Local Guides
Local Guides is a family-owned Reykjavik-based travel agency offering guided tours, self-drive packages, and activity bookings across Iceland to international tourists via its localguides.is website. Founded in 1989, it operates on a direct-to-consumer model with 30+ years of founder experience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersReykjavik, Iceland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Local Guides does
Local Guides, operating as Harpa Travel ehf, is a family-owned Icelandic travel agency founded in September 1989 and headquartered in Reykjavik. The company sells guided tours and curated travel experiences across Iceland directly to consumers through its website, localguides.is, which runs on a standard WordPress CMS with Bokun as its underlying booking management platform. Its product portfolio spans day tours (Golden Circle, South Coast, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Reykjanes Peninsula), private custom tours, multi-day tour packages with accommodation, self-drive packages, stopover tours from Keflavik airport, northern lights tours, and add-on activity bookings (whale watching, puffin watching, horse riding, helicopter tours, caving, snowmobiling, ATV rides, sailing).
The business operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model with transaction-based pricing: customers pay per person for most tours or per package for private tours, with a 20% deposit required for bookings made more than 30 days in advance. Revenue is generated through a mix of direct tour bookings, commissions on third-party activities, accommodation arrangement, and transportation services. Distribution is primarily through the company website, supported by email-based custom itinerary planning, social media presence on Facebook and YouTube, content marketing via blog articles, and TripAdvisor referral traffic.
The company's value proposition rests on founder expertise (over 30 years in Icelandic tourism since 1998, including roles as guides and yacht captains), hand-selected partner operators meeting internal quality standards, 24/7 customer support, and breadth of coverage across Icelandic destinations. It serves individual tourists, group travelers, and transit passengers as primary customer segments, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B contracts. The company has remained independent and privately held with no external funding, no app, and no AI capabilities, reflecting a stable, traditional small-business operating posture.
Local Guides firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local Guides
- Legal name
- Harpa Travel ehf
- Website
- https://localguides.is
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Local Guides is a family-owned Reykjavik-based travel agency offering guided tours, self-drive packages, and activity bookings across Iceland to international tourists via its localguides.is website. Founded in 1989, it operates on a direct-to-consumer model with 30+ years of founder experience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local Guides industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tour Operator Services
- NAICS
- Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation (487)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies (THAKAFAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation) (THAAAGAB), Private Guided Tours & Personal Tour Guides (THAJALAA), Wildlife & Nature Interpretation Guides (Birding, Photography, Naturalist) (THAAALAE)
Keywords
Where Local Guides is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reykjavik
- HQ country
- Iceland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Local Guides business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Tour Bookings: Revenue generated from booking guided tours across Iceland including private tours, day tours, multi-day tours, and specialty tours (northern lights, whale watching, etc.). Customers pay for tours which include transportation, guiding, and sometimes meals.
- Activity Bookings: Commission-based revenue from arranging activities such as whale watching, puffin watching, horse riding, helicopter tours, caving, snowmobiling, ATV tours, and other adventure activities.
- Accommodation: Revenue from arranging accommodations ranging from guesthouses to four-star hotels in Reykjavik and across the Icelandic countryside as part of tour packages.
- Transportation Services: Revenue from airport transfers and luxury transportation services included in tour packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Tour packages with flexible duration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Local Guides product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local Guides is a fully licensed travel agency offering guided tours across Iceland, including day tours to the Golden Circle, South Coast, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and Reykjanes Peninsula; customized private tours; multi-day packages with accommodation from guesthouses to four-star hotels; self-drive packages; stopover tours from Keflavik airport; northern lights tours; and add-on activity bookings such as whale watching, horse riding, helicopter tours, caving, snowmobiling, ATV, and sailing.
Product overview
Local Guides is a fully licensed travel agency based in Reykjavik, Iceland, offering a comprehensive portfolio of tour services and travel experiences. The company operates as a family-owned business founded in September 1989, with over 30 years of industry experience. Their product portfolio centers on guided tours across Iceland, including day tours (Golden Circle, South Coast, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Reykjanes Peninsula), private customized tours, multi-day tour packages with accommodation, self-drive packages, stopover tours from Keflavik airport, and Northern Lights tours. These core tour products are complemented by activity bookings for whale watching, puffin watching, horse riding, helicopter tours, caving, snowmobiling, ATV, and sailing. The company positions itself as a handpicked selection of tours and activities, combining their own crafted itineraries with carefully selected partner tour operators to fulfill customer wishes for memorable Icelandic holidays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Day Tours Guided day tours to popular Icelandic destinations including the Golden Circle (Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir, national park), South Coast (Black sand beach, Dyrhólaey, Skógafoss waterfall, Gljúfrabúi), Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and Reykjanes Peninsula. Available for individual travelers visiting Iceland.
