Walk the World!

“Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.” Steven Wright

Travel is a necessity for me. I probably carry the spirit of travel within me even when I am out exploring my own city. We (my husband and I) have become a fan of walking tours lately, and this is our preferred way of touring each destination.

Here’s why we love (guided) walking tours:

1. Most tourist places in any major city are located within a radius of a few miles, and walking is the best way to see each attraction. Even if you get on a bus or in a car , movement is slow and you have to constantly keep getting off and on, dragging your camera along (not to mention trying to find parking for your car). Better to just walk.

Walking on the streets of Oslo, with quotes by Henrik Ibsen (norwegian playwright) engraved on the sidewalk

2. You get plenty of exercise to offset the gourmet meals you enjoy on your vacation. (That’s how we burnt off all our calories from pizza and gelati in Italy! 10000 steps a day- bring it on!)

Crossing the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence to burn off calories

3. Many major cities, especially in Europe have free walking tours provided by a local guide. The quality of these tours might be variable, but they are usually fun. Our most entertaining walking tour was a free one in Oslo, Norway where our guide had witty anecdotes on the history and geography of Norway.

The stories we heard with the Oslo Opera House in the backdrop!

4. If you want an in-depth tour to understand the history and culture of a place, there are special tours led by university students of history and archeology. We did such tours in Rome and the Vatican City, and learnt a lot that we would not otherwise have figured out (they tend to be pricier, though).

Painted ceiling, Vatican City: Without a knowledgeable guide, we would never had understood art from the 16th century

5. Most walking tours are conducted in smaller groups, and there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions. I myself am not that inquisitive but love listening to other people’s questions and the tour guide’s answers.

You have to ask questions when something as quirky as this shows up on the sidewalk on a tour of historic Annapolis, MD..

6. There is safety in numbers! Traveling in a group is much safer than exploring a city alone.

Dusk- Pier 39, San Francisco, CA- safer with people around

7. Having children might appear to be deterrent, but not for us. We have a stroller with a reclining seat in which our son (now 5 years old) can sleep. He has been with us on all our walking tours, sometimes participated actively, and often fallen asleep. On uneven surfaces, we just haul the stroller together, each parent catching one end.

My son had plenty of questions regarding these cannons at the Akershus fortress, Oslo, Norway

8. I strongly recommend trying walking tours in your own city on a free weekend. We did 4 free tours covering 4 sections of Philadelphia one Saturday, and it was the best sightseeing in our own town. (Also it was our first time walking through many areas of the city, because we always drive everywhere.)

Outside the Rodin museum in Philadelphia

9. In addition to seeing major attractions, you can discover some hidden gems, especially local cafes and eateries. Many walking tours take you through the local markets where the tour guides help you buy authentic stuff at fair prices.