Here's what it's like to to book an adventure abroad through Viator, Trip Advisor's tour and excursion booking platform

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  • While in Croatia with my family this year, I used Trip Advisor 's activity-booking platform Viator to book boat charters abroad. All operators are pre-vetted by Trip Advisor to guarantee credibility and safety. Excursions range from $15 for a walking tour to thousands for luxury experiences.
  • Booking independently through Viator saved me significant costs compared to using a travel agency, and helped me plan my vacation in advance, with clear pricing and reviews from past guests.
  • I had a great experience with Viator and would use it again — but with a few changes. Next time, I'll make sure to ask more questions first, so I don't face any surprises. Here's what you should know to do the same.
  • Read all Insider Picks travel reviews here.

Insider Today

I'm a lifestyle journalist with a focus on travel and trot the globe frequently with my husband and five-year-old twins. So I think of myself as pretty savvy when it comes to calling upon Internet resources (not to mention intuition earned through experience) to make bookings, even in places I've never before been.

This summer, I went on a two-week vacation with my family in Europe, hitting Greece and Croatia, plus bordering countries along the Dalmatian Coast. We spent a fair amount of time off the beaten path and there were a lot of moving parts. But I felt confident, and competent, that I could independently plan our trip, without the help of a travel agency. I know my way around search engines for flights, hotels, and deals.

But there was a blind spot. How would I book tours and excursions such as chartering a speedboat for our family to Croatia's famous islands?

I was relieved when I stumbled upon the activity-booking search engine Viator , which is owned by Trip Advisor. After reviewing various offerings and reading reviews, I booked two separate boat charters through the company. Both boats were clean, comfortable, beautiful, more or less as advertised, and operated by companies I would not have known how to access without Viator. 

I'd recommend the platform, especially to anyone staying at an Airbnb without a concierge like I did, or looking for cheaper options than what a hotel or travel agency might suggest. But I'd offer a caveat from my own experience: savvy travelers must make sure to cover their bases to avoid potential pitfalls such as the one we experienced. 

What is Viator?

Viator is Trip Advisor's platform for booking all kinds of activities during travel. Consider you might find 4x4 and camel tours in Dubai, a skip-the-line tour of the Colosseum in Rome, or a tour of the Grand Canyon by helicopter from Las Vegas.

Really, you'll find just about anything. The search engine includes options for a truly whopping 200,000 bookable activities in places all around the world making it unlikely that you won't find what you need. All operators listed are pre-vetted for credibility and safety backed by Trip Advisor .

Importantly, the site also aggregates millions of reviews, like what you'll find on Viator's sister site, Trip Advisor, so you have a pretty good sense of what you're getting. 

How is Viator priced?

Naturally, price points on Viator range dramatically based on the location and the excursions' complexity. A basic walking tour might cost under $20 while a day-long excursion or charter could cost hundreds more. The more expensive of the two trips I booked came in under $1,000, and the rates on the site can soar depending on what you're booking.

The site is optimized for mobile booking, offers around-the-clock customer service in multiple languages, a lowest-price guarantee, and a 24-hour cancellation policy, which makes the financial risk in booking feel low. 

In fact, I made use of that cancellation policy a few times to cancel and rebook similar activities when I changed my mind on the specifics, and also to flatly cancel a sightseeing tour I'd booked for our first day in Greece when I realized we'd all be too jet-lagged to bother.

I made both Viator bookings using my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card  — both in U.S. dollars — and faced no trouble making these changes.

What did I book through Viator?

I'd never been to Croatia, but knew I wanted to see its beautiful islands. We were staying in an Airbnb apartment (a rare choice for me) instead of a full-service hotel with concierge, so I was on my own for finding out how to do this. 

Poking around on the Internet for tours, I discovered Viator , which was previously unknown to me. I appreciated that like its parent company Trip Advisor, Viator heavily incorporates a review system, and the Trip Advisor backing gave me confidence. I booked two tours, each about three weeks ahead of our arrival.

For our stay in Dubrovnik, I booked a half-day private speedboat tour to the Elafiti islands , which earned an impressive five stars overall, with over 100 reviews on Viator. The trip for four people for four hours came in just under $400 after I used a 10 percent discount code. 

Then, for the portion of our trip in the northern area of the country, Split, I booked an all-day private sightseeing tour with five proposed stops , including the famous Blue Cave and Hvar island. This trip also had an overall five-star rating on Viator, but with far fewer reviews, just 27 as of the time of this writing. The eight-hour trip for four people on the private speedboat charter cost $873 after the discount code.

These prices might seem steep, but consider that it's priced for four people, as well as the alternative. When I briefly felt overwhelmed with planning, I reached out to a Croatia-based travel agency. The land-only quote for a week in the county for our party of four was 12,000 euros. Booking on my own — including these two-day trips through Viator — cut our expenses to less than half.

My booking experience with Viator

After so much planning, our trip was at last underway. We spent a morning at a Dubrovnik beach club before our scheduled boat tour for the afternoon. That same day, the highly responsive tour company reached out through WhatsApp and email to coordinate transportation for us to the marina, where we'd be meeting our skipper and the boat.

They called a rideshare at their expense to meet us at the beach club and we arrived at the marina to find an impeccably clean boat and friendly skipper.

As promised, the boat was just for our family with amenities like shade cover and a USB port to charge up phones and stay ready for photo taking. 

We set out for the afternoon on the Adriatic and were able to customize our itinerary, checking out bays, beaches, and caves at our own pace. The skipper snapped family photos and offered snorkel masks and drinks.

At the end of the afternoon, our skipper called us an Uber to take us back to the hotel. Overall it was a successful, fun day. And at under $400 for four people, felt like a great value for all we were able to do.

Unfortunately, it didn't foreshadow the more challenging experience we had on our next excursion, which was the full-day boat charter from Split.

For that trip, I had more difficulty communicating in advance with the operator, who was less responsive. I didn't get all my questions answered before booking, and miscalculated by making some critical assumptions that turned out to be false.

We arrived at the marina to find a boat that exceeded our expectations. It was a rather luxurious looking speedboat with room for 12 and was larger and fancier than our previous boat in Dubrovnik.

It was also more powerful, at 250 horsepower. While some people might appreciate that, the speed of the vessel scared our young children right away.

Our skipper was a devoted and experienced older brother, so he was well equipped with strategies to help calm our kids and took pains to make them comfortable. He even let my son "drive" the boat and honk the horn, which was a huge hit. 

But my daughter was still uncomfortable as the boat sped through the open ocean. Off the bat, I wondered if this was something any ambitious American traveler would attempt with such young children had they known how rough it would be.

The skipper warned us that the Blue Cave would be backed up and crowded, and the timing might correspond to a bumpy afternoon sail. So we opted against it and chose a custom plan to mitigate the intensity. I appreciated that we were able to change the day's itinerary to better suit our needs.

Our skipper took us to a gorgeous, remote beach on the island of Vis, which was a true highlight with crystal clear water and a sense of true isolation. We swam from the boat to the beach, snorkeled, and took lots of pictures.

Afterward, we sailed to glamorous Hvar island, where we passed an hour or so with lunch in Hvar Town.

But it was after that, on the way back to the harbor in Split, when our challenges started in earnest.

It was squarely afternoon by then, and the winds had picked up; the open ocean was very choppy. That is to say, our boat caught full air and slammed back down — over and over again. There was nothing the skipper could do as this was the nature of the boat and typical conditions.

Although my kids (mercifully) don't suffer motion sickness, they were terrified. Anyone with young children and those who do suffer from motion sickness should inquire about conditions before booking any similar boat ride as I wished I had.

My son could be placated by heading back to his post as the boat's "driver," but my daughter was miserable for the full 75 minutes it took to get back to the marina and the waves soaked our family. Making matters more concerning, there was only one kid-sized life jacket on board.  

I was regretful that I'd gotten us in this position. I hadn't adequately confirmed that this was the right trip for our family.

