Private Guides and Custom Tours
Hiring a guide for your own group, either through a marketplace such as ToursByLocals, Withlocals or GoWithGuide, or directly from a company that only does private work. It costs more per person than a group tour and less than most people expect once a family or two couples split it. The listings here cover how guides are vetted and licensed, whether you can message a guide before paying, how itineraries are customised, and what is included beyond the guide's time, such as a driver, tickets or hotel pick-up. This is also where the high-end, fully arranged private experiences sit.
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Global travel booking site that resells attraction tickets, day tours, private and group tours and eSIMs alongside its flights, hotels, trains and car rentals
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Global platform connecting travelers with vetted local guides for customizable private tours worldwide.
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Platform booking private guided tours and experiences with local hosts in cities worldwide.
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Cruise excursion broker selling shore tours and activities in Cozumel and Caribbean ports, serving cruise ship passengers with ATVs, snorkeling, diving, and Mayan ruins access.
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Reykjavík tour and transport company since 1968, running Golden Circle and South Coast day tours, Flybus airport transfers and selling glacier, snorkeling and hot spring trips.
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Finnish destination management company running own safaris, husky rides and Northern Lights tours across 4 Lapland locations.
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Icelandic tour operator running multi-day minibus tours, day trips, and Northern Lights hunts across Iceland.
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A Rome guide and comparison site listing Colosseum, Vatican and other Rome tickets and tours from GetYourGuide, Viator and named local operators, with prices in euros.
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Rome tour operator founded in 1992 selling its own guided Vatican, Colosseum and city tours, skip-the-line tickets, and day trips to Tivoli and Pompeii, plus tours in Florence and Venice
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French tour operator running small-group and private guided trips across 8 regions by minivan and e-bike, with bilingual local guides.
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Family-run Prague bike tour company offering guided city, countryside, and self-guided tours with bike rentals since 2002
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One Austrian-American guide running private walking tours in Vienna plus day excursions by car and a bike trip to the Wachau Valley, priced per group in euros.
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A family-owned US marketplace founded in 1999 selling bike-and-hotel, bike-and-boat, e-bike and multi-sport tours designed by local partners across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa and Oceania.
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Bike, e-bike, and Vespa tour operator in Florence and Tuscany's Chianti wine region, pairing rides with tastings and meals.
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Istanbul yacht cruise company running small-group Bosphorus sightseeing, sunset, lunch and dinner cruises, private yacht charters and city tours, priced in euros
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London sightseeing company running since 1933, with guided coach, rail and small-group tours from London, Thames river-cruise combinations and resold attraction tickets
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Amsterdam-based operator running canal cruises, cooking workshops, and team-building activities with over 60 electric boats
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Family-run New York City tour company and DMC that guides its own private walking tours and resells partner cruises, helicopter rides, passes and day trips
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A small-scale Amsterdam canal cruise company operating private and shared boat tours on restored and luxury vessels.
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Private and shared sailing on yachts and catamarans in Barcelona with multiactivity packages including Segway tours, helicopter rides, and city attractions
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Award-winning guided tours of Washington DC landmarks, monuments and national attractions by bus, boat, walking and private vehicle
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Tokyo-founded marketplace connecting travelers with screened local guides for customizable private tours, private car tours and transfers in 102 countries
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Platform connecting travelers directly with independent local tour guides in 100+ countries worldwide.
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Boston-based tour marketplace with 80,000+ packages across 2,000+ destinations and private tour options
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Marketplace for booking private tours directly with local guides and small tour operators worldwide, plus a free trip-planning service that returns custom proposals
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A Paris-founded family travel company, set up in 2012, that designs private cooking classes, treasure-hunt museum tours and multi-day family trips across 7 European countries.
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Florence-founded tour operator, formerly Florencetown, running its own cooking schools, small-group city tours, Vespa trips and multi-day tours in Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice and Sicily
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Local Bali operator offering private day tours, half-day trips, multi-day packages, activities and car charters throughout Bali and Nusa Penida.
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Family-run Barcelona tour operator offering private and small-group day tours to Montserrat, Girona, Costa Brava, and the Dali Museum with included pick-up and skip-the-line tickets.
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Private walking and vehicle tours of Barcelona led by Javier, an official government-authorized guide with deep knowledge of Sagrada Familia and Gaudi.
