Unforgettable Adventures with Viator: Insider Tips for Booking Unique Travel Experiences

In this episode of All Things Travel, Ryan and Julie dive into the world of Viator tours and experiences, sharing their favorite picks and insider tips. Highlights include:

-Why travel advisors use Viator and how it benefits travelers
-Unique U.S. tours: Snowy safari in Jackson Hole and rainforest trek in Alaska
International foodie experiences: Austin walking food tour and traditional cooking class in Oaxaca, Mexico
-Wildlife encounters: Nairobi National Park half-day safari
-Off-the-beaten-path adventures: Underground vaults tour in Edinburgh and stargazing in the Pinnacle Desert, Australia
-Water-based excursions: Catamaran sailing in Malta
-Personal experiences and upcoming plans with Viator tours in Hawaii

Whether you're planning a domestic getaway or an international adventure, this episode offers valuable insights on using Viator to enhance your travel experiences. From food tours to wildlife encounters, learn how to find and book unique activities that will make your next trip unforgettable.

Don't miss our "Where in the World" segment featuring Bakersfield, California, and stay tuned for next week's episode on Royal Caribbean cruise takeaways!

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Chapters

• 10:43 [Ad] World of Work Experts on the People and Performance Podcast
• 11:24 (Cont.) Unforgettable Adventures with Viator: Insider Tips for Booking Unique Travel Experiences

Transcript

Ryan: 0:00

Hi,

Julie: 0:24

adventure tours, things like zip lining, paragliding, city tours to historical sites, food tours. Water sports, things like snorkeling or a catamaran experience. They also even offer something as simple as a private transfer to your resort. Today we're going to talk about some of our favorites from this popular company and maybe inspire you for some ideas for your next trip. Listen in with travel advisors and destination experts, Ryan and Julie. He https: otter. ai Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel. I'm excited for this topic because this is a website I use a lot and I'm always looking on here for tours.

Ryan: 1:19

I Use it a lot One of the things that people ask is well, I can book Viator So why would I have you book Viator? Aren't you supposed to have access to a bunch of stuff and my answer is always yes I do have access to a bunch of stuff. But for some things Viator just works and Me doing it means you don't have to do it. So, you know, they're

Julie: 1:43

do the, the legwork of finding the

Ryan: 1:46

Exactly. If you put in transfer from Montego Bay to Negril in Jamaica, for instance, I've actually done this one. You're going to get 50 different options. Well, what do I choose? Do I choose the first one? Do I choose the top rated one? And so why, do we choose to use Viator? Why do we like this company, Julie?

Julie: 2:10

I like because it's really easy to use. It's very simple and I have a ton of options I think they're really good at breaking down what you get what you don't get and you also have the option to pay up front

Ryan: 2:22

I really like

Julie: 2:23

later I think that's really great. They make it very easy for us to use it for our clients. We have our own side of the website and then we can actually just send a link directly to the client and say, Hey, this is one I think you would like.

Ryan: 2:37

Sometimes, somebody's going to a city and they say, we know we want to do a food tour, but we don't know which one. So I'll actually go in and I'll curate a list for them, send that to them, and then they can still book it, but they can work with me through that entire process. And here's a Viator hack, Julie. Even if you don't want to book Viator. Use it as a starting point to play in your own vacations. Look and see where that food tour goes. Look and see, where that group is going. And then you can create your own mix and match if you don't want to go with the tour.

Julie: 3:12

Viator is the third party, right? All the tours and, experiences that are offered on Viator are offered by a parent company. And you can always then go directly to that parent company as well. But like you said, everything is in one place. So it's just easy to navigate and look for things to do in your destination.

Ryan: 3:28

talk about some of our current favorite ones, I want to call your attention back to last week's episode, when Julie's friend talked about her amazing trip with her husband to Thailand using Kensington Tours.

Julie: 3:44

And make sure you're following along with us at our new Facebook page, all things travel podcast.

Ryan: 3:49

All right, Julie, so we're going to break these tours down into a couple different categories. First, what is one of your favorite tours in the United States? Yeah.

Julie: 4:19

using a company like Viator. So let me tell you about this one. It's go on a snowy safari in Jackson hole, Wyoming. You're going to search out Jackson holes, winter wildlife on a snowy safari through the national elk refuge and grantee. Teton National Park. You'll be hot on the trail of thousands of deer, elk, moose, sheep, and bison that travel into the valley each winter alongside eagles, swans, coyotes, fox, and wolves. After a morning wildlife safari through the national park, hop a horse drawn sleigh in the National Elk Refuge and glide into the middle of North America's largest wild elk herd. I mean, that sounds so cool. I love that they give you a lot of information about this. So, it even goes to tell you that the group size is limited to just eight people, which makes it a very personal tour. There's different hours to choose from. If you scroll all the way down when you're looking at this tour, you can see it has five star reviews from over 71 reviews. So that is something I also really love being able to see what people have actually experienced on these. But for me in the U S this is a great option, going over to Jackson Hole.

Ryan: 5:27

So as I was reviewing Viator tours one tour caught my eye because it made me think back to my Alaskan cruise last summer. And this is the Rainforest and Waterfalls Trek in Juneau. One of the things that I did not realize before we went to Alaska, Julie, is at least in most inside passage. Cruises, you're actually in the Tongass National Forest, which is considered a rainforest. We don't think of rainforests, but areas in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver, Alaska, definitely have the characteristics of a rainforest. And so we kept coming back to this Tongass National Forest and it was just absolutely amazing. This tour is immersing yourself in the Alaska wilderness on a trek through a vast temperate rainforest that includes views of waterfalls, wildlife, and glaciers. Your private guide takes you to the off beaten path photo spots so you can capture authentic wilderness shots without other tours getting in the way. And I can tell you from being in Alaska, sometimes that is not too easy. So what's included in this tour? So you join your certified naturalist guide for an unforgettable journey through Alaska. The Tongass National Forest. This is a private hike tailored to your group's interest and desired speed. You'll take a two to four mile hike that will offer breathtaking views of waterfalls, the National Forest and Mendenhall Glacier. Your guide will be offering interpretation all along the way. You'll see things like black bears, bald eagles, Alaskan salmon. You'll also then go to the Mendenhall Glacier Nature Center to learn more about this amazing glacier. And included with this tour is pick up from your hotel or your cruise ship port, which is really cool. A souvenir water bottle, trail snacks, a driver and a guide Does this not sound like a good way to experience Alaska kind of on your own while you're out for a cruise, getting away from the hustle and bustle, if you will?

Julie: 7:36

right. And the great thing about that, Ryan, is that's a private tour. Whereas if you did something like that with people from your cruise ship, it's going to be more people on there.

Ryan: 7:45

It's a minimum of four folks when you book. we did a similar trip like this when we were in Ketchikan, but this sounds a little more involved and better scenery. Alright, so we know that Viator has lots of food tours for when you visit a certain location. What is a food related tour that really catches your eye with Viator, Julie?

Julie: 8:09

It is absolutely this tour that's called the Austin Walking Food Tour. with Secret Food Tours. Austin, I've been to before. My best friends lived in Texas for a couple years. So when we went to visit them, we went to Austin for the weekend and oh my gosh, they had the best food. Have you been to Austin, Ryan?

Ryan: 8:28

The only time I've been in Austin is the airport. So I continue my, my trek of never being to Texas because I've only been in the airports. But what I will tell you is Austin food is the Airport at least the terminal that I was in blew me away because in this terminal area Julie I'm not exaggerating when I say there were 20 coffee shops. There was food all over the place Any type of food you wanted not a single chain restaurant in the entire terminal Everything was texas and austin based There was at least two places I saw that had live music going on. I mean this place was phenomenal Silence.

Julie: 9:29

central and historic area and sample numerous foods, ranging from barbecue brisket to Austin style breakfast tacos and even an Italian cannoli. Along the way you'll discover some of the city's popular sites and attractions as you stroll the streets with a guide who is passionate about Austin and share stories along the way. This includes like a lot of food, so let me just read off what's included in food and you'll probably be sold.

Ryan: 9:55

Well, I know I will, but okay.

Julie: 9:58

a barbecue brisket, pinto beans, breakfast tacos, a berry special smoothie, a Reuben slider, flan cheesecake, chocolate chip, pecan cookies, handmade Italian cream sodas, meatball subs, and a couple other things that are on there as well.

Ryan: 10:14

Love it, love it.

Julie: 10:15

Yeah, this sounds awesome. And again, you scroll all the way down and you see those five star reviews. And I think that's just great. It does start at around a hundred dollars per person, but for all that food included, absolutely worth it. And the other great thing about this is in Austin, a lot of the places we went to, you had to get there when they opened, like there were lines and sometimes places would only make so much barbecue for the day and then they would close, they'd be out. So something like this would guarantee you that experience.

Ryan: 11:18

I love that. I would so do something like that. Absolutely. I have done food tours in the past. I'm thinking my family going to New York City and they were also able to accommodate, like my daughter was a vegetarian, for instance, and they were able to accommodate that perfectly fine to make sure that she had a great experience as well. Wow.

