travelerconfidential

Buying a plane ticket and finding a place to stay is only half the battle when it comes to planning a trip. What you do once you’re there takes lots of pre-planning as well. Most travelers already know what websites to hit up to find great deals on flights and hotels, but do you know what sites to visit for booking activities and tours? A few sites really stand out because they don’t just offer basic tours; they offer things to do to take your vacation to a new level.

Here are five vacation-planning sites worth your time. And trust us; if what you’re looking for isn’t here, then it probably doesn’t exist.

www.peek.com

This website is quite amazing. It list thousands of activities in 20-plus locations. Peek is a site that carefully crafts tours, activities, and even luncheons for travelers. From ethnic food tours to skydiving to gluten-free brunches, this site has some really unique options for those with discriminating tastes. Major U.S. cities are listed as well as London, Paris, Cancun, and Los Cabos.

www.viator.com

Viator has been around for quite some time and is now owned by TripAdvisor. It’s efficient, clean, and easy to use. The search engine on the home page lets you look for destinations, attractions and tours in 20 international cities. Type in “Dubai” and you will get a list of 333 tours and activities and 100 results for attractions and recommendations. At times it may feel daunting with so much to offer, but the great thing about the site is that you really feel like you’ll know everything there is to do before you board that plane.

www.zerve.com

Zerve feels and looks local and personal. It covers 32 cities in the US and offers tens of thousands of things to do. But, here’s where it differs. It lets you plug in your exact dates and times. From there, you choose from nine categories ranging from “Food & Wine” to “Sails & Cruises” to “Tours”. Another benefit to this site is that it lists local festivals and events happening during your visit.

www.getyourguide.com

This German-based website is another gem for travelers looking for a long list of things to do, particularly in parts of Europe. Like City Discovery, Get Your Guide features activities in nearly 2,000 places in over 100 countries. It has very competitive prices with over 25,000 things to do and see. One of its enviable features is offering up those “hard to get” tickets for some of the most visited sites in the world. From the Vatican to the Eiffel Tower, this site offers you “No Wait” and “Priority Access” tours making sure you will see international landmarks without all the headaches and hassles.

www.tripadvisor.com

TripAdvisor is the granddaddy of them all. It’s the site we all visit to read and post reviews on just about everything travel related. You choose the destination and you get reviews and pictures on hotels, restaurants and tours. No matter where people book their hotels and flights, they always look to this site for a seal of approval. Though it’s not new, it’s still considered an industry giant. It also owns many other travel-related products, which might be the reason it’s the most visited travel website in the world.