Walking tours are our top recommendation for getting out and exploring a new city. We always schedule our tours for one of the first couple of days upon arriving somewhere new. This way, you get the lay of the land right from the start and learn any local secrets so you don’t miss the good stuff!
Have You Ever Done A Walking Tour?
If you’ve never been on a walking tour, we have good news- there are so many options nowadays! You can join a group led by an expert local guide. You can download an app and do a self-guided tour at your own pace. In some cities, they even have maps and markings throughout the city pointing out areas of interest, like the famous “Freedom Trail” in Boston.
Walking Tours for Exercise
We think walking tours are the best way to combine body movement with sightseeing because you’re on foot! We enjoy the slower speed, being able to soak in the views and learn the history, all while getting our steps in. You may even find dog-friendly walking tours, so the whole family can get their exercise in.
Walking is an exercise that burns calories, builds muscle, and improves heart health. It’s a great low-impact activity that can be done for long durations. Therefore it may help you meet your exercise or weight-loss goals. In addition to all the physical benefits, walking can also contribute to your mental health. Long walks can alleviate depression and improve your mood.
With all these positive reasons to choose walking as a form of exercise, let’s dive into walking tours as a way to explore a new city.
Guided Walking Tours
There are many paid excursion options for whichever city you’re planning to visit. We think guided walking tours are the best option if you have the time and flexibility in your schedule to go at the offered times. Having a live, local expert to ask questions and learn from is worth the cost. It can be especially great for singles and solo travelers because it’s also a great way to meet fellow travelers.
Below are some of our favorite places to find guided walking tours:
Airbnb Experiences offers walking tours in many cities. This will allow you to connect with a local community member and learn about their city or neighborhood from their experience.
Get Your Guide offers walking tours around the world (and we often select a biking tour if we want to see more areas of a larger city).
Tours By Locals offers mostly walking tours. These tours allow you to connect with local residents and learn about their town through their eyes.
We’ve also found walking ghost tours to be a great way to explore a new town, with a little extra thrill! Whatever the flavor of your chosen walking tour, expect them to last about 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, and wear your walking shoes. You’ll probably walk somewhere between 1.5- 3 miles on the average guided walking tour.
Walking Tours for Free
Sometimes your schedule doesn’t match the guided tour times, or maybe you don’t feel like exploring with a group. There are also self-guided tours you can do with a free (or cheap) app on your phone. We like GPSmyCity with over 1,000 cities worldwide. They offer free app-guided walking tours around the world.
Try web searching for “self-guided walking tour in ‘name of city’” if you don’t find your destination on GPSmyCity. There are lots of local versions of self-guided walking tour apps. Often the city, county, or chamber of commerce will build a simple free app to help visitors explore their city.
Another free tour option is called Free Tours By Foot. This organization coordinates a local guide, and as the guest, you can pay what you want at the end of the tour. So it’s more of a tip-based system, and not technically “free” but still a good and cheap option. This is our personal favorite. We used Free Tours by Foot in both Savannah and Charleston.
Are You Headed to Visit a New City Soon?
We hope you’re inspired to consider a walking tour if you’re headed to visit a new town or city. A good walking tour is a perfect example of how to keep up your fitness on the road. Keeping up with your fitness on the go doesn’t have to be hard, make smart choices about the way you get out to explore. Use human power whenever possible. And add a city walking tour to your RV workout routine, for a win-win!
0 Comments