Disappointing was an understatement.
Based on reviews, booked a “private” buggy with hotel pick up as a 40th birthday surprise for my friend only to be told it’s a busy day and to start the tour sat behind other tourists who had taken front seats. I’d given her a “golden ticket” that morning stating you’ll be picked up by your very own private buggy.. Surprise was totally de valued and ruined from get go. Couldn’t enjoy the first part of the old town tour as nice as the guide was due to my frustration I’d paid extra to ensure a private tour to make it special. Rather than my friend and I laughing, filming ourselves in the cart and enjoying our tour we felt obliged to be quiet and couldn’t film ahead due to having to respect the other people we were travelling with. I wanted to film to make a video montage for social media, it just wasn’t possible. Explained it was due to being busy we were to share a cart (DONT BE GREEDY AND OVER BOOK!) then it was an office error and a driver was called to meet us after old town tour (half of the tour so it wasn’t a full private tour) to take us on the rest of the tour, our enthusiasm and energy had already lowered. We were then greeted by a driver, nice as he was, wasn’t very chatty had EarPods in and he knew how to put his foot down to get by the stops as fast as possible, possibly again due to being a busy day or due to being called out when it wasn’t his job but it definitely wasn’t slow enough to film or take pictures due to motion and holding on. My friend commented she’d of preferred the first tour guide who was very chatty and informative showing images on his phone etc.. Be it that the couple in front were in the position to ask questions over us who were sat in the back, I was honestly embarrassed by how her 40th birthday had started. As the 2nd driver had his ear pods in we just didn’t feel we could ask any questions. We stopped at the Pauline church but that was the only place we got off for photo opportunity for us both all other stops were pass by, wasn’t sure if we were supposed to ask to stop for pictures, I suppose I’m used to being told by guides we have 2mins here for pictures etc. The tour finished exactly 1 hour from when we were picked up. My disappointment on how short it was I honestly felt robbed by the experience especially as I could have simply booked one there and payed roughly £10-20 per person on day! Crazy overpriced. I mentioned booking states 1.5-2hrs so the guide drove us to a small market place in the Jewish quarter where we just walked around for 5 minutes but didn’t buy anything.
Had we been picked up on a private buggy as booked and I’d stated on the birthday card I feel the tour may have been different and a different mood, I felt we were being awkward for asking for the private buggy I’d paid for.
Possibly don’t book on a weekend or simply don’t pre book and you’ll receive more enthusiasm and care than a pre paid booking. Having toured most of the world I always handsomely tip tour guides, the rapport and interest in how a tour guide gives you those little extra bit of information is key. Had my friend had a lovely start to her birthday I would happily have tipped, but principle my long planned surprise was spoiled, we both felt we were written off as 2 English girls with no interest in religion or history (history is my passion) and felt our guide wanted to get to their next waiting booking having already been told how busy they were, that’s just how we felt. I asked my friend if I should complain or leave a review she couldn’t believe how much I paid when I told her.
My friend is a soap TV actress, this wasn’t an influencer deal, it was fully paid. It should never be about influencers but those who have a following require content, we booked and paid for a private tour so we could use the content, I feel like a secret shopper but it’s a genuine concern that I wonder how many others have been fobbed off booking private tours to be told they’ll be sharing? Had we had the content to post there would’ve been a lovely reel of the tour.
Positive to the tour, the guide kindly dropped us as close as he could get to our requested drop off spot.
Lovely sunny day, Easter markets were on so very busy but care must be given to bookings, I’d arranged this tour more than a month in advance, simply no excuse to overbooking and expecting client to make do so you can make more money.