A private tour guide can make your trip much more enjoyable. These guides are available to provide unique insights about the destination and help you explore off-the-beaten paths.
Unlike group tours, they can adapt the itinerary to your schedule. In addition, they prioritize the customer experience. Here are five reasons to choose a private tour guide.
They Know the Area
When hiring a private tour guide, you’ll get a local who is familiar with the area. They may even know a hidden gem that tourists typically miss. For instance, they can save you money by providing advance admission tickets to popular landmarks and restaurants. This allows you to skip long lines and make the most of your time.
They also know how to read their guests and will adapt their style accordingly. They’ll use their vocal inflection to command attention and can anticipate the best times for visiting popular sights based on weather conditions and traffic levels.
Many guides have a specialty that they offer such as giving tours of Hollywood history or taking Beatles fans to places where the band once performed. They might have a background in journalism, education or the arts and have received a recognized tourist guide qualification. They are passionate about what they do and it shows in the quality of their tours.
They Can Speak the Local Language
When visiting countries where most people speak very little English, having a private tour guide can be invaluable. Your guide will be able to communicate with locals, help you purchase transportation and attraction tickets, provide recommendations for sustainable places to eat and experience, and even show off-the-beaten-path sites that are difficult to find on your own.
Another perk of having a tour guide is their intimate knowledge of each destination and culture. They will be able to explain the history of each site and why it’s important to the local community. They can also tell you personal stories about each destination, which can add a lot of character to the trip!
Finally, a private tour guide can also help you save time. They will be able to plan your itinerary so you avoid tourist hordes at popular attractions and will know when the best times are to visit each location. They can also help you find local restaurants and shops that are a true reflection of the culture.
They Can Help You in an Emergency
A tour guide might have first aid training or be able to call in medical help for the group. Tour guides work with people of varying ages and levels of physical fitness, so they have to be prepared to deal with a range of unexpected problems that could arise during a tour.
They can also recommend restaurants that can accommodate different dietary requirements, book transportation and attractions, and find ethical experiences for those wanting to spend money in the local economy. This makes private tours ideal for people with limited mobility, health issues or a specific itinerary.
It is also helpful for a guide to know when tourist hordes are most likely to be at an attraction so they can plan the itinerary accordingly. Victoria and John both mention that many of their guests stay in contact with them well after their tour ends and they receive regular referrals from happy clients – a fantastic result for their hard work!
They Can Help You to Save Time
When you book a private tour, your guide will be able to customize the experience to match your specific interests. This way, you can avoid the sites that don’t speak to you and spend more time seeing those places that do.
Additionally, a good guide will be able to save you time by skipping the lines at monuments and museums. They also know the best times to visit different attractions, avoiding the hottest and most crowded periods of the day.
Lastly, a great guide will be able to take you to areas that are difficult to reach with a group tour, such as rural landmarks or local villages. In addition, they will be able to help you save money by avoiding expensive car rental rates and insurance costs. They can even offer you a pick-up service from your hotel and drop you off in the afternoon. This can be a huge time and money saver for travelers.
