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Getting around big cities can be daunting, which explains why most tourists do their sightseeing by tour bus.

But guided walking tours provide a more intimate look, something my wife and I discovered decades ago in London, England, and more recently in Paris.

Staring through a window listening to canned commentary just doesn't compare with standing on a bridge over the Seine while a live guide points out landmarks.

Teacher Michelle Galea and journalist Crystal Luxmore have launched a program of walking tours in Toronto called Walk T.O.

They lead three each week, year-round: The Nutshell Tour, on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Villages and Vagabonds, Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and Toronto the Green, Saturdays 2:30-4:30 p.m.

Tours last up to three hours and cost $20-$25 a person, less for seniors, students and children. Visit www.walk to.ca for details.

More Toronto tidbits:

- Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs opens Nov. 24 at the Art Gallery of Ontario and runs until April 18. It features 130 pieces from Tut's tomb and other ancient sites and includes the first three-dimensional CT scans of the king's mummy.

- Look for new Toronto Transit Commission subway cars and trains on the Yonge-University-Spadina line. Among their features are exterior blue lights to indicate entrances to multipurpose areas inside the train, anti-microbial stanchions, an electronic information display system, active route map, and a connecting passage allowing car-to-car access. Visit www3.ttc.ca.

- Global Village Backpackers, Toronto's original backpackers youth hostel, has opened a new "boutique hostel" property, Global Village Residence, in Kensington Market. It has 48 private rooms with double beds, cable TV, wireless Internet and private balcony. Global Village Residence is designed for students, young travellers and budget-conscious visitors. Visit www.globalbackpackers.com.