GetYourGuide vs Viator: What is Better?

GetYourGuide vs Viator, which platform is best for booking your travel? Here is a comprehensive guide of the two, that will help you make an informed choice.

Online travel agencies come in handy if you want to avoid the hustle and bustle with traditional traveling guides. They make coordinating your travel plan easy, save you time and money, and provide you with insights into the places you want to visit.

Besides, it’s unwise to pack your bag and start traveling when you don’t know where you are going. You need someone that can direct you and help you to choose places to visit before you can embark on that trip.

As a traveler, you might find it hard to settle on one agency. All of them seem perfect from the first look. Their services are reliable, and they provide value for your money.

But is this all? Don’t make a decision yet; things might be different on the ground. In this guide, we shall have a look at two travel organizers. The comparison will be between GetYourGuide vs Viator.

Why are they the most sought agencies? Are they really what they say they are? If so, who is better, and why? Let us see.

See related: What is Travel Concierge: Things to Know

What is GetYourGuide?

GetYourGuide is an organizer that provides holiday planning services to its clients. They help you to book tours, experiences and travels almost anywhere around the globe. Typically, it’s just a middleman between you and the actual travel companies.

The agency uses the rule of converge-and-present. Here is an excellent example to elaborate on this. Go to Google on your smartphone now and search for various activities you can do when traveling. You will land on numerous company websites with all sorts of information, right?

You might easily get confused during the process. Now, what GetYourGuide does is converge all these companies on a single platform. When you visit their website, you get access to all the activities and tours at a go.

This saves you time and makes it convenient to get a travel company that suits you.

How to Book Tours with GetYourGuide

The process of booking a tour with the GetYourGuide agency is not an uphill battle. You can follow these simple steps.

1. Specify Your Destination

First, access their website, which will introduce you to a location search page by activities.

Select how long you are planning to stay in the stipulated location, your preferred language, and the tours which meet your time and schedule.

See Related: Ways to Book the Cheapest First-Class Flights

2. Select Activities

There is always someone before you who has booked a tour or activity that you want to book. The site allows them to leave a review, which gives you a hint of what you are likely to expect.

Read the reviews carefully to avoid disappointment. Besides, the agency certifies a few locations that have proven to be quality attractions and offer activities that rhyme with your needs.

You will also get to know how much you are paying for the activity you have chosen. Check if the travel organizers offer after-sale services like picking you up from the hotel. If you don’t feel convinced enough, you can always cancel the tour.

See Related: Best Day to Book Flights

3. Booking and Payment

Now that you have chosen your location, booking and payment are the next steps. First, filter the date, language, and time to avoid an ambiguous booking.

Fill in your billing information on the page following. Since most people use online payment methods like PayPal, be very careful when putting your email address.

Note that GetYourGuide does not have booking fees. All the payment is channeled to the actual tour guide. You only have 24 hours to cancel a trip in which you will be refunded your money by the supplier but not GetYourGuide.

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Pros of GetYourGuide

• The agency has provided an online app that you can download to your phone. It will enable you to look for an organizer on your way. Besides, it acts as a reference point to show that you have already paid for the service.
• The website and app are smartly customized, which makes it easy to navigate when searching for an activity.
• It’s very easy to analyze and compare suppliers putting into account factors like price and services offered. You can take advantage of the last minutes booking.
• The customer service is very professional. It’s no doubt that GetYourGuide has spent its time and effort to build a service team that is more than ready to lend a hand whenever you are stuck.

Cons of GetYourGuide

• Like any other online travel agent, GetYourGuide is not the supplier that is actually on the ground. What it does is just connect you with the organizer you feel compatible with. Therefore, they can’t control the supplier’s services fully. Don’t think that a company you’ve landed through the agency will treat you as you expect since sometimes things go haywire, and you can’t hold it against GetYourGuide.
• The agency has collaborated with a lot of individual companies. Since both have mutual benefits, they might have gone further to grow their product database. This is a recipe for a lack of control over the numerous suppliers.

See Related: How to Get Cheap Last-Minute Flights

What is Viator?

Have you heard of TripAdvisor before? Well, it’s a global online travel agency that acquired Viator in 2014 for $200 million.

This indicates that Viator is no longer an individual company, as earlier presumed. Though it’s operated as a different company, the parent company, TripAdvisor, controls most of its operations.