Julie: 11:37

Mm hmm. Mm

Ryan: 11:39

So I love this tour, Julie. I have seen a walk of Mexico in several documentaries and several food shows and I know it is a culinary hotspot for Mexico. And this is a traditional cooking class with Minerva Lopez. And let me, let me tell you about this overview. The first thing she says, this is in bold letters. I want you to know that this is not a restaurant and I do not consider myself a chef. But, then she says, I am Minerva Lopez and I am a traditional cook from Milwaukee and I have more than 40 years of experience in pre Hispanic and traditional cooking. I invite you to spend a day at my house with my family, my culture. It is an authentic experience where you will learn to, learn to cook. Cook as I learned, as if I was with your mom. Our groups are small, which makes for an intimate family experience. The market that we visit is the largest in Iwaka, and it's not touristy. Where the locals go to buy their fresh ingredients here it's possible to adapt our menu to our taste. There are vegan, vegetarian, and meat lover options. At home away from the city in a small town, our outdoor wood stove is the best place to cook everything we'll eat as prepared at home. So let me tell you what you're going to be cooking with Minerva that day. Starter, which is house chocolate with bread. A chocolate drink served accompanied by traditional bread. Hand tortillas so that you learn how to make tortillas by hand on a clay griddle or a pre Hispanic stove. For your main, you're either going to have a guacamole and If you've ever had traditional mole, Julie, it is the most amazing thing in the entire world. Or, you'll have an experience with corn. Two different sauces as prepared with endemic chilies and tomatoes codillos with pumpkin flour and cheese, memelitas, and yellow mole. Or a walk in tamales, black mole tamales in banana leaf and two more to choose from with a green sauce, chili, bean, and then she also will make some seasonal dishes based on what's available. And then you have a traditional Seasonal dessert native or exotic fruits that we buy in the market Seasonal desserts such as roasted bananas or a corn dessert or a walk a walk in sweets Also included with this is a mezcal cocktail How fun is this? I want to hang out with Minerva. I want to go to the market. I want to cook at her house Julie For all of like if this just sounds so much fun You

Julie: 14:31

this is so sweet and this is such a authentic experience. And there's over 100 reviews on this thing

Ryan: 14:39

Absolutely. And all

Julie: 14:41

I mean, amazing.

Ryan: 14:43

So, you know, this is a six hour experience, so this is obviously a day long experience. But, it's a hundred and twelve hours a person. For that experience, you're going to get a picture with Minerva at the end. She's going to treat you like her son and daughter. You just know it, right? Ha

Julie: 15:02

her outdoor wood stove. I mean, it's not like you're coming over to my house and we're making lunch. Like this is some real authentic stuff.

Ryan: 15:09

Absolutely. before we talk about several other types of tours, I want to talk about where in the world does all things travel, Julie.

Julie: 15:16

Okay.

Ryan: 15:17

So a new destination that popped up for us this week is Bakersfield, California. Have you been to Bakersfield?

Julie: 15:24

No, I haven't been there at all.

Ryan: 15:25

Bakersfield is obviously known for agriculture, right? So where I want to meet our listener is the Murray Family Farms and the Big Red Barn. So let me read about this destination. We're a family owned farm that grows the world's tastiest fruit. But the Big Red Barn is special. Really special. It's the home of the Murray Family Farms Pumpkin Patch and Harvest Festival, known as the October Fun Fest. We open these barn doors to give regular folks the opportunity to explore real farm life. Delicious farm fresh food is inside, games and rides outside, and the kindest darn farm hands you'll ever meet. If you've ever visited, thank you from the bottom of our hearts and supporting our farm and baker's field. Your kids would die to go here.

Julie: 16:14

yeah, that'd be

Ryan: 16:15

Ha ha ha ha ha! Well, hey, I always love to hear where all things travel is reaching. And I love the fact that we have Bakersfield, California on our side. Bakersfield, do me a favor, reach out to Julie or I either on Facebook or via email, because I would love to send a little thank you for being featured on the show, and I might just give it to you at the October Fun Fest. So the next area I want to talk about, Julie, what's an international tour that really caught your eye as you reviewed some of these ideas?

Julie: 16:48

This one seemed really, really fun. This is the Nairobi national park half day tour. The overview for this one tells us that we are going to be seeing free ranging wildlife at the backdrop of the Nairobi skyline on a half day tour to Nairobi national park, which is a convenient way. to experience a Kenya safari even if you have limited time. They offer door to door transportation from the Nairobi hotels which makes it hassle free and you have the chance to spot black rhinos, lions, giraffes, leopards, and hundreds of species of birds. I love that a lot of these options include a hotel pickup and drop off.

Ryan: 17:24

that is always great.

Julie: 17:26

You're going to get the chance to take some unique photos of the wildlife and, some of the Africa's Big Five on your game drive. There's four to five hours of game drives and then they'll take you back to, your hotel. And I also really like that on these websites, that tour sounds really great. So I want to scroll down and see a little more about what I might see. And There are a bunch of travelers photos who have done this tour before, and you can see that there are really, truly lions and giraffes and rhinos right up close with you.

Ryan: 17:57

That sounds great. I love that. I mean, put yourself in that unique position, see animals and just immerse yourself in that culture. Right?

