are tripadvisor tours legit

Home » Online Shopping » Flights / Hotels » TripAdvisor Course » Is TripAdvisor Safe?

Is TripAdvisor Safe?

Now that you know a little about what TripAdvisor is and how it works , it’s important to learn whether or not it is safe to book travel on TripAdvisor. In this article, we’ll outline exactly how safe TripAdvisor is, which components of the website can pose potential dangers to you as you plan your vacations, and what you can do to stay safe while using the travel information website.

Just a heads-up that some of the services we’re reviewing here have affiliate partnerships with us, so we may earn a commission if you visit one of them and buy something. You can read more about how this works at https://techboomers.com/how-to-support-techboomers .

TripAdvisor is safer than other booking websites because it books through partnerships. This means that you never need to use it directly to book your trip, so you never need to enter credit card details or personal information to use it. It is not even necessary to create an account on TripAdvisor.

4 tips to staying safe while using TripAdvisor

1. never give out personal or financial information on tripadvisor – it is never necessary..

Because TripAdvisor books through partnerships, payments or booking reservations are made directly on the partner’s website – never on TripAdvisor. Because of this, you do not need to enter your financial information on its website. In addition, no employee or other user will ever have a legitimate reason for asking for this information. Never give this information out, and if another user asks you for it, be sure to report them on the website.

2. Be wary of what other travelers post on the website.

Though reviews and information about accommodations can be so helpful to you, keep in mind that anyone can create a TripAdvisor account – all they need is an email address. This means that property and hotel owners (and their acquaintances) can post false reviews online.

Make sure never to trust one review on its own. Read as many reviews as you can, both good and bad, to get a better feel for the location. In addition, remember that most information in a TripAdvisor review is just the personal opinion of another user, so it’s best to do your own research outside of TripAdvisor as well.

3. Be careful of the information you post or share on the website – avoid dangerous details.

Though sharing your travel experiences is so helpful to other users, there are a few details you should avoid posting in your reviews. Never:

Post your home address, telephone number, email address, or credit card information.

Describe details of either your own unsafe behavior or situations where others could have taken advantage of you.

Post details or specifics of your upcoming trip.

Share the personal information of your friends or travel acquaintances.

Instead, consider posting safety tips to other users, or explaining a lack of security at a hotel. This may help someone else avoid dangerous situations that you yourself have experienced.

4. Beware of what other users may ask you for through communication.

TripAdvisor has a useful messaging system that lets you communicate with other users. However, this can lead to potential dangers. Never reveal personal information to another user, and exercise caution when communicating. Users can have ulterior motives, and could be attempting to commit fraud on the website. Report any user who harasses you through their messaging service, or who acts in an inappropriate or suspicious way.

Compared to other booking websites, or websites concerned with travel, TripAdvisor is one of the safest to use. You do not need to enter any personal information to use it, nor do you ever need to give this information out. The only potential concern is that anyone can use the website; due to the lack of verifiable information required to sign up for an account, the possibility of fraud is present.

That’s our safety rundown! If you’d like to create an account, check out our tutorial on how to sign up for TripAdvisor. But first, read our next article where we review the pros and cons of TripAdvisor.

More Great Related Articles

Where to Do Your Father’s Day Gift Shopping Online

The Most Convenient Online Stores for Christmas Shopping

Best 13 Sites Like Amazon: Free Shipping, Better Deals, and More

Expedia Unpublished Rates

How Reliable Are TripAdvisor Reviews?

Last Updated on January 13, 2023

By Jim Ferri

Updated for 2021

Many travelers ask, with good reason, how reliable are TripAdvisor reviews? The answer is “it depends.”

TripAdvisor is a company that has changed travel . It promotes itself as the world’s largest travel site – a place where you can get “trusted advice from real travelers.” But many people wonder just how much you can trust the advice it provides.

You only need to search Google for “fake TripAdvisor reviews” to get a sense of the size of the issue. The more than 3.6 million results that pop up suggest that it’s on the minds of a lot of travelers. On the other hand, those numbers are down about 25% from a decade ago.

It’s unfortunate but obvious: if hoteliers and restaurateurs have the opportunity to boost reservations and revenue by posting fake reviews on TripAdvisor, many are going to do it. As a matter of fact, fake reviews on TripAdvisor – both fake positive reviews posted by the hotels and restaurants or negative reviews by their competitors – have long been a problem.

TripAdvisor Attempting to Curtail Bogus Reviews

To be fair, TripAdvisor, as well as some hotel chains claim to be trying to do something about the issue. And for the past few years they appear to be making some headway. But it’s impossible to stop all bogus reviews. TripAdvisor is usually very closed mouthed as to exactly what it’s doing.

Even though TripAdvisor claims it’s trying to curtail bogus reviews, there’s another issue that travelers need to be aware of. That about hotels that misrepresent themselves on booking sites such as TripAdvisor. It’s basically false advertising.

How this happens is that some hotels, especially outside of North America, will renovate part of their hotel. They then photograph the renovations and put the photos on their website as well as TripAdvisor, Expedia and Travelocity, without advising that not all rooms are as advertised. You book what appears to be a nice room but on arrival find yourself in some dump up on the fourth floor.

The Result of Rushing Through a Booking

It’s happened to me. Several years ago in Venice I needed to spend my last night in a hotel near the bus and train stations in order to catch a very early-morning bus.

I did some quick research and found that TripAdvisor awarded the Alloggi Agli Artisti, a hotel that appeared to suit my needs, 3.7 points out of five. There were negative reviews, of course. But 138 of the reviews said it was very good, and 49 said it was excellent. In my haste I booked it.

When I arrived, however, I was put in small room on the fourth floor (the fifth floor in the U.S.). To make matters worse, there was no elevator.

Also, the carpets in the hall were worn and the bathroom and the shower were down the hallway, not in the room as advertised. Additionally, there was no air-conditioning, hairdryer, in-room safe, etc. as claimed online.

Even worse though, next to some of the negative reviews on TripAdvisor I saw comments from hotel management insulting some reviewers for complaining about these very things (TripAdvisor puts management replies next to negative consumer reviews). Seeing insulting replies from management should warn you never to go near the property.

