Tip Me on Revolut

When you hear "free walking tour," it sounds almost too good to be true. And in a way, it is. While travelers love the idea of exploring a new city without paying upfront, there’s more happening behind the scenes than most people realize. Let me walk you through what it actually takes to keep a "free" tour running and why tipping your guide isn’t just polite—it’s essential. What "Free" Really Means?

Free walking tours are part of the "pay what you want" model. The idea is simple: no upfront cost, no pressure, and you decide what the experience was worth at the end. This model makes city tours accessible to more people. It’s great for budget travel and solo travelers trying to make the most of every euro. But there’s a flip side: guides only earn what guests choose to give. And that can vary wildly from day to day.

Most people don’t realize how many expenses tour guides cover just to make these walks possible. Here’s a transparent breakdown of what I personally spend each month to keep my Bratislava tours running:

Health and social insurance: €350/month (mandatory for self-employed in Slovakia)

Website hosting and maintenance: €20/month

Booking system (for direct reservations): €50/month

Google Ads: €200/month (on average, to stay visible online)

That’s a total of €620 before I’ve even met a single guest.

And that’s not all. If you book through third-party platforms like:

GuruWalk: they take €2.25 per person

FreeTour.com: €3 per person

Viator/Tripadvisor:  20-50% of your payment

These platforms help me reach more travelers, but they eat into what guides actually earn. Supporting local guides directly through our websites helps us avoid these fees and keep more of what we earn. Please keep in mind—these numbers are specific to my situation as a full-time guide running a small tour business in Bratislava. Every guide's costs may differ depending on their country, lifestyle, and business model.