And although I generally feel like a diligent and capable planner, I'd continued with the booking despite not waiting for the answers I needed: Would there be child-sized snorkel masks? Would there be two child-sized life jackets? Was the water likely to be rough? Will we get wet or seasick?  

The bottom line on Viator  

Overall, I wouldn't trade either of the stunning boat excursions I booked through Viator . They made for essential sightseeing experiences for any visitor to Croatia.

The operators on both experiences were professional, and the services were provided as advertised. I also found the prices to be reasonable, much more so than if I'd booked through a travel agency.

I'll book through Viator again, but next time, I'll make sure I'm asking more questions and getting the specific answers I need first.

If a particular operator is vague or reluctant to respond to the specifics of an important matter, like child-sized life vests, or typical water conditions, I will move on to another operator.  

As a now-seasoned Viator user, I'd say: book with confidence. Just make sure you ask a lot of questions specific to your needs and make sure you get them all answered explicitly before you show up on the day of your booking.

With the sheer number of bookings available on Viator, you should have plenty of options to keep moving onto another suitable tour operator until you find one that gives you all the answers — and confidence — you need.  

Book a Viator excursion, large or small, anywhere on earth .

Subscribe to our newsletter. You can purchase syndication rights to this story here. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

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  • World's Best

The 15 Best Tour Operators

These are the companies Travel + Leisure readers trust to provide them with travel expertise and memorable experiences.

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Note: If you’re looking for our most recent recommendations, check out the 2023 list of our favorite tour operators .

When it comes to an itinerary, Travel + Leisure readers want more than a string of photo opportunities — and the right tour operator makes all the difference in creating a trip of a lifetime versus one that simply checks off a list of sights. This year, our readers were especially drawn to companies that utilize local expertise and experience to thoughtfully design trips that will entertain as well as inspire.

Every year for our World's Best Awards survey , T+L asks readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe — to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. Readers rated tour operators and safari outfitters based on their staff and guides, itineraries and destinations, activities, accommodations, food, and overall value.

The top picks were noted for their deep knowledge of destinations and guides who "go the extra mile." One reader who has been traveling for more than five decades said a trip with Classic Journeys (No. 2) was the "very best" they had experienced. Others noted attention to pandemic safety details, while one who went to Norway was charmed by a "wonderful surprise dinner in Bergen out on the water that was fantastic."

Tour operators that seamlessly navigated the logistics of a trip also came out on top. Quasar Expeditions (No. 9) was noted "for really planning out every detail" so that "all you have to do is show up and have a great time." Meanwhile, of TCS World Travel (No. 10), a guest said: "You never lift a finger and just spend your time actually exploring the destination." They even added that they "learned so much" along the way.

Among the five companies on this year's list that weren't on last year's were two women-only tour operators that cater to travelers of all ages. AdventureWomen (No. 14) has multiday tours designed by women from Bhutan to Yellowstone National Park, while Explorer Chick (No. 15) has everything from day trips — like glassblowing in Baltimore and cave rappelling in St. Louis — to full itineraries in Machu Picchu and the Galápagos. One reader said her Everest Base Camp trip with AdventureWomen was filled with "like-minded women" who "bonded so well," while another said she felt it was a "safe tour group for women."

No matter which tour they chose, readers were most taken by the people they met along the way, as one said of Trek Travel (No. 13): "By the end of the trip, a group of strangers felt like longtime friends." Find out which other companies round out the list of the best tour operators below.

1. DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co.

A tour with DuVine goes far beyond just riding a bike — it's a way to really see the character of a destination. Case in point: even those who say they're not necessarily cycling fans have been converted. That's part of what helped the tour operator — which runs trips in Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and Africa — skyrocket from No. 14 last year to this year's top spot. Its "top-notch biking equipment" and "challenging but doable itineraries" didn't hurt either. One reader was especially taken by a guide picking figs off of a local tree in Puglia for an extra energy boost during a tough climb, as well as another guide singing to the group after dinner. As another reader put it simply: "They exceed your expectations."

Score: 99.12

More information: duvine.com

2. Classic Journeys

Score: 99.04

More information: classicjourneys.com

3. Artisans of Leisure

Score: 98.38

More information: artisansofleisure.com

4. (tie) Black Tomato

Score: 98.33

More information: blacktomato.com

4. (tie) GeoEx

More information: geoex.com

4. (tie) Wilderness Travel

More information: wildernesstravel.com

7. Inside Japan Tours

Score: 98.14

More information: insidejapantours.com

8. Kensington Tours

Score: 98.03

More information: kensingtontours.com

9. Quasar Expeditions

Score: 97.84

More information: quasarex.com

10. TCS World Travel

Score: 97.78

More information: tcsworldtravel.com

11. Butterfield & Robinson

Score: 97.33

More information: butterfield.com

Score: 96.95

More information: tauck.com

13. Trek Travel

Score: 96.90

More information: trektravel.com

14. AdventureWomen

Score: 96.11

More information: adventurewomen.com

15. Explorer Chick

Score: 95.87

More information: explorerchick.com

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How To Write A Review About A Hotel, Tour, Or Trip You’ve Taken

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Jetset Times

We bet that when you choose a hotel to stay in, even for a few days, you automatically open the reviews section to make sure the place is sound.

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Online reviews are beneficial for travelers and property owners as well. Tourists get information that helps them in the decision-making process. Owners can understand what they do well and what they have to improve. By writing a good review after your trip or tour, you would support other tourists. If you are not sure whether you can write a good review in English, apply for a professional writing service . Skilled writers would gladly edit or write for you any text from scratch for an affordable price.

If you need some ultimate advice on writing a good review about a hotel or a trip, read the text below.

Summarize clearly

Keep your review informative and laconic. Consider that you are not sharing your impressions but giving facts and arguments. Each point you enclose must be approved. Do not be too dramatic or emotional even if there was something terrible in terms of the trip. When you write a review, you need to stay detached and summarize the essentials. Your review must help people understand if it is worth attending the same trip or staying at the same hotel.

Share useful hacks

Try to give your audience valuable details from your experience. For example, if you experienced excellent service from a particular person, provide his or her name. If you know a great coffee place or restaurant nearby, you can share the name and address, etc. Share the positive experiences as well as the negative ones to be objective.

Add photos you took

By enclosing good quality pictures you made with your smartphone or professional camera, you would make your review sufficiently brighter. Let people understand your points better by highlighting the main peculiarities of the location or experience with good pictures. The general rule for images you select for a review is to keep them detailed. For example, people would not be interested in your selfies; you had better show them the architecture and interiors of the hotel.

how to write hotel review

Do not hesitate to review

You should do your best to write the review quickly; at least you can start by recalling all the trip details. Moreover, people are likely to read about someone’s recent experiences rather than about something that happened years ago. Besides, the modern world changes super-fast. And the information you provide about a location or a hotel might be subject to change as well. If you want to make a review valuable and meaningful, we recommend proceeding with writing immediately during the trip by taking notes.

Edit your text

If you want your review to be accurate and valuable, take care of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. You would require reading the text at least once and take away repeated words, mistypes, etc. It would help if you used some of the online tools that help with grammar and punctuation proofreading.

We hope this advice is helpful. We wish you good luck!

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Excellent service

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Response from Sojourn Turkey

Perfect service, we enjoyed the time in turkey

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Southern Spotlight

Hotels well situated for easy access to other stuff (attractions and restaurants)

David Sewell

Brilliant trip, super guide Gina and driver Simon were excellent

Michael Homoky

Splendors of Egypt

Visit to cotton store, perfume store, alabaster store and local family was really not needed

See all tour company reviews

Trip planning

How to Get Tour Feedback and Reviews From Your Guests

Every business will face positive or negative feedback—tour operators and activity providers included. The challenge lies in getting more positive tour feedback that will increase your business credibility and trust amongst potential customers.

Have you ever heard of the old saying: “The customer is always right”? That is true in most cases. Even more in the travel industry, in which customer service is at the core of any business.

It’s common knowledge that good customer service equals more returning customers, which means spending less on marketing efforts. So, there are indeed many reasons to get more positive tour feedback and reviews from your guests.