By the way, the Alloggi Agli Artisti hotel is still open. And judging by the reviews, not a lot has changed.

But I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t use TripAdvisor to try to discern the quality of a hotel. It can, after all, be a valuable resource. But you do need to use it wisely and read the reviews with a bit of cynicism.

A good rule of thumb is to disregard all “over the top” comments, possibly written by the hotels themselves. Also disregard all the very negative comments, which could have been planted by the competition, and focus on the remainder.

You also need to go beyond TripAdvisor reviews and look at what’s said on other sites such as Expedia, Travelocity, Booking.com, Hotels.com, etc. As a side note to clear up any confusion, TripAdvisor used to be owned by Expedia but is now a publicly traded company.

Watch Out For Those Restaurant Reviews

And when using TripAdvisor it’s not just hotels you should be concerned about. Since mobile phones and iPads are also our traveling companions, many travelers also use TripAdvisor to search for restaurants. Remember, however, that some of these restaurant reviews may also be bogus. A positive review may be written by a restaurant’s owner, a negative one by the chef down the street.

And there’s also the issue as to whether or not the place is even still in operation. Keep in mind that while hotels are usually in business at the same location indefinitely, restaurants tend to open and close more often.

While in my original hotel during that same trip in Venice, one evening I used TripAdvisor to search for a good restaurant. I looked up the district of Venice in which I was staying and then wrote down the names and addresses of TripAdvisor’s three top-rated restaurants.

As it turned out the #1- and #2-rated restaurants on TripAdvisor no longer existed. But after walking a bit I did find #3, which turned out to be relatively good, as promised on the site.

December 5, 2012 at 9:15 pm

I’ve never turned to TripAdvisor … there are so many other options for reviews! I don’t need to state the obvious: consulting with a professional travel consultant with a vast network of colleague. No, I’m thinking of the travel guides which take no advertising. I trust Rick Steves. I trust Fodor’s. I don’t trust the reviews on Trip Advisor. I once saw a review of a tropical property in which the reviewer complained about bugs … there are certain things which are not surprising in travel and bugs in the tropics are one of them.

January 5, 2013 at 6:48 am

Don’t know if they are making good, but once I have found this guys selling reviews on tripadvisor, never worked with them

January 5, 2013 at 11:14 am

To our readers: All comments on articles that appear on Never Stop Traveling, both positive and negative, remain as written, unless they are spam or contain offensive material. In the case of this comment, however, I’ve deleted the web address referenced since I found the site to be a company one can retain to write phony reviews on TripAdvisor. This is one of the problems that plagues TripAdvisor and demonstrates why you should use caution and common sense when reading any comments on TripAdvisor or other review sites. J.F.

June 15, 2013 at 9:25 am

If you visit a restaurant don’t rely on Trip advisor reviews. Most of the people who post are the unhappy, miserable complain without reason, while those guests who has great experience don’t bother to post. I run a restaurant. Our comment cards shows 93% guest satisfaction while Trip advisor comments indicates 40%. So tell me

July 5, 2013 at 11:22 am

I wonder if they post all reviews. I have now posted twice a review of a recent stay at a hotel and have yet to see it appear. I definitely think they have their favorites.

July 5, 2013 at 11:29 am

That’s not a good sign if a site doesn’t post your review – whether it’s pro or con — unless it has been blocked for negative reasons (profanity, attacking another reviewer,spam content, etc.) I’d send an email to the pr/communications person in their corporate offices and ask what’s going on. If you do, could you please update us on their reply and tell us what you’ve done?

August 30, 2013 at 3:02 am

Our client have ever written about us on Tripad “We highly appreciate your service” but that comment was not posted and our account was locked

Then we contacted with Tripad but Tripad has explained that the comment about this company is not posted as this company does not have on the Tripad system.

So Tripad does not keep the positive , they just concentrate on advertisement, there are many competitors buy good comment throught many websites. But we did not do that as we respect our clients who wrote true comment about service.

November 3, 2013 at 1:53 am

May I ask if Tripadvisor earn commisions or advertisement fees ? I read before someone asked them whether they are a commercial website or not, and they replied they are not and assure fairness.

November 3, 2013 at 1:49 am

Besides those mentioned, there is another big issue which Tripadvisor’s forum a very unreliable place to rely for informations. I usually run through all the last few months of forum chat of the place before I travel. I find their moderators very bias and unfair. I notice they favour members who supported the higher price establishments. I notice whenever someone recommend some cheap finds, eg eating places, drivers or hotels, some regular members will appear to start an issue to flame and the moderators will delete the original post with some excuses like “inappropriate” or “gudelines” issue. It’s sad that an established travel forum could choose to be ruined or controlled by some regular members and lose their creditability. I am sure many of the regular members are in the travel industry or related to some establishment, writing there to protect their own interest. I think in future, travellers will not believe in travel sites forum or reviews if their moderation don’t improve for fairness.

November 17, 2013 at 5:16 am

Since tripadvisor monitors the posts very carefully that I think it will be very reliable for those who intend to find information before making a trip.

March 11, 2014 at 10:40 pm

The debit about whether to trust Trip Advisor or not keeps going but personally I can’t trust Trip Advisor. The reason why I can’t trust them is the because I rather go and talk to actual trip advisor face to face giving me actual information. Another reason why I can’t trust them because certain individuals give mixed emotions about where they stay, and makes you think whether you trust it or not. Having a actual interaction with someone discussing with you about your trip and giving you advise, I rather recommend them over trip advisor. As a hotel manager I would deal with the positive and negative message by sending out a statement, on the company website by thanking them for the feedback and send out recent activities, interactions, and entertainment/Food pictures showing that our hotel brand is a great place to come to to answer all the negative feedback the hotel gets. Also I would tell everyone that our hotel keeps on growing and we keep up to date with the trends that are happening in the hospitality industry.

April 16, 2014 at 9:35 pm

Expedia does not own TripAdvisor, and I have never gone wrong using TripAdvisor to plan vacations.

