Landmarks · PRIVATE TOURS
This is the shortlist you would text another parent: 15 private tours worth the money, each with its price, its traveller verdict and the one thing to know before you commit.
Guided tour of Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City with reserved entry, multilingual guides, and easy add-ons like Temple of Heaven or Summer Palace.
“The whole trip was amazing, it was long 10 hours, but totally worth money and time! Highly recommend May as a guide!”
Private Forbidden City walking tour with Tiananmen Square views, prepaid tickets, and a flexible guide, from $75.68 per person.
“My tour guide was Peter. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and personable. His English was very good and easy to understand. He was also good at picking out a restaurant and ordering delectable food. Highly recommended.”
Skip Uffizi lines with a guided highlights masterclass. Reserved entry, clear art stories, and time-saving Florence context.
“This was a great tour - longer than other options on Viatour. 2.5 hours was a good amount of time. Our guide had a masters degree in art history, and took us from the medieval period through the Renaissance. I have forgotten her name though! She shared the stories and history behind the paintings, especially in relation to the Medici and Florence. We had 12 people in our group which was manageable. The museum was very crowded, but our guide was able to keep us together and we could hear her very well with the headphones. Learning about the personalities and interactions of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Botticelli and DaVinci was very…”
Private Alhambra highlights with skip-the-line entry to the Nasrid Palaces plus Generalife, great viewpoints, and expert guide context.
“The Alhambra and Nazaries Palaces are ornate and very beautiful. There are lots of ways to access these two places. I would NEVER recommend this tour provider. After paying $565.80 US for two people, I requested that we be collected from our apartment in Granada and provided the address. I received a message back from Gema Rivas with a direct quote, “We can provide a private Transfer from your apartment.” I then asked what time we’d be collected. They never responded but we trusted they’d collect us at the agreed upon place. They never showed up and instead of admitting fault said they didn’t know we wanted a private transfer.…”
Private 3-hour Versailles tour by golf cart with an English historian guide, skip-the-line palace entry, and guided gardens.
“Our guide Manny was amazing. He was thoroughly engaged and informative. The garden tour was better than expected, without the golf cart we would have missed seeing so much. The palace didn’t disappoint especially with all the history that Manny told us we were blown away.”
Private English tour of Granada’s Alhambra with Generalife and Nasrid Palaces, skip-the-line tickets, about 3 hours.
“The sites are aesthetically and historically epic and our guide, Sow, was steeped in both. He could read Arabic and explained how what we thought were decorations on the walls were actually religious and historical statements. He set a nice relaxed tone for the tour by introducing us to the gardens first and stressing that we should take our time. The gardens were designed for relaxation.”
A private Seville walk that hits the Cathedral, Giralda, Real Alcázar, and Santa Cruz with skip-planning help and optional Plaza, tapas, and flamenco.
“Our tour of Seville with Juanjo was absolutely fantastic and one of the highlights of our visit. He guided us through the Jewish Quarter, Plaza de España, the Real Alcázar—an extraordinary jewel of Mudéjar art—the Sorolla exhibition, and the Cathedral, weaving history and storytelling together in a way that made each period come vividly alive. Juanjo’s explanations were rich in detail and incredibly engaging; he didn’t just explain the sites, he made us feel inside the different historical eras. We were especially captivated by Pedro I’s Alcázar and by the Cathedral, particularly the visit to the tomb of Columbus, which he explained with great clarity and context. To top it…”
Versailles Palace private tour with hotel pickup. See Hall of Mirrors and the gardens with a live art historian guide in English.
“Perfect amount of history without being over loaded with info. Claud did a great job and was very friendly”
Priority entry plus a guided tour of Versailles private apartments of Louis XV and Louis XVI, then state rooms and Hall of Mirrors.
“Tour was definitely worth the additional cost. The guide was very knowledgeable and you get access to the chapel (which was a high point). The tour of the apartments was really interesting and the lack of crowds made it easier to appreciate your surroundings. A full day is needed to see the whole of Versailles. The areas without the tour were incredibly busy and there was a lot of shoving. Highly recommend booking this experience.”
A private VIP-style Alhambra tour covering Generalife, Nasrid Palaces, and Alcazaba with timed entry help and English guide time.
“Our tour guide. Amélie, was extremely professional, courteous and well-informed. The whole experience was very enjoyable and ensured that we made the most out of the visit.. highly recommended..”
A 3-hour private Alhambra tour with skip-the-line access to the Nasrid Palaces, Generalife, and more, guided with headsets.
“great organization and superb tour guide (her name was marina).”
Private guided circuit in Córdoba covering the Mezquita-Cathedral, Jewish Quarter, Synagogue, and Alcázar, with pickup and included tickets.
“Priscilla, our guide, had encyclopedic knowledge of the areas we visited. The mosque and cathedral are spectacular! She gave us a ton of information about the Jewish quarter and much of the history surrounding the Jewish people. This is a tour well worth taking! The walking in this tour is flat – definitely OK for people with moderate walking abilities”
A 3-hour private Alhambra tour with tickets included, a calm pace, and a guide who connects palaces, fortresses, and gardens into one story.
“Asier was so knowledgeable about Alhambra. He explained the progression of time plus the changes in the town. Perhaps one of the best tour guides we have ever had. Anyone who gets him as a guide will not be disappointed!”
Private Versailles with lunch from Paris. Skip the toughest parts, tour the Palace and Marie-Antoinette estates, then relax in the gardens.
“Well worth the money!!! Our visit to Versailles was at the top of our list and this tour did not disappoint! Our private tour guide Rozenn was absolutely amazing, she provided a wealth of historical information that we would not have had without a private tour. Our tour included private pickup from our hotel in Paris and lunch at a traditional Persian restaurant in the town of Versailles. This tour also included Marie Antoinette’s farm and apartments. We highly recommend this tour.”
Skip-the-line Alhambra private tour in Granada with an art historian guide. See Nasrid Palaces, Generalife, Alcazaba in 3 hours.
“Abubakr’s knowledge of the Arabic language, culture and philosophy brought the Alhambra to life. Can’t recommend him enough. And we made a new friend.”
Pick a city, then pick the way in.