This is why you need positive tour feedback and reviews

Statistics and findings from researches are always helpful if you want to get the big picture. So, let’s take a look at the key ‘takeaways’ from Bright Local’s report Local Consumer Review Survey 2020 :

  • 94% of consumers say that reviews make them more likely to use a business.
  • 79% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendations from friends or family.
  • 87% of consumers read online reviews for local businesses in 2020 – up from 81% in 2019.
  • 80% of consumers read less than 10 reviews before forming an opinion about a business.
  • 84% of consumers say that the overall star rating of a business is the most important review factor.
  • Only 48% of consumers would consider using a business with fewer than 4 stars.
  • 86% of consumers think that reviews older than 3 months are no longer relevant.
  • 72% of consumers will leave a review for a business if they’re asked to.

Now that you are convinced about the importance of positive reviews for your business, let’s take a look at how you can get tour feedback from your guests.

Make it as easy as possible for them to share their experience

ready for adventures tour feedback

Be aware that very few customers are going to go out of their way to find out where to give you tour feedback, submit a review, or rate your business. No matter how great the experience was to them.

Therefore, make it as easy as possible for customers to share their experience by sending them a direct link to your profile page on review sites or encouraging the customer to rate your company on Facebook or Google.

  • Which review platform should you focus on?

In addition, even hand out postcards or business cards that list URLs to review sites as customers leave. Don’t be afraid to ask them directly.

Asking for their feedback after the trip could have a great impact on the number of reviews you receive.

Another option is performing a service survey. That could be a multiple-choice form, the simplest way to get feedback.

For that task you could use Google Forms , SurveyMonkey or even a paper form to be filled right after the experience. The last option is ideal if you don’t have internet access at the location.

Take Viet Expert Travel Feedback Form as an example of a tour guide feedback form . Of course, don’t copy. Adapt it to the reality of your business.

After having it filled out, ask permission to publish their response online.

Send an email asking for feedback after the trip

Sending your guests an email asking for feedback after their trip and also thanking them for joining your experience is essential. Even better if you catch the timing.

Nowadays there are several tools available that you can use to automate email communication with your customer. You could use MailChimp or ActiveCampaig , just to name a few of them.

  • How Tour Operators Can Use Email Marketing to Boost Sales
  • 5 Email Nurture Tips for Increasing Online Bookings

The biggest advantage of using those platforms is that you can schedule your post-trip emails based on specific triggers.

If you set up it correctly, the message asking for tour feedback can be sent automatically one day or one week after the tour. No more email reminders!

Another advantage is that those tools allow a great level of personalization . For example, you could add the customer name or business to the email subject.

Sending your past guests this type of message is a great opportunity to ask them to contact you directly if they had any problems or were not satisfied with their experience.

This opens up the line of communication and adds a personal touch to the entire experience, which is a great tactic for you. There is also the possibility to turn a potentially negative review into a positive one.

Give your guests an extra push for a tour feedback

Hold your horses! I’m not talking about bribing your customers to post a review. It’s important to understand the difference between that and encouraging more customers to share their tour feedback.

You could give a discount on a future visit to all customers that take the time to complete a short feedback survey after their trip, or rate your business on a review platform.

Another type of incentive may come in a way of a contest . Encourage customers to submit a review to participate in a contest to win a gift card or gift certificate.

The prize could also be receiving tickets for one of your experiences, or an exclusive package for the season.

Giving something in return for tour feedback will pay off as your online credibility grows with the reviews.

Interact on social media and share reviews

ready for adventures tour feedback

Tour operators that maintain a positive social media presence may be able to garner more reviews and customer feedback than those who do not.

Your social media audience tends to spend more, engage more, advocate more, and be more loyal to your brand. This is why it’s imperative for tour businesses to invest time in social media activities on some level.

  • Social Media Marketing Strategy for Tourism: Save Time With 6 Tips
  • 12 Best Tools for Tour Operators to Boost Their Social Media Marketing

You could simply follow up on all comments posted on your Facebook page. Or respond to all reviews—which is crucial.

This will show your customers that you’re more than willing to communicate and interact with them—an important element of great customer service.

  • Tour Providers’ Social Media Goals – Connecting With Travelers

The great thing about platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram is that you can easily promote the reviews about your tour business and tag the author.

By doing that you give recognition to the person who gave the feedback, generating engagement and also increasing the trust in your business reviews.

Customers who see how other reviewers are treated—whether promoting video testimonials or a customer’s comments on social media—could get inspired to share their own tour feedback.

Go above and beyond with your customer service

This should be a no-brainer.

First impressions and final impressions are going to leave a lasting effect on your customers. 

How your staff welcomes visitors as they settle in and how the customers feel when they leave your tour will be some of the most memorable interactions your customer will have outside of the actual experience.

Train your guides to mention that they would appreciate receiving tour feedback in the form of reviews. Also, discuss reviews as a team, acknowledge good reviews, and use negative reviews as a tool for improvement.

Leave customers with a token of your appreciation in the form of a thank you card, a gift bag, or any other type of tangible souvenir to leave a lasting impression .

  • Superb Way to Double Travelers’ Loyalty? Reward Them

When possible, offer complimentary upgrades to your guests. That could be extra time or experience in addition to the standard product they have purchased.

Consider how many customers would be spreading the word about free upgrades when booking a tour. Or how thrilled they would be after receiving a free gift or souvenir upon departure.

These things may be just what it takes to set your company apart from other tour and activity operators in the area.

The bottom line is that small gestures will help a customer feel more welcome and connected to your company—and may generate positive tour feedback .

Provide an easy checkout process

A tour operator may focus mainly on delivering amazing experiences for customers and introducing them to a new activity.

But don’t forget the importance of the customer service experience before your visitor even gets there.

By using an online booking software  to coordinate reservations, you want to make sure customers are going through a seamless checkout process.

According to a Statista report , in 2020 the online shopping cart abandonment rate was 80% for the tourism industry. That could be because the checkout process is too complicated or appears insecure .

Other reasons include a checkout flow process that is too lengthy and technical difficulties with the shopping cart.

So, if you can present a seamless checkout process for your customers, you can not only secure a booking but also get positive tour feedback.

Stay calm when receiving a negative tour feedback

young woman meditating yoga tour feedback

It’s impossible to expect that all of your customers are going to be happy customers.

Some tour operators are more than eager to hide negative reviews under the rug, but it’s not going to help. In fact, it’s more likely to hurt.

Learning how to handle negative reviews effectively , however, can open up the door for more positive reviews since customers will see that you are open to rectify a seemingly difficult situation.

Sometimes the best approach is turning the comment around by apologizing sincerely and then highlighting what you do right .

You might initially think that negative reviews are bad for your tour company, but they’re not.

Negative reviews make good reviews more authentic. But don’t have many of them, of course.

Anything you post publicly that shows a casual visitor that you take care of your customers can improve your online image.

Responding to reviews shows travelers and potential customers that you genuinely value their feedback. And that you’re eager to provide the best, most enjoyable experience.  

Embracing reviews , good or bad, helps you in growing your business. Nothing better than an outsider to point out your weaknesses and strengths.

Was there an issue with timing? Do you need to make the booking process more efficient?

Remember, the best judges are your customers! So, take their feedback with an open heart to improve your experiences and attract more good attention down the road.

Resist the temptation to post fake reviews

Like all things in social media and user-generated content, reviews need to be managed. It means you need to constantly pay attention to them.

Strive to continually increase positive reviews, and always make sure to respond to your most recent reviews .

Posting fake reviews, using boosting techniques, or posting fake reviews on your competitors’ sites are all actions that will jeopardize your credibility and image over time.

Trust me, you don’t want to do any of those activities.

Instead, use all of the possibilities mentioned in this article and steadily, but successfully, increase your positive reviews.

Receiving tour feedback in the form of reviews is utterly important for any business with an online presence.

The ideas presented in this article are of great help for tour operators looking for getting more positive reviews.

If you want more ideas on how to grow your tour company online, join our LinkedIn group !