May 25, 2014 at 3:35 am

I firmly believe that trip advisor is not completely reliable. The site contains both real and fake reviews. There are companies that solicit to hotels where they charge to a couple of hundred dollars a month to post positive reviews. How do I know that? Well I work for hotels and I have personally received those phone calls. For some hotels it may be totally worth it to pay a couple of hundred dollars a month to be on the top of the list but it is totally unethical. Also, there is no way to verify or to prove if the person that wrote a review actually stayed at the hotel.

August 15, 2014 at 3:11 am

Sure, there are outright bogus reviews (both positive and negative) that erode the trust in Tripadvisor. I think nowadays users are getting savvy enough to sniff out if things are written more like a marketing push than a real review.

What I have also noticed, as a tourism professional in Berlin, is that many of the tours, attractions, etc that are ranked highest on trip advisor are ones that actively solicit them from their guests. I did a walking tour where at the end most of us had a drink in a nearby pub. The tour guide then went around to each of us with his ipad asking us to write a quick review….. (I later learned that management was paying a bonus to the guide that got the most reviews)

Tripadvisor has tremendous power with business in the top 3 of categories seeing direct results in terms of revenue. Is it any wonder that many of them try to cheat the system.

The other issue is that the reviews are not necessarily representative of the experience. The majority of people will only bother writing if they have either a very good or very bad experience. So good little restaurants (particularly ones mostly frequented by locals – which are usually a good sign) rarely register on Tripadvisor.

August 15, 2014 at 6:12 am

Great observations Charlie. Thanks.

April 7, 2015 at 11:06 am

As usual, you should check with a variety of sources. I have found that Tripadvisor reviews are just one of several sites that will give you a general idea. To their credit, I think Tripadvisor does try to do a good job…after all, if they fail to do that, then they lose their credibility, and that is the keystone of their business.

January 28, 2016 at 5:00 am

Not very reliable I’d say. Tripadvisor aims at serving third-parties interests instead of helping travellers. I wrote a one-star review of a restaurant that is high ranked in Wroclaw, Poland but at which I had a disastrous experience. Altough my review was genuine, it was removed from the website because it contained an allegation of fraud (sic). I found it strange since I’ve already written around 70 reviews (most of which restaurants) and never had such problem. Here’s a link to my Tripadvisor profile: http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/MikeDoviel . So I asked the Support about what went wrong. They replied that it contained a report of review fraud (sic) with no further explanation. I sent a second e-mail to ask for more details, they never bothered to reply. I then realized there was nothing wrong with my review. Tripadvisor just decided to censor it, probably in some effort to damage control the reputation of the restaurant I was reviewing. What’s worse, I denunced to Tripadvisor a review that was obviously fake: a first time reviewer who wrote a five-star review, listing items that were not served and stated “next time you’re around just pop in”. I was surprised to find out that my request was rejected, meaning that Tripadvisor finds this review to be genuine. Since, I’ve stopped writing reviews on Tripadvisor. When I travel, I’d rather ask locals or wander around the city and see for myself than trust Tripadvisor reviews.

April 26, 2020 at 3:13 pm

Trip Advisor is not pro-traveler. When a business disputes a demonstrably factual review, Trip Advisor simply removes the review with a no-reply email, denying the traveler any opportunity to question their decision.

April 26, 2020 at 5:59 pm

Thank you Alex. Could please share how you know this for a fact. I, for one, would be quite interested.

September 7, 2020 at 1:40 pm

After doing a hut-to-hut mt biking trip in Colorado, my experience cried out for a trip advisor review. Long story short, the hut system business brushed off my suggestions that they consider exterminating the mice infestations with “we can’t control mother nature” and “that’s why we have people sign liability waivers”. TA won’t post my review, no matter how soft I revise it. My concern here is the health of hut-users: mice can carry Hantavirus which has a 36-38% mortality rate in humans. the business clearly doesn’t care about this, and TA is too enmeshed in the business’s success to care, either. I’m left believing that TA reviews can’t be trusted from the traveler perspective, they’ve lost credibility with me.

September 7, 2020 at 1:58 pm

Eric – Thank you for telling us about this first-person experience and the challenges you’ve faced in getting some acknowledgement about the issue. Jim

October 21, 2020 at 2:50 pm

I don’t trust TripAdvisor reviews. Most of them are written by business owners or the companies providing this service to the owners. We have a travel agency in Crete, Greece and I can clearly see that some of our competitors use this kind of service and TripAdvisor publishes the reviews without any problem. Most of thier reviews are posted by persons with only one review and reposted in 6 months again, all the comments looks like advertisements rather than customer review and most of them include some photos downloaded in internet (just a picture of some place without any real person at ithem) and the comments appears periodically, for example 10 comments in 10 days and then they stop for 2-3 weeks and so on. And of course there is no even one negative review there. You don’t need to be an expert to understand that these reviews are paid but for some reason TripAdvisor doesn’t prevent them from posting. Another problem that we have faced with this company is the rapid decline of reviews accepted for our business since TripAdvisor offered us to join thier new service for booking tours and activities called Bokun and we rejected the offer. We received few emails from our clients complaining that thier reviews have not been approved for some reasons. I don’t believe that this page is reliable as soon as they offer paid services as Bokun and premium status for the restaurants. And concerning the restaurants, we have some examples in our absolutely touristic area with hundreds of cafeterias and restaurants when the newly opened business has more than a hundred reviews less than in a month after serving the first client. Something that other places are not able to reach even after few years of work.

October 21, 2020 at 3:55 pm

I’m sorry to hear that, Mary. It sounds like a bad situation.

[…] TripAdvisor ranks for customer personal feedback, tourist destination web pages, and guide related books as the most reliable source for travel planning. […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Here's what it's like to to book an adventure abroad through Viator, Trip Advisor's tour and excursion booking platform

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• While in Croatia with my family this year, I used Trip Advisor 's activity-booking platform Viator to book boat charters abroad. All operators are pre-vetted by Trip Advisor to guarantee credibility and safety. Excursions range from $15 for a walking tour to thousands for luxury experiences.
• Booking independently through Viator saved me significant costs compared to using a travel agency, and helped me plan my vacation in advance, with clear pricing and reviews from past guests.
• I had a great experience with Viator and would use it again — but with a few changes. Next time, I'll make sure to ask more questions first, so I don't face any surprises. Here's what you should know to do the same.
• Read all Insider Picks travel reviews here.

