Skip to main content

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe

Exploring a new city for the first time is one of my favorite parts of travel. When you step off a plane into a new destination and getting wonderfully lost in a city rich with history and culture, what a feeling!

But guided tours, especially in Europe, will cost you a fair amount.

And while many cities or hostels offer a free walking tour- sometimes the schedule doesn’t match up with your plans or itinerary.

But there is one sure way to a get a great free tour in any of the major European cities- download the Rick Steve’s Audio Europe App. (Or check out the website here!)

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
Free and easy to use!

The best part about this app? It’s 100% free and gives rich, detailed tours all over Europe.

I have personally done tours in Milan, Italy and Munich, Germany with the app recently and I highly recommend!

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
Incredible view over Munich, Germany from the top of St. Peter’s Church
You can start, stop, pause and resume the tour easily.

The directions are relatively easy to follow and you can skip around chapters or sections of the tours.  

A map is also included, making the walking tour easy to follow.

Just download the tour for whatever city you are in, pop in your headphones and you’re good to go!

Best of all, it’s totally free.

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
Exploring Marienplatz in Munich, Germany with the Rick Steve’s Audio Europe App
Tours begin in an easy to find, well known location!

The tours always start in a main town square or well known tourist attraction. From there, it will lead you around the city.

In Milan for example, the tour is 75 minutes long if done in it’s entirety, so even if you are in Milan for a quick layover- you could get out and tour the city for free!

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
The Duomo Rooftop in Milan, Italy- one of the many stops on the tour![/caption]

Milan’s tour leads you through the Duomo neighborhood.

You start in the main square, go inside and on top of the church for some breathtaking views!

You’ll continue through The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. And it will bring you past the high end designer stores that Milan is famous for and the statue of Lenoardo Da Vinci in Piazza della Scala.

The tour ends at La Scala Opera House.

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II- home to Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and many other high end designers!

Upon the tour’s completion, you can then tour La Scala by yourself for just a few euros.

The day I was there, I was fortunate enough to get to watch part of an opera rehearsal- absolutely incredible!

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
Touring the inside of La Scala- moments before an opera rehearsal began!
Find quirky interviews, city information and cultural practices discussed!

In addition to specific walking tours for European cities, the app offers other informational tours or chats- similar to podcasts.

You can listen to a wide variety of topics such as

  • Finding Love in Italy
  • Enjoying Winter in Paris
  • Rome After Dark, Venice: City of Seduction
  • Heroes of Irish Folk Music
  • Artists of Spain and countless others!

And new tours are frequently being added!

How to Get Free Guided Tours All Over Europe Rick Steve's Audio Europe
Relaxing on the Amalfi Coast

There is a wide variety of excellent tours and interviews about The Amalfi Coast and Italian culture in general

Any other good travel apps I should know about?

Let me know if you’ve done any of the Rick Steve tours in Europe!

And save this article on Pinterest for later!

Want more on budget travel?

LOOKING TO BOOK A TRIP TO EUROPE?

CHECK OUT THESE AWESOME DEALS ON TOURRADAR!

Emily Rose

Hi, I'm Emily Rose! In 2018, I sold all my stuff and moved into my suitcase to travel full time and work around the world! Follow along for the best travel jobs, photos to fuel your wanderlust and epic adventures!

10 Comments

Leave a Reply