Guided Group Tours

So you want to travel, vacation somewhere new or go sightseeing, but planning a vacation can be expensive and stressful. It seems like everything cool costs money and FOMO really sets in, there's so much to do in so little time. But if your solution to that is to sign up for some guided group bus tour—don't.

I won't lie, I've been on tours like that multiple times before, and they weren't bad. I had nice, friendly guides who quickly led us through all sorts of places, so we saw everything we were promised and didn't have to worry about planning and coordinating things ourselves. The problem is, that by pushing all responsibility on someone else, I felt like I was powerless and living on someone else's time. I didn't feel free to explore what I wanted to and truly take in everything around me. Also, little socialization happens between the party until the last days, at which point you mostly are just saying goodbyes instead of really connecting with someone. Consequently, all required group dinners and events are a bit tense and uncomfortable, considering it's just this big group of (usually) American tourists who stick out like a sore thumb wherever they go.

Such a fun part of traveling is immersing yourself in a foreign culture, that's what makes vacationing a true escape from your normal life. When a member of a guided group tour, your ability to just fit into a new environment is almost entirely severed. The locals of wherever you're visiting don't walk around in a huddle or a line behind a person with a sign on a pole, speaking into a microphone about history and architecture. It is a fact that you will not fit in in a group like that.

And in some cities, you really don't want that exposure. There's so many places around the world with high crime and pick-pocketing. By standing out as a tourist, you paint yourself as a target to be taken advantage of and bothered by thieves and vendors alike.

However, I still find the largest issue with a guided group tour is the lack of individual freedom. Yes, free time is included in most -if not all- schedules, but time at museums or any other particular event is limited and supervised. The day is so packed with events, walking, and tours, that by night you're exhausted and can't even explore any more of the area before another busy day. Everything just feels rushed, jumping from one thing to the next, with breaks mostly for food.

As difficult as planning a trip may be, caving to something pre-planned limits personal freedom. It's also not as if these group tours are cheap, you're paying for all the attractions just the same as you would if you went on your own- the only difference is all your individual costs are lumped into one grand total. The guides and events you experience with a guided tour aren't exclusive to the guided tour, you can have the same experiences without the extra costs and limitations. Beyond that, you can even look up the exact itineraries of most touring companies and use those to make your own schedule instead of actually committing to that group.

There's also a lot of satisfaction to be found in planning a trip by yourself. No, it's not easy and can be stressful, especially if you're not traveling alone, but it's worth it. Responsibility of your schedule and housing means that you can fully explore your accommodations, everything can be done within your comfort and budget. And at the end of everything, you can take ownership of your independence. Planning for yourself means you can make sure you focus on what truly matters to you. If you're taking this trip so you can talk about or advertise it, then you'll know more about what's going on if you planned it, rather than if you're following another person's schedule.

Guided group tours aren't bad, but they aren't ideal. They work for some people, but they don't give you a full and honest grasp of wherever you're visiting. They give you the big, sensationalized things but take away a lot of more down-to-earth, genuine culture of the city. They don't give you more meaningful interactions. A guided group tour makes your trip to Italy into a trip to Italy: it takes the personality out of it and turns it into a cookie-cutter adventure available to anyone else.