When planning a trip to a new place, you probably wonder if spending a lot of money on shows and activities from Viator is a good idea. Are they even legit? Yes, they are legit. They are one of the longest operating travel marketplaces and one of the most valuable in the world.

Viator being legit does not mean they are perfect for you. We will breakdown how Viator works, and if they are dependable for your next trip.

Is Viator a Legitimate Company?

Absolutely. They are a large and well known world travel marketplace. They are not a travel agency themselves, they are a travel aggregator. They do not have their own original content, they just have partnerships with local tour providers.

Experience: They are the largest providers of travel experiences in the world with almost 300,000 partner providers.

Accountability: Since they are owned by Tripadvisor, they will always have a higher level of corporate responsibility than newer and smaller travel services.

Safety: Viator has secured payment portals to protect your credit card information.

Is Viator.com Legit?

When people ask, “Is Viator.com legit?” they usually are just asking if purchasing tours from them will get them scammed. A tour which does not exist should not get purchased. Scams like these are not likely to happen because Viator checks their tour providers.

Since Viator is a third-party reseller, they do not operate the tours. If a tour is bad, it is most likely the fault of the local company, not Viator. To stay safe:
Check reviews. Only book tours with a considerable amount of recent, positive reviews.

Check for the “Badge of Excellence.” This is given to top operators with high ratings and low cancellations.

Is Viator Reliable?

The question of ‘is Viator reliable’ usually comes down to their policies and customer support.

Pros

Free Cancellation: Most tours provide a 24-hour full refund policy, making it very reliable for plan changes.

Reserve Now, Pay Later: You can secure your spot without paying right away, making it ideal for budgeting.

Global Support: They provide 24/7 support in various languages.

Cons

Third-party Communication. Because Viator is a middle dad, there tends to be a ‘disconnect’ with local tour guides regarding meeting points and times.

Pricing: Sometimes, booking with a local company is more affordable than booking through Viator because you forgo the commission. However, you lose the ‘free cancellation’ insurance that Viator offers.

Is it Recommended?

Viator is trustworthy. Use them for:

Convenience: Keeping all tickets in one place.

Peace of Mind: You can cancel if plans change, or if your flight is delayed.

Research: Finding and comparing 10 “Skip the Line” tours in one location.

Booking Tip: After you book on Viator, always message the local operator in the Viator app to confirm the pickup time. This reduces 90% of the “reliability” issues travelers face.