Private Tours – There are so many options when it comes to making the most of your time in a new place, but one of the best is a private tour. We have done walking tours, bike tours, driving tours, and multi-day tours.
You will learn so much more about a place by having a local educated guide show you around. Many private tour companies also operate in multiple cities. When you find a company you trust, you can use them repeatedly.
Here is a list of private tour operators from around the world that we have used and have been happy with the itineraries and guides.
London – Yellow Moon Tours. One of our favorites. This company arranged for private transfers to and from the airport, an all-day tour of London, as well as a full-day excursion to Stonehenge and Bath with an additional archaeologist guide, and a tour of the Warner Brothers Studios’ Harry Potter exhibit.
Most well-reviewed tour companies also allow customization, so for us, this usually means focusing on history and architecture, but they can tailor the experience to what excites you most.
Liverpool – Jackie Spencer Beatleguide – We had the most memorable day with Jackie in Liverpool. She is incredibly knowledgable and entertaining and we highly, highly recommend her, but book early because her tours sell out well in advance.
Barcelona – Barcelona Day Tours – We were lucky enough to have a private tour in Barcelona that included all of the wonderful sights as well as skip the line access to Park Guell (and exceptionally good recommendations for restaurants!)
Italy Joe Bananas -. We used this company for several private tours and transfers in Italy, including a night time tour of Rome’s hidden gems, a tour of Cinque Terre, and a driver and guide to Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano with a separate private archaeologist guide at Pompeii. All were fantastic, fun and informative.
Also in Italy, Roma Star Bike Tours – We did their e-bike tour of Via Appia in Rome and had an amazing time.
We can tell you from experience that visiting these types of places on your own is wonderful and you should definitely do it, but you will learn and remember so much more if you have an experienced guide leading the way. I often look on Trip Advisor for private tour companies and I read all of the reviews for private tours.
Amsterdam – Thatdamguide – Super fun walking tour of Amsterdam.
Honduras – Roatan Adventure Tours – We had a great time exploring the island, zip lining and snorkeling. This company made everything very easy and efficient.
Mexico – Mahahual Eco Tours – This company helped us make the most of our one day in Costa Maya.
Costa Rica – Greenway Tours – Our tour included zip lining, a river cruise, lots of wildlife, great food, and a truly immersive Costa Rican experience.
Israel – TrekIs – We had a wonderful experience with this tour company and our guide, Daniel. We spent two days and covered a lot of ground, highlights included Jerusalem, Acco, Rosh Hanikra and the Dead Sea.
Turkey – Sojourn Turkey Tours – Turkey. We had a great time with this tour company, spending two days in Istanbul, exploring Ephesus and on another trip visiting Alanya.
Greece – Private Tours Greece – We were excited to get back to traveling in 2021 after the Covid 19 Lockdown restrictions were just starting to lift, but there were very few countries open to tourists, and lots of confusing information regarding testing protocols, border crossing, etc. So, for this trip, this company handled everything for us.
They arranged all of the transfers, accommodations, tours and everything else we needed to enjoy two weeks in Greece, Croatia and Montenegro.
Singapore – Singapore City Explorers – We spent two really amazing days seeing Singapore with our guide, Rene. This was one of our most memorable destinations.
Cambodia – See Asia Differently – This was an unforgettable two days in Siem Reap with our guide, Kevin, We explored Angkor Way, but also so, so much more.
Thailand – V. Marine Tour – We used this company to charter a private boat and crew to take us out to see the amazing sights and find the best snorkeling spots in Thailand. This was an unforgettable day and we highly recommend this experience.
Malaysia – Mega Water Sports – This was one of our all time favorite days, an all day jet ski tour in Langkawi, Malaysia.
Walking tours are a great way to get your bearings in a new city and to make sure you see important landmarks and points of interest while also understanding their significance. We also highly recommend hiring a guide when you visit a large museum or archaeological site. We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful art historian take us through the Louvre and Versailles in Paris.
Have a wonderful adventure!
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The Passporter