How Much to Tip on a Free Walking Tour
Free walking tours are a popularijače iz orarija of the traveler who decides to experience a new city. However, these tours provide the opportunity to explore the local attractions, historical and cultural significance and to receive the insider tip from knowledgeable guides. However, there is one question that is never answered, which is how much should you tip the tour guide at the end of the tour? In this article, we are going to cover the etiquette of tipping on a free walking tour and discuss whether a certain amount is appropriate to tip.
Understanding Free Walking Tour Concept
The free walking tours are guided tours that do not have a set price up front. Instead, the participants are asked to tip the guide at the end of the tour based on their satisfaction and budget. For these tours, freelance guides, independent companies, or some local organizations embark on it and get tips as their main earnings.
Factors to Consider When Determining the Tip Amount
There are several ways (if you spend on a free walking tour) to know how much tip should be given:
- Numbers: Anticipate the sizes of the groups and the numbers of days required for the outings.
- Consider the tour duration to determine if there is more time for the tour which will consume additional effort and energy from the guide.
- No fixed price but your own budget is an important consideration on the amount of tip.
- Gleaning from research on the tipping culture in the destination country, city or otherwise will give you a sense of what is and isn’t expected.
Guidelines for Tipping on a Free Walking Tour
While there is no set rule for free walking tour tipping, this is how it usually goes:
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Get in the frame of mind to evaluate the Amount of Value Received.
Consider how much value you had got from the tour. Was the guide exceptional for going above and beyond? When choosing your tip take that into consideration. You can generally figure on tipping between 10 and 20 percent (10-20 percent) of the tour price, a general rule of thumb that most people use when the tour in question is roughly of similar length and quality as a paid tour.
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Be Aware of the Local Economy
A tip is made in accordance with the local economy. Some guides depend on tips for their livelihood; some countries have chosen to introduce small tips rather than a larger one. You can research the average wages in the local economy to make informed decisions.
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They Differentiate b/w a Large Group and a Small Group Tour.
When you are on a group tour, remember that the guide is with a large number of people. For such cases, a slightly smaller tip may be appropriate than in the case of a smaller group tour in which the guide can offer more individual attention.
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Use Your Discretion
In the end, it is a question of up to you, how much do you tip. Calculate the amount so that you don’t have the urge to spend more than you feel comfortable or assess the quality of the tour, your budget, and your satisfaction level before deciding.
Other Ways to Show Appreciation
Tipping is not the only way to leave your good graces with the man whose time you wasted. Few more ways to express gratitude are as follows:
Leave positive reviews on tour whether they are online or to other fellow travelers and spread the word.
- Talk to the guide, keep him engaged during the tour, ask questions, and not just be interested if the answer is ‘No’.
- Depending on the guide, I recommend going to a local eatery, shop or attraction.
- At the end of the tour, you should thank the guide personally and thank them for their knowledge and true efforts.
In Conclusion
As a great way of being shown around a new city for free, free walking tours are just brilliant. At the end of our tour, tipping the guide is customary but the amount is totally up to you. A tip amount depends on what you received and how that works in local customs and your budget. After all, you can also recognize their efforts with positive reviews and engage with the guide in other ways, as this too will go a long way in appreciating their work. And do have a free walking tour next time with confidence!
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Fred
2024-04-24 at 16:12Hi,
This article, while having quite a few good tips 🙂 is *very* wrong in advising that giving 10-20% of what a paid tour would cost is appropriate.
If a normal, paid, tour would cost €20, and you paid €2, that would be considered insulting by the guide.
Related to the above point, guides frequently pay €1-€2 (or more) per booking on their tour.
Also, I can guarantee that many guides would *not* appreciate you asking many questions and then not giving a tip. In fact, most guides would expect an even bigger tip if you asked many questions.
Referring to another article https://support.guruwalk.com/portal/en/kb/articles/how-much-does-a-guruwalk-cost GuruWalk gives correct advice in saying that you €10+ per person is an appropriate tip. Of course, you can not give any tip at all. But €10 per person is a good rule of thumb.
Thank you.