Private tours are my favorite way to maximize what I can see and do in a location and minimize the effort I need to put in to plan my adventures.
I love booking private tours for many reasons.
People always ask me how I find my guides.
First, I research the area a bit to get an idea of what I want to see and do. To do this, I look for itineraries from the larger tour companies and see how many days they spend in an area and what they see.
After I have a very general idea of what I want to include in my itinerary, I start looking for private tour companies.
I begin on Viator and Tripadvisor.
Search for tour options by location: This will show you who operates tours in the area where you want to visit.
- Narrow the search: Once you select the location, narrow the search to private or small group tours.
- Read about tours: Then read about the available tours, the guides, the company, and pricing options. Read reviews but remember to take them with a grain of salt. Notice overall themes in the reviews, not specifics. If several reviews say the transportation was uncomfortable or outdated, it probably is. If many people say they felt rushed, it’s often true.
- Visit the company’s website: Often, Viator and Tripadvisor will have links to the tour company’s web site. If not, Google the company name and find it yourself.
- Contact the company: This is where my process often differs from others. I like to contact the company directly through their web site and eliminate the middleman. I have found booking with the third parties often does not allow customization.
- Send an email: In an initial email, I try to explain the generalities of what I am looking for and the dates I want to travel. I tell the companies how many people are involved and approximate ages. This way they know if they are dealing with children or older adults.
I also like Withlocals and have found some great guides there.
Then, the fun part begins.
I send the same or similar emails to every company I am looking to use, and it is often interesting to see how differently they respond.
I look for:
- Speed of response: Did the company respond to my initial request in a timely fashion?
- Type of response: Was it a generic response or a personal email? Did they answer my questions and provide me information to help me decide if I want to trust them with my business?
- Friendliness: If they seem happy to connect with me, I am more likely to want to do business with them.
Then I start communicating with the different companies and ask for specifics like prices, types of transportation, payment options, etc. If they don’t take credit cards for any required deposit, I won’t use them. If there is a problem with the company later, paying with a credit card can give you some recourse.
I can usually tell fairly quickly if I feel comfortable with a company or not. The more tight and rigid they are, the less likely I want to work with them. If they seem accommodating and willing to alter plans to fit our needs, they might be a good fit.
For example, I was communicating with two companies for a recent trip to South Dakota and was feeling comfortable with one of them. That’s when I asked about their cancellation policy, and their response was that there were no cancellations for any reason and to get trip insurance.
Nope. Wrong response.
I asked the other company the same question about cancellation.
Black Hills Adventure Tours said they had no formal cancellation policy and understand that in these times, people might need to cancel. They said they hoped we wouldn’t cancel, but if we had to, they would work with us.
Right answer.
After a few more emails, we finalized our plans.
A few days before the tour, reconfirm your plans and exchange mobile phone numbers so your guide can contact you and you can contact your guide.
What kinds of things do you look for when planning your tours and adventures?