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Private chauffeur-guided day tours from Belfast to the Giant's Causeway, Game of Thrones sites and Belfast's murals, plus cruise shore excursions.
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Colombian tour operator offering free walking tours, group tours, and private experiences across 6 cities, from coffee farms to cultural and conflict-history tours.
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Sydney private and small-group day tours to Blue Mountains, Hunter Valley, and surrounding regions run by an owner-guide with 12 years of professional tour-guiding experience.
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Italian tour operator offering private guided tours, shore excursions, and day trips throughout Italy with its own drivers and guides.
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Private luxury guided tours of Edinburgh and Scotland in comfortable vehicles with experienced driver guides.
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Private tours of the Netherlands run by local guides, operating from Amsterdam and other cities with custom day trips and multi-day itineraries.
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Rome-licensed Italian marketplace selling tours, day trips, bike and Segway rides and shore excursions from more than 150 local operators across Italy, plus custom itineraries
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Private tour operator in Naples offering day trips to Amalfi, Sorrento, Pompeii, and other Campania destinations with licensed drivers and Mercedes vehicles.
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Spanish tour operator running day excursions and multi-day trips throughout southern Spain and northern Morocco.
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Operator of private day tours and multi-day trips across central Greece and the Peloponnese with specialized shore excursions for cruise passengers.
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Irish coach tour company, running since 1998, with day tours, multi-day trips and cruise shore excursions from Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Killarney and Galway.
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Private tour operator in Paris and Normandy offering family-focused museum experiences, D-Day tours, and custom walking itineraries with licensed guides.
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Private guide and photography-focused tours of Edinburgh and Scottish film locations, castles and highlands for small groups of up to 4 people.
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Operator of guided small-group day tours and multi-day trips across Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales and Europe, departing from major cities.
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Licensed Hong Kong travel agency run by local guide Jacky Wong, offering private day tours of Hong Kong, Lantau, Shenzhen and Macau plus layover and cruise tours
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Operator of over 100 tours and multi-day packages throughout Jordan with private options and cross-border trips to Egypt, Israel and the UAE.
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Open marketplace where local operators and guides list day tours, activities and multi-day trips worldwide, booked online with a deposit and reviewed for travel-money rewards.
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Dublin day-tour operator running coach trips to the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Belfast, the Giant's Causeway and Wicklow with a separate driver and guide, plus private and overnight tours
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Thai-owned Bangkok agency matching travelers with licensed private English-speaking guides for custom city days and day trips from US$132 per day.
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Private family tours across Europe led by guides trained in child engagement, with destinations in Paris, London, Edinburgh, and Italy.
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Private family tours in Paris led by licensed guides trained to engage children and adults through interactive storytelling.
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A Rome company founded in 2013 running private, kid-focused guided tours of the Vatican, Colosseum and city center, plus family day trips from Rome to Pompeii, Florence, Assisi and the Amalfi Coast.
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Tokyo-registered travel agency running its own walking food tours in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Shizuoka, plus tailor-made multi-day trips across Japan
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A global platform connecting travelers with local guides for personalized, one-on-one city experiences tailored to individual interests and preferences.
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Private customized tours of NYC and regional destinations, with a focus on personalized itineraries and minivan comfort.
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Local Tokyo guides leading small group food tours, private walking and car tours, and educational study programs across Tokyo, Yokohama, and Hakone.
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Intrepid's day-tour arm, running food walks, cooking classes and city tours with local English-speaking guides in groups of up to 12, from New Orleans to Vienna and Marrakech.
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Food tours, history tours, and live virtual experiences in over 70 cities across Europe, Americas, Asia, and Australia
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Rome-born tour company selling its own tours and vetted partners' tours, from Trastevere food walks and Vatican entries to Lake Como cruises, across Europe
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Small group and private food, city and attraction tours with local guides in 16 destinations across Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, the UK and North America.
