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There are other ways to identify private tour guide experiences, but I really like using TripAdvisor because I can get real reviews and get a better idea of what to expect on the tour before booking. While there are many reasons to book a private travel experience, there are also some reasons why it may not be the best fit for you. This blog post reviews the pros and the cons of booking a private tour guide experience, so that you can make the right choice for your next travel experience.
Pros of Booking a Private Tour Guide
1. You don’t have to worry about getting from place to place.
In my experience, a private tour guide company will provide two people with you for the day – the guide and the driver. Usually the tour guide will arrive at your hotel in the morning and meet you in the lobby, while the driver stays in the car and waits for you to come out.
A morning pick-up is especially nice because oftentimes, the pick-up time is first thing in the morning, so all you have to worry about is getting up and down to the lobby on time. No need to walk to the metro or train or bus to meet up with the tour guide in a foreign country.
With a driver, you can just hop out of the car (typically air-conditioned) and head straight to the travel highlight and not have to worry about finding a parking place. When you are finished at a sight, your guide will contact the driver and he/she will meet you with the car.
The whole process makes travel time much more efficient, and also more luxurious due to the privacy.
My guide, Tess, discussing talking about the fresh produce sold in the vegetable and fruit market in Bangkok, Thailand.
2. You can maximize your sightseeing time.
Because of my full-time job, I may get one to two days of time to explore a town on my own time at a maximum. Even though that’s not a long time, I would much rather make the most of my time when I can while traveling as opposed to seeing the walls of my hotel room. The best way for me to do that is to book a private tour guide – I can hit more spots with a guide than I would be able to by myself, researching the stops and navigating how to get to each. I can see at least double the amount of highlights with a local private tour guide than if I were getting around solo.
Exploring Ayutthaya (Siam) in Thailand with our tour guide, Gimao. She was lively, talkative, and enthusiastic!
3. You don’t have to worry about entry fees or getting from place to place.
One of the things I really love about booking a private tour guide experience is the convenience of it. Typically, your entry fees to the tour stops are including in the price of your private tour guide experience. Therefore, there’s no need to fumble with money at each spot. Additionally, there’s no need to try to communicate with the ticket desk to get the admission ticket that you want. Also – a big one for me - no need to wait in line – your tour guide will purchase on your behalf, using the money you already pre-paid, from a special tour guide only line, so the wait time is barely noticeable.
4. You get a local’s insight of the destination you’re exploring.
Your tour guide has an intimate knowledge of the stops on your trip. He or she can tell you the history and meaning behind each place you visit. Not just the facts, but also the significance of the site to the people of that destination. You can also ask your guide anything that pops into your head about the location or culture. I often find that hearing their own stories can add unique color to the destination that you are in – you can get a local’s own personal opinions and experiences about the site.
As an example, I visited the Buddhist temple, Wat Phra Kaew, in Bangkok, with my tour guide, Tess. Tess was a practicing Buddhist – upon meeting her, we first headed to the flower market (a must-see stop in Bangkok, by the way.) She picked up three lotus flowers and three thin golden leaf squares (one her own dime) while there so that I could take them to the temple as an offering.
Lotus flowers and thin gold leaf squares for offerings at the Buddhist temple, Wat Phra Kaew, in Bangkok, Thailand
Before we entered Wat Phra Kaew, she taught me the importance of the lotus flower in the Buddhist religion. A lotus symbolizes the Buddhist teachings of purity – a white lotus flower refers to the purity of the mind and the spirit.. It represents one symbol of fortune in Buddhism. The lotus flower grows in muddy waters – like the stages of Buddhism, the lotus flower can rise and bloom above the murky waters to achieve enlightenment.
Opening Up Petals on Lotus Flowers for an Offering to the Buddhist Temple Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, Thailand
Before presenting the lotus flowers in the temple as an offering with my prayer, Tess taught me to shape the petals to be a more open flower. She explained that this act in itself is a form of meditation (which is a focus for the Buddhist religion.)
Opening Up Petals on Lotus Flowers for an Offering to the Buddhist Temple Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, Thailand
When I was finished opening the lotus flowers, I placed the three thin gold leaf squares on a Buddha statue outside of the temple to honor the Buddha teachings. If someone is experiencing physical pain, they place the square on that body part of the Buddha as a wish to ask for relief. Tess told me to focus on my wishes.
Placing three thin gold leaf squares on Buddhist statue at Wat Phra Kaew in Bangkok, Thailand
Then we took our shoes off and entered Wat Phra Kaew with my lotus flowers. I placed them in a dish in front of the Emerald Buddha and Tess prayed while I focused on my wishes in life. Though I am not a Buddhist, this was a really special moment for me as it brought so much more meaning to Buddhism and to the temple we were in. The temples are busy and crowded, and it’s hard to find a peaceful moment there. But this experience really allowed me to reflect on the Thai people’s religion and to understand it better. I was honored that Tess prayed for me and that she allowed me to partake in this Buddhist ritual with her.
This entire experience would have never been possible if I had not booked a private tour guide experience. It’s moments like these that bring to life the city that you’re exploring, and makes the entire day worth it.
