Eight Reasons Why You Should Hire a Private Guide

Eight Reasons Why You Should Hire a Private Guide

While we have done a few group tours while travelling, we learned a long time ago that private tours work so much better for our family. They allow for a personalized tour that is flexible and fun for everyone, especially the kids. We’ve met some incredible people and truly learned so much more about the location we’re visiting because of our tours.

So let’s get to it! Why should YOU hire a private guide on your next family vacation? Here are eight reasons!

1. You can customize your tour to do exactly what you want.

Most private guides are happy to add and remove sights and/or stops from their regular tours or even consider an activity or sight that isn’t part of their regular tour based on your own personal preferences.

We had visited Jamaica several times so on our last trip, we wanted to see more of the local flare. Our guide arranged for us to visit a local market on market day. He and his co-worker/fiancée brought us around the market, introduced us to people, told us about the local fruits and vegetables and recommended items to sample.

Local Market in Brown’s Town, Jamaica

2. If there are several travellers, a private guide often charges less than the price of a group tour.

We are a family of five. For group tours, often children are charged adult rates because the fee for a seat on the bus is the same price for everyone. Many private guides have a daily or hourly rate and most don’t charge extra for children. If you’re travelling alone this will likely not apply but for families or groups travelling together, it’s definitely worth checking out.

3. You can change the tour description at the last minute if a child (or adult) is under the weather, has a sprained ankle, etc.

I have yet to meet a private guide that wasn’t willing to change something if needed. It can be drastic or not serious at all. Most are very flexible and understanding.

One year in Jamaica my son passed out at the breakfast buffet and another year he woke up puking. Both times the guide (different guides each time) was willing to switch us to another day during our visit.

In Rome, a few days before our tour we opted to reverse our tour activities so that we would start in a location closer to our apartment.

In the south of Spain, our oldest got car sick travelling from Seville to Granada. We were able to stop until he felt better and our driver drove more slowly through the hills for the remainder of the trip.

Travelling with children is unpredictable. Private guides allow for much more flexibility than group tour operators.

4. With a private guide you can stop for a special snack or even lunch.

Group tours have a plan and that plan is strict. If the plan is to stop for lunch, you stop. If the plan is to keep travelling, you travel. Private tours give you an option.

During our trip around the Danube Bend when vacationing in Hungary, we had originally planned to stop in Szentendre for lunch. We opted instead to stop into this wonderful little hole in an ally that sold langos. They were a super tasty treat and took just a few minutes to order. This gave us much more time on our later stops that day and gave us the chance to try a tasty local treat.

Our guide showing us how to prepare our langos in Szentendre, Hungary

5. You can hear exactly what your guide is saying rather than possibly being at the back of a large crowd.

One group tour we did was the Beefeater tour at the Tower of London. The group was small and it was a short tour but our kids had a really hard time staying in the front of the group so they could see and hear what the guide was saying. This has never been an issue with a private guide.

6. You and your kids get to ask your private guide all your questions.

Kids aren’t always known to be asking the most intelligent questions. But that said, it’s wonderful when they show interest in a new location. In a large group, kids often aren’t comfortable enough to ask questions or, at times, the guide isn’t willing to indulge in their many questions. On a private tour, the kids get to ask questions that are important to them and the guides we’ve met actually encourage it!

Caiden and Sydney with our guide Marina at the Alhambra in Grenada, Spain

7. On the reverse side, you don’t have to listen to everyone else’s questions (especially if you already know the answers!)

Before kids, John and I did a group tour to Chichen Itza in Mexico. The bus ride there was fine. We stopped, for us, a little too long in a small town before our arrival in Chichen Itza but once we arrived, we were looking forward to exploring.

Our bus was full and during the ‘tour’ around Chichen Itza, people barely let the guide talk. Our stops at each location lingered to the point that we knew we wouldn’t have time to climb the pyramid if we stayed with the group. Instead, we decided to leave and explore on our own until it was time for the bus to depart.

Having your day dependent on a group of strangers can be a waste of time and money but it can also ruin the day if you’re travelling with young kids.

8. Hiring a private guide gives you a chance to have a real connection to a local person.

Private guides are usually local people who are from the area or have lived in the area for a long time. They love showing people around their home and telling tidbits about their life.

We still have a connection to many of our guides. We’re in regular contact with Timea from Budapest Jewish Walks and I know I could reach out today to Almudena in Madrid, Rob in Barcelona, Kemrod in Jamaica or Jason in Prague and they’d all be happy to help me in any way they could.

Our kids with our private guide Timea in Hungary

Before you hire your private guide …

So you’ve decided that hiring a private guide is right for you. What next?

Although we think hiring a private guide makes sense when travelling with kids, you do need to do a little homework before hiring your guide.

First, you need to narrow down where you’d like your guide to take you. Do you want to skip lines? Do you want a history lesson? Do you want a fun day with the kids?

Second, it’s really helpful to read a lot of reviews and try hard to find a guide or company that has a reputation for being informative, fun and great with kids. Reading about past tours they’ve given will give you an idea of their personality and flexibility but it will also give you ideas for your own private tour.

Third, you should reach out to several guides and ask questions that are important to us. Will they pick you up at the hotel or apartment? How much would they charge for your family of four/five/six (and I always provide the ages of the children)? Are there additional fees? How long do they recommend for your private tour?

[Hint: We really like to start our search at GetYourGuide or ToursByLocals. Both companies have some amazing private guides.]

Finally, after a few emails back and forth, you’re ready to choose your guide and reserve him or her for the date and time you’d prefer. By this time, you’ll generally have an idea as to what you’d like to do on the tour but up until the actual visit, you can continue to email your guide for suggestions or alterations to the tour until you have a personalized plan in place.

Travelling to Europe soon? Check out our post of our Favourite Guides in Europe.

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