About Viator

Planning for a trip can sometimes be a daunting task. While it should be fun, sometimes it can be overwhelming and tiresome. With so many travel booking sites on the Internet today, it’s nice to have a site that consolidates all of the best things to do in the world and contains them in one centralized website for you to easily access. Viator boldly claims to be the world’s leading online resource for travel experiences. On the website you can find, and book, nearly 9,000 tours, attractions and activities, in over more than 150 countries. With 17 packed years of travel booking experience, Viator is a leader in the travel space because of the services it provides, which include:

• Handpicked Tours & Activities
• Verified Reviews & Photos
• Mobile booking extensions

 
The site is unique to the travel space because it does not pigeonhole itself into one specific category. Instead the site allows you to search by country and city to find all of the best things to do in the respective destination. It then also allows you to plan your trip all through the one-stop destination website. You can book your hotel and flight on the site in addition to planning out your entire trip itinerary, all while reading first hand reviews from people who have already experienced the tours and attractions. In short, Viator is the closest thing to a word of mouth referral that you will find online for booking travel.

Top Features Of Viator

Viator was one of the first travel booking sites to gain traction in the marketplace and as such really has evolved to include all of the key features that a typical tourist would be in search of. The site is very well organized, with a nice fresh design and look. It is made easy to navigate, which can be done in a very granular manner. The search functionality works quite well, and allows you to get down to the city and town level.

Once you have selected the destination you are hoping to visit, you can peruse through pages of recommended places to stay and attractions to visit. The tours and activities are very well described, with highlights picked out, and precise dates, times and lengths given. You can find tours by type (family friendly, food and wine, private etc), and can list them by how highly they have been rated by previous participants.

Most tours and activities come with lots of punter reviews – with many of the reviews numbering in the thousands. On average, the top attractions with contain a minimum of 1k reviews. The site also provides you with a quick snapshot of the reviews and gives an overall score. You are then able to delve into the individual comments by scrolling through them on your own.

Another beneficial and unique feature of the service is how many choices it provides to users. For example, in a much-visited city such as Paris, there are 137 bookable things to do. The site then categorizes all of the attractions by suggesting the most recommended destinations by popularity.

Viator also includes a ‘skip the line’ tours section which allows users to sign up for a small-group tour that avoids the long queues for attractions such as the Eiffel Tower. There is also a private tours section, which although can get costly, is a viable and preferred way to see some of the best sites in the world such as the Colosseum in Rome, Italy.

One of the primary reasons to utilize the site is to gain some knowledge and access into the lesser-known tourist attractions. Viator is known for including some fun, obscure and non-touristy things to do in your destination of choice. There are many stimulating and unusual experiences the site offers that you may not have known were possible. From a perfume-making workshop in Paris, to a cannabis tour of Amsterdam, Viator really can help add some pizzazz to your trip.

Lastly, the overall price point and price guarantee of the Viator service is a huge benefit. If you find the same tour/activity for less, Viator says it will refund the difference. Also, if you sign up and become a member, you’re promised discounts of up to 25 per cent in some destinations.

Viator Prices

Speaking of price, the low-cost form of using the Viator service is another reason to utilize the service. Although prices for flights and hotels are constantly changing, one can typically find prices for flights as low as $60 one-way and hotels as low as $19 per-night. These prices are really unbelievable and almost unheard of in the travel industry. Just because the prices are low does not meant that the quality has to take a hit. Most of the flights and hotels that Viator sells are all checked for quality assurance so that consumers are able to not only get a good deal, but great accommodations as well.

Viator is also always offering sales and coupon promotions as well, so it’s best for those looking to travel continue to check the site frequently as deals are constantly changing. In addition, the site offers different packages to fit everyone’s budget. While the site is known for its bargain prices, it still does offer packages that are a little more on the pricey side. However, the value that one is able to get for say a $400 package on Viator is worth nearly twice as that from a competitor site.

Criticisms Of Viator

Since its founding, Viator has served millions of people looking to book vacations and trips. Like anything else, it is impossible to please everyone and therefore the site has attracted some negative criticism for some of its features. The biggest criticism that many users of the site have about the service is that the initial prices quoted for private tours in particular can be a little misleading. Sometimes the site advertises a package on its homepage as “from $19 per peron” yet upon closer inspection the per person price is actually based on a large party of ten or more adults booking the trip. Like anything else, there is usually always fine print, so it’s important to do your research before purchase.

Customer Support

When booking a trip, it’s nice to know that there are service representatives who are there should you need assistance. Viator provides users with a 24/7 call center for its customers. Through the 1-800 number customers are able to book trips, consult agents on advice and also work through any cancellation or booking snags that may arise during the process.

The site also includes an online chat feature, which allows customers to chat directly through an Instant Messaging system right from the comfort of his/her own computer. There is also a mobile app component, which is a perfect way to get in touch with the site when you are on the go and even on the actual trip! This service is perfect for those who do not like to wait since wait times for online support can be lesser compared to support via telephone.

Book Your Trip Today

Typically travelers want to not only make sure that they get the best deal on their trip, but that everything is well-organized and held to a high quality standard. Viator is truly a unique travel-booking site that works hard to provide you with the best accommodations and attractions.

Consumers can have comfort knowing that the site not only makes it easy for travelers to book all aspects of their trip from one easy-access portal, but consumers are also able to save some money by bundling parts of their trip together. The site really takes the stress out of planning a trip, which is critical for the typical vacationer. So don’t wait, start perusing viator.com today and you’ll be on your way booking your next hassle- free vacation!