![\"Empty](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/paulo-silva-9LA9HTUSgKo-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\")
Like almost everything else in the world, the experience of taking a guided tour has changed drastically over the last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are extra safety regulations to follow to protect tour participants. Booking policies, group sizes, and expectations of the guide and guests are all different as well. If you\u2019re wondering what it\u2019s like to take a tour nowadays, I\u2019m here to tell you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safety always the top priority<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Above all else, we want you to enjoy the tour while also feeling like your wellbeing is protected. On our tour \u2014 and many tours we\u2019ve seen around the world \u2014 masks and social distancing are required. Hand sanitizer is provided and strongly encouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most importantly, there\u2019s a constant line of communication between the guests, company, and tour guide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few of the safety precautions we\u2019ve put in place<\/a>. You\u2019ll find similar ones with most reputable tour companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We also follow quarantine requirements from local authorities where we operate and ask our guests to do the same. These vary from city to city, state to state, and country to country. For example, in New York state, the current guidelines are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things aren\u2019t as certain these days. Travel restrictions change, case numbers rise and fall \u2014 you can\u2019t be certain how you personally will feel from one week to the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll see cancellation policies that reflect that uncertainty. Major travel brands, from Delta to Hyatt, have relaxed their cancellation policies<\/a>, allowing for refunds or rescheduling without extra fees. Tour companies are doing the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our policy: <\/strong>We offer a 100% money-back guarantee if you give notice at least 24 hours prior to the start time of the tour. You can also reschedule to another date, without extra fees, for any reason, even if it\u2019s just that you missed your tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a traveler, you should always be aware of safety considerations when you\u2019re visiting a new place. If you\u2019re a local taking the opportunity to enjoy a staycation in your city, the same applies. We encourage guests to do their research to understand proper health protocols during the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We follow the World Tour Tourism Travel Council and local health guidelines for all our tours. Here are a few general safety guidelines to keep in mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CDC calls these everyday preventive actions<\/a>, and we think they\u2019re smart for anyone to follow \u2014 on a tour or anywhere you may be going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While a typical tour group size could range from 15-25 people (and some companies have tours of 50 or more), we\u2019ve limited our tours to only 10 guests at most per guide. This limits the amount of contact made by each guest and also makes social distancing a lot easier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Guide insight: <\/strong>On top of smaller groups, I\u2019ve found that most people are traveling within their pods. In general, that means each party usually only has 2-4 people. In fact, it might just be your group on the tour, a surprise treat our guests always love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, the city is pretty empty. Areas like Times Square<\/a> and the Charging Bull that used to be packed to the brim are almost ghost towns. While it does make me a little sad to see, it’s the ideal time to explore these famous sites and learn more about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s especially true if you\u2019re a local! You might not be able to go on vacation, but this is the perfect way to get out of the house (safely) and discover your city. If you live in NYC, one of the top tourism capitals of the world, you finally have a reason to see its best sights without a ton of people in your pics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same holds true for other global cities, from where our Paris tours<\/a> to where our San Francisco tours<\/a> are in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re planning on booking a guided tour or have one coming up, here\u2019s some key guidelines to follow to make sure you\u2019re staying as safe as possible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe me, I know it can be annoying. But wearing a mask is a necessity for your health and, if you\u2019re on one of our tours, a requirement. If you must, must, must remove your mask briefly for some reason, my advice would be to step far <\/em>away from the guide and tour group until you\u2019re ready to place your mask back on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You know the drill: 6 feet apart. It can be a bit tricky on the tighter sidewalks in some of our cities, but your guide will be able to help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This rule is especially important when you stop somewhere to talk. You might be tempted to bunch together. I know I even catch myself wanting to tell people to scooch in (a habit from pre-COVID days to avoid getting in the way of locals.) But resist that temptation and keep the space. The guide will make sure everyone hears the whole tour so you\u2019re not missing out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a tip you should use beyond just tours. When you\u2019re out and about in the city, open bathrooms are few and far between. This is just one of many results from the pandemic. So be prepared to stay clean and BYO hand sanitizer. Use it frequently, especially after you make physical contact with something or someone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you run out or forget, no worries. Our guides carry hand sanitizer with them at all times and will be happy to provide you some during the tour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your guide often has recommendations on where to eat after your tour. But remember to stop by the restroom first to wash up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also a good idea to wash your hand thoroughly before the tour to decrease the spread of germs as much as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re tired of being cooped up in your house, getting outside could be the ticket. Guided tours held outdoors, often called walking tours, are a great