GetYourGuide review: book tours and attraction tickets in 12,000 cities

What is GetYourGuide?

GetYourGuide is a marketplace for travel experiences: guided tours, skip-the-line and hard-to-book attraction tickets, day trips, boat tours, shows and other activities. It was founded in 2009 by four classmates in Zurich and today describes itself as “made in Zurich & Berlin”.

The platform says it offers over 150,000 experiences in 12,000 cities, has sold more than 200 million tickets and shows millions of verified customer reviews. It also has its own premium line, Originals by GetYourGuide, and apps for iOS and Android.

GetYourGuide does not run the tours itself. Under its terms it acts as a commercial agent: the contract for each activity is concluded between you and the local supplier, and GetYourGuide collects the payment on the supplier's behalf. Its commission from the supplier is already included in the price you see.

Pricing and payment

Prices are set per activity and include GetYourGuide's commission. Unless agreed otherwise, you pay the full price when you book.

• Reserve now, pay later – for selected activities. It needs a credit card valid until the activity date; GetYourGuide makes a zero-amount check at booking and charges the full price 72 hours before the start. If that charge fails, you have 47 hours to pay manually or the booking is cancelled.
• Best price matching – if you find the same activity from the same supplier, with the same date, inclusions and participants, cheaper elsewhere online, GetYourGuide refunds the difference after checking your proof. Loyalty, corporate and group rates are excluded.
• Currencies – you can be charged in your local currency at the exchange rate at booking; for highly volatile currencies a reasonable exchange fee may apply.

Cancellation and refunds

The default rule in GetYourGuide's terms, which applies unless the activity page, supplier terms or voucher say otherwise:

Cancellations and changes must be made through GetYourGuide, not the supplier. Refunds go to the original payment method, or, if you prefer, to a GetYourGuide refund gift card, which cannot be transferred or cashed out.

Some activities have stricter or non-refundable conditions, so read the cancellation line on the activity page before paying. A supplier may cancel because of weather, strikes or official actions, and may exclude you without refund if you don't meet the stated participation requirements.

Good to know

Customer service runs 24/7 through the Help Center, phone, live chat and email; the terms say replies usually come within 24 hours, at most 48. You can also message the supplier directly.

Things to know:

• The platform is for personal use only; reselling tickets is prohibited.
• One account per person; GetYourGuide may ask for identity verification or payment receipts if it suspects fraud.
• US residents contract with GetYourGuide Operations, Inc. and their terms include a binding arbitration clause, which can be opted out of as described in the terms.

Who GetYourGuide is for, and why choose it

• City-break travellers who want skip-the-line or hard-to-book attraction tickets secured before they arrive.
• Families and groups planning day trips, boat tours and shows in advance in one account.
• Flexible planners who value free cancellation on most activities and Reserve now, pay later on selected ones.
• Price-conscious bookers who like best price matching against the same offer elsewhere.

The link on this page opens the GetYourGuide homepage; there is no promo code to type and no extra discount, so prices and cancellation rules are the same as when you visit directly.