Essentially, Viator is a reputable and well-established organizer but not a tour operator. It has access to over 200,000 bookable activities, which is more than enough options to choose from.

Just like GetYourGuide, Viator has taken advantage of expanding technology and created a portable app for smartphones. You can make a mobile booking and avoid the disappointing “sold out” signs you might come across when dealing with traditional guides.

How to Book Tours with Viator

Since the company has a connection with TripAdvisor, the process of booking is similar. It’s also no different with how to book a guide with GetYourGuide.

First, visit the website, search for an operator, and book directly at a lower price. Note that the price difference is not essential for you at this point.

Why? Viator makes enormous discounts from the organizers they have collaborated with.

The main difference between Viator from GetYourGuide comes when you need a refund. GetYourGuide gives you a refund after 24 hours.

For Viator, you have to wait till you get home. Studies have it that 95% of travelers read reviews. Out of these, 76% believe the reviews and take due action. Viator has leveraged the power of reviews and encourages you to read their verified guest reviews before you decide.

Pros of Viator

• Your money is safe. In case your travel got canceled for some reason, you get back your money by the time you reach home.
• Viator is a one-stop for all. You get plenty of choices for travel guides on a single page. This eases your search process and makes it faster to get your ideal guide.
• You only pay for the attractions you choose. There are no hidden fees.
• The connection with TripAdvisor makes Viator a strong brand that is globally recognized.
• Viator has one of the best innovations. They have leveraged the expansion of technology to improve their services and make it effortless to book a tour.

Cons of Viator

• The suppliers are maxed. You never know how to separate the wheat from the chaff as you only trust in the reviews. If you happen to miss the shot, you might have to travail an ordeal you never expected.
• Viator has been reported for having issues when booking. Be careful in the process to avoid being prey.
• The information on their website regarding the organizers is not satisfying. Unfortunately, it’s their workers that know more, but they have not found a way to incorporate this on their website. If you need more information and have the time to consult, give them a call. 

GetYourGuide vs Viator Determinant Factors

The competition between these two is stiff, as it seems they all have the same rating. Nevertheless, there are a few factors you can use to get your ideal choice.

While it’s difficult to get unbiased tips on choosing the right online booking agency, these differentiators will help you get a clue of what you should check for in the process.

See related: Why is everyone obsessed with travel?

1. Understand What You Want

First, compile a list of what you are looking for. You then divide them into two columns, the must-haves, and good-to-haves. A few of the things you should consider here are:

• Payment options
• User-friendly interface
• Good customer support
• Language
• Currency settings
• Email automation

This is the first step to beginning your sifting process. But that’s not all; there are still other few factors that may overrule your choice in this step.

2. Simplicity of Use

The two platforms have a friendly interface, but which is better? Obviously, you must get one that tops the other according to you. Don’t rely entirely on reviews from other people, rather consider your first-hand experience mingling with the app/website.

You also have to take into account the time you spent on each website before you make a decision.

3. Quality of Reporting

How does the booking agency present the different tours and guides on their platform? Are they scanty and just brush through important information?

An in-depth report will help you get a better view of the reservations, the policies, and anything that might add value to your trip.

4. Customer Support

It’s no doubt that both GetYourGuide and Viator have fantastic customer support teams. But you need to go a little deeper.

Check for their response time, how they know their customers, how long it takes them to fix mistakes, and how far they can go to make you happy.

5. Marketing Profile

The marketing profile of the two will significantly show you how the agencies treat you in comparison to their organizers.

Check out how they run their promotions and if they are price-conscious. Do they focus on low prices but compromise on service quality?

6. The Agency’s Reputation

There are probably thousands of people that have used GetYourGuide and Viator before. They understand how the systems work and can give you good advice.

Look for online sites that provide reviews where you will find loads of information. The agency with numerous positive ratings should carry the day.

See Related: Free Printable Travel Planner

Conclusion

This is our unbiased guide to GetYourGuide vs Viator. After having an intense look at the differentiators, it’s no doubt that GetYourGuide is better than Viator.

It has slightly more advantages when it comes to accountability, reliability in information, and a broader selection of tours. This does not mean that Viator is not reliable. It’s still an excellent agency that can serve you but not better than GetYourGuide.

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