Viator: Easy Way To Find Attractions, Activities, and Things to Do When You Travel

Let me ask you a question.

Ever found yourself lost in a new city for vacation, holiday, or business and, struggled to find attraction experiences, activities, or things to do? You probably turned to Google search and to find answers. That’s the usual process. If you answered yes, you’re not alone because I had been in similar situations until I found a solution- an easy way to to find attraction and things to do- Viator.

We attended an event in Las Vegas with friends that visited from Europe, and it happened that we would spend the Saturday and head back to base Sunday morning. We spent a fair amount of time inside the luxurious Venetian Hotel and believe me if you’re not careful you’d spend your entire Las Vegas trip inside this hotel without stepping outside.

Since we have a day before we depart, we weren’t going to spend the entire day indoors- doing nothing, we thought it would be good to do something fun. Afterall, we are in Vegas and let’s go tour the city.

The other friends that travelled with us I later realized were depending on me to come up with a plan of what to do since they were visiting from overseas and wanted to have that Vegas experience.

Explore the City

So, let’s explore the city, see what it has and just have fun but I definitely won’t be the driver, having driven the entire trip. Who will drive? A vote was taken, and I lost. Yet I still don’t want to drive. We just wanted to let someone drive us so I can rest and get ready for the drive back to Phoenix.

We remembered seeing the Big Red Bus with tourists seated at the top all looking happy.  That’s it- the big bus. But how do we get on it.

Talk to those guys in the lobby? hmmm not something I’d love to do. It would be suicidal- handing myself to the hawks. Those guys can sell you ice in Iceland. Timeshares and all that stuff. I’d rather find some tours and activities myself than ask those sharks.

A Popular Tourist Destination

Las Vegas is a popular tourist destination, and unfortunately, some people try to take advantage of visitors by running scams. Common scams in Las Vegas include people posing as street performers, salespeople, or charity workers, and fake ticket sellers.

I am already aware of these scams and have set rules which I have written about.

• Don’t engage with people may pose as street performers or salespeople to get money from tourists.
• Buy tickets for attractions or shows from reputable sellers. Avoid buying tickets from individuals on the street or online from unverified sources.

I wanted us to enjoy the day’s activities and find other things to do without being pressured into buying those expensive tickets which often are scams.

Since I know my ways around search engines, booking sites and how to score cheap tickets and deals I did what most people will do. Turned to Google- which helped no doubt.

Activity Booking Search Platform

Then I remembered a platform called this activity booking search platform called Viator which I used to book a day cruise when we visited San Diego. Yeah, I can check them out and see what is out there.

I felt relieved and proceeded to search for the Big Red Bus tour in Las Vegas’. There are so many tours, activities, and things to do though but we found what we were looking and proceeded to book.

We called the number found in the email to confirm the pickup locations. Surprisingly, there was one very close to our location. We arrived at the location about 2 hours before pick up- just to make sure we knew exactly where it is and later went to grab some quick breakfast nearby.

Returning to the location, we saw so many people that were there for the same reason. We had time to interact with a few people, struck some conversation and selfies. They had an agent at the location to guide and answer questions. It was him who validated the tickets.

I loved the Hop on and Hop off style. You can stop somewhere while the bus continues leaving you behind and hop on the next bus and continue your sightseeing. This was a great way to tour at your pace as you are not pressured.

What is Viator?

Viator is a third-party booking site and one of the leading travel websites worldwide. Through them you can explore a wide range of tourist attractions, fun activities, things to do experiences at any place and the globe. All you need to do is search for the activity or things to do, the date and you will see everything there is to do in that area. I did just that and we found ourselves atop the Big Bus deck looking like we’re in the UK

I’d recommend the platform, especially to anyone staying in a short-term rental property that has no concierge services or somebody to ask about things to do. But before booking just make sure you read their terms and get additional information about the activity or tour.

Did I mention that they offer Free Cancellation within 24hours. So if you booked and oops…proceed and hit the cancel button.

Is Viator Legit?

If you’ve never booked anything with Viator before, you’re probably asking if Viator is legit? Yes, it is legit! In fact, it’s owned by TripAdvisor- a third-party provider for tours. We have used Viator countless times, both locally in my city to buy tickets to different places- Legoland, Disney, airport transfers. and the experience was the same. It is easy and I find Viator so useful for booking travel experiences and reason I wrote this piece.

But don’t just take my words, check it out for yourself by visiting their website and search for an activity to do in your city or destination of choice.

Some Benefits of Viator:

Cancellation Policy:

Just a heads up about cancellations on Viator- most tours and experiences offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before they start, which is super handy. But it’s worth noting that not all of them do, so keep an eye out if that’s important to you.

Currency Conversion:

Viator makes it easy-peasy to switch the currency display, meaning you can pay for tours in your local currency and avoid those pesky bank fees. Score!

If you’re on your computer for example, adjusting the currency is easy. Simply look for the currency selector at the top right corner of your screen, and with a quick click, you can switch to your preferred currency.

Reserve Now, Pay Later:

They also have an option to reserve now and pay later that provides an opportunity to snag your spot on a tour now and worry about payment later. Sometimes, you’ve got up until three days before the activity kicks off to settle.

Viator Drawbacks to Consider:

I am not going to sing their praises throughout because there is no perfection anywhere. There are a couple of things to consider.

Last minute Booking:

Booking last-minute tickets, especially during peak seasons can be a bit tricky since tours can fill up fast. Remember, Viator acts as a middleman, so if a tour operator sells their tickets, you might be out of luck. It’s happened to me before, which is why I always have a backup plan handy.

Viator Tour Pick Up Locations:

Another thing you shouldn’t forget to do is to double-check those pick-up locations, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar territory. I make it a habit to do this every time I book a tour—it’s saved me from a few headaches, that’s for sure!

Viator Magic

In conclusion, skip the Google chaos and embrace the simplicity of Viator! With just a few clicks, you can input your destination and unlock a world of attractions and activities right at your fingertips. That’s the magic of Viator—making travel planning a breeze.