Memorable Travel Experiences You Need to Book on Your Vacation
I love getting to know the city or country I am visiting. This can be hard to do when you have limited time in a place, which is why I love booking travel experiences.
I have my three favorite tour or experience options laid out for you, all of which I have found can help enrich your travels. This doesn’t mean you have to book all three in one trip in order for it to be memorable! Travel should be affordable and approachable.
I like to find tours that work the best for the city I’m in and book one or two for the time I’m there. It’s also a great way to get a break from the adventure of finding your way around a city, let someone else guide you for at least a few hours!
Keeping reading to get my top three recommendations on travel experiences to book.
1. Food Tours
One of the best parts of travel is the food. A great way to experience the culture of a country is through its cuisine.
A food tour is an ideal way to start off a trip. You’ll get to sample the food to see what you like, and maybe try things you didn’t know existed! You’ll even get an insider’s tour of the city while trying the food. The best of both worlds!
Tips on how to find the best food tours:
- Look for a smaller group experience – I prefer 12 or fewer people in a group. Sure those 30 person tours might be cost-effective, but will you really get to interact with the guide and not feel lost in a crowd?
- Pick a tour with variety – Taking a tour of one large food hall is cool, but I think the experience is better if you get to hop around town a bit more. Usually, tours include savory, sweet and beverage stops so you get a well-rounded picture of local cuisine.
- Find something unique – Want an extremely local experience? I love, love, love what eatwith has available for food experiences. You can find a dinner party at a local’s home, a cooking class, food tours and more. Click here to book a tour with them!
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2. Walking Tours
A quality walking tour can be worthwhile to get an in-depth look at a city. If you love history or architecture, this kind of experience may be well worth your money.
I’ve even seen biking and running tours in some cities. Why not get fit while touring a city too? All the more reason to sample more cuisine later. 🙂
Tips on how to find the best walking tour:
- Look for a smaller group size – As I mentioned in the food tour section above, I think a smaller group gives a more intimate experience.
- Find a reputable company – There are SO MANY walking tours in every city. It can be hard to determine who to book with. I always read reviews and try to do some research, and then weigh the best options with how much they cost as well. TripAdvisor is great to read reviews.
- A company that specializes in walking tours – I just discovered an up and coming tour company that literally only does walking tours called Walks. They started offering great tours in Italy that were so popular, they have expanded into a few other European and US destinations now. Check them out and book a walking tour here!
3. Specialty Tours or Events
This is where you can splurge a little if you want. Maybe it’s a location that’s hard to get to, or you’re celebrating a special occasion, or you just want to indulge. Indulge away, we only live once right?
For example, when we traveled to Barbados, we booked a catamaran tour to snorkel with sea turtles on my birthday. In Hungary, we booked a tour to take us out to wine country and experience Hungarian wine. We visited places that as foreigners we would have never had access to.
Tips on when to book specialty tours or events:
- Consider your location – Are you in a city that’s easy to navigate on your own? I would save a specialty tour for a location that’s off the beaten path, or is not easy to get to. Maybe it’s a tour to islands off the coast of Croatia or a wine tour in Tuscany.
- What kind of experience do you want – If you love to sit back and enjoy the ride on vacation, this is also a great option for you. A specialty tour usually includes transportation, food, drinks, and more. Always read ALL the details of a tour before booking to be sure though. A splurge could also be something adventurous, like paragliding or hiking. The choice it yours.
- Special Events – Another experience that could be worth splurging on is a festival or event happening while you are visiting. While we were in Prague, they were having a Czech beer festival, and you better believe we bought tickets to that one! Think Oktoberfest, a music festival, a cultural festival, etc.
Get Your Guide offers amazing tours in cities around the world. Click below to see what they have to offer and book an unforgettable experience!
Before You Book
A few things to look at and consider before you book any travel experiences.
- Double-check the meeting location and time – A meeting location across the city at 7 am may not be ideal. Is their meeting spot easy to get to, or will you need to take public transport to get there?
- Will everyone enjoy this activity – I know this sounds silly to mention, but will everyone you are traveling with enjoy this tour? If you want to have a drama-free travel experience, I would run it past your companion(s).
- Does it fit into your travel budget – Before every trip, I do some quick research to calculate the costs of my travels and activities are part of that cost. Make sure the tour you select fits in your budget. Maybe it means shaving some costs down somewhere else. Like less shopping, or cooking at your Airbnb for dinner one night. There are so many options to make it work! (If you need help with your budget, click here to download my FREE travel itinerary and budget planner!)
What are your favorite travel experiences to book when you travel? Let me know in the comments below!
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