sandemans tour valencia

Just How Do "Free Tours" Work? An Interview With Sandemans New Europe

By Pauline Frommer

10/23/2019, 1:00 PM

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Sandemans, the origin of Free Tours

Surely you know what a Free Tour is, but have you considered its origin? To do this we must return to 2003, and to the figure of Chris Sandeman.   Chris Sandeman was a young tour guide from the city of Berlin, who lost his job. He wanted to continue working as a guide, and desperate, decided to throw himself on the street with a poster where you could read “free tour based on tips.”   As often happens with innovative ideas, it did not work, people looked at him as crazy, and practically had no clients, so the second week he showed up at the hostels in the city to offer his services.   Why did he go to the hostels? Usually hotels seek to obtain commissions and give a contrasted service. On the other hand, hostels seek to generate a more complete experience to their guests without taking into account their own benefit. Sandeman gave a guided service to the hostel’s customers, and the hostels got good reviews from their clients by providing them with quality service.   He quickly realized two great advantages of his new service. In the first place, his clients were totally different to the ones that used to appear when he was a private guide. They were people who sought an independent, more economical and more informal experience. Second, their routes gained quality quickly, as his livelihood depended on the quality of the route. When he was an official guide, he performed his work routinely, but because of the free tour system he knew he had to offer the best possible service in order to earn more.   His surprise was enormous seeing how grateful his customers were, not just because they paid what they wanted to, but because they were given the opportunity to decide their own price. It gave the client such respect and power, and the customers knew that they were getting a great service, as they knew that the guide was doing his best.   It worked so well that in just 6 months he got 50% of the Berlin market. The private guides were promptly protesting that he was stealing the market, but Chris was prepared. He had gone to see his old colleagues, had made numbers and had realized that they had not lost customers, on the contrary, they had increased their numbers. The existence of the Free Tour system had not affected the traditional guide, but complemented it. It was a new market.   Nowadays, the Free Tour system is spread all over the world, and we, Heart of Sevilla, have collected the witness of this great idea from Chris Sandeman, and we firmly believe in giving the best service possible. We are from Seville, we love Seville, and we want every visitor to leave our city with the feeling of having discovered the heart of Seville. You can check our free tours here .  

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Valencia Walking Tour

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Valencia – Spanish art and architecture

Valencia enchants the Spanish city with its bright orange trees, the colorful old town streets, modern architecture, and the silk exchange, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  But what should you see on your trip to Valencia? Our local guides reveal why it is worth visiting Valencia, what to see, and how to choose within the many free walking tours Valencia and the private walking tour Valencia.

Valencia Walking   Tour

Everyone knows Madrid or Barcelona, ​​but only very few have the third largest Spanish city on their radar. Valencia has a lot to offer and is an absolute trend travel destination for 2020.

Discovering the city and choose some of the best local tour guides in Valencia for your free guided walking ( visitas guiadas) tour options such as:

• A free evening walking tour Valencia 
• A free architecture of Valencia walking tour 
• Free walking tour Valencia English, German, French …
• El tour: classic Valencia walking tour Sandeman 
• A Valencia old town walking tour 
• And a large choice on alternative vest free walking tour Valencia 

Get your Valencia walking tour map out, and let’s discover the best must-sees in the Spanish city.

  Tours in Valencia

For your Valencia walking tour, our tour guides are often starting from the Old Town. Let’s discover what you should see in the stunning Spanish city.

• The “Lonja de la Seda” silk exchange with its Gothic architecture was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1996. The hall of columns is particularly worth seeing.
• The “Tribunal de las Aguas de la Vega de Valencia” court the water’s weekly meetings. There, disputes about using the river water are settled at the Apostle portal of the Cathedral of Valencia. This millennial tradition was recognized as an intangible cultural asset in 2009. 
• Plaza Del Mercado is just a few minutes’ walks from Lonja de la Seda. The gorgeous Art Nouveau market hall is interesting for architecture fans and especially for fans of a market with lots of fresh delicacies. 
• Madrugada Verde is about a 20-minute walk further south, in the Ruzafa district, you will find the Mercado de San Valero, the city’s first street food market. 
• Stroll through the Carmen district. It is also located in the heart of the city – and is a must for any visitor to Valencia. 
• The Ateneo’s viewing platform rises 50 meters and offers you a great view of the heart of the city. 
• Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias – the “City of Arts and Sciences” is an architectural highlight.
• In the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía you can take a tour to enter the areas where operas and other musical works are performed. The Centro de Perfeccionamiento Plácido Domingo, where future artists are trained, is also part of the tour. 

There are so many more sites to visit. Ask your local tour guide to get more tips and insiders’ advice on how to discover Valencia as a local.

Start your Valencia  Walking  Tours

That you choose a classic walking tour Valencia old town or an alternative free walking tour of the city, we believe that a local guide is the best way to get a real first impression of the city and understand the local culture’s people.