I'm a lifestyle journalist with a focus on travel and trot the globe frequently with my husband and five-year-old twins. So I think of myself as pretty savvy when it comes to calling upon Internet resources (not to mention intuition earned through experience) to make bookings, even in places I've never before been.

This summer, I went on a two-week vacation with my family in Europe, hitting Greece and Croatia, plus bordering countries along the Dalmatian Coast. We spent a fair amount of time off the beaten path and there were a lot of moving parts. But I felt confident, and competent, that I could independently plan our trip, without the help of a travel agency. I know my way around search engines for flights, hotels, and deals.

But there was a blind spot. How would I book tours and excursions such as chartering a speedboat for our family to Croatia's famous islands?

I was relieved when I stumbled upon the activity-booking search engine Viator , which is owned by Trip Advisor. After reviewing various offerings and reading reviews, I booked two separate boat charters through the company. Both boats were clean, comfortable, beautiful, more or less as advertised, and operated by companies I would not have known how to access without Viator. 

I'd recommend the platform, especially to anyone staying at an Airbnb without a concierge like I did, or looking for cheaper options than what a hotel or travel agency might suggest. But I'd offer a caveat from my own experience: savvy travelers must make sure to cover their bases to avoid potential pitfalls such as the one we experienced. 

What is Viator?

Viator is Trip Advisor's platform for booking all kinds of activities during travel. Consider you might find 4x4 and camel tours in Dubai, a skip-the-line tour of the Colosseum in Rome, or a tour of the Grand Canyon by helicopter from Las Vegas.

Really, you'll find just about anything. The search engine includes options for a truly whopping 200,000 bookable activities in places all around the world making it unlikely that you won't find what you need. All operators listed are pre-vetted for credibility and safety backed by Trip Advisor .

Importantly, the site also aggregates millions of reviews, like what you'll find on Viator's sister site, Trip Advisor, so you have a pretty good sense of what you're getting. 

How is Viator priced?

Naturally, price points on Viator range dramatically based on the location and the excursions' complexity. A basic walking tour might cost under $20 while a day-long excursion or charter could cost hundreds more. The more expensive of the two trips I booked came in under $1,000, and the rates on the site can soar depending on what you're booking.

The site is optimized for mobile booking, offers around-the-clock customer service in multiple languages, a lowest-price guarantee, and a 24-hour cancellation policy, which makes the financial risk in booking feel low. 

In fact, I made use of that cancellation policy a few times to cancel and rebook similar activities when I changed my mind on the specifics, and also to flatly cancel a sightseeing tour I'd booked for our first day in Greece when I realized we'd all be too jet-lagged to bother.

I made both Viator bookings using my Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card  — both in U.S. dollars — and faced no trouble making these changes.

What did I book through Viator?

I'd never been to Croatia, but knew I wanted to see its beautiful islands. We were staying in an Airbnb apartment (a rare choice for me) instead of a full-service hotel with concierge, so I was on my own for finding out how to do this. 

Poking around on the Internet for tours, I discovered Viator , which was previously unknown to me. I appreciated that like its parent company Trip Advisor, Viator heavily incorporates a review system, and the Trip Advisor backing gave me confidence. I booked two tours, each about three weeks ahead of our arrival.

For our stay in Dubrovnik, I booked a half-day private speedboat tour to the Elafiti islands , which earned an impressive five stars overall, with over 100 reviews on Viator. The trip for four people for four hours came in just under $400 after I used a 10 percent discount code. 

Then, for the portion of our trip in the northern area of the country, Split, I booked an all-day private sightseeing tour with five proposed stops , including the famous Blue Cave and Hvar island. This trip also had an overall five-star rating on Viator, but with far fewer reviews, just 27 as of the time of this writing. The eight-hour trip for four people on the private speedboat charter cost $873 after the discount code.

These prices might seem steep, but consider that it's priced for four people, as well as the alternative. When I briefly felt overwhelmed with planning, I reached out to a Croatia-based travel agency. The land-only quote for a week in the county for our party of four was 12,000 euros. Booking on my own — including these two-day trips through Viator — cut our expenses to less than half.

My booking experience with Viator

After so much planning, our trip was at last underway. We spent a morning at a Dubrovnik beach club before our scheduled boat tour for the afternoon. That same day, the highly responsive tour company reached out through WhatsApp and email to coordinate transportation for us to the marina, where we'd be meeting our skipper and the boat.

They called a rideshare at their expense to meet us at the beach club and we arrived at the marina to find an impeccably clean boat and friendly skipper.

As promised, the boat was just for our family with amenities like shade cover and a USB port to charge up phones and stay ready for photo taking. 

We set out for the afternoon on the Adriatic and were able to customize our itinerary, checking out bays, beaches, and caves at our own pace. The skipper snapped family photos and offered snorkel masks and drinks.

At the end of the afternoon, our skipper called us an Uber to take us back to the hotel. Overall it was a successful, fun day. And at under $400 for four people, felt like a great value for all we were able to do.

Unfortunately, it didn't foreshadow the more challenging experience we had on our next excursion, which was the full-day boat charter from Split.

For that trip, I had more difficulty communicating in advance with the operator, who was less responsive. I didn't get all my questions answered before booking, and miscalculated by making some critical assumptions that turned out to be false.

We arrived at the marina to find a boat that exceeded our expectations. It was a rather luxurious looking speedboat with room for 12 and was larger and fancier than our previous boat in Dubrovnik.

It was also more powerful, at 250 horsepower. While some people might appreciate that, the speed of the vessel scared our young children right away.

Our skipper was a devoted and experienced older brother, so he was well equipped with strategies to help calm our kids and took pains to make them comfortable. He even let my son "drive" the boat and honk the horn, which was a huge hit. 

