Why Go Guided?

Have you ever read a travel guide book and just get overwhelmed? All the information is there, yet somehow you’re still drowning in city maps, tipping suggestions and food recommendations. I very much enjoy the free-flowing itinerary that comes with “just winging it,” but I learned the joys of having a guided tour. 

Instead of wandering around aimlessly out of the airport, tired and trying to get a taxi to get to my hotel, we were greeted warmly to each new area and driven directly to where we needed to be. Instead of having my face buried in a book looking for all the tid-bits of information, I got to soak in the sights while our guide shared their knowledge of the area. Plus there’s always an added level of safety when walking the streets with a local. 

Having a guide lifted a lot of responsibility off our shoulders and gave us more time and energy to just take it all in. In addition to sharing their professional knowledge of the area, they shared stories from their life as a guide and how tourism has changed their day to day life. They’re your Janet of The Good Place, your Hitchhiker’s Guide that also accepts the role of photographer from time to time. I appreciated this because I wanted group photos but also hate selfie-sticks. Without our guide, we would have never captured this little gem: