Family vacations should be relaxing, enriching, and fun — but they don’t always turn out that way. Tired kids, overstuffed schedules, and travel plans that go awry can leave everyone feeling stressed and unhappy. If you’re looking to make your next family vacation a more enjoyable experience, consider hiring a guide. It’s a great way to create happy memories and make the most of your time together.
Guides can reduce vacation stress
Whether you’re traveling overseas, exploring a big city, or witnessing natural wonders, family vacations involve a lot of planning. Professional guides or local experts can help you put together an itinerary with multiple stops, organize and guide a tour for a single destination, identify places to eat and rest, and successfully steer you through unfamiliar transportation networks and other potential vacation hassles. With a guide handling key aspects of your vacation, you’ll have more mental space to take it all in instead of worrying about the details.
Guides can tailor experiences for your family
If you’re visiting a popular destination with your loved ones, the trip doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all excursion. According to Travel + Leisure, a vacation guide — especially when you book privately — can craft kid-friendly tours that match your young ones’ attention spans and cater to their interests and personalities. And because you’re not the one trying to curate your children’s experience or keep them occupied, this frees you up to enjoy yourself more as well.
Guides can make vacation more rewarding
Hiring a guide with specific knowledge and expertise is a great way to make your vacation more rewarding. When you book a guided tour of a museum, historical site, national park, outdoor adventure, or anything else, you and your loved ones will gain access to a whole new level of information and context about what you’re experiencing. You’ll also have a resource for learning more about local culture, history, and anything else you’re curious about. Plus, guides can clue you in to all the best hidden gems — the sights, restaurants, and activities you’d never find on your own.
Guides are a flexible option
Depending on your needs, your budget, and where you’re going, there are many different ways to incorporate a guide into your family vacation. For example, if you’re trying to keep spending low, you could simply book a guide for a specific outing, like a museum tour, a hike, or a food tour. If you don’t mind extra expenses, you could also hire guides for multiple outings or for an entire vacation itinerary with a larger group.
Tips for hiring a vacation guide
If you’re thinking about hiring a guide for your next family vacation, travel expert Rick Steves recommends booking ahead of time and using recommendations from guidebooks and online travel sites. You can also get information on guides from the hotel you’re staying at or from local tourism authorities. As you seek out the best guide, look for ones who are licensed or otherwise highly qualified for the job. VacationKids notes it’s also a good idea to make sure you’re hiring someone who connects with kids, prioritizes safety, and fits in with your vacation goals and budget.
From weekend getaways in a nearby city to extended sojourns in unfamiliar countries, just about every type of family vacation can be improved with the help of a guide. Before heading out on your next trip, why not look into hiring an expert who can take your travels to the next level?