Discover Destinations Like a Local with ToursByLocals

Sometimes the best way family travelers can discover a destination is to simply have someone show you around, but how often do we visit a new place and know a local willing to do that? With ToursByLocals, you can easily find a local who knows their city inside and out to show you the town from an insider point of view.

ToursByLocals offers an online arena for choosing private tours and finding the perfect guide to meet your needs. Choose your destination and then choose from their listing of guides and excursions, many customizable upon request.

On a recent trip to Athens, Greece, my group decided to try out ToursByLocals for an excursion to some of the sites outside of the city. We were able to choose our pick-up location and our guide. Our selected guide, Andreas B., greeted us on time with bottled waters and a gift of post cards showcasing the major sites of the city. We spent a lovely day learning details about Athens, the surrounding cities and Greece in general. Andreas not only knew shortcuts to avoid traffic and insider tips not found in guidebooks, but he also showed us videos along the route, teaching us the detailed history of the sites as we were en route to see them in person.

Prices are per tour, not per person. Because guides use private vehicles rather than tour buses, the experiences are comfortable and eliminate the stress often experienced by travelers, especially for parents traveling with children.

The guides are always local, so they know their cities well and are able to make great recommendations for where to eat, where to shop and what other sites you might be interested in. While the service is online, there is a great support team behind the scenes making sure you get what you are looking for. When a guide is sick or unable to provide the scheduled tour, the support team works to match you up with another guide to offer the exact tour you selected at the price you agreed to, all while giving you the respect of having the option to cancel, change your date or choose a different tour based on your personal preference.

With tours in more than 180 different countries, there is a good chance you can find a tour perfect for your family. All of the nearly 5,000 guides are handpicked for their knowledge of their destinations and take pride in finding hidden gems their city offers.