Hi everyone!
I’m in the early stages of planning a 7-day trip to Spain this coming February. My current plan is to split my time between Madrid and Barcelona, with a dedicated day trip to Toledo mixed in.
I’m particularly interested in free walking tours. If you’ve been recently, are there any specific tour companies or specific themed walks (like History/Gothic Quarter vs. Modernism/Gaudí) that you’d highly recommend in these cities?
I’d also love any general advice for visiting in February.
Posted by
Washington DC
30164 posts
I haven't taken any "free" tours in Spain. In 2016 I took three tours organized by the Barcelona tourist office (Barri Gotic, modernism and Picasso) and one organized by the Madrid tourist office (historic center). They seemed to have smaller tour groups than the "free" tours, and I have more confidence I'm getting accurate information when the tour guide doesn't depend on tips for a living. I always wonder whether some tall tales get cooked up to increase the entertainment value of a "free" tour.
In case you are not aware, guides for the "free" tours are charged a head tax by the organizing company, probably around 5 euros for each person who shows up to take the tour. It's important to tip generously, because the guides start out way in the hole. I do not approve of that business model, which is Reason #2 why I try to avoid "free" tours.
Reason #3 is that some of the "free" tour groups are very large. I like smaller groups where I may be able to sneak in a question to the guide--hard to do if you are one of 30+ people.
Posted by
TX, USA
5937 posts
I used this company last summer: https://freewalkingtoursmadrid.com/tour/free-tour-madrid/
It was for a group, so was considered a private tour. But it was just the regular Madrid City Tour and the guide was excellent.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9695 posts
I have taken "free" tours in other cities (including my own) just to see how they are. Frankly, they were a waste of my time. The guides all had a memorized script, they couldn't answer many of the questions, much of the info they told about was incorrect, the group was way too large, and then they expect a tip similar to what a regular tour cost.
How much is your trip to Spain costing you? Why would you skimp then on a tour that would make your trip memorable. Look up some other, regular walking tours, with real guides that take pride in their knowledge and their skills as a guide.