Viator vs. GetYourGuide; Which One Is Best?

Boat trips, horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, sightseeing tours, food tours, wine tasting–all of these types of experiences make a honeymoon or vacation richer. No matter what you choose to see or do on your vacation, it can be easier to experience these on a guided tour. 

There are many ways to book local tours and activities when you travel; a convenient way is through an online travel agent (OTA) which aggregates local options into one website. These marketplaces make it easy to browse activities by destination, reserve what you want, and have all your bookings in one location.

Viator and GetYourGuide are the two largest OTAs. They’re essentially a middleman between you and the tour operator, which can help make life easy when traveling to a foreign country.  Personally, we’ve used both of these companies to book tours in the past. If you’re wondering which is better, Viator or GetYourGuide, read on to learn all about them.

Viator vs. GetYourGuide Quick Take:

These companies are very similar and equally reliable, but Viator is larger and has more options than GetYourGuide, while GetYourGuide focuses on sustainability and offers some unique experiences.

Viator vs. GetYourGuide: About Viator

Owned by TripAdvisor, Viator is the largest online platform for tours, activities, and excursions. It has offerings available in more than 2500 destinations around the world. With Viator, you can book a wide variety of experiences including sightseeing tours, cultural experiences, skip-the-line tickets, and outdoor adventures.

Some of their top tours include a small group guided tour in Rome of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, & St. Peter’s Basilica; line skip and guide for the Eiffel Tower in Paris; a Tuscany day trip from Florence; and a one-day guided sightseeing tour of New York.

Viator was founded in 1995 and Tripadvisor acquired the platform in 2014. This means that now, TripAdvisor’s excursions and tours are all from Viator. 

All activities and excursions can be booked in advance without having to pay upfront. With such a huge variety of tours in so many destinations, it’s easy to find exactly what you’re looking for. 

Viator’s website has a simple-to-use interface, so you can search and filter the results. However, some Viator reviews note that there can be multiple similar offerings in a single destination, so you will need to read through each description carefully.

Once you’ve decided, it’s easy to make a reservation, and you generally do not have to pay at that point. Also, most reservations have free cancellation, which ranges depending upon the activity from 24 hours to a week in advance.

Pros of Viator

• Lots of tours available
• Book now, pay later option
• 24/7 live support
• Price match guarantee

Cons of Viator

• There are a lot of suppliers, so it can be challenging to narrow it down to a specific tour when some of them look so similar

Viator vs. GetYourGuide: About GetYourGuide

Founded by four friends in Germany, GetYourGuide is the second largest marketplace that provides booking services for various activities, such as guided tours, attraction tickets, and excursions. With a wide range of travel activities in a number of destinations worldwide, GetYourGuide places a strong focus on unique experiences for travelers.

GetYourGuide makes it easy to find, book, and enjoy local experiences, and is well-known for its user-friendly website and mobile app. They have a wide range of options available and make it simple to find the best one with their clear ratings and reviews, which accurately reflect the quality of the tours.

Being a smaller company than Viator, they appeal to some customers more due to their focus on sustainable tourism. Small group travel and limited impact on the destination are favored over mass tourism with this company, keeping destinations more appealing and making the experience more enjoyable for travelers for years to come.

Pros of GetYourGuide 

• They focus on sustainable experiences
• Offer unusual and one-of-a-kind local tours exclusive to GetYourGuide
• Price match guarantee
• Book now, pay later option
• 24/7 customer support

Cons of GetYourGuide

• Focus on European travel
• Less choice
• Limited live support

Viator vs. GetYourGuide: Conclusion

When it comes to comparing Viator and GetYourGuide, they have a lot in common. Both companies offer an easy-to-use travel website and app, refunds for most tours if canceled at least 24 hours prior to departure, a reliable reputation, various payment options, and instant confirmations.

However, there are some clear differences between the two companies.

Firstly, Viator offers more than 300,000 tours, compared with GetYourGuide, which offers just over 60,000 tours. While both offer high-quality tours, you may find it easier to find what you’re looking for on Viator. Viator also offers live support 24/7.

That said, it’s important not to rule out booking with GetYourGuide. This company provides a great range of tours and excursions in Europe, plus unique activities that you can only find on GetYourGuide. They’re also great for sustainable travel options, for anyone who likes to stay environmentally friendly even when exploring.

Viator vs. GetYourGuide: Which Is Right for You?

Choosing between Viator vs. GetYourGuide will likely be a personal decision, driven by the destination you’re visiting and what each website offers in that area. Regardless of which one you choose, you can feel confident that you will receive good service.

Need any extra help booking your trip or planning what excursions and day trips to take? Consider talking to one of our trusted travel advisors.