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Why should you Hire Tour Guides

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Professional tour guides are hired by people, travel agencies, cruise lines, and visitor bureaus to conduct tours of cities, historical sites, and attractions, or specialty themed tours such as at movie locations.

Now I know sometimes you do not need to hire a tour guide when you know the city well enough or you have a mate who will show you around. But one of the biggest issues is that most of the people think they know the city they live in. The dilemma is they do not know the city that well. They might know a few spots but if you want a real experience then hire a tour guide. These guides have years (or a lifetime) of experience and know much more than any tour group passing through or even the thickest travel guide. There are various drawbacks of hiring a tour guide but let’s begin with the pros of hiring a tour guide.

Pros

Efficiency

When you visit a new city, you are probably gonna have a limited amount of time there. Most of the people do not plan for long enough trips. They usually plan a three-day tour. But even if you plan a trip up to a week, you are still not gonna be able to see everything. So, if you are on a tight schedule hiring a tour guide to show you around would not only save your time but also your money and energy. As far as efficiency goes, travel guides know the shortest routes. They can tell you everything you need to know and you can end on time.

Information

If you want to get more out of a visit hiring a private tour guide would be of great assistance. They know their stuff, so they can go into that history. So, if you want more of an academic background they can help you in that aspect as well. They do not just read you facts like here are 10 facts about Boston, it is the information.

Stories

Now many people say that why should they hire a tour guide when they can look up all the facts on Wikipedia. But the tour is about more than facts, it is about stories. It is the stories that make these places come alive and that is where a tour guide can do a great job. You can find all the information you want on the internet like when was Bunker hill built but tour guides can tell you the significance of the place.

Ask Questions Freely

One of the best ways to pack a suitcase is to keep a separate toiletry kit for traveling. Keeping a pouch for toiletries ensures that you do not forget the essentials. This helps in easy access when packing at the end. For cosmetics, I would recommend all-in-one BB creams. These have a mixture of moisturizer and sunblock which would keep your skin fresh for a long trip.

Tailored to your Preferences

When you hire a tour guide you get a custom experience. What I mean by that everybody has different interests so tour guides can tailor it to exactly what you are looking for. That is not something that you can get on a group tour as they have to give a generic tour that everybody can relate to. Ask as many questions as you like because tour guides are there to help you. Most of the guides want you to ask questions rather than just showing you around until you give a blank stare. The more questions that you ask the more engaging it would be for you and it would be better. So, do not feel hesitant to ask questions and ask away. This is because travel guides can assist you in things like where to stay or where to eat.

Cons

Expensive

Mostly the tour guides are quite expensive especially if you are traveling solo or with a small group. This is because tour guides charge per day rather than per head. Your expenses can reach sky high when you estimate at the end. So, if you are a little tight on the budget then I would recommend you buy a guidebook rather than hiring a tour guide. Of course, there will be a huge difference but saving money can make up for it.

You Don’t Know what Kind of Guide you’ll Get

You meet your tour guide on the morning of your tour and if you do not like that person then this could ruin your whole trip. You can not choose your guide so it depends on your luck sometimes you get a really friendly guide whereas sometimes you get a boring one. This is one of the major flaws of hiring tour guides, you do not get a say on who you hire.

Unwanted Services

If you travel to a poorer country like Ghana or Nigeria, you would notice that tour guides pressurize their clients to buy goods and services that they do not need. Many tour guides income through a commission from other businesses, such as restaurants and shops.

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