But my daughter was still uncomfortable as the boat sped through the open ocean. Off the bat, I wondered if this was something any ambitious American traveler would attempt with such young children had they known how rough it would be.

The skipper warned us that the Blue Cave would be backed up and crowded, and the timing might correspond to a bumpy afternoon sail. So we opted against it and chose a custom plan to mitigate the intensity. I appreciated that we were able to change the day's itinerary to better suit our needs.

Our skipper took us to a gorgeous, remote beach on the island of Vis, which was a true highlight with crystal clear water and a sense of true isolation. We swam from the boat to the beach, snorkeled, and took lots of pictures.

Afterward, we sailed to glamorous Hvar island, where we passed an hour or so with lunch in Hvar Town.

But it was after that, on the way back to the harbor in Split, when our challenges started in earnest.

It was squarely afternoon by then, and the winds had picked up; the open ocean was very choppy. That is to say, our boat caught full air and slammed back down — over and over again. There was nothing the skipper could do as this was the nature of the boat and typical conditions.

Although my kids (mercifully) don't suffer motion sickness, they were terrified. Anyone with young children and those who do suffer from motion sickness should inquire about conditions before booking any similar boat ride as I wished I had.

My son could be placated by heading back to his post as the boat's "driver," but my daughter was miserable for the full 75 minutes it took to get back to the marina and the waves soaked our family. Making matters more concerning, there was only one kid-sized life jacket on board.  

I was regretful that I'd gotten us in this position. I hadn't adequately confirmed that this was the right trip for our family.

And although I generally feel like a diligent and capable planner, I'd continued with the booking despite not waiting for the answers I needed: Would there be child-sized snorkel masks? Would there be two child-sized life jackets? Was the water likely to be rough? Will we get wet or seasick?  

The bottom line on Viator  

Overall, I wouldn't trade either of the stunning boat excursions I booked through Viator . They made for essential sightseeing experiences for any visitor to Croatia.

The operators on both experiences were professional, and the services were provided as advertised. I also found the prices to be reasonable, much more so than if I'd booked through a travel agency.

I'll book through Viator again, but next time, I'll make sure I'm asking more questions and getting the specific answers I need first.

If a particular operator is vague or reluctant to respond to the specifics of an important matter, like child-sized life vests, or typical water conditions, I will move on to another operator.  

As a now-seasoned Viator user, I'd say: book with confidence. Just make sure you ask a lot of questions specific to your needs and make sure you get them all answered explicitly before you show up on the day of your booking.

With the sheer number of bookings available on Viator, you should have plenty of options to keep moving onto another suitable tour operator until you find one that gives you all the answers — and confidence — you need.  

Book a Viator excursion, large or small, anywhere on earth .

Subscribe to our newsletter. You can purchase syndication rights to this story here. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

• Main content

Viator Tours Review [2024]: Are Their Tours Any Good?

I always find that tours are the hardest thing to book before a trip, so you want to make sure you're using a reliable website to find the best tour options. If you're looking for tours during your travels, you've likely come across Viator before and are wondering whether to book with them. I've put together a well-researched review so you have more confidence about whether to spend your money, or not, on Viator tours!

One of the best parts about planning a vacation and making a travel plan is deciding all the fun, exciting things you're going to do while you're there.

I get that it can also be one of the most stressful parts, though.

Some cities have so many things to do it can be hard to decide which one fits in your itinerary.

Trying to decide which tours, sights, or areas to see, which food to eat, which places to visit… it can get challenging to pick!

Viator claims to help solve your problems by providing you with a platform for you to find the perfect itinerary. But is Viator as good as it sounds? Is Viator worth it compared to other travel booking sites?

Don't go away so that you can discover all the important info about Viator before making your choice.

What Is Viator?

Viator is a TripAdvisor company that pulls together experiences from all over the world, allowing you to book through them. Viator's focus on memorable experiences will enable you to make the most of your travels while having the flexibility to make plans as you go (or well in advance). 

Viator was bought by TripAdvisor in 2014, so you'll notice similarities in how reviews work. With TripAdvisor being Viator's parent company, you can feel better if you trust TripAdvisor's reputation.

Check out Viator tours here!

How Does Viator Work?

Viator works by providing tours, tickets, experiences, and more worldwide at competitive prices. Tours have detailed descriptions, and you can search availability for your party size.

One of the things that makes Viator tours so good is that their description page offers ample information to help you decide whether that tour is for you. 

You'll find an overview, including departure and return information, what to expect, additional info, cancellation policy details, an FAQ section, and reviews from fellow travelers

What more could you want?

Booking with Viator

To make any bookings with Viator, you'll have to have an account. You can sign up easily using your email address, use either a Google account or Facebook account, or sign in with your Apple ID. From there, you can easily access all your bookings in one place.

Viator also has an app available on the Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. 

Let's check out the two major features Viator has to offer.

Viator's Major Features Explained

Unlike online travel agencies (OTAs) like  Travelocity , Viator specializes in tours and experiences. This means that you'll be able to find walking tours, site visits, day trips, and more. You won't find anything about hotels, restaurants, or other aspects of travel.

Instead, Viator is there to fill your days while traveling. 

When you search for a destination on Viator, it'll give you long lists of tours available in and around that destination. You can sort through tours by style. For example, food, outdoors, likely to sell out, etc. The site also gives you the ability to filter tours by price point, duration, and time of day.

I love that flexibility! And it'll really make searching for the perfect excursion more hassle-free.

You can even sort by "deals and discounts" to see what's running on sale to save some money!

Things to Do

In addition to providing loads of tours, they also have dedicated pages to several cities outlining the top things to do and how to plan your trip there. 

Here's their detailed page for things to do in London , and  here's  another for Vancouver, Canada, as references! To get to these pages, simply enter the city of your choice into the search bar, and then find the link to the "things to do in (city)" page at the top! Or scroll down to the bottom of the home page for some options. 

If you're someone who prefers things being planned out for you, why not explore doing a group tour with  Contiki  or  EF Ultimate Break ?

How Do You Contact Viator's Customer Support?

