Most people already know what going private means in schools or hospitals – smaller class sizes, shorter waiting lists and posher magazines in the waiting room.
But when it comes to travel overseas such as visiting Korea, the difference isn’t as clear. Does a private tour still include a guide and driver? Is it just for honeymooners, or can big families book out a departure? Wouldn’t a group tour be better valued?
“So, should I travel in a group or go booking one of those private tours?”
This might be the question that arises every time you travel around the world. If you’re still hesitating between a private tour and a group tour, let’s see what private tour can offer to you.
Private Tours
flexible itinerary designed around your interest
A typical Korea private tours are fully escorted tour packages including pretty much everything you asked for, such as accommodations, meals, admissions, private van (or bigger vehicle) and your own professional tour guide.
Your private tour guide could be speaking your own language as well. (In Korea, however, most of the language services are provided in English)
Your private tour guide & driver at your service during your staying there, from meeting you at the airport (or train station) upon your arrival, showing you around, till seeing you off at the airport (or train station) for your next destination or going back your country.
The biggest advantage of a private tour would be the flexible itinerary designed around your interest, need and budget. You decide where to go, when to go and where to stay. Your personal tour guide will only focus on your needs and is on hand to make sure you get the most out of each stop.
It’s definitely an exciting experience to go shopping in a foreign country, but what if you were forced to visit a bunch of shopping malls that you don’t even care about? It will be an unpleasant experience that could be the last thing you want to do especially traveling in a foreign country. As a matter of fact, commission-earning shop stops are the bane of Korea group tours in many cases.
If you have ever seen a Korea tour package that is an unbelievably cheap price for common sense, on such a tour, there will be a tight schedule of mandatory shopping.
If you want to avoid yet another factory outlet, a foreign tourist only duty free store and pressure-sale souvenir aisle, take a private tour.
Group Tours (SIC type)
relatively cheap tour price
SIC tours stand for Seat-in-Coach Basis Tours, which means you will share an air-conditioned coach or van with other tourists and you will have (maybe not) an English-speaking tour guide to take you to all the scenic spots listed in the itinerary that day.
Group tours tend to be opposite to private tours in most aspects, but relatively cheap tour price is the greatest advantage.
However, recent travel trends have developed local hidden adventures or experiences type of tours that lets you book excursions or other activities designed with an exciting way to round out your life on a shoestring budget and these experiences usually take the form of SIC type of tours.
As analytics of big data from Airbnb, 91% of travelers said they would like to have a special experience that only locals can do during their vacation in a foreign country. This change in perception by travelers has led to new changes in the tourism business.
Of course, if you travel to Korea with over 15 people of large-sized family, friends or colleagues, you can go on a group tour privately and in this case, it can be the best tour package ever, with every advantage from both types.
