GetYourGuide Review: Is it Legit?

As fun and exciting as traveling is, we can’t deny the reality that sometimes it is a little bit stressful. Traveling should be relaxing, but the research, itinerary planning, and knowing where to go to make the most of your trip can be too much to handle.

When trying to figure out where to go and what to do, using GetYourGuide (GYG) will help you save time. Having access to and selecting the best tours and excursions will help alleviate the stress of trying to organize an entire trip in an unfamiliar location somewhere in the world.

Read on to learn more about this booking website, if their operations are legit, and in the end, become more informed through this comprehensive and straightforward GetYourGuide review.

What is GetYourGuide?

GetYourGuide is a website and mobile application that displays available offers on guided tours and excursions for locations worldwide. Basically, you can literally get your guide for your next travel destination.

In my experience, as I signed up for an account, it showed various recreational and exploration-related activities on different continents. Most of these activities are very specific in what they entail, which is good. 

Another excellent feature of this site is that it lets you filter out activities by what interests you. Whether you are planning on visiting ancient sites or just looking for night markets to try new cuisines – the possibilities are endless. 

What’s more alluring about GYG is that it gives you a brief background of your travel destination. It’s good that most of their listings are loaded with the information you’ll need on your journey. 

Why do you need GetYourGuide?

Most travelers can’t go to an unfamiliar place, not knowing what to do or having no idea where to go or stay unless they’re a risk taker. But then, we should remember that our time is limited whenever we’re traveling, and scammers are prevalent both online and offline.

It would be a hassle if the moment you land in a country, you’re already stressed and clueless about your destination. You will probably have a jam-packed schedule to check out the best locations you would love to visit. 

From new restaurants to try out, to nature hiking and visiting historical places, or even choosing the best place to stay (from luxurious to budget-friendly hotels), there are numerous decisions that have to be made before you can even enjoy them.

GYG is a tour company that promises to relieve you from the stress of planning and creating a travel itinerary. With this website and application, you can easily glimpse all the details of the places you want to visit on a single platform. You can check out and buy tickets on day trips, excursions, adventures, tours, and even great food just with a few clicks. 

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What to expect with GetYourGuide?

Once you search for a destination within the official site, the platform shows what a tour includes: the tour description, booking fee, its inclusions, restrictions, and conditions you need to follow.

You can choose from many tours, such as a day tour for European sightseeing, for example, that only requires you to walk peacefully, take photos and learn more about a specific landmark.

In addition, there are many mind-blowing experiences that can be seen through the easy navigation on the website that directs you to all sorts of entry tickets, water-related activities, nature excursions, guided tours, food and drink tours, hop-on hop-off tours, city cards and much more.

As a disclaimer, know that GYG is not actually in charge of arranging your tour but rather merely serves as a middleman that puts you in touch with local tour companies. You may find some GYG Originals, but most of the tours listed on the website are posts from local providers.

In all honesty, GYG is for anyone and everyone. If you are looking for excitement on your travels or prefer to take things easy, this site has options that you will find interesting while browsing.

The Pros and Cons of GetYourGuide

Pros

Free cancellation 

Traveling around the world is both fun and exciting, especially when you’ve been waiting a long time and are about to set off on your journey. However, after all the planning and effort you put into it, there could be unexpected occurrences where you might have to cancel your trip.

Booking with GetYourGuide is one of the safest ways to book, and most tours have free cancellations up to 24 hours in advance. You can learn more about this by clicking through the site’s cancellation policy.

Booking fees and taxes are already included

It’s an unspoken rule that traveling is already costly, from the plane ticket to your hotel accommodation. On the bright side, GYG’s tour prices are inclusive of all taxes and fees.

You’ll only need to budget for the specific tours or activities you want to participate in, which is great because it means you can save money to put toward other parts of your trip.

However, I’d still recommend you talk with the local tour operator about their offer since GYG states that it’s out of their scope if there can be local taxes. Hence, the key to this is to do your research and call the listed contact number of the provider before booking a tour or excursion. 

Numerous activities

If you are looking for a booking app that will provide you with many experiences you can choose from, GYG is the one for you. What’s excellent about the activities they feature is that they’re incredibly diverse in the number of different types of tours and excursions they offer.

Whether you are someone seeking an adrenaline rush, a history buff, or a risk-averse traveler, there will be some kind of tour that will definitely interest you. 