There you can join interesting discussions about online marketing for tour operators and also share your experience in getting positive reviews from your guests.

ORIOLY on July 7, 2021

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by Felipe Fonseca

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The hotels could have been more…

The hotels could have been more conveniently located. Our Palatine/Colosseum tour was cut short but quite a bit. The tour company had one of their vans get lost and we waited for them and our tour lost about an hour. We rushed through Palatine and that was what we were most interested in. Would be nice to be able to go back in on our ticket and view it as we missed quite a bit. Other than that, the trip was fabulous. The trains, hotels, and tours were all great and we did not have any issues with any of the reservations.

Date of experience : September 26, 2023

During my planning and booking my…

During my planning and booking my experience was great. Every time I reached out they followed up with a call and made this process easy.

Date of experience : March 01, 2024

My only complaints are not having our…

My only complaints are not having our names input the way I entered them on the application and how it took more than one email to get them corrected. Also, why Cosmos suggest Holiday Express insurance but doesn't indicate it is for citizens of England which I only found out after I read several pages of their contract. Other than that, everything is going smoothly,

Date of experience : February 19, 2024

Reply from tourhub

Hi Deborah, Thank you for sharing your feedback! We appreciate your understanding regarding the discrepancies in the input of your names. It's great to see that our team promptly reached out to the tour operator to resolve this issue, ensuring your details are accurately reflected. Regarding the confusion you experienced with the insurance suggestion made by the operator, we’ll be sure to pass this feedback on to them for further clarity in their communications. Overall, we're glad to hear that you've had a smooth experience with us. If you have any further questions or need assistance as your trip approaches, please don't hesitate to reach out! Thank you for booking with tourhub.

Signing up and paying deposit was easy…

Signing up and paying deposit was easy . My questions were answered in a timely fashion .

Website is user friendly

Website is user friendly, hence it was easy to book. Prompt response from staff ( Jane), when I asked some questions and verifications. Most important of all, I am glad I am able to pay on an instalment basis. As for the itinerary, I am pleased that I will be able to see some of the most interesting sites of the British Isles.

Date of experience : February 01, 2024

Thank you for your positive feedback, Bella! We're thrilled to hear that you found our website user-friendly and that booking was easy for you. It's fantastic to know that Jane provided prompt responses to your questions and verifications, ensuring a smooth booking process. We're also glad that our instalment payment option met your needs. We're confident you'll have an unforgettable experience exploring the fascinating destinations included in this itinerary! If you have any further questions or need assistance leading up to your trip, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for choosing tourhub!

Portugal Self Guided Tour

Tour Hub has made booking my tour an easy and seamless experience. I would give Tour Hub 10 plus stars

Date of experience : February 03, 2024

Good at answering our questions email…

Good at answering our questions email quickly.

Date of experience : January 24, 2024

All well thought out!

All aspects of this tour and the service accompanying it are comprehensive , clearly explained , and willing , cheers Tourhub.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai tour review

Knowledgeable Guide, great cense of humor & great mood. Good pace, great adaptability. Great visits, great food. Driving to Chiang Mai was too long for 1 day. Centara Hotel has great service & breakfast, but the carpets are filthy. Hotel In Chiang Rai is very nice,but the room smells like sewer. Customer support is fast

Thank you, Alain, for sharing your feedback about your recent Bangkok to Chiang Mai tour experience! Your insights are incredibly valuable to us as we strive to ensure the best possible experiences for our customers. While we're not directly responsible for the operations of the tours themselves, please rest assured that we take your feedback seriously and are committed to addressing any issues you encountered. We're thrilled to hear that overall, you had a positive experience with highlights including the knowledgeable guide, enjoyable visits, and delicious food. Your satisfaction is our priority - please don't hesitate to reach out if you require further assistance or have any additional questions. Thank you for choosing to book with tourhub!

Tourhub is worthy of consideration.

I did quite a bit of research once I worked out which tour I wanted to do. Tourhub offered the best price and the best date for final payment that suited my situation. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because some errors were made in the transfer of my details to the actual tour company. However, these were corrected in an easy and timely manner.

Date of experience : January 18, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience and feedback! We're thrilled to hear that we could offer the best price and payment options for your chosen tour. We also sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by the errors in transferring your details to the tour operator, and we're glad to have promptly addressed and resolved this for you. If you have any questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for booking with tourhub!

After some initial trouble with my mate's credit cards, we were easily booked using mine. This tour of Scotland offered more and cost less than any we looked at. Communication with Your hub is thorough and responsive.

Thank you for your positive feedback, Susan! We're delighted to hear that you found this tour of Scotland to offer great value and that our communication was thorough and responsive throughout your experience in booking with us. We understand that unexpected issues can arise, and we're glad we could assist you in easily completing your booking using a different payment method. If you have any more questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for choosing tourhub!

Britain & Ireland In Depth helpful assistance pre-trip

Once we decided to look into the Britain & Ireland In Depth tour we had many, many questions. All of our questions and concerns were answered quickly. Since we live in Canada and we are emailing Tourhub’s Rep. Jane the process went quite smoothly. Our tour is not until June 2024 and we are so excited to experience all that this tour offers.

Date of experience : January 19, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We're delighted to hear that our team, especially Jane, was able to assist you promptly and effectively. Ensuring that all questions and concerns are addressed promptly is a top priority for us! We also take pride in connecting our customers with award-winning tour operators who provide wonderful experiences, and we're optimistic that this tour of Britain & Ireland will meet and exceed your expectations! If you have any questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for choosing tourhub!

So far so good easy to book good…

So far so good easy to book good communication I am not comiting myself yet as I hav,nt recieved any tickets for concert. But it is a while away yet. But with the reviews I have read I am quietly confident they will arive and every thing will be fine.

Date of experience : February 06, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience in booking with us! We're delighted to hear that you found the booking process straightforward and that communication has been smooth so far. While we're not the direct operators of the tours themselves, we take pride in connecting you with award-winning tour operators who provide wonderful experiences, and we're optimistic that this trip will meet and exceed your expectations! Rest assured, we're committed to ensuring that your tickets arrive on time and that everything goes smoothly for you. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for choosing tourhub!

A variety of choices in one place

In less than a year i purchased three different tours from tourhub and every time it was a very easy and pleasant experience. First, the variety of tours is very impressive and allows to have a choice before making a decision. Second, there is a variety of prices, which is helping to make a right decision. Third, the paying conditions are very clear. Fourth, tourhub employee, Jane, was very helpful and comforting, helping to book an extra day or figuring out different ways to to reach the destination

Date of experience : January 21, 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Julia! We're thrilled to hear that you've found tourhub to be a reliable platform for booking your tours. Offering a wide variety of tours with clear pricing and payment conditions is important to us, as we aim to make the decision-making process as smooth as possible for our customers. It's fantastic to hear that Jane provided you with excellent assistance throughout your booking. We'll be sure to pass on your compliments to her! If you have any further questions or need assistance as your trip approaches, please don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for choosing tourhub!

Although I would always like to speak…

Although I would always like to speak to a real voice I did find that messages I sent were promptly responded to in a very personal way. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to get a prompt, personal message and felt someone was actually caring for my needs.

Date of experience : January 25, 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback, Jacqueline! We're pleased to hear that you found our assistance to be prompt and personal. While tourhub primarily operates as an online travel business with communication through our messaging platform, also allowing you to speak directly with the tour operator, we understand the value of personal interaction. If you ever feel the need for a more direct conversation or have specific preferences, we're always happy to accommodate. Your satisfaction and comfort are important to us! If you have any more questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for booking with tourhub!

Unfortunately there was confusion on…

Unfortunately there was confusion on the website concerning transfer to and from the airport/ hotel. Otherwise I would have rated them 5 stars

Hi Chuck, Thank you for your feedback and for choosing tourhub! We're grateful for your understanding regarding any confusion that may have occurred with the transfer details for your chosen tour and operator. I'm pleased to see that our team has helped identify possible solutions, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions or need additional assistance as your trip approaches. We're here to make sure your experience with us is seamless and enjoyable, both now and in the future!

So far all seems to be well

So far all seems to be well, booking with tour hub. The only drawback I have seen is not being able to talk to a person when there are questions…but they are quick to respond to emails and answer your questions. The trip has been booked and I’m not sure how much more involvement they have in the process, but so far so good.

Date of experience : January 06, 2024

Thank you for sharing your feedback! We're glad to hear that you had a positive experience in booking with us and that you received prompt responses to your questions. While tourhub primarily operates as an online travel business with communication through our messaging platform, also allowing you to speak directly with the tour operator, we understand the value of personal interaction. If you ever feel the need for a more direct conversation or have specific preferences, we're always happy to accommodate. We're here to assist you throughout the entire process, from pre-trip preparations to addressing any concerns that may arise. If you have further questions or need support as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for booking with tourhub!

Not fully done with my trip plans, but...

Not fully done with my trip plans, but all TourHub reps I have dealt with have been quick to respond to my questions and providing knowledge important to the trip I qam taking

Date of experience : February 02, 2024

Thank you for your positive feedback! We're pleased to hear that you've found our team responsive and helpful in providing the information you need for your trip planning. While we're not the direct operators of the tours themselves, we take pride in connecting you with award-winning tour operators who provide wonderful experiences, and we're optimistic that the tour will meet and exceed your expectations! If you have any questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for booking with tourhub!

Tech savvy?…

I would imagine it would be difficult for someone who is not tech savvy to book as you can’t speak to anyone! I managed but did find it irritating to wait for answers online.

Thank you for sharing your feedback, Teresa! While tourhub primarily operates as an online travel business with communication through our messaging platform, also allowing you to speak directly with the tour operator, we understand the value of personal interaction. If you ever feel the need for a more direct conversation or have specific preferences, we're always happy to accommodate. We acknowledge that waiting for responses can be frustrating, and we strive to make the process as speedy as possible. At times, we may be dependent on the tour operators' responses, which may contribute to occasional delays. Nevertheless, we appreciate your understanding and are continuously working to improve our efficiency. If you have any more questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out. Thank you for booking with tourhub!

So just a short commentary on the…

So just a short commentary on the pleasant experience in communication with Tourhub. I had asked them, realizing they were only an internet based company, to call me so i could talk to a live person. They did so and answered all of my questions which guided my decision to book with them. Good show!

Date of experience : December 05, 2023

Thank you, Eugene, for your fantastic review! We're thrilled that you had a pleasant experience with us. While tourhub primarily operates as an online travel business with communication through our messaging platform, also allowing you to speak directly with the tour operator, we understand the value of personal interaction. If you ever feel the need for a more direct conversation or have specific preferences, we're always happy to accommodate. Thank you for booking with us - wishing you an amazing trip ahead and if you have any questions or need further assistance as your trip approaches, please feel free to reach out!

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Guest Reviews & Ratings

See what others had to say about their experience with CIE Tours below.

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Rocelyn Amor Hidalgo

The itinerary was wonderful and our tour guide Brian was fantastic. The accommodations were nice and the hotel breakfast was good. What I enjoyed most about the Irish Adventure was the sites we were able to visit. My favorite place was Blarney Castle and Cliffs Of Moher. I was also pleasantly surprised with the sheepdog demonstration. I highly recommend this tour because it had all the "go to" places to vist.

CIE Tours Customer

Ireland and brian... exceptional.

The tour and tour guide Brian were exceptional. Brian made the tour and the sights even more special with the history and humor he added. A few less than perfect items as part of the tour, but overall a great experience!!

Vickie Ann Popkowski

From rhe moment I arrived in Ireland to the moment I was dropped off at the airport for my flight home, I felt at home by the CIE staff and vendors. So many things were included in my tour, it made the planning effortless. Our tour director was amazing, and I met so many wonderful people. I was able to see so much of Ireland, and learned so much. I got so much for the cost of the tour, it was a good value.

Unique experiences with a wonderful kind and humorous guide Denis Fitzgeral

Great excursions. Wonderful tor guide. Different aspects of country shown . Apple orchard, lovely and different from usual tours.

Maeng Soon Yu

Maria was a great tour guide

Great knowledgeable tour guide nice hotels good pace

Great sites, and great guides 😃

The whole experience was very organized and smooth. All of the aspects of the tour as described beforehand occurred. Most importantly our driver/tour guide (Mr. Dalton) was fantastic, funny, pleasant and a wealth of knowledge.

Showed interesting places and demos and kept us busy...no time to get bored.

Kathryn Mary Porter

This is the second time my son and I toured with CIE, the first being 8 years ago and I was so pleased then I did not hesitate to see what you were offering in the Fall of 2023! This was a first for my husband who was very skeptical about traveling, but returned home very pleased. The trip was very well planned and we all agree that we would absolutely recommend CIE to others.

will recommend and purchase again.

Donald Frederick Jurgens

the entire tour was good, staff knowlegable and friendly. would us them again

Great way to see Ireland

Very well organized and planned. We saw so many of the great sites. Ring of Kerry and Giants Causeway were highlights for us. Just enough time at each stop. Well done, busy but still relaxing. Highly recommend

Anne Marie Piazza

My tour guides were very well organized and informative. They were able to quickly substitute another activity when one of our day trips had to be canceled because of weather. The tour itinerary allowed me to visit sites I would not have been able to get to on my own.

Carol O Riordan

Cie is a great tour grroup.

I enjoyed our bus driver. He was very knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed the spots we were taken to. They were exciting and fun!

Iceland Northern Lights in January

Our tour director Maria and bus driver Jon Ragnar were great. They made the trip interesting and full of facts about Iceland and the people who live there. I was impressed how they were able to move things around if the weather wasn't good or it was too icy. Unfortunately is was unusually warm for the 2nd week in January so it was drizzly and cloudy and we didn't see the Northern Lights. But they tried and kept an eye on the weather at all times just in case. We had a good group of people and everyone was on time always.

This was our first experience with a guided tour. One of the positives was this was a small, diversified group (21) with an age range from 10 to 70. Our driver/tour guide, Mark, did an excellent job. He was professional and provided helpful hints and recommendations for touring on our own, as well as insight to the Irish culture. Although I was initially disappointed that our first hotel wasn’t in Dublin City, it was only a 20 minute walk to the closest Hop on Hop Off Bus Stop. It afforded us an opportunity to experience several restaurants, local neighborhoods, architecture and history. The location proved to be a bonus to meet and mingle with the locals. Each hotel met our needs and provided a daily breakfast. The Merry Ploughboy and Mid Evil food and entertainment were excellent. The staff and performers at both of these establishments deserve recognition. The tour itself was face paced and we saw a lot in a short period of time. After all, it was just “A Taste of Ireland” . From our experience, I would not hesitate to book another CIE tour.

Iceland-Jan 24

Travel agent, guide and driver were excellent. Hotels and meals were great! Site locations awesome- need more time at many of the outdoor locations (felt rushed). Air travel arrangements were awlful! Jet Blue out of Detroit is dirty and grimy(yucky) at the gate and on both planes.

Wonderful trip

The tour guides were wonderful. Not enough shopping time.

My wife and I loved our tour of Scotland. We were able to see the most we could in the time we had. Even though the bus was not always the most comfortable, the views, tour guide and safe driving more than made up for it. I would recommend CIE and I would use them again.

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  • Latvia - you might fall in love with it
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Excellent customer reviews

We love what we do, we are professionals and we treat our guests like dear friends. That is why our tours and travel experiences in Riga, Latvia and the Baltics are rated as EXCELLENT by the most reviewers.

Colin • June 2020 • Tripadvisor

I found Raami Travel through a web search for tour guides in Riga and contacted several local guides regarding a full day (8 – 9 hours) private tour for two. Liga from Raami Travel was quick to respond and seemed to have a better appreciation of what we were trying to achieve than the other companies, and the price was similar or better. Liga put together a full itinerary (which she communicated to us prior) including the Old Town, Art Nouveau district, and some street art and ended up at the Markets. Liga met us at our apartment on the edge of the Old Town for the tour, which was run at our own pace (I like to stop a lot for photos) and was mostly walking but with a short taxi ride (additional cost but only a few euros) to and from the street art, to save time. Liga obviously provided a running commentary during the tour but also gave us an interesting insight into the recent history of Latvia and life post communism, as well as providing tips on other things to see and places to eat in Riga. Highly recommended.

