"Greeter program", "global greeter network" and "join the global greeter network" are searched by people who heard a rumour that some cities will lend you a local for free. The rumour is true. Here is how it works and where it stops.
What a greeter is#
A volunteer resident who spends two to three hours with visitors, in groups of up to six, showing their neighbourhood and talking about their city, for free. Programmes insist it is a greet, not a tour: no script, no monuments checklist, no tips (many suggest a donation to the organisation instead). The idea started with Big Apple Greeter in New York in 1992 and spread through the International Greeter Association (formerly the Global Greeter Network), a non-profit registered in Belgium and run by volunteers, to more than 140 cities and regions.
Which cities#
The IGA site's "Find a Greeter" menu is the list; if a city is not on it, there is no programme there. New York, Paris, Chicago, Buenos Aires and many European and Australian cities have one; most of Latin America, Asia and the US does not.
How to book#
Request a greet on the city programme's site days or weeks ahead, say what you are interested in, and take the slot a volunteer can offer. Solo travellers are welcome. You do not choose the person; the programme matches you.
The honest limits#
- Availability: volunteers, so the slot may not match your dates.
- Lead time: not for tonight.
- Length: two to three hours, once.
- Your plan: a greet is their neighbourhood and their story, not your list.
- Coverage: no programme in most cities people search this from.
What to pair it with#
Take the greet when the city has one; it is one of the best free things in travel. For the rest of the trip, the evenings, a specific plan, or a city with no programme: Roavi (disclosure: this is our site): a free directory where you browse and message local residents, called Local Friends, and pay them directly by the hour for platonic company and local knowledge; most list $15 to $50 an hour; no commission, no membership, every profile reviewed by a person, three real photos, reviews, an optional identity badge. Strongest in Latin America and Asia, growing in US cities; it is company and local knowledge, not a bed and not a guided tour. Apps to meet locals while travelling and how to meet locals when travelling have the rest.
Browse local guides free, message free, pay only the person's own rate.
Meet local guidesFrequently Asked Questions
What is the Global Greeter Network?
The International Greeter Association (formerly the Global Greeter Network): a Belgium-registered non-profit linking volunteer greeter programmes in more than 140 cities and regions. Greeters are residents who give free two-to-three-hour greets, not tours, to groups of up to six, out of love for their city. It began with Big Apple Greeter in New York in 1992.Are greeters really free?
Yes. Greets are free and greeters are volunteers; most programmes refuse tips and may suggest a donation to the organisation instead. The cost is planning: you request a greet days or weeks ahead and take the slot a volunteer can offer.What if I want more than a greet?
A greeter gives two to three hours at a time a volunteer can make. For more hours, a specific plan, an evening, or a city with no greeter programme, a Local Friend on Roavi is a resident you message free and pay by the hour at a rate they set, with no commission.