The secret to finding the best walking tour
There is a secret to finding the best quality walking tours – and it doesn’t necessarily mean paying more money.
Avoiding bad walking tours
Walking tours are often a really good way of exploring a city. But most of us, at some point, will have been on a walking tour that has been a bit of a dud. There are several walking tours out there that just do the bare minimum, with a massive group following a not particularly informative guide.
The problem is that in some cities, there are just so many walking tours that picking a good one out can be really tricky. Look for New York walking tours, and there are hundreds. The same applies in Paris, London or frankly any big city that gets a lot of tourists.
The mistake people make when booking a walking tour
Luckily, there is a secret to finding a good walking tour. And it’s one that, for many people, is counterintuitive.
Many travellers, when booking a walking tour, are looking for a tour that gives them an overview of the city. This is a mistake.
It is a mistake that will probably lead to picking a generic big group tour that gives you little insight you wouldn’t have found in a guide book or on the internet.
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How to find the best walking tour
The secret to finding a good walking tour is to pick one that has a specific theme. In Sydney, that might mean a historical pubs tour of the Rocks, a true crime tour or an Aboriginal cultural tour.
In Melbourne, try a street art tour or a laneways bars tour.
Essentially, pick a topic you’re quite interested in, and choose a walking tour that specialises in it rather than going for the broad overview.
The main reason for this is that you’ll probably get the broad overview anyway. On a Brisbane art and design walking tour, there will be a much stronger focus on art and design, but it’ll also cover the city’s highlights and history.
Tick off 9 Australian bucket list experiences
- Take Blue Mountains day tour from Sydney – with kangaroo-feeding at a wildlife park, Scenic World tickets and a Parramatta River cruise.
- Snorkel or dive on the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns.
- Do Australia’s most spectacular drive on a Great Ocean Road day tour from Melbourne.
- Drive along the beach on a 4WD day tour of Fraser Island, the world’s biggest sand island.
- Have a dune-top barbecue dinner and stargazing session in the shadow of Uluru.
- See penguins on Phillip Island – and more native wildlife at the Moonlit Sanctuary – on a day trip from Melbourne.
- Go snorkelling, sandboarding and kayaking on Moreton Island from Brisbane.
- Meet gloriously cute quokkas on Rottnest Island near Perth with a ferry and bike hire package.
- Kayak with dolphins in Byron Bay.
Why niche walking tours are better
A niche walking tour is also likely to have a much better guide who really knows their stuff.
On a generic tour, pretty much anyone can follow a script and pull off the job. On a Perth street art tour, however, the guides really have to know their stuff about the city’s street art scene.
Go for a focused, specific walking tour and you can almost always tell there’s a higher level of research and enthusiasm.
Next time you’re travelling, and considering a walking tour, bear this in mind.
When you search through all the tour options, hone in on a tour that goes into depth about one aspect of the city.
