Free Walking Tour Rio, Get to Know The City Like a Local and Pay What You Think is Fair
Activity allows you to get to know the marvelous city without spending too much
“Marvelous city, full of enchantments. Marvelous city, heart of my Brazil!”. This beautiful song is the anthem of Rio de Janeiro and expresses what the city has to offer to those who visit it, which helps to explain why it receives hundreds of thousands of people every year.
According to data from the Federal Police, collected by the Ministry of Tourism, 6,588 millions of foreign people visited Brazil in 2017, and 20,5% (1,355 million) went to Rio de Janeiro. This verifies the high search for the state.
With jaw-dropping landscapes and tourist attractions that you just can’t miss, it’s important that the visitors get help of someone who knows the region, and a good call for that is the Free Walking Tour rio, which steps out of the box and helps you with everything you need to meet the city.
Let’s learn about this kind of service, where it came from and how it works, which will make it clear how this is the best option to go along with you on your trip to Rio!
What’s the Free Walking Tour?
It’s a tourism alternative that aims to present the main points of interest of a place, in a way that the tourists can meet them and assemble cultural baggage that will make the trip even more special.
It resembles tours with tour guides, except that the person conducting it (called walker) is a young student who plans the tour to be the best possible, with the right dose of excitement, relaxation and enthusiasm.
Besides that, another important difference from tours with guides is that it doesn’t have a defined price. Each participant pays what they think it’s fair. This works as tips for the services provided by the walkers.
As the name implies, the tours are made on walks, without the aid of vehicles or other means of transportation, which is ideal for getting to know the main attractions of each destination up close.
In each Free Walking Tour, the goal is for the walker to provide visitors as much relevant information as possible about the visited places, such as historical issues and trivia, that is, details that would never be known in an individual visit.
In a light, young and cool language, the experience tends to be unforgettable for all participants, who not only know with great detail about the places, but also get to build new friendships and save money on their travels without giving up quality.
When the Free Walking Tour was born?
The first official tour happened in 2004 in the city of Berlin, Germany. This was the starting point of an area with high growth potential for its numerous advantages.
Nowadays, the service is available in over 110 countries, from Brazil to Italy, from the US to Australia, from South Africa to Japan.
These are the most popular destinations:
- South America: Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay.
- North America: United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico.
- Asia: Japan, China, Hong-Kong, United Arab Emirates, Thailand.
- Africa: South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia.
- Europe: Germany, Italy, France, England, Spain, Greece, Swiss, Turkey.
- Oceania: Australia and New Zealand.
How do Free Walking Tours work in Rio de Janeiro?
The Free Walking Tours work through the visits and explanations about the main meeting points of the marvelous city, which are:
- Downtown and Lapa: Historical Clock of Largo da Carioca
- Copacabana and Ipanema: Eugênio Jardim Plaza
- Olympic Boulevard and African Heritage: Historical Clock of Largo da Carioca
The tours take place every day, usually with no need for reservation, unless the group is bigger than 10 people or when it happens in high season.
The meeting points are in very known locations, which makes the access much easier for all participants to find routes through map applications or even information in street signs, meaning the option is ideal even for those who have no knowledge of the place.
They usually last 2.5 hours and happen on scheduled days, even when it rains. Most tours are in English.
How much does it cost to participate in a Free Walking Tour in Rio de Janeiro?
This is a very common and interesting doubt and it touches one of the main points of the tour, which is not having a defined price.
The system works similarly to tips, which have no minimum or maximum value and are offered accordingly to each participant’s satisfaction and interest in the appreciation of the quality of what was offered to them.
Although there’s no minimum or maximum value, Free Walking Tours in Brazil are usually made with a contribution of R$20 to R$30. After all, we need to remember walkers rely on this money to keep on providing services, and nothing fairer than contributing to them.
The value is laughable when compared to what is charged by tour guides. You will also participate in a genuine Rio experience, with demonstrations of its culture, cuisine, history and super interesting info. Those who have enjoyed the experience can always contribute more!
Free Walking Tours: your opportunity to meet Rio de Janeiro like a real local
Beyond than a simple tour, this is a true cultural experience, with plenty of details, information and interactions that will add a special touch to your trip. With a very affordable investment, Free Walking Tours also support the work of those who are dedicated to creating great moments for the participants.
Next time you’re in Rio, don’t miss the opportunity of joining a Free Walking Tour Rio de Janeiro and confirm how this decision will make your trip even better!
written by Leonardo Ponso