Would totally recommend Liga's tour of the food market! Our travel guide Liga was really nice and personalized our tour regarding our expectations. We tasted a lot of really delicious traditional food and she showed us many "secret" tips, regular tourists might not now about. 10/10 would recommend

Small group, comprehensive introduction of cultural, history, architecture, food and so on. It is a best way to understand this country, city and people.

We did our own walking tour in Riga. Great city with lots of things to see, including Churches, vendors cafes.. Lots to buy at fairly reasonable prices. Streets are all cobblestone which can cause problems if you have walking difficulties--just watch every step! We did the tour while on a cruise. You can walk to town without a problem and see everything within a few hours. Of course if you want to visit many of the Churches, then you should take a private tour! We have seen so many churches, that for now the outside is the main thing.

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Critic’s Pick

Onstage in Chicago, Zach Bryan Howled, and the Crowd Found Its Voice

The singer and songwriter has become one of pop’s least expected new stars. On opening night of his arena tour, he showcased the bond with his fans that brought him there.

A man in a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up plays an acoustic guitar and steps away from a microphone onstage to let out a yell.

By Jon Caramanica

Reporting from Chicago

The first two songs Zach Bryan played at the United Center on Tuesday night were from the more muscular end of his catalog. They landed hard and quick — Bryan was singing with a rugged howl, guitars were churning, the fiddle poked through the top like a squeal. This was opening night of The Quittin Time Tour, and the first of three sold-out shows here, and he was wasting no time pumping the audience into a frenzy.

Then he needed them to breathe — maybe he needed to breathe — and so next came “God Speed,” one of the most delicate and precise entries in Bryan’s catalog. It’s a song about surrender and, most importantly, hope, that rests entirely on his strummed acoustic guitar and determined, dusty voice. Bryan pulled his vocals back to let the words sink in, but somehow the crowd got louder and more committed, turning the song into a hymn. In a room of over 20,000 people, everyone was singing, yet somehow it was eerily quiet — the loudest hush imaginable.

Bryan, 27, is a singer whose hollers feel like hugs and whose laments land with a roar. For the past few years, his country-rock-adjacent rumbles have been inspiring a level of fevered devotion that has made him one of music’s most popular and least expected new stars. “Zach Bryan,” his second major-label album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart last year, and its lead single, “I Remember Everything,” a duet with Kacey Musgraves, reached the top of the Hot 100. Half a year later, the song remains in the Top 10.

A Bryan live show is rooted in his sandpapered voice, his modest affect and his band’s surprisingly jubilant musical arrangements. But just as crucial is the crowd shout-along. It is something slightly different than a regular singalong; the harmony it suggests veers past musical to the emotional.

A couple of years ago, Bryan’s audience was packed with young men who sang his scraped-up songs unselfconsciously back to him. It all had the eau de Springsteen — deploying the magic of seeing a tough, resilient man confess to something much more wounded and ambiguous. But while that’s still part of the appeal, his crowd has expanded. There are more women now, and loads of teenagers, too, an indication of Bryan’s reach even if he has yet to become a traditional radio presence, and even if his allegiance to country music — which he toys with, and which the crowd’s outfits suggested an affinity for — is fickle.

This show, like his albums, was uproarious but not unfocused: a two-hour tour of songs about stubbornness and mistake-making, flecked with flashes of tenderness that gleam so brightly because everything around them is scuffed beyond repair.

The brawnier songs were effective, including “Open the Gate,” “Heading South” and “Nine Ball,” during which the track’s video, starring Matthew McConaughey, played on screens near the ceiling. Bryan’s band knows how to extract antic energy from just a handful of small parts, particularly Read Connolly on lap steel and banjo, J.R. Carroll on keyboard and Lucas Ruge-Jones on fiddle and sometimes trumpet.

But Bryan is at heart a sentimentalist. He writes about the present with the patina of retelling the past, a gesture that underscores how little distance there is between something happening right now and the memory you’re left holding onto. His most effective gambit is bringing thousands of people into the dimly lit corners of his songs.

“’68 Fastback” was heart-rending: “To you I’m just salvage/I ain’t ran right in years/So drive me then gut me.” And Bryan was particularly vivid when invoking the unsteady concept of home, whether on the bracing “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” or “Tishomingo,” which opened with the disarming sigh, “I don’t think that the city moves slow enough for me.”

“Highway Boys,” which on the surface is a toast to the compatriots that make life on the road manageable, actually turned on a more gentle commandment: “If you need me, call/If you’re in love, fall.” And it’s hard to imagine a contemporary American songbook without “God Speed,” from his self-released 2019 album “DeAnn,” which marked Bryan as a singer and writer of uncommon vigor.

Even Bryan’s biggest hits were effectively small ruminations: an aching “Something in the Orange,” and “I Remember Everything,” on which Bryan was joined by Musgraves, a pair of interior singers reckoning with the certainty of a song loved by millions.

When Musgraves left the stage, Bryan quipped, “You kidding me?” This, too, is part of Bryan’s arsenal — the modesty. Throughout the show, he was constantly acknowledging his luck, and the purported (and untrue) rustiness of him and the band: “I’m so sorry if you were having a good evening and we ruined it.”

He played on a huge cross-shaped stage at the center of the arena floor — a pumped-up version of playing in the round — and spent much of his time dutifully marching from promontory to promontory to make sure each side of the room got its face time. And he played to the local crowd with a T-shirt celebrating the Chicago Bulls’ 1995-96 season in which they went 72-10, then the best regular-season record of all time.

After a show full of grand-scale renderings of small-bore apprehensions, he closed with “Quittin’ Time,” with a rambunctious banjo and the fist-pumping exhortation, “I can’t wait to head on home, so I can take my gal to dance.” And then, after a slightly awkward break, Bryan and the band returned to the stage for a 10-minute single-song encore of “Revival,” an enthusiastic celebration of misbehavior. It was boisterous and free, chatty and ecstatic; T-shirt cannons fired tight packages into the crowd.

It was sort of a repayment and a release for a night of close attention and assistance. When Bryan yelped, the crowd yelped. When he whispered, they whispered, too. Sometimes, it was unclear where the line between observation and participation really was. Near the end of “Something in the Orange,” Bryan said, “I trust you guys,” and walked away from the microphone.

The Quittin Time Tour continues in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday, and runs through Dec. 19 in Brooklyn; zachbryan.com/tour .

Jon Caramanica is a pop music critic for The Times and the host of the “Popcast” podcast. He also writes the men's Critical Shopper column for Styles. He previously worked for Vibe magazine, and has written for the Village Voice, Spin, XXL and more. More about Jon Caramanica

Explore the World of Country Music

Zach Bryan’s country-rock-adjacent rumbles have made him one of music’s most popular new stars . On the first night of his arena tour, he showcased his bond with the fans that brought him there.

A fan asked his Oklahoma radio station to play a new Beyoncé song. The request was rejected, reigniting a debate about the exclusion of Black musicians from country music .

Jelly Roll, one of 2023’s surprise success stories in the music industry, has become known as much for emotional openness as for hit songs .

CMAT, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, combines country music’s enduring themes of heartbreak and self-destruction with camp humor and a distinctly Irish sense of the absurd .

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ToursByLocals Review: Can You Trust Their Tour guides? [2024]

ToursByLocals Review: Can You Trust Their Tour guides? [2024]

Here's a rundown of the tour guide company, ToursByLocals, including what they do, what their features are, and if it's worth the money. Read on to find out more!

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Chloe is a freelance travel and food writer, and an editor and proofreader. She specialises in all things Italy. When she's not traveling, Chloe can be found curled up with a good book, or out on the town seeking out a new craft beer to obsess over.

