of the Comuna, which helped change what was once one of the most notorious and dangerous places in Medellín.
The guides are 100% local, most of them grew up in this area and, during the tour, they not only share their inspiring personal stories with visitors, but they also show with great passion the best examples of their culture-led efforts to drive social change.
The tour lasts approximately 3 hours, starts at San Javier Metro Station and runs every day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (both English and Spanish tours).
The company White Umbrella Tours runs an interesting Free Tour of Amsterdam in Spanish that covers the most important historical landmarks of the city, traditional Dutch architecture and the city’s Golden Age canals which give this sense of time stopping.
From a small fishing village to the hub of maritime trade in Europe, you will learn how history shaped modern Amsterdam, and how two-wheeling became a way of life here (with 500km of bike paths).
Guided by friendly Amsterdam residents, the tour (which has been awarded third place in the Most Popular Tour category) includes stops at Dam Square, the Jewish quarter and the Rembrandt House Museum. But this walking tour is not only about history; it’s guaranteed to uncover the secrets and different sides of the city that you’ve probably never heard about before.
The Spanish tour starts at the Royal Palace and runs every day at 10.30 a.m. (there are also afternoon tours at 12 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., except on Thursdays).
Led by engaging and incredibly knowledgeable local Greek guides, the delightful Athens Free Tour is a must for first-time visitors that want to delve deeper into the history of Europe’s oldest capital.
This 2.5-hour journey covers the most important temples, Roman open-air theaters and the ruins of Athens ancient’ age of glory, such as the Acropolis and the Temple of Hephaestus.
You will visit the Panathinaiko Stadium, the only stadium in the world made entirely of marble, learn about Greek gods, and hear the victorious narratives surrounding the Parthenon or the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
The tour also introduces visitors to the vibrant Athenian contemporary culture in the Plaka neighborhood, which is like a village inside the city, and it includes a stop at the flea market Monastiraki area.
English and Spanish tours depart every day at 9.45 a.m. from Hadrian’s Arch.
Now, you’re probably wondering why this is a thing and how it works for the local guides and companies that run the tours.
Let us start by reminding you that FREETOUR.com is a platform where you can book free walking tours and budget travel activities in over 100 countries. Our mission is to connect travelers with local free tour companies and independent guides, making authentic local experiences accessible to all regardless of budget.
A free walking tour is a walk organized by a local guide that usually lasts from 2 to 3 hours, where you are free to pay what you feel the tour experience was worth directly to the tour provider at the end of the tour. Joining one of these tours is easy: you can find them listed on our website and reserve your spot online, but you’re not required to pay any amount when you book through the platform and there are no booking fees or charges applied.
Free walking tours are the perfect way to explore cities accompanied by locals that are passionate and keen to show you the place they call home. We're proud to be at the forefront of this movement: the past decade, particularly in later years, has seen a huge surge in popularity for the free tour model, with more and more people seeking out free tours ahead of traditional paid tours, and providers rising to meet the demand with top-quality offerings.
Have you ever joined a free tour while traveling abroad? We’d love to hear all about it. Tell us in the comments.
Don’t forget, book your spot on an excellent free tour for your next trip on FREETOUR.com!
By Kristina Kinson
As the first and leading booking platform dedicated to flying the flag for free tours around the world, we at FREETOUR.com believe that great free tour providers and tour guides deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Our fourth annual awards honor those providers across a number of categories, including Best Free Tour worldwide and Most Popular Tours booked on our platform.
If you’re looking for some travel inspiration, read on to learn more about some of the award-winning travel experiences and the most popular places where you can join an excellent free walking tour!
Best Free Tours worldwide
1. Free Dubrovnik Walking Tour
Dubrovnik, the Pearl of the Adriatic, is a city that breathes history in every single step. The Free Dubrovnik Walking Tour (awarded First Place in the Best Free Tour category award) takes you to the essential architectural landmarks of the Old town, including Dubrovnik’s city walls, where you will see plenty of medieval treasures.
The guide, Marco, is very knowledgeable and provides a lot of valuable historical background about Croatia and fun facts so that guests can understand their surroundings and be entertained at the same time.
The tour, which starts at the Nikola Mihanović Fountain, runs every day at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., and lasts around 1.5 hours.
2. Free Tour of Budapest
Generation Tours offers a fantastic 3-hour Free Tour of Budapest, which starts at St. Stephen’s Basilica, in the city center, and covers must-see sights such as the Danube Promenade, the beautiful Chain Bridge and the historical Buda Castle district. It also covers great stories about Hungarian heritage and culture that you won’t find in any guidebook!
The tour won 2nd place in the Best Free Tour Award thanks to their cheerful and insightful local guides. They will tell you all about Budapest’s remarkable history and contemporary everyday life, while giving you excellent recommendations for the rest of your stay.
English language tours run every day at 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., while Spanish tours start every day at 10.30 a.m.