Since Viator is used for booking tours and experiences, you'll want to know how to contact them if you have any difficulties with your booking or questions. 

Finding Viator's contact information on their website is a bit of a challenge. It is only easily accessible through an existing booking. Beyond that, they don't actually publish their contact information anywhere, so asking any pre-booking questions can be rather difficult. 

They claim to be there for customer support 24/7, but this seems to be only after you've made a booking. 

Viator's Cancellation Policy

One of Viator's biggest perks is that they offer a free, 24-hour notice cancellation policy. They advertise that many experiences are fully refundable with at least 24 hours' notice. 

It's important to note that not every Viator tour/experience is refundable at least one full day before the experience, so double-check your booking carefully. Some experiences have stricter refund policies (requiring more notice), and others never allow for a refund due to a cancellation. 

Viator Reviews: Is It Legit?

If you've taken a look at Viator reviews, you can tell how polarizing they are. Let's dissect them to find out why thats the case.

Viator reviews online currently hold an average rating of 4.3/5 stars. However, on review sites like Yelp, they hold a low average of 1 to 1.6 average rating out of 5.

On their own website, they've also ranked themselves as 4.3/5 stars with over 3600 reviews.

Why Are the Numbers So Polarizing?

I believe that quality fluctuates between the different tours offered on Viator. With the massive collection of things to do and tours on Viator, their reviews naturally are polarizing.

In general, the latest Viator reviews are positive about the tour experiences and most users recommend using Viator. Some travelers weren't impressed with Viator's ticketing service or, in extreme circumstances, were allowed to book tickets after events no longer allowed entry.

Many negative reviews speak to less than enthusiastic guides, crowded venues, or subpar meals, factors outside Viator's control. 

Is Viator Worth It?

On a while, we believe that Viator is worth it to find fun and different experiences for your next destination of choice! Viator has various things from which to choose and have detailed descriptions, so you know what you're getting when you book.

Since you're not booking through the tour companies themselves, though, be aware that any communication from them might go through Viator and can cause miscommunications or problems.

You could always use Viator for research and try to book directly, but many tours exclusively use Viator.

We would recommend it as a resource for tour booking, though!

Our Rating: 4.0/5

• Huge selections
• 24 hours Free Cancellation Policy
• Available Worldwide
• Detailed Descriptions & Reviews
• Reputable Company
• Poor accessibility for customer service
• Communication issues with vendors
• Subpar time of response for support

Get Started Planning Your Next Trip!

Booking your next destination? Make sure you put all of your adventures easily into Pilot!

Disclosure : Pilot is supported by our community. We may earn a small commission fee with affiliate links on our website. All reviews and recommendations are independent and do not reflect the official view of Pilot.

Satisfy your wanderlust

Get Pilot. The travel planner that takes fun and convenience to a whole other level. Try it out yourself.

Trending Travel Stories

Discover new places and be inspired by stories from our traveller community.

Related Travel Guides

Travelocity Review: Are they still legit in 2024?

Intrepid Travel In-depth Review: Are their tours any good? [2024]

ViaHero Review: Should you let locals plan your 2024 trip?

Trafalgar Tours Review [2024]: Are they worth it?

Tripadvisor Traveler Review: Looking Past the Ads in 2024

ToursByLocals Review: Can You Trust Their Tour guides? [2024]

Make the most of every trip

You won’t want to plan trips any other way!

The trip planner that puts everything in one place, making planning your trip easier, quicker, and more fun.

Suggested companies

Getyourguide.

Viator.com   Reviews

In the Travel Agency category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.3.

196,925 total

Most relevant

Must do tour for HP fans!!

Tour was so much fun. Loved the train ride and captured many beautiful and iconic pjj hi Otis of the trip. The experience was enhanced by our ginger tour guide Amber who was a delight. She regaled us all with many Scottish tales and information that made the experience very fun.

Date of experience : April 20, 2024

A satisfying day trip in NE Taiwan

We had a well planned itinerary of Taiwan North, including beautiful northern mountainsides, scenic nature icons (geological park and waterfall), and historical towns. Our guide Steven H kept the day running smoothly. While it could’ve felt like a lot to bite off, he ensured it was flexible, relaxed, and good humoured. We highly recommend this tour if you’re looking to catch some wonderful sites. A

Date of experience : April 30, 2024

Book it Dano!

All online bookings went well—booked two tours before traveling and one at the destination. Before each tour, a 24hr notice was received to confirm the tour location and to reconfirm if pick up from lodging/hotel was needed, even though the pickup question was asked and selected, during booking. I also appreciated the instant rewards credit and quickly applied to the next tour! 😌🤑 Thank you!

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

Mount Fujisan Tour

We loved our mount Fujisan tour. Georg, our tour guild, was brilliant and very very knowledgable and entertaining, we learnt a lot. The lunch was fabulous, a real treat. The highlight was the amazing vista of Fujisan, very spiritual and beautiful, this experience will live with us forever, very emotional.

Gili island water is crystal clear &…

Gili island water is crystal clear & views were very nice. Our tour guide, Junaidi took care of us a lot while I get seasick before snorkelling. This arrangement is private & u will enjoy longer as long as you can enjoy snorkelling. Anyway this was my first try of snorkelling & I have no complaints, I love the view very much.

First time customer

It was such a great experience along with my family most especially for my mom. She’s a local of San Diego but it was her first time to experienced a harbor tour cruise. All the staff were very attentive to all the passengers who hopped in the boat. Hoping to do another cruise in the future.

Date of experience : April 28, 2024

Exceptional Day

Wow what a trip. So many places all on one day … our tour guide Ruben was exceptional. He was so knowledge, updating us of events as we went along. He was approachable, friendly, flexibility and focused on delivering everything we wanted. It was an awesome day and we got to do everything we wanted and Ruben made that happen … thank you

Date of experience : April 29, 2024

Our trip to Auschwitz was a true…

Our trip to Auschwitz was a true experience and privilege. Viator are an easy company to book through, although the companies that they work with can let them down. We only had 12 hour notice that our pick-up time and location had changed. This made it difficult as we were limited to a maximum number of 15 per booking, we had more than that and the tour operator split the groups.

