Like a Local Guide
Like a Local Guide is a Tallinn-based travel marketplace connecting international travelers with locally curated city guides and bookable local tours across 10+ European and US cities via its web platform and mobile app.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersTallinn, Estonia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Like a Local Guide does
Like a Local Guide is a Tallinn, Estonia-based travel marketplace (legal entity: Local Guide Ltd) that connects international travelers with locally curated city guides and bookable tours. Founded in 2012, the company operates a web platform and a companion mobile application that aggregate authentic, locally-sourced tips on sights, restaurants, cafes, bars, nightlife, and shopping, alongside a transactional marketplace where visitors can book tours hosted by local operators. The platform currently covers ten or more destinations including Tallinn, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Riga, Munich, Prague, London, Tbilisi, Paris, Vienna, and New York, with a content library of more than 2,048 tips and 151+ tours across the network.
The company generates revenue through transaction commissions on tour bookings facilitated through its marketplace. Tour pricing is set by individual providers and ranges from approximately $34 EUR for short experiences to $790 EUR for full-day private tours, with the platform taking a take rate on each completed booking. Supply is sourced through a dedicated "Join as tour provider" onboarding flow and supported by a distributed network of per-city local editors and ambassadors who contribute editorial content. Distribution is driven primarily by SEO-optimized city pages and a blog content engine rather than paid acquisition, and there is no disclosed use of AI/ML capabilities, no patents or trademarks, and no enterprise partnerships.
Like a Local Guide is a privately held, founder-controlled company with only two disclosed funding rounds totaling approximately $119,714 (the most recent in March 2014), 1-10 employees, and no disclosed institutional ownership. The business has operated continuously for over a decade without additional capital raises or material leadership disclosures, suggesting a bootstrapped, lifestyle-scale operation rather than a venture-backed growth company.
Like a Local Guide firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Like a Local Guide
- Legal name
- Local Guide Ltd
- Website
- https://likealocalguide.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Like a Local Guide is a Tallinn-based travel marketplace connecting international travelers with locally curated city guides and bookable local tours across 10+ European and US cities via its web platform and mobile app.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Like a Local Guide industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online travel experiences marketplace
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Destination/Activity Booking Marketplaces (Tours & Tickets Aggregators) (THAKAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ), Neighborhood & Local Life Tours (Communities & Hidden Gems) (THAJAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Like a Local Guide is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tallinn
- HQ country
- Estonia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Like a Local Guide business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Tour booking commissions: The platform facilitates bookings between travelers and local tour operators, earning a commission on transactions. Tour prices are listed (e.g., 'From 85 EUR per person') and users book through the service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Per-booking tour pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Like a Local Guide product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Like a Local Guide operates an online two-sided travel marketplace that curates insider city guides authored by real locals and enables travelers to book tours and experiences from third-party local providers across multiple European cities and select international destinations. The platform combines free city-specific editorial content (tips, restaurants, cafes, bars, nightlife, shopping) with a bookable tour catalogue.
Product overview
Like a Local Guide is a travel content and discovery platform offering curated insider recommendations across multiple international cities. The platform consists of two main products: a comprehensive website platform with city-specific guides covering attractions, restaurants, cafes, bars, nightlife, shopping, and tours; and a Like A Local Guide mobile application that delivers the same local-curated content in a mobile format. The platform covers destinations including Tallinn, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Riga, Munich, Prague, London, Tbilisi, Paris, New York, and Vienna.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Like a Local Guide Website Platform A web-based travel guide and marketplace platform providing curated, city-specific content (travel tips, restaurant, cafe, bar, nightlife, and shopping recommendations) and enabling travelers to book tours and activities with local providers across multiple international destinations including Tallinn, Helsinki, Amsterdam, Riga, Munich, Prague, London, Tbilisi, Paris, Vienna, and New York.
- Like A Local Guide Mobile Application A mobile application providing access to the same curated city guides, local tips, and tour recommendations as the website platform in a mobile format for travelers on the go.
Companies that use Like a Local Guide
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Like a Local Guide technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Like a Local Guide partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Like a Local Guide competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Eatwith: Marketplace for local food experiences hosted by hosts in their homes or in curated venues. Comparable on the local-host, authentic-experience positioning and the per-booking transaction model.
- Atlas Obscura: Travel content and experience platform centered on unique, off-the-beaten-path places and experiences. Closely aligned with Like a Local Guide's 'skip the tourist traps' editorial angle and now offers bookable experiences.
Broad incumbents
- Airbnb Experiences: Online travel giant operating an experiences marketplace where locals host travellers on tours and activities. Overlaps on the local-host-led tours model and uses Airbnb's massive demand funnel.
- Klook: Asia-headquartered activities and tours booking platform with global coverage. Competes in the same category with strong mobile-first booking experience and larger inventory per destination.
Direct peers
- Take Walks: Small-group walking tours operator and booking platform in major cities. Comparable on the small-group, local-guide tour booking model with a focus on major European destinations.
- Withlocals: Marketplace for tours and experiences hosted by locals across many cities, with a strong 'live like a local' positioning — almost identical value proposition to Like a Local Guide.
- GetYourGuide: Global tours and activities marketplace connecting travelers with bookable local tours and experiences. Most direct competitor — same marketplace model, similar booking commission revenue, but vastly larger inventory and funding.
- Headout: Activities and tours marketplace focused on in-destination experiences, particularly skip-the-line and curated local tours. Direct overlap on mobile booking of local experiences.
- ToursByLocals: Marketplace connecting travelers with independent local tour guides for private and small-group tours. Closely comparable on private/local guide tours and per-booking commission model.
- Viator (Tripadvisor): One of the largest tours and activities marketplaces globally, owned by Tripadvisor. Competes directly on tour bookings with a much larger tour catalog per city.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Like a Local Guide social profiles
Digital presenceLike a Local Guide compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Like a Local Guide financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Like a Local Guide leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Like a Local Guide funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Like a Local Guide 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 Like a Local Guide
What does Like a Local Guide do?
Like a Local Guide operates an online two-sided travel marketplace that curates insider city guides authored by real locals and enables travelers to book tours and experiences from third-party local providers across multiple European cities and select international destinations. The platform combines free city-specific editorial content (tips, restaurants, cafes, bars, nightlife, shopping) with a bookable tour catalogue.
Is Like a Local Guide a public or private company?
Like a Local Guide is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Like a Local Guide founded?
Like a Local Guide was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Like a Local Guide based?
Like a Local Guide is headquartered in Tallinn, Estonia, in the Europe region.
How does Like a Local Guide make money?
One revenue line is on record: tour booking commissions.
Who are Like a Local Guide's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Eatwith and Atlas Obscura. Broad incumbents are Airbnb Experiences and Klook. Direct peers are Take Walks, Withlocals, GetYourGuide, Headout, ToursByLocals and Viator (Tripadvisor).
Does Like a Local Guide have an API?
No public API is recorded for Like a Local Guide.
What industry is Like a Local Guide in?
Like a Local Guide's product category is Online travel experiences marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAAAH, Destination/Activity Booking Marketplaces (Tours & Tickets Aggregators), with a secondary code of MPACAKAJ, Local & City Guide Content Aggregators. Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7990.