When you’re planning a trip to a new city or country, you want to make sure you get the most out of your visit by finding the best things to do, places to stay, and restaurants to eat at.

If that's the case, then read all about them in our travel blog collection here. Here at  Pilot , we’re all about helping you plan your trip and make the best of your time abroad.

However, if you're not the type that wants to plan out every detail of your trip, why not get a tour guide instead? We know that for many people, a great way to get to know a city is to take part in an organized travel tour, whether that’s as part of a large group or in a more private and personalized setting. Whether it's joining a tour on a yacht or hopping on a Busabout , tour guides comes in many shapes or forms!

There are many ways to find local guides to a city or town, and  ToursByLocals  is one of them. But what exactly is it, and how does it work? Read our comprehensive guide to find out!

What Is ToursByLocals?

ToursByLocals is an easy-to-use website that provides you, the traveler, with access to local tourist guides in cities all over the world. It currently operates in 193 countries and has more than 4,500 guides that you can connect with, in locations ranging from Barcelona, Paris, Rome, and Bern to places a little further afield, like Tokyo, Iceland, and even the South Island of New Zealand.

Tourbylocals logo

The tour guides are all local people that just so happen to have expert knowledge of the ins and outs of their hometown. Taking a tour from a local is one of the best ways to learn more about historical events that took place in a certain city, explore specific neighborhoods, or just find out about the best things to do while you’re traveling.

As well as personal tours of cities, ToursByLocals offers  shore excursions , allowing you to get a local’s perspective of any of the stops on your cruise.

At the moment, you can even book virtual tours with ToursByLocals if you’re craving a travel fix but can’t get away right now—perfect for armchair tourism during the pandemic! If you book and attend a live virtual tour, which will still be run by local people, you’ll also receive the money you’ve spent as a voucher that you can spend on an in-person tour when you’re next free to travel. Score!

Is ToursByLocals an Accredited Tour Company?

Now, you might be wondering why ToursByLocals doesn’t come up if you’re searching for top-rated tour companies in Europe, or if you’ve been googling the best US travel and tour options. There’s a pretty simple explanation for this: ToursByLocals isn’t actually a tour company.

Instead, it acts as a marketplace that gives you access to individual guides who run their own tours. All tours listed on the website are private tours, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can message guides to see if they can customize a tour to better suit your needs.

What Is a Personal Tour?

One of the main benefits of using ToursByLocals is that you’ll be receiving a personal tour rather than a group tour. We’ve all seen group tours on our travels: Hordes of people following a slightly tired-looking guide who’s carrying some kind of brightly colored umbrella or flag, speaking in hushed tones into a microphone and not stopping to answer any questions along the way. Sounds great!

A personal tour is not like this. Instead, it’s one that you and your travel buddies (whether that’s your family, your partner, or your friends) book privately with a guide. The benefits of a personal tour are numerous:

  • You can customize the tour based on your own interests
  • You’re free to ask as many questions as you like without feeling like you’re bogarting the guide!
  • You can book it for a time and date that suits you, making it easier to fit in with your other travel plans
  • You could gain access to certain tourist spots that may be closed to large groups
  • You avoid having to interact with  that one person— you know the type—who thinks they know more than the guide!

Instead of booking onto a tour that’s targeted at large groups, which can be impersonal and pretty rigid in structure, a personal tour allows you more freedom. It gives you the chance to get to know a city however you   want, making it easier to find your way around and uncover the coolest parts of town.

Tour guide looking through map

How Do I Find a Private Tour Guide?

Using ToursByLocals to find a private tour guide is easy. Sign up or log in to your account, then search by location. Add the dates you want to go on a tour, then browse the options and book whichever one interests you most.

Choosing a location on a map for travel Toursbylocals

You can also contact the tour guide before booking to arrange customization if you’re looking for something more personal to your interests.

Once you’ve got everything organized, just pay ahead of time and attend your tour. It couldn’t be simpler.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

Sometimes when you’re traveling, things go wrong. Maybe your cruise ship has illness on board and has been told it can’t dock, meaning your planned shore excursion is a no-go. Maybe you’ve had to cancel your whole trip because of a family issue. Or maybe you’ve just changed your mind! Can you still get your money back?

The ToursByLocals cancelation policy is pretty fair. If you cancel 15 days or more before the tour was due to start, you can get all your money back. Nice. You’ll also get a refund if certain unforeseeable events take place—this includes the ship being told it can’t dock.

If you’re booking ahead of time but aren’t completely sure whether you’re definitely going to attend the tour, the website also offers a more flexible (but more expensive) cancelation policy, known as the “Any Reason” policy. If you’ve paid extra for this, you can cancel for any reason at all, as long as you do so before the tour starts.

How Do I Become a Local Tour Guide?

If you want to  become a tour guide  for ToursByLocals, you can  apply  through the ToursByLocals website. You have to be legally permitted to give tours in your area (but this doesn’t mean you have to be a licensed tour guide—“passionate locals” are also encouraged to apply).

If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to take part in an interview process to make sure you’re suitable for giving tours, and to check your English skills. You’ll also have to undergo a background check.

If you pass all the stages of the application process, you can start selling your tours on ToursByLocals.

Do Tour Guides Make Good Money?

Tour guides that offer their services through ToursByLocals can charge as much as they think is appropriate for their tours. The company takes a percentage of every dollar earned, but you can factor this into your pricing when you set up your profile and tour offerings.

Tour guides making money

Remember to make sure you’re getting paid a fair amount, but you’ll also want to ensure your prices aren’t so expensive that they’re off-putting to potential customers!

Is ToursByLocals Worth It?

It’s easy enough to find and book private tours with ToursByLocals, but is it really worth it? The costs of private tours can be high, and with guides setting their own prices, you could end up paying huge amounts for a private tour.

It all depends on what you’re looking for from your vacation. Some people prefer group tours, as they give them the chance to meet new people and get a basic overview of a city or a particular sight. For others, it makes more sense to book a private tour because it’s easier to get a personalized or customizable experience. At the end of the day, it all comes down to personal preference.

I'd recommend looking at different options and reading up on specific reviews of that individual tour operator before making the purchase!

My Rating: 4.1/5

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  • Experiences vary per guide

Plan your trip yourself!

Whether you decide to book a personal tour through ToursByLocals or not, you’ll want to make sure that your trip goes smoothly. Use Pilot to plan your trip—we have the ultimate travel planning tools and much more to help you!

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Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

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TaylorMade Spider Tour putters: Full reviews, club specs and more

Slide 1

The return of Spider Tour will no doubt get gearheads talking. As one of the most successful putter franchises ever produced, it’s easy to assume TaylorMade is simply running it back with a tried and true design. Yes, the original Spider Tour shape is making a comeback, but there’s more to the updated offering than a fresh paint job.

With TaylorMade’s True Path alignment system featured prominently on all  five  heads, designers set out to create distinctive shapes and weight setups for all swing types.

It begins with the OG:  Spider Tour . Built around the iconic shape, the head has a center of gravity (CG) location of 35mm from the face, 5,700 MOI — roughly 700 MOI than the previous version — and 29 degrees of toe hang on a small slant hosel. In addition to standard lengths, Spider Tour also comes in a 38-inch counterbalance model with a 17-inch SuperStroke 3.0 grip.

Made popular by Rory McIlroy,  Spider Tour X  was originally made to get blade users into a mallet. The compact shape offers a blade-like feel with TSS weights that are placed forward for more rotation during the stroke. A CG placement of 33mm from the face is 2mm closer than Spider Tour. This model also has MOI of 5,000 and 30 degrees of toe hang on the small slant hosel.

Spider Tour Z  is a new addition to the lineup and features a perimeter that sits low to the ground to help frame the golf ball for easy alignment. The TSS weights are located well forward to encourage more face rotation and a blade-like feel. It has a CG location of 29mm from the face, 5,050 MOI and 29 degrees of toe hang with a small slant hosel.

review for tour

TaylorMade Spider Tour Putters

With  Spider Tour V , designers removed the wings to give it a “streamlined look” at address. With the smallest head in the lineup, golfers can expect an abundance of face rotation through impact. Spider Tour V has a CG location of 27mm from the face, MOI of 4,900 and 32 degrees of toe hang with a small slant hosel.