Would leave ZERO stars if I could

Would leave ZERO stars if that were possible. We made reservations in January with Viator to see The Last Supper in Milan on May 1. We arranged our travel specifically for this purpose. On April 28 we received notice from Viator that the tour was cancelled “for technical reasons” and that they could not reschedule us. Of course after HOURS spent searching there is no other chance during our trip that we could see this. This is literally the only reason we were stopping in Milan during a once in a lifetime trip. We are so disappointed. This is completely unacceptable.

Reply from Viator.com

Hi, Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. Viator takes all customer feedback and concerns about their experiences seriously. We strive to ensure that our suppliers are providing high-quality experiences and products to our customers. Each supplier's customer satisfaction ratings are reviewed and addressed directly with that supplier. We thank you for sharing your feedback with us. If you have any other concerns, please feel free to reach out to us by phone, email, chat or through Facebook/Twitter. Kind Regards, Viator Social Engagement

Everything went smooth for all tours

Everything went smooth for all tours. Customer service team and responce to questions was was immediate. We set up 4 different tours in 4 cities and had a wonderful time at each. Will definitely continue to use them on future trips.

Viator is a good way to find tours from…

Viator is a good way to find tours from regional companies. Easy to find exactly what you want to do. You do need to read the fine print and make sure you know what is and is not included in any specific tour. I wouldn’t recommend this approach if you are uncomfortable booking trips yourself. But if you are, this is the best.

Half-Day Tour of the Island of Moorea

Our half-day tour of the beautiful island of Moorea was one of our favorite experiences on this vacation. The truck was clean and in good condition. Karen was our guide. She was prompt, knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. We would highly recommend this tour.

Date of experience : December 11, 2023

We went to three events in Cordoba and…

We went to three events in Cordoba and they were all excellent and I would highly recommend. The only criticism I would make is that it would help to give more accurate directions on where to go and also where to meet guided tours ( the guide Maria was fantastic!). Fortunately we gave ourselves a lot of time to find the places as we do not speak Spanish and getting directions was difficult. Also be prepared to queue!!

Date of experience : April 21, 2024

Tour of Niagara Falls

Tour of Niagara Falls, lunch and winery were great. Driver was well organized, knowlegable and polite. Couldn’t ask for a better day! Phone operator and scheduler were professional and helpful.

Amazing walking tour of Nara

Nobu was a lovely guide who was happy, friendly, knowledgeable and patient with our walking tour of Nara. The meeting place was busy but we found her among the other tour guides. The group was small, 4 of us and another 4 who were travelling together. My family (husband and twin 14 year olds) loved the short bursts of history and the photo's Nobu provided for visual explanation. She asked if she could take photo's of us which we agreed and at the end of the tour she air dropped them all which was lovely. The lunch was in an authentic Japanese restaurant and we had a private table which was ready for us upon arrival. Food preferences were also catered to. The other group chose to explore our final shrine longer so we bid them farewell there and Nobu walked us back to the train station, stopping for ice cream and patting the deers along the way. We only booked one guided tour in Japan and this was it and we were so happy we did.

Date of experience : April 17, 2024

Tour guide/driver was professional

Tour guide/driver was professional, knowledgeable, and helpful. Car was new and very clean. It was rainy on our tour day, so many activities were cut short. However, it was enjoyable. We recommend this tour.

A Great Day in the Islands

I can’t say enough good things about the GR Rungtawan All Day Cruise of the Phi Phi Islands. From controlling the sweltering chaos that was checking in, to modifying the itinerary on the fly to avoid the worst crowds, this team did an excellent job of delivering an unforgettable experience. I have been on enough Thai speed boats to know that when one doesn’t break down, you have found a good operation. The excellent and plentiful food was the least of the features. We saw where Bird Nest Soup comes from, walked on the famous Maya Beach, had photo ops in the canyons of Phi Phi Leh, snorkeled and walked at Monkey Island and my favorite – Bamboo Island. If you go offshore about a hundred yards to the edge of the roped off swimming area you will find some of the clearest and best snorkeling in Thailand.

Date of experience : April 19, 2024

No option for refund

We were always going to be a +|- family to go ahead but it was dependent on my mother’s condition as she was recently diagnosed with end stage cancer. Unfortunately on the day we booked, she was not well on the day so I was hoping to reschedule or refund. Neither option was available.

Hi Ivy, Customer feedback is very important to Viator. We take all customer concerns seriously. We regret to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. Your valuable feedback will be used to improve our experiences and provide insight to our suppliers. Kind Regards, Viator Social Engagement Team

This is incredible

This is incredible. You guys have sent me 2 surveys to which I provided feedback why my disappointment and there is no follow up or my concern is not answered. Since you have my email I’ll wait for your reply if you’re really interested in knowing what happened

Hi Luisa, We are sorry to hear about your negative experience. We have reviewed your booking, and have emailed you directly. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to assisting you in the future. If you have any other concerns, please feel free to visit our site at https://www.viator.com/help. Kind Regards, Viator Social Engagement

Awesome experience

Great guides on both the trips and was very helpful in explaining the historical facts of the place, being friendly annd professional. Patricia on the Castles tour and Susan on the Salzburg trip were the guides and I would highly recommend them.

What are the Differences Between Viator, Tripadvisor, and Tripadvisor Experiences?

Curious about the differences between Viator, Tripadvisor, and Tripadvisor Experiences? This piece outlines everything you need to know about the brands and how it affects your business.

In the past, we understand that operators may have been confused about the differences between Viator, Tripadvisor, and Tripadvisor Experiences. We haven’t made it clear enough how the three brands are related, and more importantly how that impacts where your tours and activities are sold. In this article, we’ll answer your questions about the relationship between these three brands. 

Let’s start with Viator . Viator is the world’s largest online marketplace for tours, activities, and attractions. Viator is a Tripadvisor company and was acquired by Tripadvisor in 2014.

