The best seasonal tours to celebrate with the locals

Really good tour with guide Maria. Interesting insight into Osaka at my pace based on my interests. Maria contacted me in advance so she could plan my tour.

Maria was amazing. We had delicious food, saw some great hidden gems, and enjoyed the entire experience.

It was just before 3:00 p.m. when we met in front of an unassuming little shop and quickly fell into conversation. What struck me right away was how open-minded, friendly, and flexible my guide was, especially when I mentioned that I had already seen much of Osaka. After a short moment of consideration, we set off together. We first strolled through a small market area where everyday goods were being sold. I shared my fascination for Japanese knives and swords, and she immediately suggested visiting a local master knife maker and his shop. After finishing at the market, that’s exactly where we went. The knife shop was just a stone’s throw from Osaka Tower. From the outside it looked modest, but as soon as we stepped in, it became clear that this was a high-end specialty store with a beautiful selection of excellent pieces displayed in glass cases. I was warmly welcomed and received excellent advice. To my pleasant surprise, my guide knew the saleswoman personally, which instantly created a friendly and familiar atmosphere. As it turned out, I would return the next day to purchase one of these finely crafted kitchen knives as a souvenir to take back home to Germany :). After this stop, we took a short walk along the busy tourist street around the tower, where I had the chance to try one of Osaka’s local specialties. Soon after, we ended up in a cozy little bar where a group of locals was enjoying karaoke. My guide and I were quickly drawn into the fun and had a wonderful time singing and laughing together with them. A few small glasses of sake later, it was already time for the next highlight: a traditional Japanese seafood restaurant where the dishes were grilled live and then served with a paddle. We were lucky to get a seat at this very popular spot, and the food was simply outstanding. To conclude the tour, she took me to a small hidden shrine tucked away in the back alleys of Dōtonbori, where the local priest even invited us to take part in a ceremony. Finally, our paths parted in the lively pedestrian area of Dōtonbori. 5/5 stars! It was truly a wonderful afternoon and evening. Thank you so much! In my opinion, a real insider tip ;)

Maria is an excellent guide. Really enjoyed the time spent with her in Osaka.

Alex was the best tour guide!

Very good insights about Kyoto

Alex was fantastic. He’s fluent in English as well as Spanish so it worked really well for us. He help us understand not only the city but also the culture, the religion and the economy. We asked a lot of questions and he was proefficient in all of them. We would happily tour with him again

Alex was an amazing guide! He worked with us to understand what we wanted to do and made a plan for a wonderful day! He made sure that all of the members of our family, including our 12 year old son, had a great day exploring Kyoto!

Fumiko was lovely, very accommodating giving us a good mix of popular spots, culture, food and off the beaten track. I can now say I have eaten fried puffer fish which I never would have tried if not for Fumiko!

Fumiko came to our hotel to meet us and planned a tour around our very diverse set of interests which include pop culture, architecture and coffee. Fumiko was understanding when we wanted to spend more time inside due to the heat and humidity. Thank you Fumiko!

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Guide was informative and very helpful

Milo was able to give us insight and knowledge into Japan’s history, religions and culture, and how it all worked together to make Japan the nation it is today. Perfect!

Milo was a great guide, would highly recommend.

We absolutely loved this tour! Milo was an outstanding guide who brought Kyoto to life for us. He expertly led us through hidden corners of the city we never would have discovered on our own, and his storytelling perfectly blended history with the beauty of Gion’s cobblestone streets. It was both insightful and memorable — truly one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommend!

I feel the best way to know any city is to walk around, so this was the perfect experience. And milo was the perfect tour guide.

Marisol was a wonderful host. She was very personable and knowledgeable

We had an awesome 6 hour tour with Marisol! We had a 28 hour stopover in Mexico City and wanted to see as much as we could during the day. The tour is extremely customizable and we were able to select everything we wanted to do and see based on our interests. We even needed to make a quick stop to the doctor and pharmacy and Marisol helped us with that and we greatly appreciated her kindness and patience. Marisol was very knowledgeable and her passion for her culture and hometown really shows. We ate some amazing street food and other treats and also got to see a lot of things during our one day in Mexico City. We wouldn’t hesitate to book this tour again and I highly recommend Marisol as a guide.