- Private Tours
- Multi-Day Tours
- Self-Drive Packages
- Stopover Tours
- Northern Lights Tours
- Activity Bookings
Companies that use Local Guides
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Local Guides technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Local Guides partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SafetravelminorIcelandic safety and travel information platform that Local Guides references for travel safety guidance.
- BokuncoreBokun is a travel management platform used by Local Guides for booking and managing tours, activities, and accommodations. This is a core operational technology partnership for managing reservations and inventory.
- Carefully Selected Tour OperatorscoreLocal Guides works with carefully selected companies that meet their quality standards for tour operations, activities, and services throughout Iceland. These partners provide the operational capacity for various tour experiences offered to customers.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Local Guides competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Reykjavik Excursions: Iceland's largest tour operator offering Golden Circle, South Coast, northern lights, and airport transfer tours with similar product breadth to Local Guides but at materially larger scale and broader B2B distribution.
- Iceland Travel: Long-established Icelandic tour operator (part of VITA travel group) offering escorted coach tours, self-drive packages, and northern lights tours across Iceland.
- Nordic Visitor: Iceland-focused tour operator specializing in self-drive packages, multi-day escorted tours, and custom itineraries with accommodation — overlapping directly with Local Guides' multi-day and self-drive products.
- Arctic Adventures: Icelandic tour operator offering adventure activities (snowmobiling, caving, glacier hiking) and multi-day packages — a direct competitor on the activity and adventure side of Local Guides' catalog.
- Guide to Iceland: Online travel marketplace and tour operator selling multi-day packages, day tours, and self-drive itineraries across Iceland — directly competing for the same individual and group traveler segments.
- Extreme Iceland: Icelandic tour and activity operator offering Golden Circle, South Coast, northern lights, and adventure activities — overlapping directly with most of Local Guides' product portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- GetYourGuide: Global OTA aggregating tours and activities including Local Guides' offerings; relevant as the distribution channel through which small operators increasingly acquire customers and against which direct-booking strategies are positioned.
- Gray Line Iceland: Iceland branch of the global Gray Line sightseeing brand, offering coach tours, transfers, and multi-day packages — competes at greater scale and brand reach across overlapping itineraries.
Emerging players
- Hidden Iceland: Boutique Iceland tour operator focused on small-group, off-the-beaten-path experiences — competes for the same higher-spend, experience-led traveler that Local Guides targets with private tours.
Regional players
- Icelandair: Iceland's flagship carrier whose Keflavik hub drives the stopover-traveler customer segment that Local Guides' stopover tours are designed to serve; not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem driver and commercial partner candidate.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Local Guides social profiles
Digital presenceLocal Guides financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local Guides leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Local Guides funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local Guides 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 Local Guides
What does Local Guides do?
Local Guides is a fully licensed travel agency offering guided tours across Iceland, including day tours to the Golden Circle, South Coast, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and Reykjanes Peninsula; customized private tours; multi-day packages with accommodation from guesthouses to four-star hotels; self-drive packages; stopover tours from Keflavik airport; northern lights tours; and add-on activity bookings such as whale watching, horse riding, helicopter tours, caving, snowmobiling, ATV, and sailing.
Is Local Guides a public or private company?
Local Guides is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Local Guides founded?
Local Guides was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Local Guides based?
Local Guides is headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, in the Europe region.
How does Local Guides make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tour Bookings are the primary driver. The others are activity Bookings, accommodation and transportation Services.
Who are Local Guides's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Reykjavik Excursions, Iceland Travel, Nordic Visitor, Arctic Adventures, Guide to Iceland and Extreme Iceland. Broad incumbents are GetYourGuide and Gray Line Iceland. Hidden Iceland is listed as an emerging player. Icelandair is listed as a regional player.
Does Local Guides have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local Guides.
What industry is Local Guides in?
Local Guides's product category is Tour Operator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAFAB, Adventure & Expedition Travel Agencies, with a secondary code of THAAAGAB, Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation). Its NAICS code is 561520 and its SIC code is 7900.