At Riviera Bar Crawls & Tours, we list the best  walking tours in Valencia and throughout Europe  to quickly decide what is best for you. It is finally simple, straightforward, and easy to design your next trip to Spain.

For further enquires and information, don’t hesitate to get in contact with us via our email: [email protected]

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Essential Free Tour of San Sebastian

Discover the main attractions of San Sebastian’s historical centre on this 2.5-hour free tour with a local guide

ABOUT THE Essential Free Tour of San Sebastian

This tour is operated by our partner Spain Free Tours.

On this 2.5-hour free tour led by a local guide you’ll discover the best that San Sebastian’s old town (Parte Vieja) has to offer by wandering its narrow and charming streets filled with tapas and pintxos bars. Walk along Paseo de la Concha and admire the famous Beach of La Concha, see some of the most emblematic buildings in the city, including the Town Hall and San Telmo Museum, and learn about Basque traditions, unique culture and rich gastronomy.

The Free Tour of San Sebastian starts at Plaza Cervantes, next to the Don Quixote and Sancho sculpture.

Enjoy the views to San Sebastian’s beautiful seaside

Meet your expert local guide next to the statue of Don Quixote and Sancho at Plaza Cervantes and start your free tour of San Sebastian (or Donostia as it’s known in Basque) by strolling along Paseo de la Concha and admiring one of the most beautiful urban beaches in Europe, La Concha. 

The first stop of your walking tour will take you to the Alderdi Eder gardens located alongside La Concha Bay. You won’t be surprised to discover that its name means “beautiful place” in Basque when you see its colourful flower gardens, beautiful trees, fountains and statues. Here you’ll also discover the Town Hall, one of the most majestic buildings in Donostia. Originally built to house the city’s Grand Casino, this elegant palace will take you back in time to the Belle Époque.

Discover the city centre and the old town

You’ll continue your free tour to Plaza Gipuzkoa, one of the most emblematic places in San Sebastian. Explore this green square located in the city centre and see the beautiful Neoclassical building that houses the headquarters of the regional council of Gipuzkoa. From there you’ll walk to the Alameda del Boulevard, the lively shopping avenue that connects the old and new parts of Donostia.

Your guide will then take you to the historical Plaza de la Constitución in the centre of the old town (Parte Vieja) and will tell you about the Tamborrada, the most important festival in Donostia, while you admire the colourful balconies that surround the square. Explore the cobblestone streets of the Parte Vieja (or “lo Viejo” as the locals call it) and see all the important buildings of the old town such as the Gothic-style Church of San Vicente, the baroque Basilica of Saint Mary of Chorus and San Telmo Museum.

Learn about the rich Basque gastronomy

During your free tour you’ll also learn why San Sebastian is a foodie’s paradise and you’ll hear about the typical pintxos and the best local bars and restaurants for the most authentic Basque experience. You’ll finish off the tour by walking to the small but bustling port of Donostia-San Sebastian.

Tours in San Sebastian are offered by our partners, Spain Free Tours. While you may not see the trademark SANDEMANs red umbrellas (look instead for the orange Spain Free Tours umbrellas), we only work with partners we know, trust, and who have been vetted by us to ensure they meet the same standards you are used to enjoying in SANDEMANs’ own cities. We are proud to partner with Spain Free Tours and are sure you’ll love their tours as much as we do!

• See the famous beach of La Concha, one of the most beautiful urban beaches in Europe
• Delve into the history of San Sebastian while you discover all the must-see sights including the Town Hall, Plaza Gipuzkoa, Plaza de la Constitución and San Telmo Museum
• Learn about Basque incredibly unique culture and traditions, such as pelota vasca and the Tamborrada drum parade
• Wander through the charming and lively streets of the old town (Parte Vieja) and hear about Basque gastronomy and the typical pintxos

Spain Free Tours is our vetted partner in Valencia, Bilbao & San Sebastian - Spain

• Local English-speaking guide
• Gratuities for the guide (optional)
• This activity is operated by our partner Free Tour Spain. This experience is not provided by SANDEMANs, but has been chosen by our specialists from an array of offers based on their quality and value

What is the SANDEMANs Partner Network?

Tours in San Sebastian are offered by a partner, not SANDEMANs NEW Europe.

We only work with partners we know, trust, and who have been vetted by us to ensure they meet the same standards you are used to enjoying in SANDEMANs’ own cities.

We are proud to partner with Spain Free Tours and are sure you’ll love their tours as much as we do.

Book a tour with one of our partners

• SANDEMANs only works with partners that meet the same quality standards than us
• Tours are chosen by our specialists from an array of offers based on their quality and value
• We connect the best local guides with travelers from all around the world

WALKING TOURS & ACTIVITIES IN SAN SEBASTIAN

San Sebastian Small Group Pintxos Tour

Discover San Sebastian's local gastronomy and taste delicious, typical Basque pintxos on this 2.5-ho ...

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