The World's Best Free Stuff

Free Sightseeing

Get the inside track on a city from someone who knows it best—a local. These volunteers truly want to show off their town, and won’t demand a tip or force you into a tchotchke store. And some places, like New York City, throw in free public transportation. A typical visit lasts anywhere from two hours or more, and greeters can be scheduled via e-mail or telephone. Most programs ask that you arrange a visit several weeks or one month before arrival.

Where: New York City, Fairbanks, Toronto, Chicago, Paris, Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Houston, Kent, England, Adelaide, Nantes, France. And new greeters programs are continually cropping up around the world.

The World’s Best Free Stuff