Price matching

GetYourGuide promotes itself as having guided tours at the best price. But there may be instances when you can get a lower price for a specific tour outside of their platform.

If you ever find the same tour or booked activity with the same conditions, with the same services, at a lower price on the internet from the same supplier, GYG will refund you the cost difference.

This refund process is one of GYG’s best features because it lets you know if a specific local company overcharged you. In order to move forward with this, you will need to get in touch with GYG’s customer service.

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Cons

Mostly a third-party operator

To explain simply, you have to be aware that GYG is not an on-ground app. What they usually do is book your tickets directly for a tour with local companies. However, they are slowly expanding their own in-house tour offerings under their Originals brand.

With that statement, they are not to blame for any negative events that may occur, nor are they the ones who will be held responsible for unmet expectations regarding set locations, times, getting lost to finding the meeting point, hotel pickup, and availability of local guides.

GYG is working with tour operators, who will then be able to list their offerings on the site and provide tourists with a selection of tours and packages from which to choose.

It could be a good or bad outcome depending on which guided tour or excursion you choose, so you should always check the tour operator’s GetYourGuide reviews before booking. 

Confusing meeting points and times

While using GYG is excellent, some lapses could give you a negative experience during your adventures.  What usually happens when you’re booking with GYG is that it only connects you with the local tour providers or travel companies. There have been some instances when travelers had difficulty locating their tour guides or were confused with finding the meeting point. Some guests were even left out of the tour. 

It focuses mainly on Western countries

Some activities can be found all over the world, but they are relatively limited in comparison to those found in North and South America, as well as Europe.

This could be an issue if you are looking for tours and excursions in other continents, particularly Asia. If your destination does not display any results, I recommend that you look for other sites to help you instead of GYG.

Similar tours in different listings

Since GYG is a third-party app to connect numerous tour providers with tourists, it can sometimes be confusing. Some tour companies in the same or similar locations offer the same tours and activities as others.

Many listings can be or look very similar because various companies are competing with one another; therefore, digging through these tours can sometimes get a little overwhelming. Nevertheless, it all boils down to your ability to research.

For convenience, the best advice I can give is to look at the number of activities sold and which ones have the best and most GetYourGuide tour reviews from different customers. This way, you’ll know right away what level of service each tour provider gives.

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Key Features of GetYourGuide

If you’re curious about GetYourGuide but don’t know where to start, we’ve got a detailed walkthrough that will show you everything it has to offer, from browsing for the ideal activity to booking it and getting one step closer to your journey.

Step 1: Checking Your Location

You can use GYG to plan your next trip even if you don’t know where you want to go because their homepage will display travel suggestions.

But because of its numerous options, I would highly recommend typing your preferred location in their search bar. Once you enter a place, city, or country you are interested in, the site will show you numerous activities for the specific place you entered.

I recommend being particular in your search terms or looking for meeting locations close to your hotel to avoid any inconveniences.

The next image demonstrates what happens if you choose not to be so specific, which results in a list of everything they “think you would enjoy” doing or their “favorite experiences worldwide.”

If just in case you’re not yet decided on the city you’re going to, you can look more into your choices with the “Things to do in,” which can be found once you enter the country that you’re interested in visiting.

In addition to searching by location, you can also search by activity. This is useful if you haven’t picked which country to visit yet, but still, know what kind of activity you are looking for. For example, you can search for “beach,” “trekking,” or “churches,” and GYG will recommend some places and options pertaining to your search.

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Step 2: Browsing Activities

This is where it could get quite overwhelming. Once you click “explore all,” it will show you more activities for a particular country. While there can be a lot of options, you may be confused about why there are similar locations with different prices – the main reason for this one is that some companies offer the same tours.

To avoid having a negative experience, you should read their GetYourGuide reviews to assist you in deciding which one is preferable. Next, I’ll show you how to use filters to narrow down your options if you’re very particular about what you want.

Step 3: Know Your Filters

It’s no secret that GYG helps you get things done faster. When planning a trip, this platform can also help you quickly narrow down your alternatives so that you only consider the most viable ones.

What I highly approve of about these key features is that you can be as specific as you want. You can filter the activities by price and what you’re interested in. It’s best to use these filters if you don’t want GYG bombarding you with information you don’t want or need.

