City guides for walkers

See a city the way it was meant to be seen: on foot.

Practical, honest guides to the world's most visited cities, written for people who would rather wander than be driven. Find where to walk, what to expect underfoot, and when to go.

Currently covering 9 cities in 3 countries, each with a short list of well-reviewed guided walking tours.

Start with a country

Three countries, nine cities

We began with the three most visited countries in the world and chose three cities in each where exploring on foot is a pleasure rather than a chore.

Paris: Paris Montmartre Walking Tour Best Art Culture and Food
3 cities · 102 million international tourist arrivals, 2024

France

Boulevards, riverbanks and old towns built for strolling

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Stylised map of Spain and Portugal, with markers on Barcelona, Madrid and Seville.
3 cities · 93.7 million international tourist arrivals, 2024

Spain

Plazas, old quarters and evenings that belong to pedestrians

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Stylised map of the contiguous United States with markers on New York City, Washington, DC and San Francisco.
3 cities · 72.3 million international tourist arrivals, 2024

United States

Three cities that break the rule that America is for driving

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Or go straight to a city

Choose a city to discover

Every guide covers the sights, the neighbourhoods worth wandering, what the terrain and weather are like, how to arrive and get around, and a few guided walks worth booking.

Paris: Paris Montmartre Walking Tour Best Art Culture and Food
France

Paris

A city you can cross on foot in an afternoon

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Lyon: Lyon Highlights & Secrets Walking Guided Tour (Small Group) including Funicular
France

Lyon

Two rivers, two hills and Europe's largest Renaissance quarter

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Nice: Walking Tour of Old Nice and Castle Hill
France

Nice

A seafront promenade, a hilltop park and an old town in between

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Stylised map of the Catalan coast around Barcelona, with the city marker on the shore of the Mediterranean and hills to the north-west.
Spain

Barcelona

Medieval lanes, a modernist grid and the sea at the end of the street

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Stylised map of Madrid and its surroundings on the central plateau, showing the urban area and radiating road and rail lines, with a marker on the centre.
Spain

Madrid

Tapas streets, grand museums and a capital that walks late

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Stylised map of Seville and the Guadalquivir valley, showing the river passing through the city and the surrounding plain, with a marker on the centre.
Spain

Seville

Orange trees, tiled courtyards and the flattest old town in Spain

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Stylised map of the New York metropolitan area showing Manhattan island, the Hudson and East Rivers, Long Island and New Jersey, with a marker on Midtown.
United States

New York City

A grid that makes getting lost almost impossible

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Stylised map of the San Francisco Bay Area showing the peninsula, the bay, the Golden Gate and the East Bay, with a marker on the city.
United States

San Francisco

Steep streets, sudden views and fog rolling through the Gate

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Stylised map of Washington, DC and its surroundings showing the Potomac River, the urban area and radiating roads, with a marker on the centre.
United States

Washington, DC

Monuments, free museums and a two-mile lawn to walk between them

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How to use the directory

Three ways in

  1. Search or browse

    Type a city or country into the search box, or start from the destinations index and work down from country to city.

  2. Read the walking essentials

    Each city guide tells you where the best walking is, how hilly it gets, what the pavements are like, and which seasons suit long days outside.

  3. Walk alone or with a guide

    Plan your own routes with the guide, or pick one of the listed guided walks, chosen for genuine walking content and strong traveller reviews.

How we choose guided walks

This site is a guide first. Each city lists a handful of guided walking tours rated 4.5 stars or more by hundreds or thousands of travellers, leaving out bus, bike and museum-only tours. Tour links go to our booking partner Viator and are clearly marked; if you book, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. More about how the site works.