While the  Spider Tour S  (available Spring of 2024) has an identical Spider Tour shape, it’s actually slightly larger than the original. By comparison, the Spider Tour S head is 3mm longer and 8mm wider. It’s also constructed at a heavier head weight and only offered in 35- and 38-inch lengths with a counterbalance grip. Spider Tour S has a CG location of 38mm from the face, 6,063 MOI and is face-balanced.

Take a peek at the face and you’ll find something familiar — with a twist. The molded Pure Roll insert, made from a combination of Surlyn and Aluminum, has been a staple since it was first introduced on the original Spider X.

The Surlyn delivers a soft feel at impact, but with the grooves angled 45 degrees downward, it is able to impart a consistent end-over-end roll at impact.

But here’s where the insert starts to deviate from the original recipe. Situated directly behind the molded Surlyn is a piece of Hybrar that was most recently used on the Stealth and Stealth HD irons to dampen vibrations — particularly on mishits — at impact.

The end result is an improved sound and feel across the entire face.

The lightweight steel wireframe construction allowed engineers to open up the playbook and move the TSS (TaylorMade Swingweight System) weights around to dial in the center of gravity location for each head and putting style.

For example, the weights are situated in the back wings on Spider Tour to increase stability; with Spider X, the weight was positioned further forward — just behind the face — for more face rotation.

The TSS weights also serve another valuable purpose by optimizing performance at each putter length with specified masses.

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On Her Guts World Tour, Olivia Rodrigo Is No Longer the Girl You Thought You Knew

  • By Tomás Mier

Olivia Rodrigo was always an arena-selling artist. The opening night of Guts World Tour was proof of it.

On Friday night, at Palm Springs, California’ Acrisure Arena, Rodrigo cemented her position in pop culture as a generation-defining artist. As a rockstar. And as an energy-filled idol that is only just beginning her career.

Welcomed by a roaring audience of lavender-dressed kids, Gen Z’eers, gays, and cool moms, Rodrigo took the stage in a sparkly silver two-piece for “Bad Idea Right” following an intro that brought the Guts album cover art to life.

She started her set with some yearbook-esque imagery that referenced her past: the young Disney starlet that fit the mold of a teenager with immense potential as she performed her hits “Ballad of a Homeschool Girl” and “Vampire,” before saying goodbye to the old Liv with a piano rendition of the hit that made her who she is: “Drivers License.”

On Friday, she celebrated the era that came before, and sang “Teenage Dream” as videos of her as a child flashed on screen. Please don’t call her a kid anymore.

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“I’m so happy to be in Palm Springs. I’ve never been here before. I lived in Temecula which is not too far,” she told the crowd, before asking, “Did anyone go to my Sour Tour? That’s so cool. Nice to see you guys again. Y’all look prettier than I remember.” (She did too.)

The flying-over-the-crowd-on-a-crescent-moon moment served as a transition for the rest of the show — it was like a literal eclipse. Things got rockier, sexier. Hornier, really. Opening her life’s biggest tour yet on the eve of a Virgo full moon was more than intentional. That was obvious.

For “Jealousy, Jealousy,” she greeted her fans in the crowd, and later refused to censor herself as she rallied the crowd to sing “Deja Vu” with her at the “top of your fucking lungs.” After a two-guitar solo transition, Rodrigo came back onstage in a shiny red outfit and led the crowd in euphoric scream during “Brutal.” She performed the bonus track “Obsessed” as if it were a single, gyrating on the ground as a camera filmed her from below the see-through stage.

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Rodrigo walked offstage and the crowd soon started to chant “Get Him Back” to bring her back for her two last songs. She returned with “Good 4 U” wearing a cropped tank top with the words “I’m just a girl” emblazoned on it in a Bratz font, paying tribute to Gwen Stefani — and channeling the No Doubt star’s impact on culture. After a sassy rendition of “Get Him Back” to end the night, Rodrigo went into the crowd to meet her fans and got her flowers: hugging her Livies as star-shaped confetti rained on the crowd.

The Guts World Tour marks a new beginning for Rodrigo. And she’s reminding us she’s not one to be fucked with. It’s only fitting that it was fitting that it was her 21st birthday this week.

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Cute and curative … Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley review – a fleeting tour of Tove Jansson’s beguiling world

Nintendo Switch, PC (version played); Hyper Games/Raw Fury Eerie and uplifting, the first Moomins video game for over a decade sends anti-authoritarian Snufkin on a mission to restore the nature of Moominvalley

I have a dreadful cold, but Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley has made me feel better. It’s the gaming equivalent of honey and lemon and a hot-water bottle, full of goodness and warmth. But it’s also strange and melancholic, that signature mark of the Moomins, and part of the reason for the enduring popularity of Tove Jansson ’s creations. It’s weird, sad, eerie, wholesome and delightful.

The plot sees the philosophical wanderer Snufkin making his way back to Moominvalley in the spring, ready to meet his best friend, Moomintroll, after the Moomins have woken from their winter hibernation. But he finds his way is blocked by a park patrolled by policemen. The Hemulen park keeper has decided to extend his remit, building gardens across Moominvalley that are governed by strict rules nailed to signposts. Incensed at this unwarranted enclosure of nature, Snufkin begins tearing up the signs; and in a charming piece of logic, the policemen simply wander off once all the signposts are gone, since they no longer have any rules to enforce. This leaves Snufkin free to rewild the area, ripping up paving slabs and dismantling fences.

This conflict with the park keeper forms the backbone of the game, and there are several such parks where Snufkin must stealthily avoid the gaze of the wandering policemen while tearing down signs. Snufkin uses his trusty harmonica to charm animals and solve puzzles, and later he adds a flute and drum to his armoury, but beyond this novel use of a musical instrument to interact with the world, there’s little here in the way of innovation. We’re given a shopping list of quests to complete, many of which involve finding certain objects or characters, and there are familiar stealth sections, a trope used in countless games before.

Full of goodness and warmth … Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

But beyond that, this acts as a tour of the characters and locations of the Moomin world. The story is original, only very loosely based on events from the 1954 book Moominsummer Madness, but the game is nevertheless extremely faithful to Tove Jansson’s original texts, not only in presenting a convincing facsimile of her beautiful artwork, but also by dropping in nods to events from across the novels.

Early on we’re introduced to the terrifying Groke, who can freeze fire by sitting on it, and a certain small creature with no name soon tags along with Snufkin. Toffle is here as well, too scared to come down from a tree, and then there’s Too-Ticky, Mrs Fillyjonk, Snorkmaiden and the Hattifatteners, to name a few. Devotees of Jansson’s works will be delighted with every cameo, but if these names mean nothing to you, Melody of Moominvalley does a good job of showing why these characters are so beloved. This is a children’s storybook world populated by deeply flawed adults, a mix of the intensely odd and the bitingly satirical. Mrs Fillyjonk is the original helicopter parent. Snufkin was an ecowarrior long before the term was coined.

It’s also strangely sad. There’s a sense that, for the most part, the characters are too wrapped up in their own neuroses and obsessions to ever truly be happy, but the fact that they’re able to overcome their trauma and their differences and somehow get along is what makes this world so uplifting. In that sense, the choice of Sigur Rós for the soaring yet melancholic soundtrack is inspired.

Melody of Moominvalley is simple and unchallenging, and also disappointingly short – you can see almost everything within a day’s play. And yet it’s all put together with such care that it’s difficult to begrudge these shortcomings. The licence is everything: spending a short time in a faithfully evoked version of Tove Jansson’s strange and memorable world is worth the entrance fee.

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Nike Air Zoom Victory Tour 3 NRG

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This special Victory Tour 3 celebrates golf’s greatest team event, where intercontinental bragging rights hang in the balance. It offers robust comfort, unreal energy return and spikes that offer exceptional traction, whether you’re swinging through or playing through en route to 36.

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