How to Actually Find a Trustworthy Local Guide

And why hiring a local and private guide is better than a group tour.

One of the most memorable trips taken by travel blogger Chris Oberman was a hiking adventure with his wife through the Zagros Mountains near Choman, Iraq. It’s a region where peaks are still snow-capped late into July and where steep trails wind through dense oak forests, over rocky ridges, and past crystal-clear streams fed by mountain springs. It’s also part of a country where the government restricts certain areas or labels them high-risk due to political instability and old landmines.

Venturing solo into the Zagros Mountains would be considered risky for even the most seasoned traveler, which is why Oberman and his wife turned toward a local guide.

“Having a local guide that truly knows the area was crucial for a safe trip,” Oberman said. But beyond being able to guide him and his wife along the best routes while providing additional security, what made the trip unforgettable for the couple was how their guide gave them a deeper insight into Iraqi culture. At one point, they ran into a group of nomadic Kurdish shepherds, who their guide happened to know.

“We were able to meet with them and even take photos,” Oberman recalled. “It was quite extraordinary to see how they lived.”

While some destinations are made for easy and independent exploration, for others—particularly those with little tourism infrastructure, safety concerns, or complex cultural norms—hiring a local guide is a good idea. Even in simpler destinations, these local experts can connect travelers to a place in more personalized and meaningful ways.

Here’s what you need to know about what experiences local guides can unlock and how to hire one for your next trip.

A Deeper Immersion Into Local Culture

Wandering through a destination without a guide can feel freeing, but it often leads to a surface-level experience rather than true cultural immersion—without local insight, it’s easy to skim past layers of history, tradition, and meaning, reducing a place to just its most obvious sights. Language barriers and cultural nuances can also make deeper interactions difficult, leaving you as more of an observer than a participant.

Similarly, group tours can be convenient, but they often create a barrier between travelers and the authentic culture of a destination. With rigid itineraries, large crowds, and guides who cater to the lowest common denominator, group tours can feel more like a sightseeing conveyor belt than a deep cultural experience.

Photographer Lisa Michele Burns argues that hiring a local guide for a private tour finds the Goldilocks zone of local knowledge and flexibility.

When Burns was traveling to Swedish Lapland, she hired a local Sami reindeer herder to take her out to shoot the northern lights. She’d already done a big group tour that left her feeling frustrated by the size of the group, the lack of context, and the proximity to the artificial light in nearby towns that blemished the night sky.

“Traveling with a local reindeer herder, she had access to the more remote fields, and we found ourselves walking through knee-deep snow to an opening by a creek,” Burns said. “Within moments of arriving, the sky lit up, and soon we were standing on a partially frozen creek, with the calming sounds of water trickling through the ice as the aurora danced above us in shades of green, pink, and purple. It was magic.”

Tim Choate, founder of a vacation rental company, said he similarly used local guides who are true experts on the area to find off-the-map adventures. For instance, on one trip to Southeast Asia, he hired a former national park superintendent who said could guide him “around lesser-known animal reserves, offering a more immersive experience than any other tour operator could have.”

Vanessa Karel, founder of Greether, a platform that connects female travelers with female guides, echoed this sentiment. “There’s nothing like having a local tell you the dos and don’ts of a destination: what to avoid, what’s a must-see, and how to navigate the culture,” she said.

Hiring a Local Guide

While guides have always been available to those with the means and connections to hire one, the internet has made finding reputable guides more egalitarian. Platforms like ToursByLocals, GetYourGuide, and Airbnb Experiences have made connecting directly with knowledgeable locals easier, often with transparent pricing and reviews to ensure quality.

Social media can also play a role—both Oberman and Burns said they often find their guides while scrolling through Instagram since many guides now have a social media presence where you can get a sense of their expertise and personality.

Meanwhile, online travel forums, blogs, and Facebook groups dedicated to traveling families, solo travelers, or women travelers, for example, often have firsthand reviews.

Travel agent Kimberly Denison says it’s always a good idea to prioritize personal referrals or recommendations from trusted sources such as your travel advisor, hotel staff, or local tourism boards. “These connections provide firsthand assurances of a guide’s professionalism, reliability, and cultural knowledge,” she added.

Another option is to work with a company that creates tailor-made trips that can call upon a network of skilled local people who specialize in a specific subject. Alex Bentley, head of product at Audley Travel, a company specializing in private, custom-guided vacations, said they partner with carefully selected in-country suppliers who can share unique stories with their guests.

“As an example, our partner in Egypt employs a guide in Cairo who leads some of the excavation work that continues around the Pyramids in Giza and can share incredible details with our clients,” Bentley said. “This approach ensures our clients have a memorable and authentic experience, something that can’t be guaranteed when hiring a guide independently.”

If you do hire your own guide, it’s essential to do your own vetting. Read reviews, check how long they’ve been guiding, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. What are their specialties? What languages do they speak? A good guide should be transparent about their experience and happy to answer any concerns you might have. You might also ask if they hold certifications or belong to local or international guiding associations or tourism boards, as these affiliations help ensure high standards of service, professionalism, and cultural expertise.

“Seek out guides who communicate clearly, prioritize safety, and have a genuine passion for sharing their region’s heritage and culture,” Denison advised. “This ensures a seamless and memorable experience tailored to your needs.”