Zagreb Walking Tour: Upper and Lower Town, On Your Own or Guided?
Updated October 20, 2026 · 5 min read
For a first visit, book a guided walk: it costs €15 to €20 and covers what a map will not tell you. The Zagreb city and WWII tunnels walking tour with funicular ride is the most reviewed walking tour of the city: 4.9 from 1,706 reviews, €18 per person, 2.5 hours. If you have been before or hate groups, walking alone works too, and the next sections show what you would be giving up.
The tours compared
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating · reviews | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City and WWII tunnels walk with funicular ride | 2.5 hours | €18 | 4.9 · 1,706 | Upper and Lower Town, parks, history |
| Small-group walk, funicular and WWII tunnels | 2.5 hours | €16.28 | 4.8 · 1,379 | Small group, licensed local guide |
| Zagreb highlights with tasting | 2 hours | €20 | 4.8 · 278 | Tunnel, funicular and local food tastings |
| An honest walking tour of the city | 2.5 hours | €15 | 5.0 · 59 | Cheapest; a local guide who promises no fluff |
| Communism and Homeland War tour | 2.5 hours | €39 | 4.9 · 1,053 | 1990s history, a basement shelter |
| Hop-on hop-off panoramic bus | 1 hour | €22 | 3.8 · 916 | Open-top bus, audio guide in 10 languages |
| 3-hour classic bike tour | 3 hours | €49 | 4.6 · 171 | By bike, history and everyday life |
| Upper and Lower Towns by electric Ford | 1.5 hours | €50 | 4.7 · 18 | Replica Ford Model T |
What you do on your own
Zagreb’s two halves are the Upper Town on the hill, with the cathedral spires and the old lanes, and the Lower Town below with its squares and parks. Both can be walked without a guide, and the walk costs nothing. A map will get you to the sights.
It will not get you the stories, and it may not get you everywhere. The funicular is a good example: it covers its 66 metres of track in about a minute, a rise of roughly 30 metres, and it links the two towns. The Grič Tunnel, a pedestrian passage about 350 metres long, was dug during the Second World War as a shelter and opened to the public in 2016. One of the tours above names it, and several others list WWII tunnels. If you want to enter on your own, check the current opening hours first.
What a guide adds
Two things. The first is the story behind the sights: the listings promise local history, hidden stories and, on one tour, a licensed guide. The second is the order. A guide strings the funicular, the tunnel and the squares into a route that does not backtrack.
The two cheapest walks run 2.5 hours and cost €15 to €16.28. The tour with food tastings is a 2-hour variant at €20 for people who would rather eat than listen.
Check dates and prices for the city and WWII tunnels walk
Which format for which traveller
- First visit, short stay: the most reviewed walking tour, or the small-group version for €1.72 less.
- You like history with an edge: the Communism and Homeland War tour, at €39 the dearest walk, with 1,053 reviews at 4.9.
- You do not want to walk: the hop-on hop-off bus is the weakest-rated option here, 3.8 from 916 reviews, and a one-hour loop. It suits tired legs, not curious ones. The bike tour at €49 is the alternative that covers ground.
- You want to be driven: the electric Ford is a novelty with only 18 reviews. At €50 for 1.5 hours it is a treat, not a way to learn the city.
Our advice
Do one guided walk early in your stay and spend the rest on your own. You will recognise places on the second pass, and you will know which of them to go back to. All the options are on the Zagreb city tours page, from €8.
If the Upper Town is on your list, the Museum of Broken Relationships is also in the Upper Town, so it fits into the same morning.
