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Found a free walking tour in Lisbon that saved me 50 euros
Last trip I was in Lisbon and stumbled onto a free walking tour run by a local guide named Pedro. He took us through Alfama for about 2 hours and showed us spots you'd never find in a guidebook. I tipped him 10 euros at the end, which is way less than those bus tours that run 30-40 euros. The trick is to find these tours through hostel boards or local Facebook groups, not the main tourist sites. He even gave us a list of restaurants where locals eat for under 8 euros a meal. Has anyone else tried these free tours in other cities and found them worth the time?
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dakota16016d ago
I did one in Seville through a hostel board that was exactly like the Lisbon one you're talking about. The guide took us to a tiny tapas spot called Bar El Comercio where the fried fish plates were 2.50 euros each and the bread was free with drinks. I tipped 15 euros because he also showed us the rooftop of a church with no tourists around, just locals taking photos of the sunset. Those market tours are the real gem though, the one in Madrid I did took us to Mercado de San Miguel but then the guide pointed out a cheaper spot two blocks away with the same octopus for half the price. Just watch out for the ones that try to push you into buying overpriced sangria at the end, the good tours never do that.
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stellac9716d ago
Yeah, I've done them in Madrid and Barcelona. Basically same deal, find a local guide through hostel boards or a Facebook group, not the main tourist sites. The one in Madrid took us to a market where locals eat for like 5 euros, pastries included. Just tip what you think it's worth, 10-15 euros is fine. But heads up, some of those "free" tours are really just selling you other stuff at the end, like cheap flamenco shows or tapas crawls. Stick with the ones that give you that local restaurant list, that's the gold.
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