How much would you pay for a free group tour?
 

Hello!

I've never done any free tours on my own when I travel (I've hired tour guides before for group trips but that's different). I am curious about FREE TOURS BY FOOT which I saw mentioned in a YouTube video. If I were to join a group tour (2-3 hours), how much would you expect to pay at the end?

Thanks so much!

Hold my beer while I get change for your 500 euro note..

I have taken guests on Free tours by Foot and folks usually give at least $5 to the guide

. Thank you, Rhea.

We paid our Washington DC Free Tours by Foot guide $10 each and would have happily paid more if we could have afforded to at the time.

Lee Ann

LeeAnn, was it $10 for 2-3 hour tour? I see some places mentioning $10 per hour. However, when I was watching videos of the groups, sometimes they are quite large like 15-20 people. So just doing the math, 15 ppl x $10 x 2 (hours) = $300! I'm thinking everyone is probably adjusting the tip according to the number of people in the group as well as how engaging and interesting the guide is.

Here's an interesting thread on rick steves board last year on this topic

https://community.ricksteves.com/tra...e-walking-tour

everyone is probably adjusting the tip according to the number of people in the group as well as how engaging and interesting the guide is.

I would not adjust it by size of the group. I would adjust it by how good the guide was. If I were solo, and the walking tour was 2-3 hours, and it was enjoyable, I'd tip $20 at least.

We give $ 10, which is for the two of us, so $ 5 each. Love Free Tours by Foot. Which ones are you going to do in NYC?

What I would tip would depend on the size of the group and on the quality of the guide.

We have done free walking tours in various cities and we tip roughly $20 pp. So far we have had excellent guides, but I think if we had a bad one or very average, we might tip a bit less. Thankfully we have not been in that position though:)

The number in the group is irrelevant. This is someone joining a grop tour, it isn't a private tour for only their personal family/roup or whatever.

I'm not sure I would take one of these as I object to the concept of paying for something that is trying to get clients by calling themselves free and I question their licensure/training. I have friends who are professional licensed guides, that takes time to get that credential.

But $10 PER HOUR is not remotely free, that's more expensive than any real "nonfree" group tour I've taken. I take group tours in Paris where I appreicate that licensed guides advertise their particular theme tours in the weekly entertainment guide, and you just show up. But the price is mentioned. Those are 10-12 euro per tour and those tours usually last at least 2 hrs.

So If I were going to do this and the false advertising didn't bug me, I think $10 per person is about right. Size of group is irrelevant, it's not your reponsibility as to how many people show up or don't to do this tours by unlicensed guides.

Thank you, everyone, for suggestions! I will keep these in mind the next time I'm in NYC. This time, the timing didn't work out and I could not join any of the free-tours. The one I was most interested in was the one covering the theater district. So, hopefully, next time I'll get a chance to do it.