Private Tours - Lunch With Guide?

[MouseGal]

As I start to narrow down my plans for various ports, it occurred to me -- should we plan to have our guide join us for lunch when we have a private tour? In several ports my husband and I have booked private tours - just the two of us - and when we've done that in the Caribbean, we usually have the guide join us for lunch if they want.

 

I'm assuming the same would be true here - we should invite the guide to join us?

 

Also - what about entrance fees to the various attractions? It hadn't occurred to me earlier, but do most guides have their own passes to the places they visit regularly?

[SixOneTwo]

I would definitely plan to invite the guide to lunch and pay for it. The guide might have other ideas or plans during that lunchtime, but it's nice to offer. I would say half the time the guides we've used have eaten with us and the other half they've hung around with other guides outside of a restaurant that they all recommend.

 

As for admission fees, it really depends. That's something you should consider when choosing the tour service. We book alot of private guides as well and we have almost always paid for our admission tickets. Turkey and St.Petersburg were the exceptions. Sometimes guides will arrange for advance purchase when you need to buy ahead of your arrival, but when that's happened for us, we've paid back the guide.

 

Usually having a guide will help you skip any lines for buying tickets. And the guide is frequently admitted for free.

Edited May 2, 2014 by SixOneTwo

[MouseGal]

Thank you - yes, I did mean that we would pay for their lunch! :)

 

And I appreciate the information about the admissions - I've actually prepurchased several of our tickets, and then I started to wonder about the guide's admission!

[LondonTowner]

Normally the guide and driver will get their lunch provided free by the venue, so no need to invite them for lunch. They also like to have their free time to themselves. Remember, they are working, not out to enjoy the day as if they are also on holiday.

[Pet Nit Noy]

As I start to narrow down my plans for various ports, it occurred to me -- should we plan to have our guide join us for lunch when we have a private tour? In several ports my husband and I have booked private tours - just the two of us - and when we've done that in the Caribbean, we usually have the guide join us for lunch if they want.

 

I'm assuming the same would be true here - we should invite the guide to join us?

 

Also - what about entrance fees to the various attractions? It hadn't occurred to me earlier, but do most guides have their own passes to the places they visit regularly?

 

If you're prepared to pay for the guide's lunch, you can feel comfortable inviting him/her to join you. That's a long way from should. However, many guides prefer some down time after hours of being center stage and talking, talking, talking. Don't be surprised or take it personally if the guide declines your invitation.

 

If you have hired a licensed guide, the ID card he/she wears is typically his/her admission to a site. Some private sites like Castle Howard or Highclere Castle might not admit the guide for free in which case you'll have to pay his/her admission.