How I Book Tours and Excursions (Without Getting Scammed)

An itinerary is only as good as its booking confirmations.

Many moons ago in Mallorca, a man approached me on the street claiming to be a promoter for a boat party. He showed me photos on his phone (not official promo images or videos, mind you), insisted tickets would sell out fast and told us to pay him in cash and show up at the meet-up point the next day. My spidey senses were going off. I pictured handing over the money and watching the boat sail away without us. Absolutely not. He instantly lost interest in us when we said we'd already pre-booked a different boat online.

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Tours, day trips, activities and excursions are the cherry on top of any holiday, which is exactly why I'm picky about how I book them. Once the flights and hotels are sorted (here's where I book those), searching for things to do is one of my favourite parts of planning, and I book all of it through three platforms I trust: Viator, GetYourGuide and Klook.

Free cancellation matters

Many of the activities, tours, day trips and excursions on these sites offer free cancellation, so I can book early and still change my mind. I've adjusted bookings around the weather many times, both before leaving and once I've arrived. Imagine pre-booking a walking food tour months in advance, only to check the forecast and see it's raining on the day. Yikes! That could never be me, thanks to free cancellation and a trusted weather app. I always check the cancellation window on each booking, as cut-off times can vary.

Safety and security matter

I always pay by credit card, but even if I didn't, these are reputable platforms and customer service is easy to reach if anything goes wrong. Before I part with my money, I need to know it's protected and that someone will answer if there's a problem. I'm not in the business of contacting CEOs on LinkedIn because I couldn't find customer service.

The Discerning Difference

Finding a reputable local operator on holiday is a great way to negotiate a better deal and support the local economy. My rule is to only book with established operators who have a real presence and good reviews, and never to pay a stranger cash on the street! I've heard too many horror stories of travellers paying, turning up and finding the "tour operator" nowhere to be seen, with no way to recoup their money.

That said, I always recommend booking what you'd like to do using one of these booking platforms as back-up, because popular tours, day trips and tickets sell out quickly. I would have hated to miss out on the opportunity to drive a go-kart through the streets of Shibuya in Tokyo because I hadn't pre-booked and had relied solely on local operators in the hope of a better price.

I compare all three platforms before I book. The same experience can be listed on more than one platform, and one may offer a better price or include transfers from the hotel I'm staying in. It's always worth a check, says the girl who normalises having 27 tabs open before every trip.

Where I book

Browse experiences → Viator

Browse experiences → GetYourGuide

Browse experiences → Klook

Thanks for reading,

Discerning Travels