TOUR GUIDES: Characteristics of Family Friendly Guides

By: MJ + PJ

We have had plenty of experiences with guides at this point in our adventure (5 months in). You never know quite what you are going to get when you sign up for a tour or visit a location where a guide is necessary. Another variable for them and for the tour group is having children on the tour. It can be challenging for you as the parent to keep your child engaged throughout the tour and to minimize interruptions and distractions. It is also challenging for a guide to accommodate the interests of their outlier age group while maintaining the flow of the tour.

Guides have it tough. It is hard to please everyone, particularly when you have either a challenging agenda or location (or both!) on a tour. We don’t expect miracles from guides, nor do we expect them to accommodate our child’s needs. Guides are not babysitters, and they are not mind readers. They all have different backgrounds and levels of experience.

Unfortunately, you can’t often screen for an ideal family guide, however it is reasonable to ask tour operators for guides that may have more experience with children. It is also a good idea to read recent participant reviews of tour operators to look for hints of tours being family friendly. For this reason we are reviewing many of the locations we visit, so look for the Rocky Dog icon when reading Google Reviews! 

We have been lucky to have had several exceptional guides in the last few months. Here are the common standout features of these guides, who have been both very family aware and accommodating to the extent they can be. 

1. They interact with your child from the very start, and get to know a few simple things about them.
2. They keep everyone informed on when the next restrooms will be available, or where they are located.
3. They give good warning about levels of safety and risks for parents in context of the unpredictability of children.
4. They touch base intermittently with your child on any random topic that comes to their mind.
5. They throw in explanations at age appropriate levels when possible.
6. When the parents are trying to get that particular photo of whatever, they help out.
7. They make silly jokes that kids understand.
8. They encourage the kids to come forward or to be closer to them when they are talking.
9. They point out things to kids that they would otherwise miss, particularly when the parents don’t think to do so.
10. They are subtle with adult jokes, themes and references.
11. They are patient and tolerant when your child does something for the ‘n’th time.

Getting a guide who even does half of these things is absolutely refreshing and makes even a simple tour more relaxing and rewarding. In these instances you are getting more than you paid for, so you should reward your guide and directly highlight why you are giving the (substantial!) tip. This feedback is invaluable to them, and will help them repeat those things that helped your family out today, with any family on tomorrow’s tour.

We can easily remember the names of the guides that did many of these things. They have made a lasting impression. Remember to include their names in your reviews. Here are two phenomenal family friendly guides we’ve had in South America:

Mauricio from Perla de Bolivia:

Bruno from Kollasuyo Travel: