Is a free walking tour really free?

Yes. There is nothing to pay to reserve a spot and no card needed at booking. At the end of the tour you decide what to tip. Most guests on the Norwich Free Walking Tour tip £10 to £20 per person, but anywhere from £0 upwards is accepted.

How much should I tip a free walking tour guide in the UK?

No fixed amount. On a good day, guests tip £10 to £20 per person. Some pay less, some pay more, some pay nothing. All are accepted. Guides who run free walking tours full time rely on tips as their income, so a fair tip if you enjoyed the walk goes a long way.

What happens on a free walking tour?

On the Norwich Free Walking Tour: you book a spot online (free, no card needed), meet your guide outside The Forum at the booked time, walk for 1 hour 45 minutes at a relaxed pace through 12 stops finishing near Norwich Cathedral, and tip what you thought it was worth at the end. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or cash all work.

Who runs free walking tours?

Local guides who live in the city. The Norwich Free Walking Tour is run by Tom Thornhill, a Norwich resident who walks the route most days. The model lets visitors see a city the way someone who lives there sees it, without committing to a fixed price up front.

The free-tour model

What is a free walking tour?

You join for free. You tip what it was worth at the end.

Book your spot (free)

£0 to reserve • Most guests tip £10 to £20 • Free to cancel

How free tours work

What's a free tour?

Free tours are a growing accessible way to get a great local introduction to a city.

You join for free, spend 1 hour 45 minutes with a local guide who will show you the best spots and tell their favourite stories, and at the end you tip what you thought it was worth.

No fixed price.

No pressure.

Just a fair exchange.