ToursByLocals
ToursByLocals is a private online marketplace founded in 2008 that connects individual travelers with 5,105 vetted local guides across 178 countries for fully customizable private tours, shore excursions, and safari experiences, monetizing via transaction fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What ToursByLocals does
ToursByLocals is a private online marketplace founded in 2008 and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, that connects travelers with vetted independent local tour guides for private, customizable tours worldwide. The platform lists 5,105 guides across 178 countries and has served over 3.3 million travelers since inception, with tour types ranging from short walking tours to multi-day driving excursions, shore excursions for cruise passengers, and safari experiences. The company monetizes by taking a commission or transaction fee on each booking, with tour pricing ranging from approximately $303 USD for short walking tours to over $2,410 USD for full-day private driving tours, billed on a pay-as-you-go basis in multiple currencies (AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, JPY, USD).
The platform's product surface includes the core Private Tours marketplace, the Essentials Collection (curated city highlights with hand-picked guides launched in 2026), dedicated Shore Excursions with a Return to Ship Guarantee, and Safari Tours. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via the toursbylocals.com website — there are no third-party resellers or marketplace listings. Marketing is primarily organic, relying on SEO-optimized destination pages, a content blog, email newsletters, and on-platform reviews and ratings rather than paid acquisition. The company employs 101–250 staff, raised approximately $32.9M from Tritium Partners in January 2020 (its only disclosed institutional funding event), and operates without a native mobile app. Supporting services include 24/7 in-house customer support and flexible cancellation policies, while the annual Golden Guide Awards program reinforces guide loyalty and quality signaling.
ToursByLocals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ToursByLocals
- Legal name
- ToursByLocals
- Website
- https://toursbylocals.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- ToursByLocals is a private online marketplace founded in 2008 that connects individual travelers with 5,105 vetted local guides across 178 countries for fully customizable private tours, shore excursions, and safari experiences, monetizing via transaction fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ToursByLocals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Private Tour Marketplace
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Guided Tours & Personal Tour Guides (THAJALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Private/Customized Multi-Day Tour Operators (THAKADAC), Private Adventure & Expedition Experiences (Custom Hikes, Safaris, Backcountry) (THAJALAG), Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)
Keywords
Where ToursByLocals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
ToursByLocals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel
Revenue model
- Tour Booking Commission/Transaction: The platform charges commission or fees on tour bookings. Tour prices are displayed as total amounts (e.g., 'from $749 USD', 'total $1,595 USD') indicating a transaction-based model where the platform facilitates payments between travelers and guides, retaining a portion as revenue.
- Private Tour Bookings: Revenue generated from booking private tours across various categories including city tours, shore excursions, safaris, and multi-day experiences. Pricing varies by duration, group size, and inclusion of private transportation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Short Duration Walking Tours (2-4 hours) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Half-Day Tours with Private Transportation (4-6 hours) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full-Day Tours with Private Transportation (7-12 hours) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Multi-Day and Extended Tours |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
ToursByLocals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ToursByLocals operates an online marketplace that connects individual travelers with 5,105 independently vetted local tour guides across 178 countries for private, customizable tours. The platform takes a commission or transaction fee on bookings, with tour prices varying by duration, group size, and inclusion of private transportation. Specialty collections include the curated Essentials Collection (city highlights), Shore Excursions with a Return to Ship Guarantee for cruise passengers, and Safari Tours.
Product overview
ToursByLocals operates a private tour marketplace connecting travellers with 5,105 vetted local guides across 178 countries. The core product is a private tour booking platform where all tours are personalized — never joined with groups. The portfolio includes the Essentials Collection (curated city highlights with hand-picked guides), Shore Excursions (with Return to Ship Guarantee for cruise passengers), and Safari Tours (customizable wildlife adventures). Supporting services include 24/7 in-house support, flexible cancellation policies, and multi-currency pricing. The company has served over 3.3 million travellers and recognizes top guides through its annual Golden Guide Awards program.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Private Tours
- Essentials Collection
- Shore Excursions
- Safari Tours
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,309,593 travelers served over 17+ years of operation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ToursByLocals
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ToursByLocals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ToursByLocals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ToursByLocals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Viator: TripAdvisor-owned online marketplace for tours, attractions, and private experiences worldwide. Direct competitor to ToursByLocals with a much larger marketing budget, broader B2B/OTA distribution, and overlapping inventory of local guides in the same destinations.
- Withlocals: Amsterdam-headquartered marketplace for private tours hosted by local guides in 80+ destinations. Closely comparable business model to ToursByLocals—private-only, guide-led, customizable itineraries—making it a like-for-like niche competitor.
- GetYourGuide: Berlin-based tours and activities marketplace backed by Booking Holdings. Directly competes with ToursByLocals on private guide bookings, multi-currency pricing, and global destination coverage, with stronger paid-marketing and OTA integrations.
- Context Travel: Private, expert-led walking tours in 60+ cities, focused on cultural, historical, and architectural content. Comparable to ToursByLocals in the premium private-tour segment with vetted guide networks, though smaller geographic footprint.
- Klook: Asia-headquartered tours, activities, and attractions marketplace. Competes with ToursByLocals on private tours, shore excursions, and Asia-Pacific destination coverage, with a much larger mobile-first user base.
- Airbnb Experiences: Online marketplace for bookable local experiences hosted by individuals. Overlaps with ToursByLocals on private, host-led tours in 178+ countries but bundles into Airbnb's accommodation funnel, giving it structural demand advantages.
- Walks (Walks Group): Italy-based operator offering small-group and private tours led by licensed guides and specialists. Comparable to ToursByLocals on private tour delivery, curated city experiences, and skip-the-line access in major European destinations.
Emerging players
- Peek: US-based tours and activities booking platform with a strong software-as-a-service offering to operators. Comparable on the marketplace and inventory layer to ToursByLocals, though with more emphasis on operator tooling than curated private tours.
- TourRadar: Online marketplace specializing in multi-day guided tours and adventure packages. Overlaps with ToursByLocals' multi-day and safari product lines, though TourRadar focuses on group rather than private tours.
- EatWith: Marketplace for private in-home dining experiences and food tours hosted by local hosts. Comparable to ToursByLocals in the local-host/private-experience model, but specialized in culinary experiences rather than general city tours.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ToursByLocals social profiles
Digital presenceToursByLocals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ToursByLocals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
ToursByLocals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ToursByLocals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ToursByLocals
What does ToursByLocals do?
ToursByLocals operates an online marketplace that connects individual travelers with 5,105 independently vetted local tour guides across 178 countries for private, customizable tours. The platform takes a commission or transaction fee on bookings, with tour prices varying by duration, group size, and inclusion of private transportation. Specialty collections include the curated Essentials Collection (city highlights), Shore Excursions with a Return to Ship Guarantee for cruise passengers, and Safari Tours.
Is ToursByLocals a public or private company?
ToursByLocals is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was ToursByLocals founded?
ToursByLocals was founded in 2008. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is ToursByLocals based?
ToursByLocals is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ToursByLocals make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Tour Booking Commission/Transaction is the primary driver. The others are private Tour Bookings.
Who are ToursByLocals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Viator, Withlocals, GetYourGuide, Context Travel, Klook, Airbnb Experiences and Walks (Walks Group). Emerging players are Peek, TourRadar and EatWith.
Does ToursByLocals have an API?
No public API is recorded for ToursByLocals.
What industry is ToursByLocals in?
ToursByLocals's product category is Private Tour Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJALAA, Private Guided Tours & Personal Tour Guides, with a secondary code of THAKADAC, Private/Customized Multi-Day Tour Operators. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7990.