Free Walking Tour Valladolid — Attraction in Valladolid

I have mixed feelings. I've been twice to Valladolid, and done two of these walking tours. The first one in 2019 was nighttime, and there were only 3 of us. We walked at a comfortable rate, with little to no "sales pitchy" type stops at all- I got to see cool areas of the town, although I felt that too much time was spent inside the hot, stuffy museum. Overall, though, I enjoyed it. But when I went on a different evening walk this last December, it ended up being a group of about 12-15 people, walking so fast from one place to another it was hard to keep up, and impossible to hear the tour guide when we were standing in front of the main church with so much traffic going by. Also, three of the stops felt so "sales"-ey it was annoying. I wanted to see the sights of Valladolid, not spend 20 uncomfortable minutes inside a honey shop without enough seats for everyone to sit down, or inside a restaurant looking at giant sales posters of other trips we could take from valladolid through a paid tour company.... It truly felt like a waste of our time that night, which was...

As it was raining, we were the only two people taking the 10 am tour with Carlos. Therefore, we decided in advance to give him a particularly generous tip at the end of the tour. The tour itself was fine despite the rain, and focused on three sites: the Templo de San Servacio near the Parque Principal Francisco Cantón Rosado, the Cenote Zaci, and the market. Carlos proved knowledgeable and entertaining about all three and pointed out various sites of interest along the way. He had a well-judged, dry sense of humour and also thoughtfully checked with us before entering the meat market - we're not squeamish about such places but others might be. Perhaps inevitably, at the market we were encouraged to try - and to buy - some condiments and sweets as well as some locally carved Mayan bowls. However, this was done in a relaxed, no-pressure way and we learnt a lot about local customs and cuisine along the way. In short, the little tour proved to be a rewarding experience despite the unusually...

Loved it! I stopped at the Palacio Municipal to get the tour times, and met the tour guide at the specified time in the plaza. They offered one tour I'm English and one in Spanish. We had Rodrigo, who was a blast. The tour focused on the way Mayan culture mixed with Spanish culture in the early days if colonization, as well as they ways Mayan culture survives today-- all of this is tied intimately with the history and modern commerce of Valladolid. We did this tour in our first or second day after arriving in Valladolid, and itt was a really good way to orient ourselves to the town.

It really is free, though tips are invited at the end. I felt comfortable giving a sizeable tip, the tour was every bit as good as tours I've paid...