They may be promoted as free, but guides can still be charged for every person who books. Here is what travellers should understand before signing up.

It is a rainy day in Rome in December, and my friend Daphne* has been standing near Piazza Barberini for 30 minutes. Five people reserved places on her free walking tour. Not one of them has arrived.

It is the third consecutive tour where nobody has turned up.

For the people who booked, there is no monetary consequence. For Daphne, however, there may be. She has turned down other paid work to lead the walk, meaning those absent guests have cost her both time and earnings.

Yet if the tour is described as free, why would Daphne expect to be paid?

Here is how it works.

With a free walking tour, visitors reserve online without an advance payment and are invited to leave a tip once the tour ends. Since this format gained traction across Europe in the early 2000s, it has become hugely popular. Online services now allow independent guides to promote their walks and connect with travellers.

However, guides using certain booking platforms may have to pay a reservation or referral charge for every guest who attends. Daphne says one service charged her €3 per participant. If someone leaves only a very small tip, she might make almost nothing from that guest, or even end up out of pocket.

For travellers, the simple booking process and lack of an upfront charge are major advantages. Kash Bhattacharya, who writes about budget travel, says free tours allowed him to discover new cities while travelling as a student. “You paid according to what you could afford and how much you enjoyed the experience,” he says.

So why would guides choose a format that does not guarantee income? Despite the financial uncertainty — and licensing rules that can apply in certain destinations — free tours can offer an accessible entry point for people who want to start guiding and make money by sharing a city they know well.

“I grew up loving theatre, and I love history,” Daphne says. “Being able to show people around the Eternal City is an incredible job.”

“Come on!” the guide shouts at someone standing beside me. “I paid €3.50 for you!”

It is peak summer in Istanbul, and our group is gathered under the harsh midday sun between Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. The guide has just been handed a tip he believes is far too low. Until that moment he has seemed relaxed and friendly, so his outburst is startling. But it reveals an important truth: a tour advertised as free can cost the guide money if tips do not cover their expenses.

This conflict sits at the heart of the system. Some visitors reasonably see a tip as entirely voluntary, while booking platforms may encourage guests to leave a “fair” amount but insist that guides must not pressure anyone to pay.

Heather Mae Ellis, president of the Berlin Guides Association, says the difficulty is that some participants will interpret the word “free” literally. “I would hope that anyone travelling in Europe could afford a few euros for a tour,” she says. “But you also have to recognise that people may take your wording at face value.”

Daphne accepts that possibility, but says her approach is that some guests give more and others contribute less, and over time it generally balances out.

There is no universal rule for what to leave. Some services suggest tips ranging from €15 to €50 per person for freelance guides, while guides often say the appropriate amount depends on the city, the standard of the tour and a visitor’s own budget.

When deciding, it can help to consider local living costs, including food, drinks and rent. In Vienna over New Year, my guide recommended at least €20, and many people gave €25. In Istanbul, once considered a low-cost destination but now facing rapidly rising prices, I paid €15 to €20, compared with the €5 to €10 I might have left in the past.

Daphne, who lives in Rome, says she would ideally receive “at least around €15 per person”.

That said, there can still be space for a genuine pay-what-you-can approach. Daphne says that if she took two students around Rome and they gave her €20 between them, she would not be upset. Personally, I usually leave €15 to €25 after a strong tour.

Bhattacharya also advises travellers to think about the guide’s knowledge and the value they brought to the experience. “If you really enjoyed it and the guide put their heart and soul into it, then you should give more,” he says.

And if the walk is not enjoyable? You are free to leave.

* Name changed to protect privacy.