When you sell your tours and activities on Viator, they’re automatically distributed and sold on Viator’s over 3,500 partner network, too. This means your products may also appear on our partners’ sites like Tripadvisor, as well as airlines, hotels, travel publications, and more. One Viator listing gives you access to millions of travelers around the world via Viator, Tripadvisor, and our vast network of partners.

Tripadvisor is the world’s largest travel website. Travelers can research, plan and book their whole trip on Tripadvisor, from flights and accommodations to in-destination activities like dining and – yes – tours, activities and attraction tickets. Over 8.7 million businesses worldwide have a Tripadvisor listing. When you sell your tours and activities on Viator, your inventory is also automatically distributed and sold on Tripadvisor (your products make up much of what is on Tripadvisor’s “Things To Do” pages.) Simply put: Tripadvisor is part of Viator’s distribution network. As an operator selling on Viator, you’re automatically also selling to Tripadvisor users, too.

Now, let’s talk about Tripadvisor Experiences . This brand was introduced in 2018 and is the name for the part of Tripadvisor that sells tours, activities and attractions tickets (the ‘Things to Do’ pages on Tripadvisor). It’s also the brand we’ve primarily used to communicate with you – in emails, on this blog, and in your Management Center.  This is now changing as we refocus and reinvigorate the Viator brand. 

This means, moving forward, you’ll now see our communications to you, including our Operator Resources blog and your Management Center, branded as Viator instead of Tripadvisor Experiences. Your products have always been a part of the Viator marketplace. This will not change how we do business with you and there’s no need to update anything on your end. Your products will continue to be distributed on Viator, Tripadvisor, the Travel Agent Program and our network of distribution partners.

Our goal is to provide travelers with the highest quality experiences, and work closely with you to form a partnership that brings those activities to the world. Viator will continue to promote your products on its network, including Tripadvisor. In the coming months, we’ll be branding all communications channels to Viator. The resources you visit – like your Management Center and this blog you’re reading right now – will be rebranded as Viator. Again, don’t worry, our rebrand will not impact how we work with you or where your tours and activities are sold. 

We’re extremely excited about the future of Viator, and we hope you are too. We’re moving to a marketplace that values quality over anything else. Because that means we not only give travelers what they want – memorable experiences – but it gives operators like you a better chance to stand out among the crowd. 

COVID-19 Resource Page

Visit our continually updating COVID-19 resource page for:

• More information on our efforts to support you
• Links to industry news
• Ways to prepare today for tomorrow

Click here >

About the Author: Matt Ellis

Share This Article

Related posts.

What is Viator Accelerate?

The Operator Resource Center’s New Look

Do More with Viator Advertising Campaign Launched

Introducing the Viator Experience Awards – The Best Things To Do, Chosen By You

3 Takeaways from Viator’s Keynote at ITB Asia 2020

An Open Letter from Ben Drew, President of Viator—Our Future: The Fusion of Past and Present

© All Rights Reserved - 2022

• Vacation Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travelers' Choice
• Help Center

Are Guest Reservations legit or a scam?? - Bargain Travel Forum

• Tripadvisor Forums    
• Bargain Travel Forums

Are Guest Reservations legit or a scam??

• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Bargain Travel forum

Has anyone used a booking site called guest reservations.com? After searching for a hotel and using the usual sites I like to then look up the actual hotel and see what their rate is. Lately a site called Guest Reservations has been popping up which initially seems to be the hotels own site quoting great bargain prices with free cancellation - bit like booking.com.

But being suspicious I would like to see what folks opinions are of this site, is it legit or too good to be true and they're scamming people? I suspect the latter but would like to know if anyone who has used them & what were your opinion of them?

355 replies to this topic

Guest Reservations is a scam website. They charged me a 50% fee, and I thought I was booking through the hotel’s website. They said they would refund 20% but I have yet to see the refund. I am going to go after them until they refund me their “fee”. I don’t know how or why they are allowed to do this. There has to be something illegal going on.

There is nothing illegal about charging a fee for a service. How much you pay is up to you, but you need to read the details to find out how much you are being charged before you give your credit card details.

Kris, anyone or any company doing work for you is entitled to charge a fee. They don’t work for nothing. The fact that you could have booked direct and saved the fee is on you not them.

WOW Kris K - You seem to have a tendency to make poor choices. A TA member of 6+ years with 2 critical property reviews and now a comment about a booking agency. I guess nothing surprises me anymore, but my advice is slow down and do better research before selecting properties or sharing your credit card details. People who post here, seem rush through the process because they think they've found a deal - then only later do their research and reflect on what they did. As for 20% fee refund, I suspect you'll never see it because unless it's in writing, you won't be able to fight it via a credit card chargeback. Nothing illegal and many agencies use this type of way to "advertise" properties, often via a 4th party consolidator or bedbank. At the end of the day, it's the actual property that allows them to stay in business. And customers like you who give them their hard-earned money without a thought.

If you thought you were on the hotel’s website, you need to look more carefully. These guys do buy ads on search engines and come up when you search for hotels, but their website doesn’t look anything like the real hotel sites.

If you click on AD or Sponsored listings, you get companies like this. And you agree to the fees, they don’t sneak anything in there that you didn’t see and say OK to. Sneaky? Yes. Illegal? No.

• Costco Travel 10:21 am
• TRIPS and Holiday Ltd and Palm Flights (SCAMS) 9:27 am
• Are Guest Reservations legit or a scam?? 8:19 am
• Anyone used Booking Express Travel? 4:17 am
• Review and reliability of stayforlong.com ? yesterday
• Anyone used Super.com to book a hotel? yesterday
• Fox rent a car yesterday
• Is trip.com legit? yesterday
• Is Travelup a legit site? yesterday
• Roomdi.com yesterday
• Agoda cashback rewards yesterday
• mycruises.com yesterday
• WARNING to travelers from Canada using Manulife/Global Excel Apr 29, 2024
• Flights Mojo Apr 29, 2024
• Defining Bargain Travel & How Best to use this Forum
• What have you learned to make travel easier?
• Last Minute Hotel Bookings
• Monitoring your Hotel Bookings
• Hotels Overbooking
• Car Rentals
• Online Travel Agencies (OTA's)
• Your Travel Budget