If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good walking tour.
The perfect way to take in a city’s sights, history and culture has to be on foot. Sure, hoping on the Tube in London is a great way to get from A to B – but what about all the great spots and hidden gems inbetween?
I wanted to salute the humble walking tour so I’ve put together a quick list of my faves in Europe. So here we have: the best 5 walking tours in Europe (if not the world).
5. Goslar
Photo credit: Harz Tourism
Organised by the Harz tourism board, Goslar walking tours are a fascinating insight into the history of the former mining town and the region. The town itself is incredibly photogenic, so there’s a photo-opp around almost every corner. Our guide was a very enthusiastic woman from the US (who I’ve since forgotten the name of) who really brought the tour to life.
Read more about Goslar here.
4. Sibiu
One of my favourite travel memories from this year is exploring the beautiful town of Sibiu in the heart of Transylvania. The history of the town is really interesting but a little bit confusing (the town was built by Germans and has seen been part of the Austrian Empire, Hungary and now Romania) – so it’s a great idea to sign up for a guided walking tour with ABC Travel Romania.
Read more from my walking tour here.
3. Sarajevo
Another town with an incredible past is Sarajevo. Like Sibiu, Sarajevo has been passed between countries and empires for most of its history, creating a rich tapestry of history. Sarajevo Insider organise a daily free walking tour of the city that covers all areas of its history from Ottoman rule to its heyday as part of the Austrian Empire.
Get to know more of Sarajevo’s history here.
2. Copenhagen
Definitely one of the best city tours I’ve ever done, Bike Copenhagen with Mike was a fantastic way to get to know the Danish Capital. By pure chance (and by visiting out of season), my friend and I were treated to a private tour with the charming and knowledgeable Mike. The cycling tour takes in all the major sights of the city, including a stop at the Torvehallerne Food Market.
Check out 5 places to eat in Copenhagen.
1. Warsaw
The Jewish Warsaw walking tour from Free Walking Tours was without a doubt the best city tour I’ve done. Lasting for over two hours and captivatingly recounting the history of Jews in the Polish capital, the tour brings to life the lost community. There is surprisingly little left of the former Jewish neighbourhood and the tragic Jewish ghetto, but this tour pointed out every trace that remains. A moving, fascinating and compelling tour.
Read more about my trip to Warsaw here.
So happy to see Sibiu there! 😀 There’s a free walking tour in Bucharest as well, I haven’t been but maybe you’ll like it too. That’s such a great photo of Copenhagen btw 🙂
Thank you! I quite liked the pic but forgot about it until recently. I think I managed to improve it with a subtle bit of editing 😉
And hopefully it won’t belong before I can try that Bucharest walking tour myself!
I love walking tours too but could never say which were the best in the world. Will have to test trek your recommendations to see how they match up with those I’ve taken in the U.S. Will be visiting Europe in the spring finally.
Sounds like a plan Elaine! Enjoy your trip 🙂
an amazing array of cities here. We went on a ghosts, myths and legends walking tour at night in Rome with a company called dark Rome truly amazing
cheers
mark
Thanks for the tip, Mike – will have to try them out when I make it to Rome!
I never used to really bother with walking tours I always used to just wander a city and get lost and while I still love doing that I’ve recently found the hous of walking tours too, its a great way to learn more about a city and its history and also often you learn a few great local tips too. These tours look really good, will keep them in mind
I totally agree Carly – sometimes it’s nice to just wander the city for yourself, but a great walking tour can help you see the city in a new light. Thanks for your comment.
It’s rare that there is a list of cities in Europe that I haven’t visited, but I haven’t been to ANY of the ones here. And I love walking tours (or bike tours) so much. I always feel that it’s walking around, seeing the city, feeling vibe and meeting the people that gives you more of a clue of a city than just going from tourist site to tourist site. On walking tours you get the best of both worlds usually!@
Definitely agree, Karilyn! I think a good walking tour can even show you a city’s interesting features that aren’t necessarily tourist sites, too.
hey! What about Pancho Tours?? great Free tours in Spain and Portugal (pioneer in half the cities where they currently are!)
I m the GM by the way 😉
Hi Dario, I’ve only included walking tours that I’ve actually done. If I’m ever in one of the cities Pancho Tours operates in, I’ll be sure to look you up 🙂
Unfortunately the Warsaw tour was not up and running when I visited in 2011 – but the Krakow tour was great!
Great to hear, Karen – thanks! Krakow and Wroclaw are top of my list for my next trips to Poland, so I’ll definitely be checking out the tours there 🙂
Thank you for superkind words John, and see you next time in Warsaw. They are still some topics to cover and some tours to make 😉
Thank you for the brilliant tour, Pse! As you can see from my posts, we left eager to see a lot more of Warsaw next year so hopefully we will be back soon. In the meantime, keep up the great work – the tour was simply brilliant 🙂
Pse the tour was amazing. We all fell in love with Warsaw and with you
I’m going to Berlin on Thursday, wondering if I can swing a day in Goslar – it looks so charming!
Looks doable:http://www.rome2rio.com/s/Berlin/Goslar
I think it’d look lovely done up for Christmas. Maybe even a bit of snow?
What a great and unique list of cities. I haven’t been to any, yet. Totally agree with you, I love a good walking tour. You see so much, meet so many people and find hidden gems you wouldn’t otherwise.
Love a good walking tour my favourite is probably the one we did around the Marais in Paris, it was really late in the season so we had our own private tour. Will make sure to remember these when I make it out to the cities though.
It’s such an added bonus to be on a small tour group! Thanks for your comment, Lucy.