Benefits of Self-Guided Tours

The world is slowly opening up again and we can stretch our legs again. After a long stay at home, more and more people yearn every day to get outdoors in search of an authentic experience.

Although traditional sightseeing tours, where you go somewhere new and a guide walks you through all the important spots, are still popular, self-guided tours are a more relaxed and personalized alternative .

What is a self-guided tour?

A self-guided tour is a self-directed tour that allows you to explore walking routes or urban areas without the need for a guide. Self-guided trips can be both a personal and group experience.

Many tourist companies or sites now provide maps, directions, suggestions, information and things to see to make self-guided tours an interactive and unique experience.

Create digital itineraries

What is the difference between a guided tour and a self-guided tour?

On a guided tour, your entire experience is organized by your tour guide, who has already planned where to go and what to do. In contrast, self-guided tours allow visitors to choose their own activities and pace of the tour.

This means you can deviate from the path and, for example, follow the path along a river to its source. It’s up to your wanderlust (and stamina) to decide how far you want to go. If your need to travel extends beyond fancy hotels and meals, self-guided trips may be just what you need.

Types of Self-Guided Tours

A myriad of destinations are available to the daring adventurer who prefers authentic, self-guided experiences . Their complexity varies from the idyllic walking route with the sun on your face to the bravado of the winter wilderness.

A novice, or foreign, traveler should stay away from more demanding trails until he has gained some experience. There’s nothing wrong with tackling the smaller challenges first, then coming back to the harder ones with a few completed routes under your belt.

Here is a list of ideas for people looking to choose a self-guided tour for their next getaway . We’ll start with the basic and leisure activities that one can do with friends or family, then we delve a little into what the most intrepid travel aficionados do.

Walking routes

Walking tours may be closer to you than you think! In fact, you can create a walking route from any interesting neighborhood . Enthusiasts who prefer a day of adventure away from city lights would do well to seek out trails in and around their area. You would be surprised to discover how many wonders nature hides just a few kilometers from your home!

It’s no exaggeration to say that hiking trails are perfect for everyone. A small group of people can spend the afternoon walking by the river. Seniors can take their time and enjoy the birds chirping. A multi-family gathering can take place on the trail itself, providing adults with the perfect place to gather and children with space to play and run.

Circuit generator for hiking trails

Railway paths

Disused railway lines still connect towns and villages across hills, rivers and valleys. Once the rolling trains are a memory, nature will slowly begin to take back the tracks, creating beautiful walks through the countryside .

Natural paths are created by nature which takes over the old railway tracks. Many of them are flat and spacious, making rail trails ideal for joggers, cyclists and even equestrians. Since many abandoned railroad tracks lead to historic sites, many explorers looking for a self-guided walking tour will find them interesting.

Urban trails

You don’t have to travel far from home to take a memorable self-guided tour . Urban trails run through the streets and parks of cities large and small around the world. Have you visited the main tourist sites in your region? Taking a self-guided tour of your own city is a great way to exercise and learn more about the place you live.

On the other hand, an interesting experience that you might try at least once in your life is to go abroad to a very remote concrete jungle and explore part of it on foot . You will be amazed at how different it is from traveling by taxi or tourist bus. Additionally, many museums, galleries, and historic sites create self-guided tours for you so you can access interactive information from your mobile device.

Cycle paths

Who said you have to walk to have an authentic experience? The great outdoors is ready to be explored at your preferred speed, and if that speed involves barreling down a bike with the wind in your face, so be it.

Many experienced cyclists go off-road, through the mountains or the countryside. Those looking for a more casual and relaxing getaway can rejoice in the numerous trails dotted all around. Maybe the next town isn’t that far and there’s a nice bike path along the highway. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than riding in the wind, feeling the warmth of the evening sun?