Frequently Asked Questions

Q

: Do we need to book this tour in advance?

A

: No, you can just show up at the meeting point, but we recommend to make a reservation so we can better organize the tours.

Q

: How do I sign up for this tour?

A

: You can sign up directly on our web site, choose your tour and fill the form to book the tour. We always send you a personalized email. If you don't receive one, just check with us by sendind an email to chilloutlisbon@gmail.com

Q

: Where does the tour go?

A

: We do free tours and our guides are free to adapt the tour to their group according with what they consider the best for the group, but in general we all cover the whole historical center of Lisbon. The areas of Bairro Alto, Chiado, Baixa, Alfama and Graça.

Q

: Do you run the tours on the Christmas day (24 and 25 December)?

A

: Yes, We have two english tours everyday at 10:00 Am and at 3:00 Pm. The Christmas season, 24 and 25 December, is no exception.

Q

: How long does the tour last?

A

: Between 2:30 - 3:00h, depending on the interest and motivation of the group sometimes it can last a little bit longer

Q

: How much should I tip?

A

: As a base you should find a criteria that is fair and fits you, from there you go up or down. For example, take the prices of the private tours as a reference, if you think the free walking tour was better you tip more, if you think it was average tip the average, if you think it's worthless, just leave in the beginning. If you stay more than 30-40 minutes obviously you found the tour interesting.

Q

: How does this work?

A

: It's a tour in which we cover all the historical center, we go to places that you wouldn't find in your maps and we add value to your stay in Lisbon by sharing our local perspective. It lasts for about 2:30 - 3 hours and in the end you choose the price you want to pay with honesty and fairness.

Q

: Why is it a free tour?

A

: Because we believe it helps create a better experience. It promotes the responsibility on the part of the participants because they have to evaluate our work in a fair way, and it makes the guides work harder but at the same time more freely. We trust that people will give a fair and honest evaluation of the time we spent together.

Q

: Who pays for these tours?

A

: You pay for this tour - In our tours we have no agreement or sponsorships from other institutions because we like to be a genuinely free walking tour. We only reap the directs fruits of our work in the tours. So, your contributions are the only income that can keep the company alive.

Q

: What happens to the Tip I give to the guide?

A

: When you TIP the guide, you donation will be the salary of your guides, and the salary of everyone involved on making this company works, in the back office, as well as all the organization costs, like publicity, website, training, human resources, legal obligations, etc.

Q

: Do you have tours in other cities?

A

: No, For the moment we only organize tours in Lisbon.

Q

: Is this tour kids friendly?

A

: We often have kids, and the tour can be enjoyable for them. However, there will be many participants and we cannot do the tour exclusively to entertain the younger ones. If you want something more adapted to your family, consider booking a private tour.

Q

: How do I get to the meeting point?

A

: Camões Square is our Meeting Point, a very central square very close to metro station Baixa/Chiado, check the map in our website for more details.

Q

: What is the route of the tour?

A

: The tour covers the main historical parts of central Lisbon - normally Bairro Alto, Chiado, Baixa and Alfama.

Q

: What is the difference between the morning tour and the afternoon tour?

A

: The starting time (during the winter season the afternoon tours end when its already dark) and the guides, all our guides personalised the tour with different routes and perspectives to show you what is it like to be a real Lisboeta

Q

: Which attractions will you present us?

A

: We always try to skip the main touristic attractions, like the Castle or the Cathedral, we do talk about most of them. We choose not to take you there because they are already on your maps and you can walk there by yourself, we prefer to take you where most tourists don't go for you to discover the real Lisbon

Q

: Is there any parking space available near the starting point?

A

: There is a parking lot right under our meeting point. Just remember that the tour will not end where it started but it's very easy to get back to the meeting point by the iconic tram 28

Q

: How many people usually join the tours?

A

: We have an average of 15-25 people per tour. We do try to keep the groups small by dividing it in between two or more guides, but sometimes more people than expected show up.But don't worry, the tour will always run, even if it is only for one person!

Q

: In which languages are your tours?

A

: We do the free tours in English and Spanish. We also have private tours in Italian and Portuguese, of course!

Q

: I use a wheelchair, can I join your tour?

A

: Lisbon is not a low-mobility friendly city, unfortunately. The uneven streets and sidewalks, stairs and slippery cobble stones might be challenging. If you wish to do a tour send us an e-mail and we will organize a special private tour that is customized for you.

Q

: Are dogs allowed on the tour?

A

: Yes, as long as they don't disturb the guide and the other participants.

Q

: Can I leave the tour early?

A

: Yes, you are free to leave the tour whenever you want/need to. The only thing we ask is that you inform the guide that you are leaving and that you leave a contribution according to what you think it's fair.

Q

: Can I smoke during the tour?

A

: You will be sharing the same space with other people, so we usually ask the smokers not to disturb the non smoking travellers, it would be nice if you step aside of the group just while you smoke.

Q

: How many tours a day/week does a guide do?

A

: It depends on the week. We have a calendar that allows the guides to have a variable number of tours per week and also some days off. So, each guide has on average 2 to 5 tours per week. It can be more or less and also depends if is high or low season.

Q

: Can we arrange a tour in a different schedule?

A

: Yes, but it has to be a private tour, then you can even adapt to your interests and needs.

Q

: If only one person show up, will the tour happen?

A

: Yes, we don't require a group to make a tour.

Q

: Can groups of more than 5 people join the Free Walking Tour?

A

: When there is a group of people of more than 5, we usually ask to send an email so we can be prepared for that situation. The role of the guide is to give you the best tour possible and big groups in the tour usually diminish the quality of the tour itself. Of course there are some exceptions we can open (i.e. families), but for that you need to send an email first.

Q

: Does the tour finish on the same place where it starts?

A

: No. We don't have a pre-determined route and we always try to adapt the tour as much as possible to our guests. We try to cover all the historical center and we will pass by the areas of Bairro Alto, Chiado, Baixa, Alfama and Graça, but for doing that we will always have to finish in another spot of the city

Q

: Can I choose a specific guide?

A

: If you want to have a tour with one guide in particular we ask you to make a reservation in advance

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