Guided tours
Photo: Carina S, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
In many cities, guided city tours are organized by professionals, companies and local organizations for those wanting to explore the city with professional guidance.
Travel agencies provide multi-stop guided journeys across multiple destinations, including transportation and accommodation. Escorted tours provide seamless integrated packages in which a tour director leads you from one destination to the next, rather than giving you a stack of vouchers to be redeemed with separate vendors.
This article describes day tours within a destination.
Also not covered by this article are the tours arranged within museums, zoos, resorts, or other closed venues.
UnderstandThere are many different types of tours throughout the world.
Walking toursThe most straightforward type of guided tour is a walking tour, where a guide leads their patrons through the city on foot.
Bus toursLarger cities can also be toured by bus or coach, usually involving stops for walking tours of selected areas.
Streetcar toursSome cities with extensive above-ground public transportation systems offer city tours, sometimes in historic rolling stock.
Personal vehicle toursFor those who don't like walking, in many cities tours are organized using bicycles or personal electric vehicles such as e-scooters and Segways.
Boat toursBoat tours are popular in canal cities and in areas with important rivers and lakes.
Air toursHelicopter and general aviation tours can be offered at destinations where there's an incredible view to be seen from the air, such as Iguaçu Falls or Hawaii. These tend to be expensive.
Food toursMany Southeast Asian countries, especially Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, now have tour companies that specialize in food tours, in which you are taken to try the local street food.
RespectFor tip-funded tours, the tip is more than a gratuity, even in countries which normally don't expect tipping for other services.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Guided tours" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Carina S, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons