Tailor-made travel with Rough Guides: how it works and why it's worth it

Ever wondered what really happens behind the scenes when you book a tailor-made trip? Who plans the route, chooses the places to stay, and makes sure everything runs smoothly? At Rough Guides, tailor-made travel means exactly that: personalized, well-planned journeys created by local experts who know their destinations inside out.

You won’t be handed a standard itinerary. Every trip is built around your interests, your pace, and the way you like to travel. It’s travel without the stress, with someone on the ground who knows what they’re doing.

We believe great trips don’t happen by chance. They’re the result of careful planning, real insight, and local knowledge. Here’s how we make that happen.

What does tailor-made travel mean at Rough Guides?

Tailor-made travel with Rough Guides isn’t about following a rigid itinerary. Instead, you'll create a trip that matches your style with the help of a local travel expert who knows the area well. 

What makes our approach different from other types of travel is the way we plan, and who we plan it with:

• Local expertise. Your trip is designed by someone who lives in the destination and knows the best places, not just the most obvious ones.
• Handpicked experiences. We only include experiences we trust, such as street food tours, hikes with local guides, or hidden galleries you’d never find on your own.
• 24/7 support. If anything changes on the ground, you’ve got someone to call who speaks the language and knows what to do.
• Transparent pricing. No markups or mystery costs. You get a clear quote and full breakdown before you commit.

It’s travel planning done properly: thoughtful, flexible, and based on real local knowledge.

Let’s take you behind the scenes.

How we find and select our local experts

Each local expert we work with is carefully vetted by the Rough Guides team. Every person we work with is hand-selected for their knowledge, reliability, and deep connections to the destination, exactly what you should look for when figuring out how to choose the right travel expert.

These aren’t big-name operators or faceless agencies. They’re on the ground, deeply connected, and passionate about sharing what makes their corner of the world special.

We also make sure they run things the right way. We look for experts who treat their teams well. That means paying fair wages, following local laws, and treating people with respect at every level. Because responsible travel starts with doing right by the people who make it happen.

Here’s what we look for:

• Proven destination knowledge and a strong local presence
• A commitment to responsible travel and authentic, cultural experiences
• Fair treatment and pay for their guides and teams
• Proper legal registration and local compliance
• A solid record of excellent service and positive traveler feedback

We’re not in the business of mass-market tours or big-brand packages. Every expert we work with is part of a small, trusted network that shares our approach to travel: honest, well-informed, and built around you.

Our local experts live where you’re traveling – they know every hidden corner.

How we source and review accommodation

Where you stay matters. It’s not just about getting a decent night’s sleep, it’s about finding a place that fits the kind of trip you’re taking.

That’s why our local experts put together a shortlist of options based on your style, budget, and priorities. You pick the one that works best for you, and they’ll take care of the booking.

You can stay somewhere luxurious, go with a well-known chain you already like, or choose a family-run guesthouse with plenty of local charm. Whatever you go for, all accommodation will meet the same key standards: comfort, cleanliness, and safety.

Here’s what our local experts consider when suggesting places to stay:

• Places with local character and thoughtful details
• Sustainability practices and local ownership, when possible
• Settings that make sense for your trip: in the middle of things, or somewhere quieter if that’s what you prefer
• Most importantly, accommodation that feels right for your trip, and fits your travel style

The goal is simple: to make sure where you stay is just as thoughtful and rewarding as everything else in your trip.

Choosing the right guides and experiences

Most tailor-made trips include guided experiences. Maybe it’s a walking tour through a historic district, a hike with a local expert, or a cooking class in someone’s home. These moments are often what stick with you most.

And the right guide makes all the difference. They don’t just show you around, but give you context, open doors, and bring a place to life.

That’s why our local experts are careful about who they work with. They choose guides who are professionally certified, fluent in English, and backed by years of experience. But more importantly, they work with people who know how to tell a story, and not just recite facts. It’s this level of detail that highlights the real difference in tailor-made travel vs package tours: deeper access, personal insight, and genuine connection.

Here’s what you can expect from your guides:

• Professional certification and strong local knowledge
• Fluent English and easy, clear communication
• A focus on storytelling and connection
• Personal insight into local life and culture

We also prioritize small-group and private experiences. You get space to ask questions, go at your own pace, and genuinely engage with the guide and surroundings. It’s a far cry from the kind of mass tours that herd you from sight to sight.

Supporting communities through tourism

We believe travel should benefit the people who make it possible. By working with local guides and small, independent operators, we help ensure that more of your money stays in the community.

