Generation Tours

A free-tour network across 5 European cities

Generation Tours runs tip-only walking tours, plus a night-time pub crawl, in 5 European cities: Dublin, Budapest, Prague, Berlin and Barcelona. The homepage headline is "Free walking tours in 5 cities", and the about page says the company offers "more daily free tours than any other provider across our network of five European cities". The homepage puts the number at "more than 20 free tours every day across our network of five European cities".

The about page tells the origin story: "Generation Tours was started in 2012 in Dublin", because the founders felt the city, "so rich in culture, artistry, character and characters, history, stories, story-tellers, and incredible locals deserved better quality tours than were available". It says visitors told them "they had never enjoyed or appreciated a free or paid city tour so much before", and that the company then expanded to Budapest, Prague, Berlin and Barcelona. The footer copyright reads "Generation Tours © 2007-2026", which does not match the 2012 start date, and a footer "Locations" list also names Lisbon, Amsterdam, Rome, Krakow, Tel Aviv, Athens, Madrid and London, although the site describes tours only in the 5 cities.

The guides are described on the homepage as "passionate young professional freelance guides", and the about page says "Our tour guides are all top-quality, professional locals with in-depth historical knowledge."

What each city offers

The about page says the company runs "a number of different free walking tours in each of these cities, offering general tours as well as theme-specific tours focusing in-depth on particular topics". The homepage gives a one-line pitch for each city:

• Dublin: "The little city with a mighty heart", "full of character, culture, history stories, myths & legends", with the site singling out "the incredible folklore of Dublin".
• Budapest: "an unbeatable introduction to Budapest and unique insight to the history, culture, must-sees and hidden gems", and what the site calls "the classical pulse of Budapest".
• Prague: "From Old town & the Jewish quarter, to the Castle & New Town", and "the fairy-tale magic of Prague's cobbled streets".
• Berlin: "intriguing sub-cultures, fascinating stories and turbulent history", "a capital of impressive beauty and gritty urban charm", and "the alternative side of Berlin".
• Barcelona: "the history, atmosphere, local culture, intriguing architecture and Medieval charm", with "the wonderful Catalan Modernism architecture of Barcelona".

For the named tours, their routes and schedules, the homepage says to "Click on your desired city to see the different free walking tours we offer there", so each city has its own tour list, guide profiles and booking.

The Generation Pub Crawl is the company's "night-time activity" in the same 5 cities. The homepage also advertises tickets for an "NYE Pub Crawl in Dublin" for New Year's Eve 2025.

How the tours are run

The company is emphatic about its model and style. "We provide free walking tours exclusively; all of our walking tours are free tours." "We don't upsell, promote or recommend any activity or service on our tours for commercial gain." Guides are "actively involved in local culture too", as "artists, musicians, theatre performers", and "have the freedom to show you their city as well as the fundamentals, the must-sees, and the essential stories, with their own thoughts, passions, critiques, and charm". The homepage adds that guides are "not tied to a script or local tourism body agenda" and can offer "a 'warts and all' experience".

The about page frames the whole business as a reply to the reputation of free tours. "For too long, the free tour has been regarded as a second-rate or 'lesser-tour' for budget-travellers, run by students and underqualified amateur guides and, in many cases, designed to upsell you onto a paid tour or promote other products to you. Well, not on our watch!" The name, it says, refers to "a new generation of travellers" who "will never have to feel ripped off, let down, or disappointed by a walking tour experience in our cities again". The homepage makes the same case in plainer terms: good city tours "shouldn't come at extortionate prices", and guides will also "fill you in on the up to date happenings in the city and answer any of your questions."

The site explains the payment side too: "The tour guides don't get paid from any other source, only from the amounts people choose to pay after the tour, so they really must be top quality guides and provide excellent service!" It describes the free tour as "much the same as a traditional paid tour, except you're free to decide how much you pay at the end of the tour", and says guests can "pay what you like, what you can afford, or what you feel the tour was worth".

The blog is Dublin-heavy, with posts on what to see on a 6 to 8 hour layover (the post says 8 hours "is more than sufficient to see some central parts of the city" while 6 is "much tighter"), cafés and Wi-Fi for digital nomads, solo travel in Dublin, and day trips from Dublin without a car.

Booking and contact

The homepage and about page point to city pages for booking; the top menu has "Become a guide", "Groups", "Contact" and "Blog", and the footer links Terms and conditions and a Feedback page. The homepage and about page give no phone number or email, only the contact page link.

What the site leaves open

The homepage and about page do not list meeting points, start times, tour lengths, group-size limits or languages for any city; the homepage leaves those details to the individual city pages. They also do not give a suggested tip, a cancellation rule, or pub crawl prices beyond the New Year's Eve ticket promotion. Accessibility, children and walking difficulty are not addressed on either page, and the "Groups" page's terms are not summarized.

Generation Tours suits travelers moving between Dublin, Budapest, Prague, Berlin and Barcelona who want the same free-tour format and style in each city, with a stated promise of no upselling and guides free to speak their minds. Anyone who needs to know the exact meeting point, length or group cap before choosing a date should open the relevant city page first.