So my first walking tour on Saturday was with Sandeman's New Europe Lisbon on their Free Walking Tour. I have been on several of Sandeman's New Europe tours now. I've been on the Liverpool, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Edinburgh, and London. This was going to be my sixth tour with this company. It is advertised as a free walking tour and there is no obligation for you to pay but it is a nice thing to do. The tour guides are freelancers usually students with history degrees of the country you are in. From what I have gathered they have to give a cut of how many people are in their tour for the day to the company and then they keep the tips given at the end of their tours based on how much you enjoyed them.
I have never had a bad tour with them so far. In Madrid, we were unable to take the tour in 2009 do to some unrest in the tourism companies but I have not had any lacklustre experiences with the company. They usually last around three hours and give you the history of the city and go over some of the main sights.
The tour in Lisbon starts at 11 am or 2 pm at the Camões Monument in the Largo de Camões. This is very close to Baixa/Chiado metro stop and Largo Chiado.
I do not have an exact list of where we went as I was just staring at the beautiful buildings and the amazing weather we were having. We did go to Chiado and Bairro Alto. The guide told us about the Carnation Revolution, Salazar Dictatorship, the Great Earthquake of 1755.
I loved seeing all the different tiles on the buildings. They are known as azulejos and there is even a whole museum dedicated to them. They are everywhere in Lisbon and all of Portugal. Decorating almost all the buildings in unique patterns and colours. We walked through the town, visiting a Eric Kayser for some refreshments and toilet break.
The tour ended in Praça do Comércio which is a large square containing a statue of King José I and the Rua Augusta Arch. The Arch has six columns and is adorned with statues of historical figures.
Sandmans New Lisbon Free Walking Tour. 11 am and 2 pm. Camões Monument in the Largo de Camões. Everyday of the week.
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