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Prague-only team of certified local guides running 4 English free walking tours plus private tours priced by group size, from the Old Town to Vysehrad
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Sydney company running daily tip-based walking tours in English at 1pm and Spanish at 10am, plus private city tours and Blue Mountains day trips, with Melbourne tours announced
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Florence free-tour brand with tip-based Renaissance and dark-side walks from its green umbrella, a Pisa walk, and paid Uffizi and Accademia tours by local freelance guides
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Pay-what-you-wish walking tours from Union Square in English at 10 AM and Spanish at 10:30 AM, plus Chinatown night, Mission and Castro, and e-bike tours in San Francisco
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Tips-based and paid walking tours, food experiences, and hiking excursions across numerous Italian cities and worldwide destinations
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Independent Prague walking tour company operating since 2016, offering free and paid small-group tours in English and Spanish led by professional local guides.
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Barcelona tip-based walking tours from Plaça Catalunya, including Gothic Quarter, Gaudí and Raval routes, plus a priced bike tour, workshops and private groups
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Worker-owned New Orleans company running pay-what-you-feel walking tours of the French Quarter, Garden District and St. Louis Cemetery
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Collective of local guides running daily pay-what-you-wish walks through Midtown Manhattan from Bryant Park in English and Spanish, plus an evening High Line walk and priced private tours
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Licensed Rome agency running a daily Squares and Fountains free walk from the Spanish Steps for a €1 booking, plus priced Colosseum, Vatican and Pantheon small-group tours
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Granada tour agency running daily pay-what-you-like walks from Plaza Nueva in Spanish and English, plus priced Alhambra visits, Lorca routes, day trips and transfers
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Las Vegas-based tour booking platform offering Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Antelope Canyon and Zion tours from $70, with bus, private and aerial options.
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Cusco-based trekking operator founded in 2013 by a former Inca Trail porter, running its own Inca Trail, Salkantay, Lares and Ausangate treks with local guides, chefs and porters.
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Los Angeles sightseeing company running its own open-air celebrity-home and half-day tours from Hollywood and Santa Monica, and also selling Big Bus hop-on hop-off tickets.
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Göreme-based tour company that books Cappadocia balloon flights with licensed operators and runs its own day tours, ATV rides, transfers and Istanbul add-ons
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TURSAB-licensed Turkish travel agency selling Cappadocia balloon flights, guided day tours and private van services, plus Antalya excursions and multi-day Turkey packages.
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Missoula-based travel company, founded in 1999, whose trip planners match travelers with small group tours, expedition cruises and custom trips from partner operators worldwide.
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US tour company running escorted small-group journeys capped at 16 guests, plus private and tailor-made trips across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and beyond.
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Veteran-owned small-group tour operator offering 9 to 13-day Peru journeys limited to 8 guests per departure
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Private, customized China tours since 1998, planned with a personal advisor and run with the company's own selected guides and private drivers.
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The Indian Cox & Kings brand, owned since 2024 by Wilson & Hughes, selling escorted group tours and tailor-made holidays from India to 100+ destinations, priced in rupees.
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A UK tour operator tracing its roots to 1758, running escorted small-group tours of up to 18 or 20 people and tailormade journeys to 100+ destinations.
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Sydney-based Cuba specialist running small-group tours of 4 to 20 days from Havana with Cuban tour leaders and guesthouse stays, plus private tours and short stays.
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Luxury private trips and safaris planned one at a time by travel designers, with multi-country Grand Tours across Africa, Asia, Europe and beyond.
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A family-run Cork company selling only its own escorted tours of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, capped at 26 guests, plus private tours.
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Travel company selling ready-made, customizable and private multi-day packages across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Mexico, bookable online.
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Sligo-based adventure operator running small-group, private and self-guided hiking, cycling, e-bike and cultural tours across Ireland, sister company of Wilderness Scotland
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Photography tour company running small-group photo adventure vacations of 4 to 8 guests in more than 40 countries, plus private photo and cultural tours.
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Photographer Marco Bulgarelli leads his own night, daytime and full-day photography tours and workshops in Rome, with Tivoli and Tuscany also on offer.
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Las Vegas tour company founded in 2007 running private city, Hoover Dam, Red Rock and arts district tours, plus step-on guides for groups arriving by coach.
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Women-led private tour company offering customized experiences across Egypt with female guides and local Egyptologists.
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Private guides for customized art history and archaeology tours throughout Italy and Paris, with expertise in Vatican, Florence, and Amalfi.
