Basics:
WithLocals connects tour guides in Europe, Asia and the UAE with local tour guides who set their own agenda
Expected pay: You set it
Husl$core: $$$$
Commissions & fees: 20% to 30%
Where: Europe, Asia and the UAE
Requirements: Have a meal or activity that you want to list for sale in the relevant geographies; good communication/language skills; Availability at least 3 days per week
What is WithLocals?
WithLocals is an online platform that connects tourists looking for unique experiences with local guides, who can provide them.
How it works
WithLocals is all about authentic local experiences. So if you want to sign up as a host, you must have lived in the city where you’ll give tours for at least two years. You must also be willing to dedicate at least 12 hours per week working with the platform. And you must be 18 or older.
Guides create a sign-in and a profile, which includes what’s unique about you, and why people would enjoy your tours. Plug in your contact information (phone and email), verify your identification, and set up a Stripe account.
You’ll also need to choose pre-planned tours you are willing to host from the site’s “originals” listings for your city. The final step is to schedule a video onboarding call.
Notably, this site is not worldwide. If WithLocals doesn’t list your city as a destination, you will not be able to sign up.
WithLocals review
There are two ways to be a tour guide with WithLocals. One option is to host tours that the site has designed. The other is to list your own.
However, if you want to create your own tours, you will have to also offer tours created by the site. The site says the tours in it’s “originals” offerings are best-selling itineraries that will help you get your first bookings. However, it is unclear how much you’re paid for each of these tours and it may hinge on how many people sign up.
Set your own agenda
With the tours you organize, the site provides a step-by-step guide to designing and listing them, suggesting that you come up with a unique title, detailed itinerary, time required for the tour and the price. When pricing tours, it’s important to remember that WithLocals will take 32% of your earnings as a commission.
Once your tour is designed, you submit it to the site. Assuming it’s accepted, the site will list it among the offerings in your city and help you book guests. You say what dates and times your tours are available. Tours can be for one person or a group. You also determine the rules.
Fees and Commissions
The site’s fee is 32% for the tours you set and arrange. If you choose to be a guide for a pre-existing itinerary set by WithLocals, you pay a 32% commission on the booking too. The site also adds a fee to the traveler’s bill, making WithLocal’s total commission roughly 40%.
Pay
Although you can earn more if your tours prove popular, guides earn an estimated $20 per hour here. The site pays by direct deposit or PayPal within two weeks of completing the tour.
Cancellations
You are not financially penalized if you need to cancel a reservation, but it will drop you in the site’s hierarchy, making it more difficult to book future tours.
If a client cancels a tour within a week of the scheduled tour departure, the host is paid for the tour in full. (The one exception is that tourists have 24 hours to cancel for free, except with last-minute bookings.)
Guide complaints
Guides generally say they like the set-up. However, it’s worth noting that WithLocals’ terms bar guides from talking against the site. That said, tour guides still complain about the site’s high fees, which are roughly double what guides pay elsewhere.
Recommendations
This isn’t a bad place to offer tours, as long as you mark up your tours to account for the site’s substantial commissions. You can sign up with WithLocals here.
Other sites where you can sign up to guide tours include Tours by Locals and Viator. If you’re interested in U.S.-based ghost tours, also consider US Ghost Adventures.
What their guides say (from Glassdoor)
Working at Withlocals as a tour guide(Freelance) can be quite fun. You get to meet with people all over and you can set your own schedule. But the commission the company takes is about 40% which I believe that it is not fair.
As compare to normal 20% this company cuts 40%, the rest should be spend also for inclusions they decided. So the person who actually does a job being left with half of what customer paid. This is not something being disclosed to customer either. Not at any point transparent and fair system
High commissions
Withlocals takes over 40 percent commission from your fee, a fact they HIDE from guests. Customer service is abysmal, making it nearly impossible to accomplish anything. I cannot overstate how poor the customer service is. I have tried to communicate professionally on more than ten times, yet I have not received any proper replies to my emails, while they respond to reviews on this platform with more gentleness. This shows a greater concern for their public image than for addressing genuine issues. Additionally, payments sometimes aren’t transferred until you notice, indicating serious shortcomings in the finance department.
The company deducts a 33% commission from guides and also imposes an additional “service charge” on customers. This pricing structure has led to a decrease in the number of tours booked. Furthermore, the company delays payments to guides, typically taking 6-8 days after the tour to process them. Despite collecting full payment at the time of booking, the company holds onto the funds, potentially earning interest during this period.
Love it
I started working with withlocals in 2018, since the moment I meet all the crew till today I have always felt part of the team. Withlocals have always support me and I love working with withlocals. – Flexible hours. – Perfect communication with the staff. – Fair payment. – Straight communication with the guest. -Able to manage my calendar.
From Indeed
The tours have been fun and the platform is easy to use. I have had no problems with any issues being quickly resolved. Great tourists from Europe and South America.
Independent workers are underpaid, overexploited and then thrown in the trash.
Updated 2/22/2025
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