Berlin is the capital city of Germany that has a troubled history. With broken pieces of the Wall and gates, the city offers visitors some landmarks which include the most famous Brandenburg Gate.
Free tours are easily the most effective method of learning more about Berlin’s past. Not only will you have an opportunity to visit most of them, but you will also have an opportunity to hear firsthand from experienced local guides about the history of the city. In this blog post I will introduce you with the issue of taking a free tour in Berlin and what it entails.
The Advantages of the Free Walking Tour
- Cost-effective: Admit it or not, going on trips does not come cheap. Budget friendly is something which makes any trip way more fun, yet you don’t need to spend so much. Something that makes free walking tour attractive to people is that it is cheap way of getting to see what these cities has to offer without needing to pay for the professional guide.
- Local insights: Generally the free tours with the main guides are done by local people who wanted to share their love of their city and its history. They are very knowledgeable about the do’s and don’t about the landmarks, the history as well as some hidden history of Berlin that interests tourists. Moreover, they are able to suggest nearby places, cafes and other sights you would unlikely visit choosing tourist attractions.
- Flexibility: Free walking tours are often conducted at different times for the day to allow you to select the one you want to take at that particular time. The tour is offered in morning, afternoon, and evening basis so you may choose where you want to begin the tour. This increases flexibility where you can work out your schedule to enable you visit other places of interest at your own independent time.
- Group experience: Many people from different parts of the world opt to visit places on free tours. Go for group tour since it will allow you to interact with other people, share ideas on some issues and even make new friends. Strolling the city with people like you add flavor to your travel as you explore the region.
What You Should “Expect” During a Free Walking Tour in Berlin
- Historical landmarks: In a walking tour, which is free to the client, the client gets to tour and see some of Berlin’s historical attractions. Such among them include the Brandenburg gate, checkpoint Charlie, The Reichstag building and the Berlin Walls. All the facts your guide will provide and the stories behind each place will be clearly interesting as a guide always tries to deliver the most essential and intersting historical data.
- Stories and legends: Indeed there are many interesting stories and myths which relate to Berlin history. Your guide will describe these, thus you will be able to have an interaction with Tanzania in the past. Get acquainted with aviation legends and explore the history of the divided city from the World War II to the reunification.
- Local recommendations: Not only do they make sure to explain important historical landmarks and tell you stories about them, but tour guides also let you know where they like to hang out in the place and what foods you have to try. Learn from them and ask about the places that serve good cuisines, the best shops or places to find time maturity in Berlin. It is such valuable information anyone planning to travel to this region should take advantage of.
What to Do in a Free Tour
Wear comfortable shoes: Some of the sites are best seen on foot and therefore the advisability of comfortable shoes before undertaking the tour. As the tours may take a few hours, making sure that your feet are not going to get uncomfortable is going to make your tour all the more enjoyable.
Arrive early: It is quite common to accept free tours particularly in the course of the high seasons for travelling. To get a position, come to the meeting place as early as possible. That way, if the tour reaches its full capacity, you won’t be the one left out of the crowd.
Have some cash for tipping: Even though it does not cost anything to be taken round the tour, it is appropriate to tip the guide if you were served to your satisfaction. So, have some amount of money to spend in order to express your feelings. The amount depends on your discretion and you give as much as you reasonably can pay for.
Bring water and snacks: And while walking tours are not particularly exhausting you should always have a bottle of water with you and maybe even some food which will be useful throughout the tour. In this manner, you need not be running back and forth to get water and miss out on the best of the city touring.
Conclusion
I highly recommend taking a free walking tour to learn more about history and culture of Berlin firstly than choosing paid tour. It is an inexpensive and entertaining way to choose the best sites, learn interesting narratives and get acquainted with like-minded tourists.
Therefore, the next time you are in Berlin do not miss out on a free walking tour and get to walk in history as you tour through the city!
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