Context

Context is a company that provides private and semi-private guided tours to travellers across more than 45 destinations worldwide, led by PhD and MA-level scholars with an in-depth knowledge of each location.

After entering the details of your itinerary, including city, arrival date, departure date and number of participants you will be shown a list of available tours that can be sorted by category. Once you have selected a tour, you can then view a more detailed description of what exactly is included, a range of high quality photos, as well as a list of docents and a short biography for each one. This is a great addition as it really makes you feel as though you are getting a personalised tour by first getting to know a bit about who will be guiding you.

Another great feature of Context is the ability to buy gift cards loaded with money that can be sent to friends and family. You can send a digital gift card immediately or select a special date, making for a unique present that can be redeemed for any tour, in any of the cities they offer.

However, one pitfall of booking a tour with Context is the high cost. A simple tour round a museum can be as much as $100 USD per person as part of a group, while private tours are considerably more. Many of the locations are tourist attractions and will therefore most likely have their own guided tours, either for free or for a much smaller fee than offered with Context. There is also no loyalty program that rewards frequent customers with added benefits or discounts, meaning your first booking will be the same as your tenth.

David Jones

I am a professional travel writer and travel enthusiast who traveled the world twice, so I am sharing my firsthand knowledge about everything related to travel and spending time abroad.