way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This type of tour is our specialty because it\u2019s how we got started \u2014 walking tours of SoHo<\/a> in NYC and Montmartre<\/a> in Paris, but the biking and kayaking tours are other options. During COVID, these are a better choice than enclosed bus tours so people have plenty of open air and room for social distancing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are all the things you should do before you go on your guided tour to make sure you are prepared as possible when it comes time for your tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We already talked about this, so I won\u2019t rehash everyone, but I do have a few tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to your mask, bring one you\u2019re comfortable wearing for the full length of your tour. If it’s hotter outside, pick a mask that is cool enough and doesn\u2019t add too much extra heat to your face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also recommend \u201cpracticing\u201d with your masks before the tour. Wear one around your house for a couple of hours. This will help you determine which of your masks works the best for long-term use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Given the devastating effects that the pandemic has had on many businesses, there could be a stop or two that is different during the tour because a place closed down. It could also be because a space is too crowded for social distancing. Understand there\u2019s a chance that the tour may be slightly different than advertised and ask questions in advance if you have any concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not everything about touring during COVID is bad. In fact, being outdoors is one of the safer places to be. You\u2019re not sitting still at a restaurant but moving from place to place, which is even better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, here\u2019s what I\u2019ve noticed as a tour guide in NYC:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I started giving tours again back in August and, so far, the experience has been mostly positive. It\u2019s certainly a strange time to be working in the travel industry and nothing could have prepared us for what has happened this year. But I love my city and look forward to sharing that with other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said, I also know I am protected by the guidelines and flexibility of my company. None of the guides are punished for not wanting to give tours, and I feel comfortable opting out if I think my health might be at risk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n All my guests during COVID have been lovely \u2014 willing to listen and respect the rules while also being patient about changes to the tour. Most people I\u2019ve met have been so tired of being cooped up in the house, they\u2019re just looking for something to do that\u2019s both fun and <\/em>safe. So they\u2019re willing to do what you ask, especially when it\u2019s explained clearly prior to the tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I\u2019ve enjoyed going back to doing what I love most \u2014 showing people around this incredible city with tours of NYC<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, you\u2019re the only person who can decide whether or not you feel safe enough to take a tour. Hopefully, some of the above information has helped in making that decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truthfully, we\u2019re all living through something we\u2019ve never experienced before. There\u2019s uncertainty all around, but we\u2019re in this together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now you know exactly what to expect and plan for if you decide to join us on a guided tour during COVID-19 in any of our cities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re ready, we look forward to welcoming you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This year has been scary and unpredictable for everyone. Even now, as things are slowly heading back toward normalcy, you might still be hesitant and nervous to spend time around other people. So what could possibly motivate you to book a guided tour? Ultimately, decisions affecting your safety and health are very personal. If you\u2019re<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":29461,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29454"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29454"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29454\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36088,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29454\/revisions\/36088"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29461"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
Flexible cancellation policy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Guided](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/F24EED68-6FFE-49A4-BD95-4035F7B30EFD-scaled-2-e1609363946637-1024x686.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nCOVID-19 health guidelines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
COVID-19 tour trend: Smaller groups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Fewer tourists and more space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Tips for staying safe during a tour<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Pedestrians](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/people-5059064_1920-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAlways wear a mask.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Keep socially distant from others.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bring hand sanitizer.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Wash hands before and after your tour.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Opt for outdoor activities.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Taking a tour during COVID? Here\u2019s how to prepare.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Statue](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/jon-tyson-GdczycaOnug-unsplash-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFollow the health and safety guidelines.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Be flexible with tour changes.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Appreciate the unexpected silver lining.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
My experience as a guide during COVID-19<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Tour](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/PXL_20201128_150929900-scaled-1-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSocially distanced and safe guided tours<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Restaurant](\"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/12\/Restaurant_Displays_Sign_Were_All_In_This_Together__New_York_City_COVID19-1024x781.jpg\")
\n