Julie: 18:06

Mm hmm.

Ryan: 18:08

So I went very different from yours. Mine is an underground vaults walking tour in Edinburgh, Old Town, Scotland. And I like this tour for a variety of reasons. This is a really cool kind of off the beaten path. This is not like your touristy, creepy things tour. Although it is a creepy things tour, but it's not kind of the, the shock and awe, if you will. It's a short tour, so you can very easily add it on to other sightseeing, but it's only 25 a person, so that makes it very easy to say, we want to add this on, we want to get away from the hustle and bustle, and so you step off the tourist trail and explore the Scottish capital's hidden secrets on this underground walking tour in Edinburgh. Follow a guide from the South Bridge in Edinburgh Old Town, down below street level, where a series of ancient vaults lie. As you explore the dark passageways, learn why the vaults were built, hear of the poor souls who sought refuge in the depths, and discover a hidden witchcraft temple. Gain insights into the city's life during the 18th century, and learn of the diseases which threatened its inhabitants. I think this sounds like a lot of fun.

Julie: 19:26

And it sounds unique, like a little off the

Ryan: 19:28

Yeah, why not? I to be able to come back and say, yes, we saw this, yes, we saw that, we saw all the things, but we also got to see all about this grisly history of Edinburgh,

Julie: 19:40

right. Exactly. So different than what you would normally think of.

Ryan: 19:44

All right, so we've talked about a lot of different tours, Julie. What's an honorable mention that we haven't discussed today when it comes to tours on Viator?

Julie: 19:55

All right. So this is very different than anything that we've talked about, but also something that I'm researching frequently for clients. Maybe not in this destination, but in other destinations. And this is the Blue Lagoon Beaches and Bays catamaran sailing tour. And this one is in Malta.

Ryan: 20:13

Oh,

Julie: 20:14

So let me tell you about this one. If small boats are not for you, set sail on the Mediterranean waters off Malta aboard a large and spacious catamaran. You'll stop at two or three prime locations for swimming and snorkeling, including Malta's most famous swimming spot, the Blue Lagoon. where the boat will moor in a secluded area to avoid the crowds. You'll sail the waters of the Mediterranean on a large catamaran. You can also go over to the Crystal Lagoon and a couple of the local bays. And really, you're just soaking up the sun in Malta, enjoying a day on the water, and it just sounds awesome. Awesome.

Ryan: 20:53

I love that. What a great way to just relax during your time there, right?

Julie: 20:58

absolutely. And this tour is priced super reasonable. It starts in like the 40 range which is phenomenal.

Ryan: 21:07

All right, so for mine, I went down under and I chose the pinnacle desert sunset and nighttime stargazing tour from Perth, and this is an 8 hour tour. So a good portion of the day, but this also includes pickup, which is super nice, right? We talk about

Julie: 21:25

Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

Ryan: 21:27

of a lot of these. It includes a luxury coach tour. Afternoon tea and dinner expert coach captain commentary an evening visit to the pinnacle desert and your hotel Pick up and drop off and let me explain This a little bit you watch as the sun sets over the pinnacle desert revealing bright stars blanketing the night sky During this tour in Yanship National Park, where you'll see kangaroos and koalas enroute to the limestone formations dotting the pinnacle desert landscape. See the sunset over the Indian Ocean before dinner, and then retreat back into the desert to explore under the starry sky without light pollution. Very, very cool.

Julie: 22:12

So cool. And again, a bit of a unique experience. It's not the first thing you're going to think of doing, but what a great add on to your

Ryan: 22:20

What is, Julie, either a favorite Viator tour that you've done, or something that you'd like to do in the future, based off of where you're thinking of traveling?

Julie: 22:31

I will talk about the one that we are going to be doing soon, and that is going over to the Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii. And I know you've done that, so you are advising me a little bit on doing that. So if anyone doesn't know, that's the area that you go to in Hawaii where you can tour a lot of the movie sites for like, The Jurassic movies and the Lost series on TV things like that. So it's really cool and it's always been something on our list to do and Viator is the place I always book it.

Ryan: 23:00

I mentioned the food tour in Chelsea Market in New York City. That was a really fun tour for my family. But my son actually did surfing when we were in Hawaii last time, so it's, it's interesting that you brought that up it was with h and l surfing and they were an amazing company via tour. Made it super easy. Yeah, I absolutely loved it.

Julie: 23:21

You want to plan a trip to an amazing destination but don't know how to get started? As your travel advisor. We work with you to create a customized itinerary for your vacation and take the stress of planning away so you can focus on the fun and creating memories. You can reach out to me at julie at creatingmagicvacations. com

Ryan: 23:42

You can reach out to me at ryan at creatingmagicvacations. com We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel when we have some great takeaways from our Royal Caribbean cruise last month with Julie, Michelle, and myself.