3. Alfama and Mouraria Free Tour
Organized by the Portuguese tour company Live History, the Alfama and Mouraria Free Tour (awarded Third Place in the Best Free Tour category) offers a scenic route through Lisbon’s most enchanting neighborhoods.
This activity includes a fun and informative walk around the district of Alfama, entering the labyrinth of narrow, cobblestoned alleyways and stopping by some of the best viewpoints in Lisbon, such as Miradouro das Portas do Sol, where the city spreads out before you with its terracotta rooftops and pastel-colored houses.
From the birthplace of Fado music to the hidden treasures of Mouraria and St. George’s Castle, in this award-winning tour you’ll learn everything you want to know about the old neighborhoods of Lisbon and what makes them distinct from other parts of the city.
The tour (English or Spanish language) leaves from Dom Pedro IV Square every day at 10.30 a.m., and lasts around 3 hours.
Most Popular Tours
1. Graffiti Walking Tour in Comuna 13 (Zippy Tour, Medellín)
The Graffiti Tour in Comuna 13 (a famous barrio in Medellín), operated by the local Colombian company Zippy Tour, was awarded first place in the Most Popular Tour category due to the fact that it was one of the most booked tours over the last year.
With its gorgeous mountains and incredible setting, Medellín is quickly becoming one of Latin America’s top holiday destinations. This tour covers the impressive Comuna 13 neighborhood, a thriving, picturesque area located at the top of a hill that attracts thousands of visitors owing to its incredible transformation in recent times: it went from the murder capital of Colombia to being an icon of the rebirth of Medellín as an innovative and cultural city.
The tour takes you through all the murals and graffiti that decorate the areas surrounding the giant outdoor escalators of the Comuna, which helped change what was once one of the most notorious and dangerous places in Medellín.
The guides are 100% local, most of them grew up in this area and, during the tour, they not only share their inspiring personal stories with visitors, but they also show with great passion the best examples of their culture-led efforts to drive social change.
The tour lasts approximately 3 hours, starts at San Javier Metro Station and runs every day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. (both English and Spanish tours).
2. Spanish Free Tour in Amsterdam
The company White Umbrella Tours runs an interesting Free Tour of Amsterdam in Spanish that covers the most important historical landmarks of the city, traditional Dutch architecture and the city’s Golden Age canals which give this sense of time stopping.
From a small fishing village to the hub of maritime trade in Europe, you will learn how history shaped modern Amsterdam, and how two-wheeling became a way of life here (with 500km of bike paths).
Guided by friendly Amsterdam residents, the tour (which has been awarded third place in the Most Popular Tour category) includes stops at Dam Square, the Jewish quarter and the Rembrandt House Museum. But this walking tour is not only about history; it’s guaranteed to uncover the secrets and different sides of the city that you’ve probably never heard about before.
The Spanish tour starts at the Royal Palace and runs every day at 10.30 a.m. (there are also afternoon tours at 12 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., except on Thursdays).
3. Athens Free Walk
Led by engaging and incredibly knowledgeable local Greek guides, the delightful Athens Free Tour is a must for first-time visitors that want to delve deeper into the history of Europe’s oldest capital.
This 2.5-hour journey covers the most important temples, Roman open-air theaters and the ruins of Athens ancient’ age of glory, such as the Acropolis and the Temple of Hephaestus.
You will visit the Panathinaiko Stadium, the only stadium in the world made entirely of marble, learn about Greek gods, and hear the victorious narratives surrounding the Parthenon or the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
The tour also introduces visitors to the vibrant Athenian contemporary culture in the Plaka neighborhood, which is like a village inside the city, and it includes a stop at the flea market Monastiraki area.
English and Spanish tours depart every day at 9.45 a.m. from Hadrian’s Arch.
How do free tours work?
Now, you’re probably wondering why this is a thing and how it works for the local guides and companies that run the tours.
Let us start by reminding you that FREETOUR.com is a platform where you can book free walking tours and budget travel activities in over 100 countries. Our mission is to connect travelers with local free tour companies and independent guides, making authentic local experiences accessible to all regardless of budget.
A free walking tour is a walk organized by a local guide that usually lasts from 2 to 3 hours, where you are free to pay what you feel the tour experience was worth directly to the tour provider at the end of the tour. Joining one of these tours is easy: you can find them listed on our website and reserve your spot online, but you’re not required to pay any amount when you book through the platform and there are no booking fees or charges applied.
Free walking tours are the perfect way to explore cities accompanied by locals that are passionate and keen to show you the place they call home. We're proud to be at the forefront of this movement: the past decade, particularly in later years, has seen a huge surge in popularity for the free tour model, with more and more people seeking out free tours ahead of traditional paid tours, and providers rising to meet the demand with top-quality offerings.
Have you ever joined a free tour while traveling abroad? We’d love to hear all about it. Tell us in the comments.
Don’t forget, book your spot on an excellent free tour for your next trip on FREETOUR.com!
By Kristina Kinson