Marisol was an excellent tour guide—her communication, engagement, and check-ins made us feel comfortable and welcomed from the start. She is incredibly knowledgeable about Xochimilco, and because it’s her hometown, you could truly sense the pride she has in sharing her culture and history with us. That passion made every story and explanation feel authentic and meaningful. She gave us experiences that were both amazing and unique, taking us beyond the typical tourist spots and into hidden corners that felt genuinely special. It was refreshing to see Xochimilco through the eyes of someone who grew up there, and the “off the beaten path” touches made the day unforgettable. Marisol not only guided us, but also created a connection—she made sure we were engaged, comfortable, and immersed in the experience. If you’re looking for a tour that combines professionalism, local expertise, and genuine hospitality, I highly recommend booking with her. What made the experience stand out was the balance between the must-see highlights and the unique, off-the-beaten-path stops we would have never discovered on our own. Each stop felt intentional, not rushed, and she added meaningful context that brought everything to life. She made us feel at ease, encouraged questions, and created a fun, welcoming atmosphere. We came away with not just beautiful memories but also a deeper appreciation of the town and its people. Marisol made the tour feel less like a transaction and more like spending the day with a passionate local friend. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an authentic, memorable experience.

Marisol was an excellent tour guide—her communication, engagement, and check-ins made us feel comfortable and welcomed from the start. She is incredibly knowledgeable about Xochimilco, and because it’s her hometown, you could truly sense the pride she has in sharing her culture and history with us. That passion made every story and explanation feel authentic and meaningful. She gave us experiences that were both amazing and unique, taking us beyond the typical tourist spots and into hidden corners that felt genuinely special. It was refreshing to see Xochimilco through the eyes of someone who grew up there, and the “off the beaten path” touches made the day unforgettable. Marisol not only guided us, but also created a connection—she made sure we were engaged, comfortable, and immersed in the experience. If you’re looking for a tour that combines professionalism, local expertise, and genuine hospitality, I highly recommend booking with her.

Victor was excellent. He brought us through the real Hong Kong and we got to taste authentic street food of all types. Highly recommended

Victor was excellent Organisation of tour was poor. We did not receive the pre tour questionnaire. There was no contact details on the voucher and the hotel concierge found the what’s app number for us to contact. So Victor gets 5 out of 5 and organisatio. Gets 2 out of 5

We very much enjoyed our full-day, private tour of Hong Kong with Victor. With only one day to spend in Hong Kong, time was well spent, seeing the city’s many highlights and local spots as well. Victor impressed us with his pleasant personality, knowledge of the area, and passion for sharing. Highly recommend booking this tour with Victor! P.S. Thank you for the pictures, Victor!

Victor was an excellent guide. He knew so much about the areas, the history, some back street and unique places and also showed us how to get around the city using the MTR card (we got the Octopus - it was the smart decision). We learned a lot, saw so much in the 4 hour tour and would recommend him. Note - some things you can do on your own, so use the tour wisely as it was private.

Toga was a personable, fun and provided great knowledge/insight into to various temples we visited. Along with a delicious lunch recommendation and further tips for us to continue exploring on our own after the tour. Thank you very much for a great half day tour, it was great meeting you.

Toga was an excellent guide. He provided cultural and historic context for each site we visited. He was flexible based on an extra stop we wanted to make and was fun to talk with. Great food recommendations and after tour recommendations as well.

Toga was amazing. He showed us beautiful shrines and temples and modified the itinerary based on our requests. He also gave us very helpful information for the rest of our stay. He was the key to our entire visit and a really great enjoyable guy

Our Balogna tour guide was Claudio Natale who was a sensational guide. He gave as a thorough sense of the city and deepened our understanding of the history and culture of Balogna! His English is perfect. It was a busy and rewarding tour. I highly recommend Claudio as a guide.

Great trip around Bologna with Claudio - would recommend to gain an insight to the history in a relaxed way. Also got recommendations of places to eat, shop etc.

Claudio was very engaging, very patient and very knowledgeable. He answered all our questions - no matter how obscure - and helped to make our short stay in Bologna a memorable one.

If you are looking for an experienced, engaging, knowledgeable, well-versed guide for a unique view and visit of Bologna- you must ask for Claudio! We truly covered all of the highlights of Bologna and he shared hidden gems and provided great recommendations for the remainder of our trip. Thank you thank you!!!

Ayaka was amazing! She was so kind, friendly and welcoming. My son doesn’t usually feel comfortable around strangers but loved Aya. She took us everywhere we wanted and adjusted as we needed with my son. Aya was very knowledgeable about culture and random facts - I can’t rate her high enough, she truly made our experience fantastic and memorable as a family.

Love Ayaka! she is an excellent guide!

It was a great experience and can be tailored to what you are looking for. My daughter enjoyed all of the scenery and our beautiful guide was so knowledgeable

Loved the experience. The guide was amazing and took us to all the places we wanted and introduced us to a few more

Alfred was just awesome!

Alfred was a fantastic host and guide -- we covered a lot of ground in a 3-hour tour, seeing all sorts of things in Hong Kong I never would have on my own. I'm grateful for his enthusiasm, energy and knowledge!

Alfred was a great guide. I did not think we would cover all of Hong Kong in our tour, but we saw many beautiful sites. I am teally glad we took the tour!

He was a sensational tour guide. Made us feel very happy!