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Licensed Lisbon private guide Marta Côrte-Real runs walking tours of Lisbon and driven day trips to Sintra, Cascais, Évora and Óbidos, plus live virtual tours
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Fully licensed private tour company in Hong Kong offering customized experiences across the city, islands, and Macau since 2012.
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Private tour guide network serving Naples, Pompeii, Capri and the Amalfi Coast since 1999.
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A Bangkok guide and a small team of licensed guides running private, customizable Bangkok day tours with published per-group prices in Thai baht.
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Private, tailor-made tours of Egypt with Egyptologist guides, plus custom trips to Morocco, Dubai, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Turkey, planned by the founder himself.
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Directory running since 2004 that lists more than 990 independent private guides worldwide, with travelers contacting guides directly and paying them without a booking fee
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Private guided tours run by fully licensed guides across Rome, Florence, Venice, Naples, Barcelona and Paris.
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Private tours in Sydney and Australia since 2006, led by a licensed guide with hand-picked local guides across the country.
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Private guided tours in Florence led by a licensed guide with 10+ years of experience covering museums, walking tours, and Tuscan destinations.
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Private tour company arranging guides, chauffeured vehicles, shore excursions and multi-day trips in cities across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
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Kayaking and stand-up paddle tours from Kailua Beach to the Mokulua Islands and Popoia Flat Island on Oahu, Hawaii.
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Global walking tour operator with full-time local guides across 60 regions in 30 countries, specializing in handcrafted itineraries and multi-day trips
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Private luxury tour agency in Washington, DC offering customized itineraries from 2-hour day trips to multi-day tours with licensed local guides.
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Walking tours and ticketed attractions in 8 major U.S. and European cities with local guides and free cancellation 24 hours before departure.
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Licensed Singapore tour company with its own in-house guides, running private customized walking and car tours, a small-group food tour and catamaran sails
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Family-owned London walking tour company run as a guides' cooperative, with 2-hour themed walks every day, music tours, Zoom virtual tours and private walks.
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Licensed Marrakech guides running a daily tip-based medina walk from Jemaa El Fna, priced private city tours in euros, and day trips to the Atlas, Essaouira and Ouzoud
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Expert-led walking tours of Berlin, Potsdam, and other German cities, specializing in WWII, Cold War, and cultural history since 1993.
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Local guide collective running 5 walking tours plus private and paid-tip options in Dublin since 2022.
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English-language walking tour company in Paris, founded in 1994, running daily scheduled walks from March to November plus private walks and museum tours.
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Private NYC walking tours and photo shoots with professional photographer-guide, priced flat rate up to 6 guests
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US tour operator offering walking, bus, and private tours across New York City, Boston, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, and Philadelphia.
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Salzburg sightseeing operator behind the Original Sound of Music Tour, with daily group tours, private tours across Austria and Bavaria, and transfers.
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A three-guide Barcelona company running private walking, chauffeured and day-trip tours in the city and across Catalonia since 2001, with published prices.
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Family-owned Banff company running small-group sightseeing and wildlife tours in its own buses, and booking partner-run rafting, heli and dogsled trips in the Rockies.
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Small-group and private wine tours from Florence partnering with family-run Tuscan wineries and artisan producers
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Private wine tours in Rioja and Basque Country Spain with access to boutique and family-run wineries and local guides
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Argentine tour operator specializing in Mendoza wine tours, private guides, horseback riding, and outdoor adventures in the Andes foothills.
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Bordeaux-based wine and spirits travel platform connecting travelers with member wineries, distilleries and hotels, and with local experts who build tailor-made wine trips.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between using a platform and booking a tour operator directly?
Platforms like ToursByLocals or Withlocals connect you with various independent local guides for customizable experiences. In contrast, direct operators like Enjoy Rome or Safartica run their own specific tours and transport services.
Can I find private tours that include transportation?
Yes, many options include transport. You can book minivan trips with À la Française, airport transfers and day tours with Reykjavik Excursions, or car excursions through Private Tours Vienna.
Are there private tour options for active travelers?
There are several. You can choose bike tours with Praha Bike, e-bike and minivan trips with À la Française, or adventure activities like ATVs and snorkeling through Cozumel Cruise Excursions.
Is it expensive to book a private guide for a small group?
It's often more affordable than people expect. When a family or a couple splits the cost, the price per person becomes much more competitive compared to standard group tours.