5. Your tour guide can speak the local language.
The fact that your tour guide will be bilingual is another point of convenience. Sometimes when traveling, I’m hesitant to try some new food or try and negotiate for a souvenir because I don’t know how to communicate in their language. Or maybe you have certain dietary restrictions, and you are unsure if menu items have certain ingredients that you need to avoid. Having your tour guide with you can be super great in these instances.
Our tour guide, Gimao, telling us about the different Thai dishes we ordered for lunch…they were all delicious!
Because your tour guide is bilingual, they can order on your behalf based on your preferences, and they will make sure that the kitchen gets your order right. Furthermore, if you want to get a souvenir, your tour guide can help negotiate to make sure that you aren’t over paying for anything – I especially like this fact; I hate negotiating in general and feel much better when a local is with me. They know what a good, fair deal looks like.
Referencing my private tour guide experience again with Tess in Thailand - we were at the flower market, and I decided to purchase some beautiful orchids – my favorite flower. Tess negotiated on my behalf in the Thai language and made sure that I paid a fair price for the flowers. I know that if I had been traveling solo that day, the flower vendor would have increased the price for an obvious tourist like myself. With my tour guide present, I knew I was getting the best deal possible!
6. You have an instant photographer.
Though the guide may not be a professional photographer, it’s really nice knowing that they are there for the whole day to take as many pictures of you as you’d like so that you can capture the day’s experience. Personally, I hate asking other people to take photos of me – I don’t like inconveniencing others (not that it’s that big of a deal) but I also don’t like the potential risk associated with handing my phone or camera over to a stranger and trusting that they will hand it back after the picture is taken.
I’ve never experienced a horror story of someone stealing my phone or camera in this instance, but it is a possibility. With a tour guide, you don’t have to worry about your personal belongings being in jeopardy. And you don’t have to seek a stranger out and awkwardly ask them to take your picture.
My tour guide (not shown) taking a picture of me in front of Mysore Palace in India.
Cons of Booking a Private Tour Guide Experience
1. It’s more expensive than going solo.
Without a doubt, a private tour guide experience will be more expensive than seeing individual sights on your own. However there are many pluses for what you are paying for – transportation, entry fees, snacks/water/meals (sometimes included in overall cost), customizable itinerary, bilingual guide who is an expert on the area. But if money is tight for the trip, you may decide to forego the private tour guide experience.
2. You potentially have less flexibility in your schedule.
Are you the type of person who wants to read every inscription of each piece of art in each room of the museum? If so, a private tour guide may not be for you. *Unless* the tour guide you hired is just to take you through the museum. If you are the type of person who enjoys taking your time through a site and reading up on or listening to the full audio guide, a full day planned with your private tour guide may actually frustrate you.
There have been times when I’m with my tour guide and I wanted to stay at a destination longer. Most of the time, the tour guide can accommodate your wishes, but it will be at the expense of another stop. With full day tours, it’s important to try and stay on time as much as possible, in order to make sure that you have enough time to see everything on the itinerary for the day. But sometimes you come on a spot that you could just stay all day at. This is typically how I feel when I arrive at a gorgeous park or botanical garden. I want to walk around, take it all in, maybe meditate, and even have a picnic!
So if you prefer to take in sights at your leisure, a private tour guide schedule may not be for you.
3. Being around a new person for a day can be tiring for introverted travelers.
I’m an introverted traveler, so being around a new person for a full day tires me. I’m not really good at small talk, and I’m a very introspective person so I like to take in the sights in a meditative manner. Even if the tour guide is the sweetest, most agreeable person, I’ll still just be drained by the experience, because of my introversion. I’m not saying this as a deterrent – it’s totally worth it despite any potential energy drain.
>> Related reading: What is an Introverted Traveler? <<
I’ve been on several private tour guide experiences – not all tour guides are the same. Some guides love to talk and they will ask questions to learn more about you just as much as you ask them questions. Other guides will allow you to have some quiet time when you are in transit or taking in the sights.
Me and my tour guide, Laura, in Hangzhou, China trying a popular yogurt drink.
Closing Thoughts
In my experience, not all private tour guide experiences are made equal. So do your research ahead of time – look at the options, read the reviews, and get a sense of what to expect for the day. Overall, I’ve had very positive travel guide experiences, but this is largely due to the fact that I spent quite a bit of time to research and weigh the pros and cons of the experience, before booking.
Pro Tip - There is a big difference between hiring a private driver and booking a private tour guide. Make sure you know what you are booking ahead of time. I’ve booked both depending on what I’m looking for in that particular experience. A driver will only get you from point A to B - they will likely not be fluent in English and capable of telling you lots about the destinations. A private tour guide should be bilingual and very knowledgeable about all of your stops for the day. A driver experience will be less costly than a private tour guide experience but will cost more than public transit.
As a western world traveler, I have found that private tour guide experiences are most helpful when traveling in the eastern Asian countries. These come most in handy due to the stronger language barrier – both for communicating but also for traveling from stop to stop. For me, the pros far outweigh the cons when booking a private tour guide experience.
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Travel well and often,
author bio
Known as The Jet Set Blonde, Brittany Ryan inspires others to add more adventure to their childfree travel experiences. Brittany has visited 23 countries (and counting!) Connect with her to get access to detailed childfree travel itineraries, travel guides for weekend getaways, and updates on adult-only hotels, resorts, cruises, and other travel amenities.
