Rough Guides Reviews 

The tour advisor was extremely helpful and helped us to build a bespoke tour. However, what actually happened was not exactly what we thought we had booked. We had booked a 5 day 4 night trip to the Peruvian Amazon Jungle and were expecting to have all 4 nights in one place, we had to transfer to a second lodge in the final night in order to do one of the excursions that we had booked, we only found out about this when we arrived in the first lodge. We had also booked a trip to a chocolate plantation to see the whole process from growing the cacao beans to producing a chocolate bar. Our lodge did not seem to know that we had done this and had us booked for a fishing expedition. We did neither in the end, but the (trainee) tour guide arranged for us to have a chocolate preparation/cooking session in stead at the lodge. Not what we had booked. The level of English for the tour guide was also very poor, which did not help our overall experience. Having said that, we did have a good time in the trip.

We began planning our trip to Croatia 8 months in advance. We were fortunate to have Mario assigned as our in country agent. In those 8 months Mario gave us feedback on all of our ideas on where in the country to travel and what would be the best use of our 12 days.
He recommended hotels, restaurants & tours. Then we were able to look over the recommendations and get back to him with detailed questions.
He was diligent in his replies.
Then to arrive in country and have the most wonderful driver, Tino, who spent days with us filled with knowledge and wonderful hospitality.
Next came the exceptional tour guides full of historic knowledge and enthusiasm for their profession.
We returned home knowing we want to return to Croatia one day! The 4 couples traveling together all expressed that this was a 5star experience thanks to Mario and his team.

Overall the trip was a very enjoyable one
We had a very good driver in Tawfik who was very well informed and helpful. As a driver he was very calm and easy going
In Fes and in Rabat and on the walk in the Oriya valley our guides were excellent. We particularly enjoyed the food tour with Amal (the “Queen of Fes “) which enabled us to meet many local traders .
There was a miscommunication about the accommodation where the original programme specified Riads which were then changed with letting me know. This was particularly a problem for our days in Rabat
The guide to Marrakesh was also a bit disappointing as they didn’t do the full tour as per the planned itinerary

Eric was amazing at coordinating our trip to Brazil. Our itinerary was quite complex and customized, with several internal flights and transfers and everything worked perfectly. Hotels were great and guides were always professional. I would have never been able to realistically put this together alone and I highly recommend his services.

To be honest, I was very nervous about this trip to Costa Rica. I knew very little about the country before I booked my flight. As I began researching my trip to this amazing country I realized how little I really knew. I became concerned about how I would get from one place to another. Where would I have my meals. What attractions would I see and visit and how would I get there. Along came Rough Guide to the rescue. They took care of everything. Roberto, our travel agent took care of everything. He arranged all of private transportation from the airport to each of our 3 hotels. He also arranged our excursions from hiking trips through the rainforest to paddling down the river viewing all sorts of wildlife. These tours included very experienced naturalist who guided through the jungle where we were able to see some amazing wildlife. They also made meal and dining recommendations to the local restaurants. Rough Guide takes the worry out of international travel. I wouldn't hesitate recommending them to friends nor would hesitate using them again.

Somewhere We Know helped me plan the perfect vacation for Greece.

The hotel recommendations were all excellent and unique with exceptional customer service accommodating every request, while at same providing a very special local vibe.

The tours all exceeded our expectations with top of the class tour guides. Julia at Somewhere We Know, fully understood what we were looking for and recommended the best tours at each of our stops. These tours guides all ha something in common, their expertise and love for their Greek Culture and History.

Finally, the arrangements made for the airport inter-island transfers were seamless. Always on time (or earlier) with all info provided in a handy app.

I must admit I was a little hesitant in using a travel agency off the internet, but rest assured this was the best decision I made, for the priceless memories and experience we had i Greece.

I cannot say enough good things about working with Rough Guides, and especially our local expert, Vaseem. We spent two weeks in southwest France, traveling initially for a wedding in Rodez and then spending 9 days traveling in the region, including Toulouse, the Pyrenees, Basque country and finally flying back to the US from Bilboa. I had never used a travel company before - always booking everything on my own. But this trip I was feeling overwhelmed with all the choices of where to visit and stay and found Rough Guides through an Internet search - and I'm so glad I did! Vaseem took care of everything, including planning our route and booking our rental car, hotels, excursion tickets...and calming my nerves!! Vaseem carefully listened to my thoughts and interests and created a trip for us that reached far beyond our expectations. Vaseem was responsive throughout the trip and helped to make a few last minute adjustments to our schedule. About 2/3 into the trip I joked with Vaseem that we felt like we were in the movie, "The Truman Show" - each day waking up to perfect weather, friendly people and a spectacular itinerary. But unlike the movie - it lasted for the whole trip and never fell apart!! Thank you Vaseem for your thoughtfulness and expertise - you are a true local expert!!

My husband and I enjoyed our trip! He kept remarking that I did a good job planning it and I said I couldnt take all the credit! Everyone I was in contact with (especially Marianne) were very easy to work with. All our connections went smoothly. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. I hope to go back to Italy and travel in the northern part of the country and I will use Rough Guides again!

Rough Guides listened and understood what I wanted out of a holiday. From Sara, who started the process, to Monica Mendes from Be in Travel Portugal who perfected the trip details, everything went brilliantly.
The private walking guides were excellent with particular reference to Maria Joao Matos in Evora.
In hindsight, doing a self drive road tour, I should have elected to spend more than two nights in some of the smaller towns like Evora and Tomar. Distances are not great when accessing the good freeway system. Driving only becomes a problem if staying in the smaller places in the old parts of the town where to get a parking spot near accommodation is almost impossible and the streets are so narrow that on occasions had to turn in the side mirrors. Another difficult with self drive is the drop off at Lisbon airport - a nightmare.
Our holiday in Portugal with the guidance of Rough Guides and Be in Portugal was wonderful. All the hardwork of planning a trip with accommodation, driver pickups from airports, guides and 24hour help line if needed taken care of made for a top class
holiday

So simple to arrange and the itineraray was easily adjusted to suit our own requirements. Fabulous organisation when we were there doing the trip and every single person working for Quality India Tours was exceptional.

Our trip was well planned and the hotel locations were great. The local guides were friendly and accommodating, especially our guide Yuji in Osaka. The reason I didn't give the rating 5 stars is even though the guides were trying very hard, other than Yuji we can hardly understand them so we missed a lot of what they were trying to tell us. Tom our agent was very responsive, however, when it came to our registration, train and event tickets he only sent them to my travel companion which causes problems at times during the trip when my companion couldn't find the tickets or when we want to go separately.

We found that the driver was always on time except for the occasion of a flat tire. The driver and guides were very professional and were helpful with all of our needs.

We just returned from an incredible 10-day trip to Morocco, and it truly exceeded our expectations! Traveling all the way from the USA, we weren’t sure what to expect, especially since we follow a vegetarian diet, but everything was handled so thoughtfully and seamlessly.

From the moment we landed, our guide Aziz made us feel welcome and cared for. He was not only extremely knowledgeable about Morocco’s rich history, culture, and traditions, but also warm, patient, and attentive to every detail of our journey. Aziz went above and beyond to ensure that our vegetarian meals were always delicious and varied, whether it was a fragrant tagine in Marrakech, a flavorful couscous in the Sahara, or fresh seasonal salads in Fez.

The itinerary was wonderfully balanced. We explored the bustling medinas of Marrakech and Fez, wandered through the Roman ruins of Volubilis, admired the blue charm of Chefchaouen, and marveled at the stunning architecture of Casablanca’s Hassan II Mosque. One of the highlights was our unforgettable desert experience—riding camels over the golden dunes, watching the sunset, and then stargazing after a cozy dinner in the Sahara.

Aziz also shared personal insights and stories that helped us connect with Morocco on a deeper level. We never felt rushed, and he always adjusted the pace to match our preferences. His care and professionalism turned what could have been a simple tour into a truly personal journey.

We came home not only with beautiful photos, but also with lasting memories and a deep appreciation for Moroccan hospitality. If you are considering Morocco—especially as a vegetarian traveler—rest assured you’ll be well taken care of. And if you can, ask for Aziz as your guide. He made our trip truly special.

Highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a magical and stress-free adventure through Morocco!

What a wonderful experience.Everything was thoughtfully planned , eco lodges, transfers to different locations even eating the local cuisine.

Roberto, our travel guide, did an amazing job customizing a trip to our needs and interests. Whenever there was an issue, like weather impacts, communication was clear and prompt. Rough Guides helped make my first trip to Costa Rica an amazing experience!

The itinerary covered all the places we wanted to visit and it was great to have the internal flights, transport and logistics organised for us. The arrangements put in place worked very well and saved us a lot of time and hassle, enabling us to enjoy the trip even more. Overall we had a great time.

The one point for improvement was the choice of some of the hotels we were allocated. Many of them were really more suited to and dealt mostly with large groups of travellers so the two of us did feel rather "second best" and squeezed at times as we competed for service (and even food) with large coach parties. Smaller, more boutique style places (like those generally recommended in the Rough Guide itself) would have been better for us.

We were connected up with Iceland Offbeat by Rough Guides, as I wanted to have an itinerary and accommodation booked for a week in Iceland and was finding it hard to plan.
Eric our travel planner was excellent, and produced a great itinerary consulting me on what we wanted and how long we had. He then booked all our accommodation and hire car and some activities.
We had an amazing week travelling round Iceland, the whole thing went like clockwork.
Eric is a specialist for Iceland and his knowledge completely made our trip. I recommend him and that you follow his suggestions and you'll have a brilliant trip!

Our family just completed an unforgettable 6-day Kumano Kodo pilgrimage. The Rough Guides provided travels instructions were thorough and detailed, making navigation and daily planning easy. The accommodations chosen for us were excellent—clean, comfortable, and offering both modern amenities and authentic Japanese touches. We really appreciated the variety in style and the high standard of service across the board. This trip gave us the perfect balance of scenic hiking, culture, and relaxation. Highly recommended for any family seeking a genuine Japanese adventure!

I can't praise or recommend the Rough Guides strongly enough for the arrangements for our month in Peru with our two young children. When planning the trip, RGs were attentive, responsive, cheerful, sympathetic and constructive. The trip we ended up with was amazing: we achieved exactly what we dreamed of - and more. The travel partner RG partnered with in Peru were absolutely first class: everything happened like clockwork with local guides who were professional, informative, kind and always went the extra mile. We had genuine 24/7 contact with their Peruvian head office too, which eliminated a great deal of potential stress and prevented a number of logistical mishaps in circumstances outside their control. We would definitely recommend RG and are certainly going to use them again for our next big adventure!

Few months ago, I was looking for a Rough guide book over Ghana. I landed on a site that had a much better experience for me: Nuru-Deen, the amazing leader of TripAfrica Tours. He helped me design a custom trip for a group of 6, 4 young adults (27, 27, 21, 22), my husband and me. I explained him I was looking for a tour with plenty of physical activity, culture, safaris and beach… he managed to bring together all those elements in an unforgettable 10-days tour. He met each and every dream, desire, capricious idea we had. When we wanted to spend time in a market looking for customised shirts, or when we were getting into chatting with locals and forgetting time, or when we wanted to go an listen to Jazz or cool local pop music, he made everything and more happen. Nuru-deen is polite, funny, helpful and knowledgeable. By the end of the trip, he was more than a tour guide, he was truly part of the extended family. We are forever thankful.

Highly recommended!!