Is tailor-made travel right for you?

Tailor-made travel means every part of your trip is built around you. You choose where to go, how long to stay, and what kind of experiences you want. At Rough Guides, we carefully select local experts who will help you plan your itinerary, suggest places you wouldn't be able to find on your own, and take care of organizational matters. You also get 24/7 support while you're away, so you're never left figuring things out alone.

If you like to plan every detail yourself or you’re on a budget, tailor-made trips might not seem like the obvious choice. But Rough Guides tailor-made travel also works for independent travelers: you can explore ideas, build a trip, and get inspired, without committing to a full booking.

See if you recognize yourself in any of the profiles below.

What is Tailor-Made Travel?

Tailor-made travel is a trip planned entirely around you. Our local experts help to shape the itinerary, offering ideas you might not have considered and making sure the plan actually works.

They also handle the bookings, from accommodation and transport to activities and guides. If anything changes while you're away, there's someone ready to help.

This is not a group tour with a fixed schedule and set stops. And it’s not a DIY trip that leaves you juggling bookings and second-guessing your choices. You still make the decisions, but someone else takes care of the logistics.

That’s the difference from other types of travel: you get the freedom to shape your trip without the hassle of managing every detail. When it comes to tailor-made travel vs package tours, this approach gives you flexibility and personalization, not a one-size-fits-all itinerary or rushed sightseeing with strangers.

Here’s what you can expect from a tailor-made trip:

• A personalized itinerary shaped around your interests.
• Expert planning by someone who knows the destination.
• Bookings handled for you, including hotels and local experiences.
• Flexibility to travel at your own pace.
• Support throughout your trip if anything goes wrong.

Travelers who benefit most from tailor-made travel

As we have already stated, tailor-made trips are not for everyone, but for some types of travelers, they make the whole experience smoother, safer, and more rewarding. See if you belong to one of these groups.

Multi-generational travelers

Traveling with three generations can feel like solving a puzzle. Grandparents want comfort, kids need entertainment, and parents are stuck in the middle. A tailor-made itinerary takes all of this into account: pacing the trip so no one gets bored or overtired, and making space for shared experiences.

First-time visitors to a destination

New country, new language, unfamiliar customs. It’s easy to get overwhelmed. With a tailor-made trip, a local expert handles the plan so you avoid common pitfalls. You’ll see more, understand more, and spend less time getting lost or stuck.

Choosing the right travel expert is what makes this work. You need someone who not only knows the destination, but also gets your travel style.

Families

From stroller-friendly streets to hotels with proper cribs, tailor-made travel takes the stress out of family travel. It’s built around your schedule, your comfort level, and your energy. You won’t waste time on activities that don’t work for your family, and you’ll get the support you need if plans shift.

Travelers looking for real experiences

You’re not interested in ticking off tourist spots. You want to connect: through food, music, stories, and real conversations. Tailor-made travel can get you closer to that. With help from locals, you’ll find the small, personal moments that most travelers miss.

It’s also a smarter way to support sustainable travel; your money goes to local guides, family-run stays, and experiences that protect culture and community rather than exploit them.

Couples and honeymooners

Planning a honeymoon or just craving time away together? Tailor-made travel gives you the privacy and flexibility to make it your own. Think quiet villas, private guides, late checkouts, and dinners with a view. Our experts handle the details, so all you have to do is slow down, soak it in, and focus on each other.

Luxury travelers

Luxury travelers want more than comfort. They want privacy, time, and experiences that aren’t available to everyone. A tailor-made trip offers exclusive stays, discreet service, and rare access arranged by someone who knows how to deliver the exceptional without the effort showing.

If you're after an authentic, hassle-free experience, this is it. Everything’s handled by a local expert who gets what luxury really means: unique moments, zero stress, and a trip that feels effortless from start to finish.

Groups

Planning a trip with a group, friends, family, clubs, or colleagues can be a logistical nightmare. Different tastes, budgets, and priorities don’t have to derail the experience.

With tailor-made travel, an expert does the hard work for you: organizing group bookings, finding the right balance, and making sure everyone gets something out of the trip (without you having to play tour leader).

Adventure seekers

You want more than a standard itinerary. Maybe it's hiking in Patagonia, diving in Indonesia, or tracking wildlife in Namibia. Tailor-made travel lets you build a trip around your adrenaline level, with expert guides who know the area and take care of the details. You get the thrill, without the risk of going it alone.

When tailor-made travel isn’t the right fit

Tailor-made travel isn’t the right fit for everyone. Some types of travelers get more out of planning things their own way.

• Backpackers and ultra-budget travelers. If you’re happy with hostels, overnight buses, and finding your own deals, tailor-made planning won’t match your 
• budget preferences.
• Planners who love the details. If you enjoy researching routes, reading reviews, hunting down the best prices, and building every part of your trip from scratch, tailor-made travel probably isn’t for you. You’ve already got the planning covered, and you're doing it on your terms and your budget.
• Travelers with simple needs. If all you want is a return flight and a single hotel booking, tailor-made planning is more than you need.

For everyone else, it’s a way to travel smarter and with less stress.

Why Rough Guides works for you

Rough Guides trips are designed with your interests in mind and planned by local experts who know their destination inside out. Here’s how Rough Guides tailor-made travel works:

• Personal planning. An itinerary shaped around your style of travel, with all the bookings handled for you.
• 24/7 support. Help is always available if flights are delayed, plans change, or something goes wrong.
• Structure with flexibility. Enough planning to keep things smooth, but freedom to explore at your own pace.
• Real recommendations. Local knowledge that steers you away from tourist traps and into experiences worth your time.

Plan your tailor-made trip today

If you saw yourself in one of these traveler profiles, a Rough Guides tailor-made trip could be the right fit. Wondering how to plan a tailor-made trip? The first step is easy: fill in our enquiry form and tell our local experts what kind of trip you’re dreaming about.

They’ll shape it into a plan that works, with the details taken care of and the freedom left for you.