This support creates meaningful jobs, helps protect cultural traditions, and encourages long-term stewardship of natural and historical sites.

It’s a way of traveling that respects the destination and leaves a positive impact behind.

"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."
Maria, August 2025

Quality control: how we ensure every trip meets Rough Guides standards

Every Rough Guides trip goes through a detailed review process to make sure it meets the level of quality we stand for. It begins with carefully selecting each local expert based on their credentials, traveler feedback, and ability to create meaningful, well-run experiences. But quality control continues long after the trip is planned.

We use a multi-step process that includes regular traveler reviews, internal audits, and occasional mystery shopping. These checks help us make sure our partners deliver what they promise and that the experience lives up to your expectations.

To maintain high standards across every trip, we focus on:

• Consistent communication before, during, and after the trip
• 24/7 on-trip support to resolve issues quickly and effectively
• Continuous improvement based on traveler feedback

This process is designed to give you peace of mind. When you travel with Rough Guides, you are backed by a team that pays attention to the details and takes pride in getting things right.

Traveler feedback matters

We take traveler feedback seriously. It helps us improve trips, refine our list of local partners, and make changes when something falls short. We read every review and use it to shape future experiences.

When you share your feedback, you are not only helping us, you are helping other travelers make better choices too.

"So easy to plan with superb service both before and during the trip. So simple to arrange and the itinerary 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."
Darren, October 2025

"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!"
Zoe, August 2025

How we ensure good value

We believe great travel experiences don’t need inflated price tags. Because we work directly with trusted, in-destination experts, we keep costs down without cutting corners on quality.

Your expert handles everything on the ground: hotels, drivers, guides, day trips, and more. They’ll build your trip around your budget and priorities, helping you put your money where it matters most.

But real value isn’t just about what you save, it’s about what you get access to.

Our local experts can line up the kinds of experiences you won’t find on booking platforms: like private tastings, small-group hikes, and visits made possible by personal connections. Things that makes a trip feel personal, valuable, and not packaged.

Here’s how we help make your budget go further:

• No unnecessary mark-ups from middlemen
• Local rates through long-term, trusted relationships
• Smart, tailored planning that reflects your priorities
• Access to experiences typically unavailable in standard tours

Unlike many large tour operators, we don’t rely on fixed packages or one-size-fits-all pricing. Every trip is custom-built, giving you full control over where your money goes. 

That means you have flexibility to choose where your budget goes, whether that’s toward standout experiences, higher-end accommodation, or a more leisurely pace. Your expert will make it work.

Still wondering if tailor-made travel is for you? If you care more about meaningful moments than rushed sightseeing, it probably is.

The process: from enquiry to adventure

Planning a tailor-made trip with Rough Guides is simple, flexible, and personal. There’s no complicated booking platform or endless back-and-forth: just real people who listen to what you want and help shape a trip around it.

Here’s how it works:

1. Tell us what you're looking for. Fill out a short enquiry form with your travel ideas, preferences, and any must-sees. It only takes a few minutes.
2. Get three custom itineraries. You’ll receive three unique trip plans from trusted local experts. These aren’t templates, they’re designed from scratch, based on your request.
3. Refine your favorite. Work with your chosen expert to fine-tune the itinerary until it’s exactly what you want. Then confirm your booking and pay securely online.
4. Travel with confidence. You’ll have 24/7 support throughout your trip from people who know the destination and who actually care about your experience.

It’s an easy, human-first process that puts you in control, with expert help every step of the way.

Why travelers trust Rough Guides

When it comes to planning meaningful travel, tailor-made experiences matter. Rough Guides has been helping people explore the world for over 40 years, and that legacy shapes everything we do today.

What sets us apart is simple:

• Over four decades of travel expertise, built on honest, first-hand insight
• A curated network of trusted local experts who live and work in the destinations they plan
• A strong commitment to authentic, responsible travel that benefits local communities
• Consistently high traveler satisfaction, with thousands of personalized trips successfully delivered

We’re not just another travel platform. We’re a team of editors, writers, and destination specialists who care deeply about how people travel, and about doing it the right way.

That’s why so many travelers come back to us, year after year. They trust us to get it right.

Plan your tailor-made trip with confidence

Now you know how we work and why travelers love it. With trusted local experts, honest pricing, and support at every step, planning a tailor-made trip with Rough Guides is as straightforward as it is rewarding.

Your journey starts with a simple idea and turns into something unforgettable.

Start planning your trip today with a local expert.