In case you don’t know, I have one of the coolest jobs in the world.  I take people on tours of Madrid, showing them the best places to get food and drinks, while getting to meet awesome people from around the world.  How do I do it? I work for Withlocals as a tour guide here in Madrid.

(Photo by Withlocals) 

I am a guide for five of their tours here including the Wine and Tapas tour, the Ten Tastes Tapas tour, a Michelin Star Restaurant tour, a Multicutural Lavapies tour,  and most recently- a Family Friendly Tapas tour.  I have been working with them for just over a year and in that time, I have fallen in love with this job and the company.  It’s a great company to work for and an even better company to consider doing a tour with if you are traveling.

(Photo by Withlocals on the Wine and Tapas tour)

Even though I am a tour guide, I am writing this on my own and based on my own experience.  This is not a sponsored post, nor will I write anything that I do not TRULY mean.  I would 100% use this company for my own travels and think the concept is excellent (wish I had thought of it….lol).  So, with that, here is some basic information about the company and the tours:

FAQ

What is Withlocals?

Withlocals is a tour compnay based in the Netherlands that recruits and hires ‘locals’ from various cities to give tours in their home cities.  

What types of tours do they offer?

They offer everything from ‘experiences’ (like museums, palaces, cooking classes, etc), to food tours, walking tours, history tours, and more.  Every city is different!  And the best part is that if they don’t offer a tour for something you are interested in doing, you can reach out to a host (or a few hosts) and ask them to design something for you!  This October, I will be doing a Madrid Market tour with 2 guests who reached out to me with the idea!

How are they different than other tour companies?

Because they hire REAL people to do these tours that don’t get any sort of discount, commission, or deal for taking you to various places or recommending places.  You get a REAL experience and will go to the places the guide actually goes to themselves, and the tour is customizable based on what you and your friends/ family like.

What does the price cover?

Each tour is different, but on the tours I do, the price covers everything!  The price might seem high, but I promise you, it’s not.  It covers all of your food, tickets, etc, the price that the guide earns, and the price that the company takes (a percent).  When you divide the price by the number of people and the hours you spend with the guide, it’s a great deal.

So what are my TOP 5 REASONS for choosing Withlocals?

1 // You will meet someone who lives in that city and LOVES that city.  You will meet a guide that lives in the neighborhood, can tell you stories about their experiences with these places, and will be a great connection to have during your stay.  My job doesn’t end when the tour ends- I am happy to give recommendations, help you book tickets, etc.

(At one of the stops on my Lavapiés Multicultural tour!  This was after we shared a bottle of sidra (cider) from Asturias)

2.  You will visit places you NEVER would have visited on your own (I promise).  I know that on my tours, we go to great places, but at least half of them are places you would walk right past if you were on your own.  We will take you to places that are unsuspecting and small, but have a lot to offer (and that’s what you want when you travel, right?).

(photo by Withlocals as part of the Wine and Tapas tour)

3 // Your guide can make recommendations for you.  If you book a tour, book it in the BEGINNING of your trip to take advantage of what your guide has to offer!  When I give people recommendations, I recommend places I truly love and don’t make any commissions for doing so!  I also try to give recommendations for other cities I have traveled.  I hate going on a tour, asking for a recommendation, and the guide says “xyz place, but say my name when you get there”.  I’m like *rolling eye emoji*.

(Photo by Withlocals as part of the Multicultural Lavapiés tour)

4 // You can personalize your tour.  Withlocals offers private and personalizable tours.  Don’t eat meat?  Don’t drink alcohol?  Only going to be in the city one day and want to combine a walking tour with a food tour?  You can design the tours however you like, just let your guide know (and try to do it before the start of the tour….you would be surprised how many people show up to a tour and then tell you they don’t eat meat, dairy, bread, or breath oxygen).

(On the Ten Tastings tour)

5// You can choose the guide that you like most by watching the introduction videos on the Withlocals website.  You can choose someone young, someone who has lived here their whole life, someone who has lived here a few years (like me)- whatever you prefer!  It beats getting a guide that you don’t really connect with!

(Photo by Withlocals as part of the Multicultural Lavapiés tour)

That’s it!  If you or someone you know is interested in doing a tour with Withlocals, use this code for a discount! (Here is the code)