City Unscripted Recenzje 42

Company contacted me a few days before the tour (but weeks after the booking) telling me that, in effect, they couldn't find a host for our private tour. They asked if I could adjust my programme to accommodate them (with no options of availabilty given). I had no other time available so they told ME to cancel with Viator (through whom I booked)😡. I presume this was to preserve their "reputation"😇 and put the onus on me to do the cancellation🤬. I did so but it was a hassle. They've offered me a 50% discount on a future booking but I am not sure I can trust them !🤔
UPDATE 26th MAY: An "explanation" and apology was added as a response to my review which I can understand HOWEVER nothing connected to the fact that it was I who had to do the cancelling 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️.

Since we had no overview of the huge city of Tokyo, our tour guide suggested a route based on our wishes and interests. Everything worked out perfectly and the organization was excellent. We really enjoyed the tour and appreciated the helpful recommendations and flexibility. Thank you for the great experience!

Our last full day in Tokyo was our best memory of this city due to our tour with Sherilyn from City Unscripted. Although we had seen many of the Tokyo tourist oriented locations previously with another tour company, Sherilyn provided us with a unique experience that we will treasure.
Prior to leaving for Japan, Sherilyn had made contact with us, and based on our preferences, had suggested some places we might want to see. She also helped describe how the trains operated and how we could get a pass to pay for them. This was invaluable and helped ease our concerns on getting around cities in Japan. The night before we met up with her, Sherilyn further customised the tour based on what places we had already visited.
Our tour with Sherilyn covered many off the beaten trail places giving us an insight into how the people of Tokyo lived. She had selected stops for refreshments that catered to our vegetarian preferences including a very small tea shop that served a fermented rice beverage that became our quintessential Japanese experience. We also visited shrines and temples that were not overrun with many tourists which helped touch on their serene atmosphere.
Sherilyn was a very warm and friendly person and shared information about herself and her family that helped us better understand life in Japan. Over the eight hours we spent with her, she became more of a friend and less a guide.

Fantastic walking tour. Tour guide (can't remember name unfortunately) explained some of the heritage of Japan and explained how to use the suica card and train system. Definitely recommend booking through these guys if you are brand new to Japan and don't know what to do

Excellent communication with the company, and absolutely wonderful guide (Indira) - highly recommend this experience.
We got a terrific balance between the expected "must see" sites and more under the radar bits that really made it a thoroughly enjoyable walking tour

Joel has a great knowledge od Munich and its history - we had a very interesting and informative three hours with him.

The company matched our personalities with the host, which really made the whole process seamless.
The host took the time to really listen to what we would like to do and see during our experience. Everything was amazing from start to finish. I would recommend City Unscripted if you really want to have a wonderful experience and not just another walking tour. Making memories this way is so much better

They hire guides who stay in the city temporarily. That means the guides are completely beginners and have no knowledge about the city. When I was working as a guide here, one of the guests told me that the previous just exchange students who stay in the city temporarily. They charge expensive fees to the customers. Do you want to pay the high fee to be guided by an exchange student who stays in the city temporarily?

Also, they take almost all the money the customer pays. What we get paid is just about 20-30 percent, and they take the rest, while other companies take only 20-25 percent, and the guide takes the rest.

The other reviewer, Mr Kadir Ceyhan is also saying the guide was the exchange student. This company hires whoever.

Please go to the toursbylocals or Context Travel for more knowledgeable guides and hire the guide from that nationality.

They also don't treat guides very well. When something goes wrong, they tend to place all the responsibility on the guide. If we push back or try to explain our side, there's always a risk of being removed from the platform.

In most cases, problems are caused by many different factors, but their management team rarely seems to look at the bigger picture. At the same time, they take 50–75% of the margin for management, guide support, and guest support.

Personally, I've never felt supported. I've only felt judged.

Anna said they are open to having a conversation, but that hasn't been my experience. In the past, they didn't really listen to guides' concerns. It often feels like everything is considered the guide's fault.

Sometimes it seems that guides are viewed as disposable rather than valued partners.

That said, there are tour companies that treat guides very well and genuinely support them. Unfortunately, this company has not felt that way to me.

If you want to experience the hidden and non-touristy Bangkok, then go with City Unscripted!
Our host Kat made us forget about the chaotic capital by taking us to a peaceful cruise in the canals where we could enjoy stunning temples and local houses, as well as the giant golden Buddha statue. During the cruise Kat was really great in explaining us the local lifestyle, culture and history and she was always open to answer all the questions with her contagious smile.
After the cruise she took us to a urban natural oasis where (believe me!) we didn’t feel like being in such a chaotic city and were we ate the best pad thai we had in Thailand.
Shout out to Kat, we’ll come back!

My friend, our kids and I visited Budapest this this Easter and we were hosted by Lorinc and he was really awesome! We asked him to show us places that are not the main tourist sites and we discovered the best playground ever and a part of the city that had a tiny entry in our Lonely Planet Guide, so we would not have visited it and it would have been a shame! Lorinc was super nice and so knowledgeable so we really got great historical context, in a non-boring way. He also gave us great recommendations for places to eat and a secret teahouse that we really loved! 100% recommend seeing Budapest with Lorinc!

Very poor experience.
Booked through Viator.
All confirmed. Filled in pre host allocation questionnaire. Confirmed receipt. Allocated Host. Received emails from host to confirm everything..
Then 14 hours before start of the tour received messages saying unable to find a host. Would I like to find another host on another date.. For info. I'm on a cruise with one day in this location... I obviously questioned this.. ultimately told host no longer available and tour now cancelled.. but they keep hold of my money for up to ten days.. does this add trust?

It was an amazing experience to walk through Munich with a very flexible host, who was completely accommodating to your needs and I’ve got heaps of knowledge in-details to certain intense history stuffs .
I Highly recommend him and the city unscripted team for a last minute change, easy as it comes .

I recently had the pleasure of experiencing a City Unscripted local tour in Edinburgh with local host James, and it was absolutely fantastic! From the very start, the level of customization offered was impressive. The host reached out before the tour to understand my preferences and interests, tailoring the experience perfectly to what I was looking for.

What truly set this tour apart was the opportunity to explore places that only a local would know. Instead of sticking to the typical tourist hotspots, I was guided through hidden gems—charming alleys, tucked-away cafes, and scenic spots that I never would have found on my own. Each location came with fascinating stories and a personal touch that made the experience feel unique and authentic.

This wasn’t just a tour; it felt like spending time with a knowledgeable friend who genuinely cared about showing me the best of Edinburgh. If you're looking for a personalized and truly local perspective of the city, I can't recommend City Unscripted enough!

I booked the 4 hour experience named “Bangkok’s hidden gem - the Floating Market.” I had a great time from start to finish. I explored the Floating Market, which was great, and then I was taken to the less known markets which were equally brilliant. Chalita was caring and attentive while not being overbearing. As a solo-traveller, her company was much appreciated.

This is a manipulation scam. We have booked a private local guide for Milano. We thought there will be a licensed guide who was born in Milano and show us some interesting things.

We have met with an Indian girl who was studying in Milano! I could not say anything to break her heart but she literally does not have enough capability to be a guide. She did not give any information properly. I have just felt i booked a person to walk 3 hours! While we were walking i saw an old italian guide was telling his guests some stories with passion. I felt regret why i did not choose that cheaper and better option.

The indian girl was not bad but what we saw in post before book and what we were expecting was different. Do not book from this company. Better search and find some local guides yourself from government places. Guide must be a person from that nationality. Otherwise how will you feel the soul of the city and culture!

I had booked a four hour private tour with a guide with city unscripted for Florence, Italy with my children. The day prior to the tour my daughter became very sick and needed to be hospitalized. It was 20 hours before the scheduled start time for the tour. It is quite scary and upsetting to be in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language and need to seek hospital treatment for your child. When I asked about a full or partial refund, I was told that their policy is that they will not give refunds if the tour is not canceled within 24 hours. They refused to make any exception or even provide any refund of any kind , but only offered a discount on a future tour. This is no way to run a business. They went back and forth time after time in email just reiterating their apologies for my daughters hospitalization and offering absolutely no monetary reimbursement. I fully understand if they wanted to give some sort of payment to the guide, but to refuse any sort of refund is absolutely unacceptable. it is a very busy time in Italy right now, and I am sure that the tour guide was used for another tour.

I used to work here as a guide and then changed the company.

I tell you why guides here might not be so motivated or good:
The good ones leave the company.

Cityunscripted keeps ALL YOUR MONEY and pays only 19€/h (in Germany) to the guides.

Example:
3 guests book a 3 hours tour and pay 312€.
-> The guide receives 57€

There is an other company that is not only much cheaper, but also much fairer.

And there the good guys go to. It's hard to do a good tour for 10€/h net after taxes.

They also take everyone who applies. I was a total beginner. It's nice that they gave me the chance and I always have the best reviews, but they honestly don't care! My new company wanted to zoom twice with me first!

Booked a food tour in Stockholm for £223.37. Cancelled by this company the evening before the event. Told I would receive a refund straight away but 4 weeks on I'm still waiting. They don't answer emails or calls chasing the refund. Absolutely appalling experience and I'm out of pocket despite them cancelling the event said to be due to Covid. Only 1 star because there isn't a zero. Based on my experience I wouldn't use this company.

We used City Unscripted to book 2 sight seeing tours while in Europe. It was an excellent decision. We enjoyed seeing the cities and finding the hidden gems of a city through the eyes of a local. The most appealing aspect of our tour was not feeling like another body in a mass of people. Our guides provided private tours that left us feeling like we had made a new friend in a foreign country. We would definitely use this company again.