How to Prepare for a Walking Tour in Winter - 10 Winter Walking Tour Tips
Although many tourists take their vacations in the summer months, interest in city walking tours is present all year round. Traveling in the winter has a few benefits–there are practically no crowds, prices are cheaper, no waiting in long lines to get into museums and such. There is one major drawback though–it’s cold.
That goes triple when you take a city walking tour. Not only are you outside and exposed to the elements, but you spend a lot of time standing in one place. In our experience, it takes about 10 minutes into a walking tour to see who dressed properly and who didn’t.
But you don’t have to shake and sneeze your way through a winter walking tour and risk getting sick or leaving the tour early. Follow this quick guide on how to prepare for a walking tour in winter and learn the same tips and tricks city tour guides use to not freeze to death!
1. Check the forecast
Simply looking out the window doesn’t count. During the autumn and winter, it can be sunny and will look warm, but outside it’s actually below zero. Check the forecast online or on a reliable app the morning of the day you’re leaving for a tour.
Pay special attention to the wind. Wind makes it feel far, far colder than it is. Rain or snow can also play tricks on you since many winter coats love to soak up moisture and then become heavy and cold. Knowing what the weather will be will help you suit up properly. Which brings us nicely to our next point.
2. Wear layers
Dress like an onion. Think of every layer being a layer of insulation against the cold. Remember to mix it up as well. For example a thick sweater will keep you warm, but a windproof jacket or coat will make sure to block wind that will cause you to freeze very quickly.
It also makes it possible to cool down if it gets warmer (sun comes out, physical activity) so that you don’t overheat.
3. Wear natural fabrics as much as you can
The thing with natural fabric is that it lets your skin breathe (and rarely causes allergies or skin irritation). Synthetic fabric will likely cause you to sweat when you start doing an activity (jogging, walking uphill, walking up stairs). Once you stop and your body begins to cool, the sweat will cause you to cool down very quickly and turn cold. Wool is a very warm fabric.
Now, there is one caveat to that.
Also this is great advice for inner layers, outer layers deal better when they are from synthetic materials. They keep out moisture and wind much better and create a sort of shell to keep all that warmth inside.
4. Wear thermal underwear
Thermal underclothes can be a godsend, despite them being from synthetic material. They make for a fantastic bottom layer to start off with. They’re very light and breathable. They’re also quick drying and easy to wash so all you need is a sink and some soap and you can have fresh underclothes for every day of your stay.
5. Cover your legs
Wind and chill will find its way through your pants or dress and when your legs get cold, you’ll find the rest of your body quickly cooling as well. There are two ways to combat this.
Long boots that go up to your knees are a fantastic way to block off the wind. Long boots, however, aren’t always the best shoe for a city walking tour. Another way is long socks, like ski socks. They’re not only thick and comfortable, they cover up a lot more of your leg than normal socks do and so give you that extra layer of insulation. For those women who want to wear a dress or skirt, pantyhose are a must.
6. Wear all the hats
Most of your body heat escapes through your head. Leaving it uncovered or with some cheap hat will cause you to get cold very quickly.
We actually now wear two hats: one bottom hat like a beanie and a second one that can be anything you’d like. It’s changed our life. Now my ears and head don’t freeze even on windy days when the wind chill factor is merciless. If it gets warm, no problem, just remove one of the hats and you’re good.
7. Take a scarf
No, that collar on your jacket or coat isn’t going to save you. Even the lightest breeze will find its way under your chin and flow right down your neck and beneath your jacket. You won’t believe how many people we’ve seen wrapping those lousy collars around their necks, desperate to keep the cold out.
Take a scarf. They don’t have to be big and bulky, but long ones are best since you can wrap them several times around your neck, keeping your neck warm and making a nice barrier from the cold entering under your collar.
8. Gloves aren’t as crucial as you might think
Just like many other tour guides, we use visual materials during our Warsaw walking tours. And believe me, it’s next to impossible to flip through pages in a folder with thick gloves on. Not all that much blood actually reaches your hands (that’s why they’re usually first to go cold) so even if they freeze, it’s uncomfortable, but doesn’t affect your body temperature much. If the rest of your body is warm, however, your hands are likely to also be warm. We’re not saying don’t take any gloves, we’re saying legs and head first, hands later.
9. Breathe through your scarf
When you’re breathing, you’re pulling cold air into your lungs. On especially cold days, that can bring your body temperature down and give you a bit of a chill. It can also chill your throat which might later cause sickness or infection for some.
A great way to prevent that is to breathe through your scarf. You can pull some of it a little higher so that it just covers your mouth and breathe through it. The layers of the scarf will warm the air up ever so slightly, making breathing more comfortable.
10. Watch what you eat
Even if you put on 100 layers, if you don’t have any calories to burn, you’re going to be cold. There’s a reason why Polish cuisine is rather fatty :)
You wouldn’t believe how tourists who ended up shivering at the end of the tour were simply super hungry. Make sure to have a big, hot meal before going out on your walking tour. Fatty foods will give you the calories you later need to burn in order to keep warm. Eggs with sausages, buttered toast, and hot tea are a good example (this is something we do).
Don’t want to eat fatty foods or meats? Hot oatmeal or grits is a terrific option. Just think of those warm oats sitting in your stomach and keeping you warm all throughout the walking tour around the city!
Taking tea, coffee, or hot chocolate with you in a thermos is another good way to keep yourself warm while already on your walking tour (this is something we do too).
That’s it!
We hope that these little tips and tricks will help keep you warm during winter walking tours and make your sightseeing of the city a whole lot more enjoyable! Have any nifty tricks you use yourself? Let us know down in the comments!