Harry's Free Tour, 3 Hours

Harry's Free Tour is the top-rated free walk in Toulouse, scoring 4.92 across 1149 reviews. It covers the old centre on foot for three hours, and you pay only what you choose to tip the guide at the end.

Overview

This is a three hour history walk through Toulouse, run on a pay what you think it was worth basis at the end. It begins at Place Saint-Sernin, where the guide waits in a hat and a Hawaiian shirt across from the cafe Les Delices de Saturnin. The route has 7 stops in total, and the listing shows the first 3: Saint-Sernin, the Capitole and the Jacobins. Other sites visited on the walk include Place du Capitole, Rue Saint Rome, the Hotel d'Assezat, Pont Neuf, La Daurade, Rue de Taur and the Basilica Saint-Sernin.

The guide, a Scot who has lived in the city for over twenty years, tells the past as linked stories rather than a dry list of monuments. Expect medieval Toulouse, the Cathars, the Albigensian Crusade, the Inquisition, the Canal du Midi, the Revolution, the Great Flood of 1875, the Capitouls, the troubadours, a little of the Aeropostale line, and even martyrdom by bull. By weight of time, the medieval era dominates, with smaller shares for antiquity, the Renaissance, the industrial age, architecture, and food and drink recommendations.

It suits travellers who genuinely like history and want context, not just photo stops. Reviewers repeatedly call the guide knowledgeable, funny and passionate, and several describe the walk as a brilliant introduction that improved the rest of their stay. If you mainly want restaurant tips or a short stroll, the listing itself suggests other, shorter tours may fit better.

Itinerary

1. Meet at Place Saint-SerninThe guide waits in a hat and Hawaiian shirt in the basilica grounds where rue Saint-Bernard joins the square, across from the cafe Les Delices de Saturnin. The cafe opens at 8 daily if you want a coffee first.
2. Saint-SerninThe listing shows this as the first of the 7 stops on the route.
3. CapitoleThe second stop described by the operator. The route also passes other sites including Rue Saint Rome, the Hotel d'Assezat, Pont Neuf, La Daurade and Rue de Taur.
4. Convent of the JacobinsThe third stop described by the operator. The tour lasts 3 hours and may overrun by about 10 minutes if the group is enjoying itself.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points will help you decide whether this walk fits your day.

• Pace and duration. The tour runs 3 hours, sometimes overrunning by around 10 minutes. It is a walking tour of the city centre, so comfortable shoes matter.
• Language and speed. The tour is in English. The guide admits he talks quickly when excited, and invites non native speakers to ask him to slow down.
• History heavy. This is very much a history tour. Several reviewers praise the depth of knowledge, and the listing warns that people after only bar and restaurant tips may find it too much information.
• Weather. Summer afternoon tours can be cancelled a couple of days ahead when temperatures reach around 38 degrees. Morning tours are more reliable, and the meeting point cafe offers shelter from rain.
• Food and drink tips. Roughly a tenth of the tour time goes on where to eat, drink and what else to do in town. The guide says he knows these places well.
• Payment model. Booking is free and you pay the guide what you feel the walk was worth at the end.

Common issues. The listing is upfront about several limits. Afternoon summer tours may be cancelled when heat reaches around 38 degrees, usually a couple of days in advance. The tour does not visit the Cathedral and skips the blue dye trade and the Huguenot rebellion, which the guide himself regrets. Some visitors have found it too much information, and the guide warns that people not really into history might get bored. He also speaks quickly at times, though he will slow down if asked.

Common Questions