The project
Getting to know a city without following anyone.
Free Tours Free turns the free walking tour format into an open digital publication: routes, articles, images, maps and audio to explore freely.
The aim isn’t to replace the people who guide visitors round a city. It’s to offer another way in for when you’d rather walk at your own pace.
Our ideaTravelling and understanding a city should be within everyone’s reach.
A guide can be rigorous without being academic, in-depth without being heavy-going, and free without being devoid of context.
Our mission
For people who would rather understand a city.
We create free guides for curious people who aren’t content just to pass through a place.
Free
You choose what to see, how to do it and at what pace.
At your own pace
No groups, bookings or schedules.
Rigorous
Fact-checked content and visible sources.
For everyone
Accessible, free stories in four languages.
Our process
Stories well told, sources well checked.
Research
Institutional sources, bibliography and archives.
Writing
Accessible texts that don’t sacrifice rigour or context.
Human review
Facts, dates and attributions checked by a member of the team.
The city is the archive.
Start with a city, or tell us which one you’d like to see next.