Below is the list of filters that will help you when looking for a tour or activity: 

Sort by

This filter is useful whether you’re looking for an experience that will fit your budget or you merely want to compare these prices based on what other tour providers can provide.

In addition, if you’re utterly clueless about the place you’re going to, you may check their recommendations to have an idea of the best activity to do at that specific destination or what it’s famous for.

Destinations

For example, if you’re traveling to Italy, you can use the “Destinations” drop-down menu to see a list of places on the left side of the screen.

If you’ve already decided on where you’re going, you can filter out the cities. If not, you may check them one by one and create your itinerary around your findings.

I highly recommend checking the accessibility of these locations from each other so you won’t have a problem going to these places just in case you’re already on tour. You can also check for available car rentals and other methods of transportation.

Interests

Below the “Destinations” filter, you can find the “Interests” filter, where you can check out activities based on your liking.

I think this is one of GYG’s best features because it lets users skip tours they don’t find interesting. This saves time, especially if you only have a short trip and want to focus on the things you’re excited to do for the best experience.

Categories

This might have been overly stated throughout this GetYourGuide review, but it’s crucial to understand what you’re interested in. Your time is limited when traveling, and if you want to make the most out of it, you should establish a list of travel priorities.

If you’re visiting a country known for its impressive infrastructure or renowned natural beauty, for example, those are the kinds of things you might wish to see while there.

Some countries focus on historical places, while others offer mountain climbing or just simply walking around their capital city. This section can help you be informed on what’s the best thing to try in every location. 

Price

Traveling is costly – especially overseas. If you are traveling on a specific budget, you can check out the best offers based on the amount you’re willing to spend.

In addition to allowing you to explore excursions within your budget, this tool can weed out more extravagant options you may want to avoid in the meantime. It also has a feature that provides the price based on your preferred currency. 

Languages, Services, and Duration

Though the “Languages” feature could use some more choices, hopefully, it’s still useful despite its shortcomings.

There are many different sorts of services that can be appealing to travelers, some examples of which are skip-the-line passes, private tours instead of a guided tour that can be joined by anyone, customized excursions, and hotel pickups.

You can view the amount of time necessary to finish a given tour or activity by looking at the results of the “Duration” filter. With this information, you will be able to best plan around your chosen activity to ensure you get the most out of your time.

Departs From

This last filter is essential. You can use it to see how far away or close to your hotel your chosen excursion or activity is.

For many GYG customers, the most frustrating part of arranging a tour is trying to figure out where exactly the group will meet. It can be stressful to be lost in an unfamiliar city, so be prepared for this one by first looking for some tour or excursion options near your hotel. Then branch out from there.

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Others

There are also filters on top of the destinations, such as transfers, guided tours, entry tickets, food & drinks, and more. If you find the displayed options to be overwhelming, this can help narrow them down.

Step 4: Booking a Tour

The first thing you should know is that you don’t have to sign up for a GYG account to book a tour.  After you’ve filtered out everything you’re not interested in, it’s time to pick the perfect activity for you to do, and once you’re there, it’ll be a piece of cake.

You should always remember that reading is your best friend when doing a check for activities. In order to get the full picture, you should check out the featured tours offered in great detail.

The details will be shown prior to your booking, as well as the tour’s highlights, the full description of the place, its inclusions, restrictions, meeting point, and essential information or requirements.

This information is crucial to take note of since some local companies really do leave out some tourists when they don’t follow the rules and regulations. If this happens, GYG is not accountable, and there is a higher chance that you might not get a refund since it’s already out of their hands.

If you want to avoid any hassles, it is highly recommended that you read the “Not suitable for” and “Important information” sections of each tour you are interested in.

Simply ensure that all necessary information has been filled out, such as the number of people attending the tour and the date of your visit.

Unavailable days are immediately crossed out when you go to book. As seen in the screenshot below, the dates with red dots are the tours with the cheapest booking fees:

Keep in mind that there is a limited time frame for availability when adding an activity to your shopping cart and making a reservation. After that time frame, it will automatically be unavailable.

In doing so, GYG hopes to reduce the number of instances in which customers hold spots for extended periods of time only to decide at the last minute not to purchase them.

Once decided, you can now go to your cart and checkout. As you can see in the screenshot, I can still proceed to check out without having to sign up for an account. 

Once you click the checkout button, you may fill out the required information to proceed with your booking. There is also a section where you can enter a GetYourGuide promo code if you have one.

Once done, you have three options to pay (this includes PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Visa and MasterCards). There is also a disclaimer that you may cancel your trip ahead of time, and you can still receive a full refund. 

Always remember that some tours quickly sell out, so just in case you might change your mind again after canceling and want to rebook, it might be challenging to find a spot gain. Planning ahead is still the best choice so that you can make the most out of your travel.

Ratings

Now that the pros, cons, and features have been discussed, it’s time for some ratings.

Ease of Use

4.5 out of 5

The site itself is user-friendly. GYG is the type of website that is very easy to understand and read. Whether you are tech-savvy or not, using it to book your trips is very convenient, and most of the information you need is already in one place.

It is beneficial when you’re trying to spice up your trip and learn more information about tours, and it can also help you compare multiple options.

Features

3.5 out of 5

From the filters and various options that you can choose from, GYG is undoubtedly a one-stop shop for fun, adventurous, and educational tours.

I gave this a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars since, somehow, showing a lot of pictures, information, and clickable features on a website can be quite confusing, especially for people who are not tech-savvy and are easily overwhelmed when extensive information is shown to them all at once on the screen.

It can also use some improvements when screening the tour companies, especially with regard to the same activities. Doing this will prevent negative experiences for tourists in the future, so I think they should work properly on checking the listings beforehand. 

Customer Service

4.5 out of 5

When it comes to customer service, GYG is very reliable. They have 24/7 customer service that responds within the day and immediately reviews your situation or concern.

The number of concerns could be reduced in the future if, however, they were able to assist with issues involving some tour listers if a customer had a bad experience. Not only is this crucial, but it would also benefit both GYG and its users if tour listers were required to go through some sort of screening process before being available to the public.

Value For Money

4 out of 5

For how many tours it offers in all budget ranges, GYG earns a solid four stars from me. Also, there’s no need for you to pay extra to book a tour, as all prices displayed already include fees and taxes.

I didn’t give it five stars because some tours are more expensive than others even though they offer the same services or activities. While it is not GYG’s fault and this may be out of their control, I think that they should do something about this. 

On the brighter side, GYG refunds your money if you have found a cheaper tour that offers the same experience, but sometimes, you don’t want to go through that whole process. Also, using their price filtering option you may be able to avoid these duplicated tours at different prices. 

Additional Information about GetYourGuide

I bet you still have a lot of questions to ask and are still skeptical about GYG, more particularly if it is your first time using it. Some questions about traveling might also come up, so I have written down some additional information for you.

Is GetYourGuide a legitimate site? Why? 

Yes. GYG has helped numerous travelers from across the world look for destinations and tours. You may check customer reviews for the different experiences if you’re still skeptical, and you may consider that you can cancel anytime up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund to put your mind at ease.

You may also check more GetYourGuide reviews regarding their services, refund process, and 24/7 customer service.

Is it worth it to get a tour guide?

Whether or not a tour guide is worth it depends on what you’re looking to do and the tour package options available. For example, some tour packages include an audio guide, especially ones for historical sites.

Sometimes it’s worth it to have a tour guide solely because they know how to get around. Thus, getting a tour guide could save you from getting lost or wasting too much time looking for places instead of spending that time actually enjoying them.

What is a “GetYourGuide Original?”

While GYG mainly connects you to suppliers, if a tour says it is a “GetYourGuide Original,” it means that it is run directly by GYG itself. Some of these tours are great options to look into since you won’t have to worry about any hidden charges or the legitimacy of the tour.

Are the tours in GetYourGuide safe?

For this question, the answer is “it depends,” as there is a wide range of possible experiences, from relaxing day trips to adrenaline-pumping adventure tours. It is still recommended to read the GetYourGuide reviews and complaints prior to booking a specific tour, especially if your worries are not limited to the activity itself but extend to the location.

Will you be able to get last-minute bookings in GetYourGuide?

Technically, yes. The most popular spots in any given area require advance preparations and are the first to sell out, so I wouldn’t advise utilizing this approach. Nevertheless, you may still get lucky and find some activities in the last-minute bookings, but this will depend on the demand and popularity of the activity you’re looking at.

FAQ

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