While there are still plenty of people who are happy to jump on a tour designed with the general population in mind, our company has always known that private, customized tour experiences are a desirable option for travelers. From the beginning, we’ve offered it alongside our regular tours. This desire for private packages has only increased in the last couple of years, and we expect it will jump exponentially as travel reopens.
There’s a lot of reasons why it’s attractive, but generally it makes sense that globally aware people know what they want to experience and want a role planning their vacations. Take a few minutes to read, in their own words, why this works so well for our clients:
You choose your traveling companions.
Whether you go with friends, a club, your school, church group, family members, or coworkers, travel is a great bonding experience for life. A private tour allows you the opportunity not only to select your destination and experiences, but also the people you will share them with.
Traveling with trusted friends and family (pod travel) is gaining in popularity.
“This trip was a real blessing for me personally. I’ve been to Italy before but never with such a kindred group of people who made the experiences even more fun and meaningful as we shared them together.”
It caters to your preferences and interests.
Pre-planned itineraries are designed with the majority in mind, but what if you have a special hobby or interest like local foods or classical music you want to focus on? Or, perhaps there’s an “out of the way” venue in mind that you don’t want to miss because you heard about it from a friend? Customized tours allow you to have a hand in the pre-planning of your tour to be sure your preferences are highlighted.
“I had seen a restaurant featured on my favorite travel show that I really wanted to try when we were in Vietnam. When I mentioned it to our Niteo guide, she quickly adjusted and took me out of the way to make it happen for me. It was all I had hoped for and more. A dream come true.”
Would “up close with a baby elephant” make the cut on your custom tour?
You get a front row seat with the best teacher.
Personalized tours generally involve smaller and more cohesive travel groups. This allows for greater access to the local guide’s knowledge. Whether you are riding in a van together, having a meal, or walking through town, your personal interests and questions will get more attention.
“My experience of being on a small custom tour was that I got a ton of unscripted time with our guide. Every question that popped into my mind could be asked and answered immediately. I learned a ton!”
The closer proximity to a local guide on a custom tour expands your experience immensely.
You avoid wasting time.
If you’ve ever done a large bus tour, you know time can be spent with questions that don’t apply to you, someone coming out of the gift shop 10 minutes later than scheduled, or waiting for a turn in the bathroom. Private tours or smaller group sizes allow for more efficiency and that translates into a more satisfying and thorough experience.
“In the past when I have traveled with large groups, it’s been frustrating to see the clock ticking while I wait my turn for a photo opportunity or for the guide to finish explaining instructions to someone who missed it the first time. I like to pack in more experiences, and private tours have made that possible.”
You set your own pace.
General tours are usually set with the average person in mind. With personalized tours, you can be involved In the planning stage and the daily experience of the itinerary. Want to spend more time in the museum than the average person? No problem. Want to eat breakfast at 10 am instead of 7:30 am? No problem. Want to skip the last stop and sip coffee by the sea instead? No problem.
“On our extended family trip we had a massive time change. Our teens wanted to be back at the hotel with wifi in the afternoons some days so they could stay in touch with friends and girlfriends back home. Niteo arranged for this everywhere it made sense in the schedule. It really helped them to enjoy the trip knowing that there were these pauses set aside for them.”
You can set your dates.
Timing of a trip can make or break an experience. Even flexing a day or two can make a huge difference in things working out smoothly. With a customized tour, dates are discussed early on in the planning stages and you have a say about start and end dates before you commit.
“Coordinating travel with my husband when we both work full-time makes it challenging to set dates that work for both of us. With private customized tours we’ve been able to discuss options with Niteo to come up with dates that work for us, our group, and our guide.”
You have greater control on budget decisions.
The reason for a trip often drives the type of experience people are looking for and what they are willing to spend. A 25th anniversary tour is not going to necessarily have the same budget as a getaway with work friends. With a custom tour, you can decide
“I’ve done a few trips with Niteo and they’ve all been different. I’ve been able to make adjustments to the itinerary activities and to my hotels based on the budget, the destination, the length of the tour and the group dynamic. I love that flexibility.”
You have the ability to go off script.
Sometimes you just feel inspired… by something you’ve seen, or by hunger pains, or by your mood… When you are involved with a private tour, you can often add in elements (or take some away) without the concern that you are compromising the experience for a larger group.
A custom tour group to Switzerland requested a stop at a favorite chocolate shop they visited years before.
“We’ve done several private family trips and love the flexibility of being able to work with our guide to alter our plans at times. Maybe we planned to take transportation back, but it was a nice day so we decided we wanted to walk instead. We’ve found that with our private group, we’ve been able make minor last minute changes that were really rewarding. Because it was just us, we didn’t have to worry about the wrench it would throw into the plans and preferences of others.”
Is a private, tailored tour appealing to you? We’d love to make it happen! Get more information here
