Old Town Classic
a guest, from$28
- Six stops from the gate to the ramparts
- The salt trade and the great fire of 1611
- Under 12s walk at half price
- A headset for every guest
The Old Town, told street by street
Guided walking tours through the lanes, markets and ramparts of the Old Town, with a food walk on Saturdays and private tours on any day. Groups stop at twelve guests, so everyone hears the guide.
12guests at most on a group tour
2 hoursfor the classic walk
Dailyat 10:00 and 15:00
- Daily walks from the Clock Gate
- A food walk every Saturday
- Private tours for families and groups
- Tours in six languages
Four ways to walk the Old Town
Every tour is led on foot by one of our guides, starts at a fixed meeting point and ends somewhere worth lingering. Prices are per guest unless a card says otherwise.
Market and Food Walk
a guest, from$69
- Tastings at six family run stalls and kitchens
- Enough food to count as lunch
- A vegetarian route on request
- Saturdays at 10:30
Lantern Walk
a guest, from$34
- The lanes after dark, by lantern light
- Trials, curfews and the night watch
- Ages 12 and up
- Fridays and Saturdays at 20:00
Private tour
a group, from$220
- Your own guide at your own pace
- Any day, starting from your hotel
- Routes for children, history lovers or photographers
- Each extra hour $60
Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, or move to another date at any point before the start. Tours run in light rain; if a storm warning is issued, the guide calls the walk off and every guest is refunded.
Departures and meeting points
Arrive ten minutes early and look for a guide holding a green umbrella, open or closed.
| Tour | Days | Starts | Meets at | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Town Classic | Every day | 10:00 and 15:00 | Under the Clock Gate arch | English, Spanish, French |
| Market and Food Walk | Saturday | 10:30 | The fountain outside the Salt Market | English |
| Lantern Walk | Friday and Saturday | 20:00 | The foot of the Weighhouse steps | English |
| Private tour | Any day | When you choose | Your hotel or the Clock Gate | Six languages, on request |
Summer adds a 17:00 classic walk from June to August, posted here a month ahead.
The classic route, stop by stop
Two hours and about three kilometres, mostly on cobbles, with a seated stop halfway round.
The Clock Gate
The last of the four medieval gates, where the town crier once read the news to everyone coming in.
The Salt Market
The square that made the town rich, with the merchants' houses still leaning over it.
Tanners' Steps
Ninety stone steps down to the river, where the tanneries were kept well away from the wealthy streets.
Cathedral of the Lanterns
A seated stop in the nave, under the hanging lanterns that gave the cathedral its name.
The Weighhouse
Where every cart of salt was weighed and taxed, and where the great fire of 1611 was finally stopped.
The Ramparts
A walk along the top of the old walls, ending with a view over the rooftops and the river.
Guides who grew up inside the walls
Every guide on the team was born in the Old Town or has lived inside its walls for more than ten years, and each one has trained with the town archive. They carry a folder of old maps and engravings, so the great fire and the salt carts are something guests see as well as hear about.
All of them hold the guide badge issued by the town, although the rules for licensing guides differ from one country to another. Groups stay at twelve or fewer, and every guest wears a light headset, so nobody has to crowd round to catch a story.
- Twelve guests at most on group tours
- A headset for every guest
- Old maps and engravings at each stop
- First aid training for every guide
Tours in six languages
The classic walk runs in English, Spanish and French every day. Private tours can be led in any of these six languages with a week's notice.
- English
- Spanish
- French
- German
- Arabic
- Japanese
Guests who use a wheelchair or a pushchair can ask for the level route, which avoids the Tanners' Steps and the ramparts and adds a stop at the river quay instead.
Along the way
Six moments from the classic walk, the food walk and the lantern walk.
Walkers write (example reviews)
Our guide held up an old engraving of the Salt Market at exactly the spot it was drawn from. The children were hooked from that moment on.
Six stops, six tastings, and not one of them the obvious tourist choice. Come hungry and wear flat shoes.
A private tour planned around a grandmother with a walking stick, on the level route, with a long coffee stop. Nobody felt rushed.
Before you walk
Where exactly do we meet?
Each tour's meeting point is in the departures table. Look for a guide with a green umbrella, and arrive ten minutes before the start.
Can the route work for wheelchairs and pushchairs?
The classic route includes cobbles, the Tanners' Steps and the ramparts. The level route skips the steps and the walls; ask for it when booking and the guide plans around it.
What happens if it rains?
Walks go ahead in light rain, and guides carry spare ponchos. If a storm warning is issued, the guide cancels, and every guest is refunded or moved to another day.
Can children come along?
Yes. Under 12s pay half price on the classic walk and the food walk. The Lantern Walk is for ages 12 and up, because some of its stories are grim.
Can the food walk suit allergies or special diets?
A vegetarian route is easy to arrange. The stalls handle nuts, gluten and dairy, so guests with serious allergies should say so when booking and agree with the guide which tastings to skip.
How many people join each tour?
Group tours stop at twelve guests. A private tour is for your own party only, up to ten guests.
Book a tour
Pick the tour, the day and the start time, then say how many are coming and in which language. Within a working day the office either holds the places for you or proposes the closest departure with seats left.
- Places are held only once the office confirms
- Payment is arranged directly with the tour office
- Cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund
Find the green umbrella
The tour office sits beside the Clock Gate. Call during office hours, or email at any time.
Tour office
A tour office beside the Clock Gate, at the north edge of the Old Town
Office hours
| Monday to Saturday | 09:00 to 18:00 |
| Sunday | 09:30 to 15:00 |
| Tours | Daily, in every season |
Planning a group?
Schools, clubs and companies can book guides for groups of up to forty, split into walking groups of ten with a guide each.
Ask about a group